They turned a corner and a food stall came into view. It was a rolling cart stacked with wheels of cheese, baskets of fresh bread, assorted fruit, and paper cones of warm chestnuts. Joseph raised his eyebrows, an invitation, and Tessa nodded with enthusiasm. He bought a block of cheese, two loaves of the aromatic bread, and a cone of nuts.
“Ale?” he asked the vendor, but the old man shook his head and pointed to a half barrel stacked with bottles of wine. Joseph held up a finger. “One bottle, if you please.”
They carried the meal to a wooden bench, Tessa pulled off her gloves and carefully unfurled the cone of paper, nudging the chestnuts into a little pile and arranging the bread and cheese. Joseph used his knife to open the wine and then stabbed the point through the paper with awhack. Tessa gave a satisfying jump and then laughed.
“Now I wonder,” she began, dislodging the knife and slicing the cheese, “can a man who is too lofty for Vauxhall Gardens properly advocate in Parliament for poor children? This was your goal in running for office, was it not? Resources for children without means?”
Joseph took up a loaf of bread and tore it in half. “Yes, well—for schools.” He’d often wondered at Berymede if she’d been listening when he spoke about his Parliamentary dream.
Tessa nodded and selected a slice of cheese. Delicately, she sniffed it and nibbled a small sample. Her tongue darted out. She licked her bottom lip.
Joseph’s own mouth watered. He reached for the bottle of wine and took a swig. “I believe I take offense to the notion that I amtoo loftyfor Vauxhall. It’s not loftiness. More like... unease.”
“You areafraidof the Gardens?”
He choked on the wine. “Ah, no.” He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Returning to the fixtures of my youth—Vauxhall, for example—feels a bit like going back in time. I have this feeling that the very space might reclaim me in some way. Swallow me up. As if all that I have accomplished has been a dream and here is where I really belong.”
“But you are not uncertain of your station, Joseph, surely.”
He shook his head. “Not uncertain, merely—forward-looking. No looking back.”
“Except for the poor children.”
He laughed again. Her wit was so very quick. He’d seen this at Berymede, although not applied in this way. Not insightful. She had gushed over his every comment in those weeks; now, she challenged. He had the thought that he could talk to her all night.
“I fell into the path of education out of chance. But it’s so very rare for a serving boy to happen into the generous employ of an earl willing to hire tutors and cancel chores so he could learn calculus and French. I believe the education of children should not be left to a one-in-a-million chance. If primary school in England was standard—a school in every village—imagine what talent we could discover.”
“But have you given thought to seeking out lower-class boys who show some potential? Boys you could sponsor, as the earl sponsored you?”
“I believe every child in Britain can be taught to read and write and do sums. No one should be singled out. Potential can be hidden, and even those without any particular potential should enjoy literacy. It’s ambitious, I know. But if I could win a seat in the House of Commons, I might effect real change.”
“So this is why you dress so finely and ride such an expensive horse. This is why your matchbox is silver and you never seem to wear the same boots twice?”
“If you’re accusing me of loving the finer things in life, I’ve no defense. Conveniently, these finer things also fit into my larger plan of running for public office. So the answer is both yes and no. I both enjoyandrequire fine clothes and horses. A good meal and other luxuries.”
“And a wealthy gentleman’s daughter as your wife...” Tessa said.
Joseph went very still. He replaced the bottle on the bench. “No, Tessa.” His tone was harsh and she flinched, but on this point, he could not be misunderstood. “That is not the reason I wanted a wealthy gentleman’s daughter.”I lived and breathed you,he thought.
But she had known this at the time. He’d never been vague about his affections for her.Hehad concealed nothing.Shehad been the concealer.
“Forgive me,” she said, casting her eyes down. “I... I’ve consoled myself with the knowledge that my father’s wealth and connections would be a boon to you. Marrying you saved two lives. I wanted you to gain from it as well. Of course, now—”
“My interest was solely in you,” he said quietly. The truth. It made him angry that she would suggest otherwise.
She stared at the food. After a long moment, she said, “I understand your tenuous relationship with your old life—when you were a servant—and the way it is now, with your wealth and refinement. When I...” She paused and glanced up cautiously. Joseph refused to soften his gaze.
She swallowed and continued, “When I think of the idle, vapid, featherheaded girl I was before I moved to London, I cringe. I am loathe to ever slide back into that... that...” She picked up three chestnuts and then replaced them in a line, one by one.
She finished softly, “May I never entertain such a pointless existence ever again.”
“Your existence was not pointless at Berymede,” he said. Another true statement.Your existence thrilled me.
She shrugged and picked up a piece of bread. “My existence at Berymede is not like it is now.”
Joseph’s stomach dropped. “No,” he said. “I suppose it is not.”
Now, her life contained a baby, it contained a newfound interest in business. Now she was beginning to explore London.
