More about the sea. A whole paragraph with positive thoughts concerning the land and its location. I passed over a small paragraph about Lennox. Then read,
The Assembly Rooms are more than adequate for dancing the waltz with a clumsy, albeit handsome, well-intentioned gentleman.
“Clumsy?”
Her eyes brightened, clearly remembering what she’d written, and she grinned. “You cannot have it all, Graham.”
I raised a brow, but I could not help the slightest twitch of a smile.
Day five:
Tourists should come here for the prawns alone. They are heaven on a plate. The Marine Pavilion is lovely, especially its gardens and stable house. I’d love a tour inside, but the opportunity did not arise. Perhaps another time.
The most interesting part of Brighton is when the fishermen come to cast their nets just before sunset. The men appear weary and worn, yet somehow jovial and excited for the night ahead. There is room here for greater tourism, beside the already established bathhouse nearby. I cannot say I love it, but I believe in its future. I do think Brighton will continue to flourish.
And more, I have come to find Graham the most capable of partners. He takes life’s reins with a sure hand, always planning three steps ahead, and always thoughtful of my needs, sometimes before I’ve even considered them. He is unlike any man of my acquaintance.
I’d searched for someone like Graham in all the wrong places. And when we met, I dismissed him. Worked against him. And I regret it. But as is the case with any mistake, the best course is to move forward. I think back at all the time we wasted hating each other, but in truth, had Graham and I not argued for the last few years, I do not know that we could’ve understood each other as well as we do now. He is strong and capable and so smart I should feel insignificant, and yet, he’d never let me. He builds me up. He challenges me and returns my barbs tenfold in every direction. I do not know how we missed each other, but I am resolved to never lose Graham Everett again.
I turned the page, but there was nothing more. She’d stopped writing.
“I could’ve gone on, but you’ve kept me quite occupied of late. And the more time we spent together, the less I wanted to scourge you with my note-taking.”
I chuckled, heart bursting, and resisted the urge to reread her every word. I removed my spectacles and studied the arms on each end.
“This investment is a huge undertaking, Anna. I love you for offering, but I am certain we can reverse this deal.I cannot let you spend every penny you have to secure an investment that may not pay out for years.”
“Well, most of it came to me from my mother. And though I did not know her, I imagine she’d approve of me following my heart. The other bit came from my dowry, which Papa was more than happy to supply early as he fully supports my scheming you into marriage.” She leaned in and whispered, “Though, in truth, he is waiting in town should you lose your head and reject my offer. Which you won’t. Because, as you said, you love me. And you know this is the only way forward. The only way you and I can have everything we want.”
“Are youcertainthis is what you want?”
“How close did we get last time? Seventy-five percent?”
“Anna.”
She laughed, stepping in between my legs. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I am one hundred percent sure that you, Graham Everett, are the greatest love I shall ever find. And I am one million percent sure that this life we are creating together will be worth every penny.”
“Worth risking everything?”
“If you want me as badly as I want you.”
I gripped her waist. “I want you,” I whispered, coaxing her down onto my leg. I reached up and brushed her jaw, thumbing her bottom lip. The weight of her on my thigh felt both rushing and grounding, with no room left to think.
She slid her fingertips up my chest, past the nape my neck, and into my hair, sending shivers all through me.
I tilted back to look up at her, at the fire burning brightly in her eyes.
She drew close, then pressed her lips to mine.
Jasmine and cherries.Anna.
I could not let her go. I traced my hand along the curve of her side and back down over her waist, our arms tangling together, desperate to touch, to feel, to hold on. She laughed, letting her head fall back, and I grazed every inch of her neck with my lips, feasting upon the vibrations of her laughter all the way back to her mouth. Her body in my arms made me feel, despite my unworthiness, completely and irrevocably whole.
“Say something,” she said against my lips. “Tell me you’re happy.”
“I am very happy,” I said, kissing the creases of her mouth. “Albeit a little cross.”
She pulled back. “Because I surprised you?”
