“You are aware that Society would frown on you being in trade, are you not?”
“Your opinion is the only one that matters to me, Emily. As long as you have no objection, I could not care less what Society thinks.”
She beamed at him as if he were Apollo himself, blessing her with light and knowledge. “Working on clocks and mechanical toys is your passion, so you should definitely continue, regardless of where we make our home.”
He could scarcely believe they were already making such plans. But knowing what they both expected was important. With this in mind, he decided to pose another question. “Will you join me on my upcoming trip? I would like to show you where I have lived these past ten years.”
“Yes. I should like that. But there is one request I must make of you, Griffin. It pertains to a matter that might not be easy to solve.”
Apprehension snaked through him. He chose to ignore it by tucking a loose strand of hair behind Emily’s ear and savoring the blush that crept over her cheeks “Tell me what it is.”
“I cannot leave Cass to care for the children and all of Clearview’s responsibilities on her own. It would not be fair, so we’d have to find a solution to that first.”
Griffin considered the problem, which was indeed a difficult one. Looking after the manor and raising five children might have been manageable for three women. Emily had once mentioned how much harder it was for just two, so he could only imagine that it would be nearly impossible for one.
“I quite agree,” he said, prompting her to kiss him again.
He kissed her back, with all the passion and love that she stirred in his heart. And with the bone deep certainty that everything would work out right, as long as they had each other.
17
Happiness could not describewhat Emily felt, for it was too tame a word to encompass all the emotions Griffin had instilled in her during the past three days. They’d announced their engagement immediately, partly because they’d been anxious to share their joy and partly because the dirt stains on their knees had to be explained somehow. Since then, he’d taken her on romantic walks, kissed her beneath the stars last night and gifted her with a few more items that showed how well he already knew her: a book about Scandinavian cuisine, a brooch crafted to look like a daffodil and a gorgeous leatherbound notebook which he said would be perfect for re-writingMacbethorKing Lear.
It was perfect and made her heart overflow with the love she felt for him.
As expected, both of their mothers had immediately started planning the wedding, which was due to take place in another three weeks once the bans had been cried. Griffin had suggested a special license, but everyone except Emily had been appalled by that idea, so they’d accepted defeat on that score. But because of the delay, they would have to leave for Vienna immediately after. Doing so wouldn’t be a problem however, since Cassandra had apparently met another young woman during her visit to London. Katharine Dunahugh was her name, and she was looking for a means to escape ruination.
“She fell for one of the footmen in her parents’ employ,” Cassandra had told Emily. “One thing led to another as it so often does, and well, the poor ignorant girl is now carrying his child.”
“Her parents must be informed, no matter how much she fears the repercussion.”
“Of course they must, that goes without saying, but Katharine has convinced me that it would be better to do so in a letter that she means to write from Clearview.”
“Cass…”
Cassandra had thrown up her hands in surrender. “I’m aware it will likely have serious consequences, but I could not refuse her.” She’d sighed. “You know I’ve always had a soft spot for those who must suffer because of Society. And in this case, I rather find myself relating to her, for her situation is not so dissimilar to what mine once was.”
“Apart from the fact that Penelope’s father was a peer who had every intention of marrying you. There is a difference, you know.”
Cassandra’s expression had turned melancholy then. “Yes. I suppose that is true.”
Emily had quickly turned the discussion to the subject of her upcoming journey, happy when it had appeared to pull Cassandra’s thoughts away from the man she still loved and the tragic way in which he had died before they could start their life together.
Tonight, the children would be hosting their play, and after that, she’d agreed to join Griffin for a secret rendezvous in the conservatory. Her skin already tingled with the thought of the kiss they would share. There had been several since he had proposed, each testing their restraint more than the last. And since Emily had been more than ready to throw caution to the wind before, she saw even less cause for them to control their cravings now that they were engaged.
But Griffin insisted, which was frustrating, adorable, and slightly comical since the man could hardly glance at her these days without looking like a caged animal. She grinned as she descended the stairs, certain that if she wished it, she could make him forget all about the sanctity of their wedding night. But that would be badly done of her, all things considered, for he only wanted to do what he believed was best in making the event as romantic and memorable as possible.
So she turned her mind to other things during dinner, like Langdon’s account of a fox he’d once thought he’d killed with a slingshot when he was a lad, only to have the beast leap off the ground and growl at him when he’d approached. “I was so startled,” Langdon said, “I ran away screaming. Luckily, I was met by my mother instead of my father, for he would likely have given me a thorough thrashing for being so lily-livered.”
“How old were you?” Caleb asked.
“Eight, as I recall.”
“And your father would have taken the switch to you for being startled by a wild animal?” Emily asked, appalled.
“He was the sort of man who never showed his emotions, who didn’t appear to fear anything, and who expected nothing less from his son. Unfortunately, I was more sensitive and Papa… Well, he believed he could beat that out of me.”
“Good God,” Mary exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror. She looked at her husband. “Just to be perfectly clear, we are never striking any of our children.”
