“It’s a music box,” Griffin told her, his voice soft and intimate, as if it were just the two of them in the parlor without her mother present. “I found it in the rubble when I went to inspect the damage caused by the fire. It was blackened and tarnished by soot, but the works were intact and so was the interior, which reminded me of you and how lovely you looked that evening we went for dinner at Partridge House.” He didn’t need to say that it brought to mind their first real kiss. This was implied in the way his knee pressed into hers as he spoke. “Restoring it was painstaking work, but it’s a piece of my past and…” his voice grew rougher “…a testament to my undying love for you.”
“It’s incredibly stunning,” Georgina said, reminding Emily of her presence. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such fine craftsmanship before.”
“Griffin’s work is exemplary, Mama. He is the best at what he does and this box...” She slid her thumb over the smooth, cool surface, loving how glassy it felt to her touch. Looking up, she met his light brown eyes, now swirling with a blend of eager anticipation and fierce emotion. “I shall cherish it forever.”
His nostrils flared and his jaw tightened just enough to suggest that the restraint he was forced to endure right now while in company was starting to test his discipline.
Expelling what sounded like a tortured breath, he inclined his head. “It pleases me greatly to hear you say that.”
Taking pity on him and wishing she was able to express herself more openly, Emily turned to her mother. “Considering the fine weather today, I thought I might show Lord Griffin the garden.”
Georgina stared back at her for a long, unbearable moment, then slowly nodded. “Yes. It will give you a chance to apprise him of the wedding preparations you have made in his absence.”
“Of course,” Emily agreed, even though wedding preparations was the last thing on her mind at the moment. Instead, she meant to show him the bench behind the rhododendron bushes – the only place where they could be properly hidden from view and where she would have the liberty to show him precisely how grateful she was for his gift.
Emily wokeon her wedding day with hope in her heart, a hope that expanded and grew in response to the sunshine spilling through her bedroom window. It created a golden haze of surreal light that brought floating dust motes into focus and bathed the space in happiness.
A smile pulled at her lips as she stretched her arms over her head. In a few short hours, she would be Lady Griffin and nothing in the world sounded better to her than that. It infused her languid body with energy and prompted her to jump out of bed. She could not wait to see Griffin again and to be reassured that he truly would be her husband and that the life she was currently living wasn’t a dream.
It had felt like one this past week since his return from Vienna. Following his visit to her home, he’d arranged for additional ways in which to see her. Including a night out at the opera, a couple of walks in the park, and lunch at Mivart’s Hotel where everyone, including David, had been present. Griffin was in fact making an effort to put his innate dislike of David behind him and had even gone so far as inviting David to join him for billiards at White’s one evening. When Caleb had mentioned this to Emily in passing, her love for Griffin had grown tenfold, for she knew he was doing it for her and Laura so a rift would not arise between them.
Pouring water into her washbasin, Emily proceeded to clean her face. She’d taken a hot bath last night before bed, so she wouldn’t have to spend time on that in the morning. A soft knock sounded at the door, and Emily called for whoever it was to enter. As she expected, it was her mother, coming to make sure she was awake.
“I’ve brought Patsy to help you dress and some breakfast for you to eat while she sets your hair.”
“Thank you, Mama. I’m actually really hungry, now that I think of it.”
“That’s a good thing,” Patsy said as she laid out the undergarments the modiste had sworn would ensure a sizzling start to the marriage. Emily blushed as she looked at the creamy silk stays. Embroidered with deep red roses and climbing green vines, they matched the design on the garters and stockings. “It will be several hours before you’re able to eat again, and the last thing you want is for your stomach to grumble while you’re saying your vows.”
There was no denying that, Emily thought with a grin. She took her seat at her dressing table where her mother had placed the tea and plate filled with slices of toast. She picked the one topped with raspberry jam and took a big bite, savoring the syrupy sweetness.
“Now, I realize we’ve had our differences over the years,” Georgina said while Patsy proceeded to undo Emily’s plaited hair so it could be combed, “but I am still your mother and as such, it is my duty to advise you on what you might expect once you are married.”
Oh. They were about to havethatdiscussion.
Emily took a sip of her tea. If only a few drops of brandy could have been added for extra fortification. A pause followed, during which she imagined her mother’s brain working on how to address this delicate subject as efficiently and satisfactorily as possible. Emily took another bite of her toast and winced when Patsy’s comb caught a knot in her hair.
“Sorry, Miss,” Patsy said. “It’s a little bit tangled here.”
“Considering you have been living with a…deflowered woman these past six years,” Georgina continued, “I would imagine that you’re not completely ignorant of what can happen between a man and a woman when they…er…like each other a lot.”
Emily hid a smile behind her teacup. Was it wrong of her to be slightly amused by her mother’s increasingly flustered state? Probably. But she just couldn’t help it. Nor could she stop herself from saying, “What do you mean?”
“Well. I…er… Hmm.” Georgina dropped onto the bed with a huff. Another pause followed, during which Patsy swept locks of hair up at the back of Emily’s head before pinning them in place. “When I married your father,”Oh dear God, “I was led to believe that he would want to take certain liberties with me that—”
“You need not explain any further,” Emily managed to choke out past a crumb that had lodged itself in her throat. She coughed. “I am perfectly aware of what to expect.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She sighed. In the mirror, she could see that Patsy was making a valiant effort to refrain from laughing. “Cass did tell me a thing or two over the years, and I’ve also read a couple of book on the subject.”
“Oh.” A sigh of relief followed. “Well then. That is good to know. And Griffin does look as though he’s more than capable of—”
“Mama!”
“What? I may be over forty, but that doesn’t mean I can’t spot a prime example of masculine excellence when I see it.” She gave a small snort as she went to the door. “You might want to consider that when you ask yourself why it took me so long to reach you at Clearview.”
Emily whipped round to face her only to find the door closing behind her retreating figure.
