Breakfast ended, and Temperance thought that she had finally found a moment to herself when Harper followed her up the stairs.
“Wait a moment,” he said to her, stopping her dead in her tracks. “I am not convinced at the explanation you gave me at breakfast and I suspect something is wrong.”
Looking at him, Temperance might have taken his expression to be that of someone who cares for her.
It took her entirely off guard.
“Did Mother sent you after me?”
Harper rolled his eyes.
“No. Why would she do such a thing? And I asked you a question, which you’ve been avoiding.”
“It’s just that she’s been going on about this too,” she went on, biting down on her lip. “She thinks I am taking too much pressure on myself with this marriage thing, and I am certain that she feels rather guilty about it. So it would make sense.”
“You are taking a bit too much pressure, yes,” he replied.
“So she did say something to you?”
“No,” he stressed. “I came to that conclusion on my own. You don’t have a great way to conceal it, and it shows on your face.”
“Oh lovely,” she shook her head. “That would certainly scare the suitors away. No one wants someone desperate.”
Harper was quiet for a moment. And in his expression, Temperance saw something that almost resembled a hint of anger.
“Why do you have to speak about yourself in that manner?” He chided. “You are not in a desperate position, and I would say that you are in a much better standing than other women that wish for the same thing.”
“I’m not used to you being so nice to me,” Temperance eyed him with suspicion. “So now I’m wholly convinced that Mother must have put you up to this.”
Harper heaved a sigh.
“Just stop speaking about yourself in this manner,” he said. “And I will be expecting to see you at the park.”
There was no avoiding it, and Temperance exited to her room to get ready.
When they arrived at the park, it was a lovely day out. The morning was the kind that made London feel like a different city from the one it usually was. There was an ease to it that was difficult to resist regardless of prior intention, and even Harper, walking between them on the main path with his hands behind his back and posture as correct as always, seemed to have absorbed some of it.
They walked three abreast initially, which was slightly too wide for the narrower sections of path and required occasional adjustments, Harper on the outside and Albina in the middle and Temperance on the inside. Albina filled the silence in her usual fashion, her observations moving from the flowers to a woman in a remarkable hat to a piece of news from Mrs. Peel about the family two streets over that was mildly scandalous. Then she saw Charity and Alethea ahead on the path, with Duncan and Oliver a few steps behind them.
“My friends,” she said. “Oh, I must go say hello. Do you mind?”
“We will meet you at the fountain in an hour,” he said, nodding.
Temperance rushed over to them.
“How are you?” Alethea asked, her face lighting up as she saw her friend. “How good it is to see you out.”
“Better now that I have met you,” Temperance grinned and then turned to Charity, “Have you been well?”
“You know how it is,” Charity smiled, pointing at her belly. “We are expecting.”
Temperance let out a loud squeal.
“You are not teasing me?”
“I am not, no,” Charity giggled, “we only found out some weeks ago, and I had been waiting to tell you.”
“Oh, my. I am so happy for you,” Temperance nodded. “Just look at you. You are finally going to become a mother.”
