Page 129 of Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

“Not really,” she said, feeling very cheeky.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he said quite suddenly. “I brought you a gift.”

She grinned despite herself; she’d never been so sophisticated that she could hide her excitement for gifts.

He strode to the opposite side of the room, past her entire family, who were still watching the tableau with some disbelief, and picked up the large flat package he’d brought in earlier.

“Over here,” he directed, setting it down on a nearby table.

Amelia hastened to his side, as did the rest of the Willoughbys. “What is it?” she asked, beaming up at him.

“Open it,” he urged. “But carefully. It’s delicate.”

She did, untying the string and then gingerly peeling off the paper.

“What is that?” Milly demanded.

“Do you like it?” Thomas asked.

Amelia nodded, overwhelmed. “I love it.”

“What is it?” Milly persisted.

It was a map. A heart-shaped map.

“A cordiform projection,” Thomas told her.

She looked up at him excitedly. “It does not distort area. Look how small Greenland is.”

He smiled. “I will confess that I purchased it more for its heart-shaped properties.”

She turned toward her family. “Is this not the most romantic gift you have ever seen?”

They stared at her as if she’d gone mad.

“A map,” Lady Crowland said. “Isn’t that interesting?”

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “May I see the ring?”

Amelia thrust out her arm, letting her sisters ooh and ahh over her new diamond while she gazed up at her new—that was to say, her new old—fiancé.

“Is this where I am meant to make a clever comment about your having found the map of my heart?” he asked.

“Can you do it without making me cry?”

He pondered that. “I don’t think so.”

“Very well, say it, anyway.”

He did.

And she cried.

“Well, that’s a love match,” Milly declared.

They nodded. It was, indeed.

Epilogue

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