Page 82 of Storm of Bells
‘Yes!’ Her motherly smile widened. ‘The bigevent is here! And we’ll all be travelling together. Isn’t itwonderful?’
Happy FamilyReunion
‘Oh, my goodness! Look,Miss, look!’
Leaning forward, I glanced out of the window,following the pointing finger of my new lady’s maid, trembling withexcitement.
‘Oh. Um…yes. A cow. Eating grass.’
‘Ain’t this exciting?’ Vinnie sighed,pressing her hands against her chest as if she were about to faint.‘And—oh! There’s another! And another! Three ‘ole cows!’
‘Vinnie?’
‘Yes, Miss?’
‘You haven’t ever been out of London before,have you?’
‘’ow did ye know?’
‘Just a guess.’
Settling back in my seat, I let my gaze driftaround the coach. To be honest, I could hardly contain my owndisbelief and excitement. My heart was pounding in my throat,threatening to jump out at any moment. But my excitement wasn’tdirected at the three cows peacefully munching grass.
It’s going to happen. It’s really, actuallygoing to happen.
Reaching down, I touched the engagement ringon three of my biggest fingers, just to be sure.
I’m going to get married. I’m going to getmarried to Mr Rikkard Ambrose.
Looking up, I glanced over to the cornerwhere Mr Ambrose was sitting, his knees bent at a perfectninety-degree angle, his back ramrod straight, stoic suffering atthe merriment that surrounded him shining through the icy mask thatwas his face.
And then I’m going to make his life ablissfully chaotic hell.
Smiling, I glanced down at my copy of theLady Gwyneth B. Patterson’sGuide for Young Married Ladies.It had proven a really helpful book. Between its thick pages, itwas easy to conceal the bright brochure I had been working on.The Women’s Foundation for Suffrage and Equal Rights, founded byLady Lillian Ambrose. Stand up and live your dream!Hm…not abad slogan. Apparently, my brief stint in advertising hadn’t been awasted effort.
‘Aww! You’re already putting effort intopreparing yourself?’
Leaning over, Lady Samantha beamed at me.
Snapping the book shut just in time toconceal the draft of the ‘Self-defence for Beginners’ section, Igave her back a wide smile.
‘Err, um…yes, definitely!’
Lady Samantha’s smile widened even more.Reaching over, she squeezed my hand.
‘Such a lovely girl you are. I’m so happy toknow you’re going to be part of the family, dear,’ she said, as hereyes screamed:Relieved! I’m bloody relieved! I thought he’d endup as a hermit! May I kiss your feet in thanks and put up statuesin your honour?
‘So am I.’ I gave her a one-armed hug, whilewith the other hand shoving the book under my seat. ‘I couldn’timagine a family I’d rather belong to.’
‘I was so sorry to hear that your brothercouldn’t make it,’ Lady Samantha sighed, then threw her son adisapproving look. ‘If onlysomeonedidn’t send him off onsome supposedly urgent business.’
Mr Ambrose sent his mother a cool stare.
‘It was business with the Bank of England,Mother.’
‘And that’s supposed to be more importantthan his own sister’s wedding?’ She sniffed. ‘It’ll be your faultif he cannot walk his sister down the aisle.’
‘Somehow,’ Mr Ambrose said, his icy gazeswinging to me, pinning me to the seat while I tried to look very,very female indeed, ‘I highly doubt that.’
