Page 225 of New Storm Rising
“Ah, yes. Very interesting indeed.” She nodded, not disheartened in the slightest. “I hear her crime was fornicating with her man, and he ends up being hanged for it. Sounds like a brilliant play to me!”[50]
A feeling of dread came over me and, as my wife got up and started preparing for our day out while whistling a cheerful melody, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, I should have paid more attention to that advertisement. Judging by the look on her face, the play might give her ideas, and I did not relish the thought of only engaging in marital congress under the threat of execution.
That night, I once more confirmed my belief that theatre was a waste of time, money and real estate. Truly a torture method to be feared. And if my wife’s presence made it just barely tolerable, that was something I would firmly deny.
Once the theatre performance had finally finished, we continued wasting our time by moving through the streets at an abominably slow pace, eating various far-too-pricey snacks from different street vendors and…somehow enjoying ourselves? Oh, I was not surprised that my lady wife enjoyed herself, but I, Mr Rikkard Ambrose? There were a thousand more important, productive things I could be doing right now! I could be using this opportunity to visit my business ventures in New York! I could be browsing the local goods to see if there was anything useful for export to Britain! And yet, here I was, simply…enjoying the company of my wife? Watching over her protectively with a growing warmth in my chest?
I shuddered. Marriage really could change people. I would have to put a stop to that immediately.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” one of the street vendors addressed mypregnant wife. “May I interest you in a bottle of my best wine?”
On the other hand, maybe being protective of my wife wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
“You.” Cracking my knuckles, I stepped towards the vendor and pinned him to the spot with an icy stare. “What did you just offer my wife who isquite obviously pregnant?”
Unfortunately, the local constabulary did not seem to think that offering a woman a bottle of wine warranted capital punishment. They arrived soon after I began chasing my chosen target through the streets and tried to drag me back. Eventually, the threat of having to pay fines made me reluctantly back off, and I returned to my wife’s side, who had a far-too-amused look on her face.
I sent her a look. “Not one word, Mrs Ambrose. Not. One. Word.”
“How about a syllable?”
“That was four words.”
“Too bad.” Stepping towards me, she offered her arm. “Come on. Let’s head back.”
Apart from the fact that I didn’t do anything to risk incurring fines again, the next few days passed in a similar manner. We spent most of the time assessing real estate and investigating the latest agricultural development around New York. At least that’s what I tried to tell myself. Really though, we were just wandering around the city and picnicking in the countryside. And the worst thing? I found that I didn’t mind! Not once did I have the urge to pull out paperwork or check my accounts.
I was being corrupted.
So when I found myself drifting on a river in a rowing boat in front of a romantic sunset, with my wife cuddled up next to me, I decided something had to be done before it was too late.
“Hmm…what is it?” Shifting and lifting her head, Lillian blinked up at me. “Is something wrong? You seem to be thinking about something.”
Oh my. Think fast!
“Ehem…I was just thinking how much I enjoyed our outing.”
“Were you?” She beamed. “That’s wonderful! It’s so amazingly romantic, right?”
“If you think this is romantic, just wait till tomorrow,” I told her.
“Tomorrow?” Leaning towards me, she perked up. “Where are we going to go tomorrow?”
A Man’s Determination
(Chapter 43, “Vow at the Prow”, from Mr Ambrose’s Point of View)
My wife stared up at the sign on the official-looking building in front of us—then she turned towards me with a threatening gaze.
“The land registration and assignment office? Really?”[51]
“Indeed.” I gave a sombre nod. “The most romantic spot in the entirety of New York.”
“And we’re here because…?”
“To enjoy the romantic scenery.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me.
