Page 91 of His Unforgettable Bride
“I’m wondering the same thing.” Side by side, they moved toward the room’s exit, the noise in the lobby growing in volume. She raised her voice. “I require a hint.”
“It is furry.”
“A cozy blanket to keep me warm on the steamer?”
“Ideally, I would perform that task myself, but alas, I cannot.”
Before becoming a lady, Juliet may have readily ignored the no-kissing rules. Not anymore. My, how her life had changed.
Henry reached for her hand and led her to the lobby. After rounding the corner, he pointed at a wicker basket alongside the wall, no bigger than her new side-laced brown boots. A white-and-blue checked cloth concealed what hid underneath until a furry gray head revealed itself—an adorable puppy.
“Since you left Bells behind in Everly, I thought you needed another female traveling companion besides your new maid.”
Dobbin had hired Miss Walker to accompany her on the voyage. She’d protested having a maid of her own when she’d only just been one herself, but both Dobbin and Henry had insisted she have a woman companion for the long voyage.
“How thoughtful, and I love puppies.” She placed her hand against her chest, her heart ticking excitedly. “You are the best man on earth.”
“Am I?” His grin held a mischievous slant.
“Oh, yes.” Juliet picked up the bundle of fur and hugged the squirmy pup to her chest. A cold, wet nose tickled her neck. “I’ll name her Junior.”
“Interesting choice.”
“I always make interesting choices, and isn’t it obvious? She has gray fur.”
“Ah.”
She glanced at the hotel guests rushing up the staircase or out the wide brass door. Everyone had somewhere to go, and so did they. With her arm joined with his, they strolled toward the exit and departed the hotel.
The bright sunshine drew a squint to her eyes as the brisk air kissed her cheeks. Across the street sat the brick Brown Jug Saloon and a lovely church. “Goodbye, Victoria,” she whispered under her breath.
As they approached the harbor, she let her gaze linger over the breathtaking view of the Olympic Mountains beyond the ocean. Snowcapped and exquisite, the scene always stole her breath. She sighed and tried to capture the image to remember forever.
The large royal ship couldn’t weigh anchor in Victoria. Therefore, they’d first board a smaller steamer to reach the harbor in Esquimalt, where she’d arrived on the bride ship. In many ways, it felt like yesterday, but almost a year had passed. “How long until we reach Bascandy?”
“Roughly four months.”
Juliet glanced over her shoulder, expecting to find Dobbin shadowing their steps. Sure enough, two additional uniformed men and a middle-aged woman with an exceedingly large hat, presumably Miss Walker, accompanied the group. What a strange, royal world.
She moved her gaze to the man at her side. “Plenty of time to achieve my goal.”
“Which goal is that?” He swung the empty basket’s handle, his steps matching her stride.
“Since I learned to be a lady in less than two months, I assume learning to be a queen in four will be a luxury.”
His cheerful laughter serenaded her heart as he guided her around a pile of melting snow and down the hill toward the waiting ship. “Dobbin and I shall happily teach you everything you want to know. But never forget, I adore you as you are.”
“Likewise.” She squeezed his arm. “How long until you speak with Faith?”
“Immediately upon our return. I do not care to waste two minutes.”
“Then how long after that until we wed?”
“As soon as humanly possible. One of us can barely wait for the honeymoon.”
A pleasing warmth settled inside Juliet’s belly. She agreed with him, but mentioning the truth would be unladylike. “What an outrageous thing to say.”
“My only excuse is that I am outrageously in love with you.”
