Page 60 of In Want of a Wife
“Pride,” Lily said quietly. “They both seem so proud.”
Mrs. Davies chuckled. “Oh yes, men and their pride, dear. You will discover soon enough when you are married.”
Lily froze. For the first time, she felt as if she would be sick.
“Henry will make a good husband. I’m not surprised he placed an advertisement. He is practical like that. He will see you safe and that you have everything you need for housekeeping. You will not want for anything.”
Besides love, she thought to herself.
Lily might learn to love Henry, but she was afraid that her heart belonged now with that sailboat cutting through the dark water below.
When she had answered the advertisement, she had done so seeking stability. She needed that to continue with her work.
“Thank you for bringing him back to me and Mari, even if it's only for a short while. He seems as if he is finding peace. And I suspect that may be because of you.”
Lily shook her head, chuckling to herself. “I assure you that I may have only brought about chaos.”
“But he looks at you… well, when I first met you, forgive me for saying so, but I was certain you were his wife. He looks at you as if you are his world. I am still waiting for this to be another one of his jokes where I find out you twoaremarried.”
Lily focused on the sailboat, shaking her head. She could bring herself to lie outwardly to Mrs. Davies, but denying it would not change the fact that Lily wished Rafe was the man she was marrying.
Lily pulleddown the brim of her straw bonnet and laughed. Mari waddled with the runner ducks along a tall garden gate as they approached the center of the village. Deep pink roses tumbled overthe stone wall, and chamomile and lavender swayed in the warm sea breeze.
She was certain she hadn’t smelled anything so lovely in her life, except for Rafe’s jacket she had slept in only hours earlier. That, too, smelled of the sea.
“Come along, Mari,” Mrs. Davies called out. The older woman grabbed the basket by her feet and smiled at Lily. “We’ll need to go to the bakery and make sure you try the honey cakes.”
“And we need scones for Rafe. Strawberry is his favorite,” Mari called out over her shoulder. She stretched her arms out to her sides and balanced, walking toe to heel to toe as if on a tightrope.
“There’s no rush. He’ll likely be out sailing all day,” Mrs. Davies said. “Now that he is reunited with that sailboat, I don’t suspect he’ll be wanting to hang around the house much. But I hope I can keep him for one more day.” She winked at Lily who flashed a friendly smile.
She had been terrified of stepping out of the carriage when they first arrived, but Rafe had been correct about one thing—Gwen Davies was in fact a saint of a woman.
They crossed a stone bridge to a narrow alley sandwiched between two stone buildings. Once through, the village center emerged with a fountain and cobblestones. In the distance, tucked up high in the emerald rolling hills, stood a castle.
Mari caught Lily staring at it and nudged her elbow against Lily’s side. “Henry told me dragons lived there. Do you think?”
“Have you visited?” Lily asked. It wasn’t a far stretch, but she never did live in a world full of fantastic tales. Her world had been much smaller unless the sun set, and the stars emerged in the sky. Then, anything was possible.
“I wouldn’t want to find out. Would you go with me?”
Lily narrowed her eyes, puzzling over how Rafe could be so afraid to return home when he had a family who loved him unconditionally. But then again, she supposed guilt complicated things. She hoped, if nothing else, this trip brought him peace.
“I’ve never searched for dragons before on land. But I can show you one tonight made of stars. His name is Draco.”
Mari shrugged, then bent down to pet the small wire-haired terrier that scampered out of the bakery. The dog yipped excitedly as she scratched between his ears. She had artist’s hands, charcoal staining her left fingers, and a spot of Pomona green oil paint stained her right index knuckle.
“You two can go ahead,” Mrs. Davies said. She pointed to the grocer. “I need a few items. Show Miss Abrams around, Mari.”
Lily caught the curious stares and did her best to ignore them, but that didn’t deter the nervous fluttering in her stomach.
As Mari stood, she looped her arms through Lily’s elbow and leaned in to whisper, “I have pin money. Let’s find some new ribbon.” The sunlight struck Mari’s chocolate brown hair, and it flashed with gold.
It had been some time since Lily went to buy ribbons. Her stepmother often took her sisters, but she had always avoided the trip if she could. Her stepmother had far too many opinions to make Lily feel comfortable.
“I’ll be happy to find a new ribbon.”
“Splendid because I wasn’t asking.”
