raised her eyebrow.
“I think, had he not decided it was time for you to grow up, you would still be out playing in the mud instead of here with me.”
Naomi threw her pencil at him with a laugh. He caught it easily before suggesting they retire for the night.
Naomi had trouble getting to sleep. She kept replaying her conversation with Finn. She had told him what her own father was like, but she knew little about his growing years.
There were rumors about his father, but she heard little about his mother. Had she been the type to encourage play in her children? Perhaps she was religious like her daughter.
Naomi thought back to her conversation with Finn’s sister during their engagement. Naomi had gone to London to do some shopping for her trousseau. Lady Theodosia had been in town at the same time and had come to call.
“Has Finn written to you?” Tessa sat in the Price’s front parlor.
“He has,” Naomi stirred her tea. “I received a letter just this morning saying he was going to be delayed another week.”
“How discouraging.”
Naomi was not sure it was discouraging. After all, she hardly knew the man, and she would be forced to spend time with him soon enough.
She changed the subject, “Lady Theodosia, Mr. Haydn told me you and Lord Nicholas live very near him. That must be comforting to be close to your family.”
The lady laughed, “Please, call me Tessa. Only my mother calls me Theodosia.”
Naomi smiled at the young woman, “Thank you, Tessa.”
“As to my family being close,” she sighed. “My mother does not travel often. She did stay with me for a month, but found she would be more comfortable back at Selby. Finn and Rowan are typically in town or off on holiday.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tessa shook her head, “Do not be. I have a wonderful companion in my husband. Not all women can boast that I think.”
Nomi had to know, “Was your marriage arranged?”
“Not really,” Tessa set aside her tea cup. “I met Nicholas at church. He and I discovered we shared our faith in Christ. I believe our relationship took a natural course after that.”
Naomi punched her pillow. She would ask Finn in the morning about his childhood, and, maybe she could discover what his expectations were.
The rest of the month was spent in pleasant pursuits. They had only trifling disagreements, and they managed to keep conversations to happier topics.
“It is only a fortnight until Christmas,” Finn was sitting up against the headboard when she awoke one morning. “I imagine our families are wondering whether we are dead or alive.”
Naomi groaned as she stretched, “I believe our letters would indicate otherwise.”
He leaned down and kissed her nose, “You look like a cat when you stretch like that.”
She batted him away from herself, “You have said as much before.”
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, “We need to leave.”
“Must we?” she pulled herself up to sit beside him.
“Your mother is expecting us for Christmas. My sister, for boxing day.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder, “When will we leave?”
“Tomorrow, I think,” he rested a cheek on top of her head.
“Everything will
“I think, had he not decided it was time for you to grow up, you would still be out playing in the mud instead of here with me.”
Naomi threw her pencil at him with a laugh. He caught it easily before suggesting they retire for the night.
Naomi had trouble getting to sleep. She kept replaying her conversation with Finn. She had told him what her own father was like, but she knew little about his growing years.
There were rumors about his father, but she heard little about his mother. Had she been the type to encourage play in her children? Perhaps she was religious like her daughter.
Naomi thought back to her conversation with Finn’s sister during their engagement. Naomi had gone to London to do some shopping for her trousseau. Lady Theodosia had been in town at the same time and had come to call.
“Has Finn written to you?” Tessa sat in the Price’s front parlor.
“He has,” Naomi stirred her tea. “I received a letter just this morning saying he was going to be delayed another week.”
“How discouraging.”
Naomi was not sure it was discouraging. After all, she hardly knew the man, and she would be forced to spend time with him soon enough.
She changed the subject, “Lady Theodosia, Mr. Haydn told me you and Lord Nicholas live very near him. That must be comforting to be close to your family.”
The lady laughed, “Please, call me Tessa. Only my mother calls me Theodosia.”
Naomi smiled at the young woman, “Thank you, Tessa.”
“As to my family being close,” she sighed. “My mother does not travel often. She did stay with me for a month, but found she would be more comfortable back at Selby. Finn and Rowan are typically in town or off on holiday.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tessa shook her head, “Do not be. I have a wonderful companion in my husband. Not all women can boast that I think.”
Nomi had to know, “Was your marriage arranged?”
“Not really,” Tessa set aside her tea cup. “I met Nicholas at church. He and I discovered we shared our faith in Christ. I believe our relationship took a natural course after that.”
Naomi punched her pillow. She would ask Finn in the morning about his childhood, and, maybe she could discover what his expectations were.
The rest of the month was spent in pleasant pursuits. They had only trifling disagreements, and they managed to keep conversations to happier topics.
“It is only a fortnight until Christmas,” Finn was sitting up against the headboard when she awoke one morning. “I imagine our families are wondering whether we are dead or alive.”
Naomi groaned as she stretched, “I believe our letters would indicate otherwise.”
He leaned down and kissed her nose, “You look like a cat when you stretch like that.”
She batted him away from herself, “You have said as much before.”
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, “We need to leave.”
“Must we?” she pulled herself up to sit beside him.
“Your mother is expecting us for Christmas. My sister, for boxing day.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder, “When will we leave?”
“Tomorrow, I think,” he rested a cheek on top of her head.
“Everything will
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