“Yes. We can have a winter wedding at Chabbedon, itself—probably a month or two after my grandmother leaves. I’ll need a little time to change the furnishings—at least in our private rooms. The main rooms have antiques that have been in the family since my grandmother’s mother was born—I don’t think we’ll want to part with those. But in our bedrooms—well, you know, she’s an old lady! All this fussy lace and heavy pieces of dark old wood. I know we want something a little more modern to live with every day. Although—” She paused, inspected him, and gave him a little-girl smile. “Although perhaps there are some colors and fabrics and furniture styles that you would prefer over others?” she said in a conciliatory voice. “And perhaps I shouldn’t go wild just ordering the sorts of things I like?”

“Oh, you’ve remembered the sunset picture on the wall,” he said, managing to smile back. “And you don’t see how it will fit in with all your decorating schemes.”

She scooted over to nestle against him, tucking her free hand under his arm and laying her black, black hair against his shoulder. “I just want to make sure you’re happy,” she said into the weave of his shirt. “You seem so far away sometimes. I’m not always certain you want the same things I want anymore.”

He could not help his sudden look of surprise, for that much insight he had not expected from Leesa, but fortunately she could not see his face. He kissed her on the back of the head. “Of course I’ll be happy,” he said. “I’m always happy when I’m with you.”

*   *   *

They stayed in that first evening, cooking together in the small kitchen, eating by candlelight at the cramped dining room table. Leesa spent most of the meal recounting for him stories of her recent social life—who she had visited, what her sister had done, what his sister had said, the betrothals, the inheritances, the big and small details of their families and their friends. Nolan listened and commented but was not required to talk much, so he did not. Mostly, he watched the shades and colors of Leesa’s face by the flickering light, and thought about her.