Her husband, who had fairly despised her at the beginning, had taken a vulnerable time for her and crafted it into something beautiful. He would never have admitted it, and she would never have seen it, had she not understood the way it could have been. Her only experience was with Basset, so she could only personally attest to how he was with her, and that…

Well, that was apparently extraordinary, given their situation.

Why? Why would he do such a thing when it was not required of him? So much else she had been told made more sense, given this understanding. All of the allusions, all of the hints, all of the details that could not be mentioned in polite company.

Basset had defied all of that. For her.

Suddenly, every brush of his fingers, every pass of his lips, every soft word took on meaning a hundred times more than she had ever given it. Each would have been intentional, significant, and personal, something he could give her in a moment that could have been his alone. She could recollect everything from those nights and did so with exquisite care now, seeing each with new eyes and new appreciation.

New understanding.

The child within her suddenly moved, the feeling no longer that of a pitiful fluttering, but now a pointed shift she could put her hand upon, and it made her smile.

She might not be able to fully comprehend the gift Basset had given her, but she could certainly ensure that her gift to him might hold equal significance for them both.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

“Say it again. I am determined to get this right.”

Basset sighed, and he wasn’t the only one to do so. He caught his sister’s look behind Adelaide and fought a smile when her expression was mirroring his own feelings.

“Whatever sibling understanding the two of you are sharing, stop it,” Adelaide snapped. “This is my first Christmas in Cornwall, and I want it to be perfect.”

“Of course you do,” Harrison soothed in a not-soothing voice. “But none of us actually speak Cornish in everyday conversation.”

“That is not the point, Basset!” Adelaide groaned and turned to Emblyn. “Your accent is undoubtedly better. You tell me.”

Emblyn’s smile was far more indulgent for Adelaide. “Nadelik Lowen,” she said slowly, her pronunciation utterly perfect.

Adelaide nodded once. “Nah-dah-leck Loh-when,” she repeated, her emphasis almost harsh.

“Good,” Harrison said before Emblyn could respond. “Now say it quickly and pretend it’s German.”

Strangely enough, that did it, and her accent was spot on.

Harrison stared at her in wonder.

“What?” she shot back when he said nothing.

“That… was not supposed to work,” he admitted, blinking in disbelief. “I was humoring you.”

She scowled and elbowed him hard. “Impossible man.”

“I know. It’s a wonder you tolerate me.”

Her brisk nod had him silently laughing while the three of them waited for the approaching carriages.