by Amanda Quick
Amity caught her breath. “Yes. Yes, I would like that very much.”
Mrs. Houston took Amity’s bonnet off the peg. “Here you go, miss. Now, off with the both of you. I want to put my feet up for a bit. Been a busy morning.”
Forty-six
He took her to his home and introduced her to Mr. Hodges and Mrs. Hodges, who greeted her with a degree of warmth that amazed Benedict.
“I read about your narrow escape in the papers,” Mrs. Hodges gushed. “Thank heavens you and your sister are unharmed.”
“We are great fans of your travel articles in the Flying Intelligencer,” Mr. Hodges said, his enthusiasm genuine.
“Such an exciting life you lead,” Mrs. Hodges said. “Will you and Mr. Stanbridge be doing a great deal of globetrotting after you are married?”
“Well,” Amity began. She cast an uncertain look at Benedict.
“We will definitely be doing some traveling in the future,” he said.
“Allow us to congratulate you on your engagement, Miss Doncaster,” Mr. Hodges said with a courtly inclination of his head. “I believe that I speak for myself and my wife when I say that we are extremely pleased by the prospect of Mr. Stanbridge’s upcoming nuptials.”
Amity cleared her throat and smiled. Benedict got worried. Her smile was a little too bright, he concluded.
“Thank you, Mr. Hodges, but I’m afraid there is some confusion as to the matter of my engagement to Mr. Stanbridge,” Amity said.
Mrs. Hodges’s eyes widened in alarm. “Oh, dear.”
Benedict tightened his hand on Amity’s arm. “Miss Doncaster means that there is some confusion about the date of the wedding. Naturally I’d prefer to be married as soon as possible, but I am told that when it comes to weddings there is a great deal of planning to be done.”
“Yes, indeed,” Mrs. Hodges said. She relaxed again and beamed at Amity. “But there is always the option of a quiet little ceremony followed by a formal reception at some later date.”
“Excellent idea, Mrs. Hodges,” Benedict said before Amity could argue. “Now you must excuse us. I’m going to give Miss Doncaster a tour of my library and my laboratory.”
Mrs. Hodges’s eyes narrowed in what Benedict knew was a meaningful way. “Are you certain that is a good idea, sir? Perhaps after the wedding might be a better time to show Miss Doncaster your library and the laboratory.”
“No,” Benedict said. “The tour must come now.”
Mrs. Hodges sighed. Mr. Hodges looked resigned. He patted his wife on the shoulder.
“It’s for the best, Mrs. Hodges,” he said in low tones.
Benedict whisked Amity down the hall and through the open door of the library. Behind him he heard Mrs. Hodges muttering to Mr. Hodges.
“I suppose it’s only fair to the lady,” Mrs. Hodges said. “Miss Doncaster deserves to see what she’s getting into.”
“Try not to worry, Mrs. Hodges,” Mr. Hodges said. “Miss Doncaster is the adventurous sort.”
Benedict closed the door and turned the key in the lock. He looked at Amity, who was examining the titles of some of the books on the shelves.
“Yes,” he said. “Miss Doncaster deserves to know what she is getting into.” He moved away from the door and swept out a hand to indicate the walls of dusty tomes. “This is the real me, Amity, or, I should say, this is part of me. The rest is behind that door at the top of the steps.”
She glanced at the circular wooden steps at the far end of the library. Amusement sparkled in her eyes.
“How exciting, a locked chamber,” she said.
He winced. “I’m afraid it’s not all that thrilling.”
“May I take a look?” she asked.
“Yes.” He steeled himself. “That’s why I brought you here today. I want you to know the real me. It’s part of my plan, you see. I am not a dashing man of action, Amity. I’m just a man who, when he is not working on an engineering project for the family firm, is quite happy to putter around in his laboratory.”
“And what do you do in your laboratory, sir?”
“For the most part, I conduct experiments and design devices and machines that will probably never have any practical applications.”
Without a word she collected her skirts and went up the steps. He followed, a great sense of urgency flooding through him. He knew that his entire future was at stake.
At the top of the steps Amity moved out onto the balcony and stopped in front of the door. He took the key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock.
Amity watched without saying a word as he opened the door, turned up the lamps and stood back so that she could enter the chamber.
She stood on the threshold for a moment, examining the array of instruments and tools on the workbenches.
“So this is your laboratory,” she said.
“Yes.”
He waited.
She walked to the telescope that stood near the window and studied it with an admiring eye. “You have a great deal of curiosity about many things.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“As you know, curiosity is one of my own besetting sins.”
He smiled. “I am aware of that.”
“It gives us something in common, wouldn’t you say?”
He hesitated. “Our interests are not always the same.”
“Perhaps not but it doesn’t matter.” She moved to a workbench and studied the static electricity machine. “It is the trait of curiosity that is important. You possess an inquiring mind. That is one of the many things that makes you so interesting, Benedict.”
Interesting. He was not sure how to interpret the word.
“There are those who find me decidedly boring,” he warned, just in case she had not grasped the point he was trying to make.
“It is only to be expected that those who lack curiosity about the wider world would find those who possess that particular characteristic uninteresting.”
“My fiancée ran off with her lover after she saw this room.”
“Face it, Benedict, your first engagement was a mistake. If you and Eleanor had gone through with the marriage, you both would have been miserable.”
“I am well aware of that.” He paused. “Which is why I want to be very sure that you know what you are doing if you consent to marry me.”
Amity turned around to face him from the far end of the aisle. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“I love you, Amity. I want nothing more than to marry you.”
“Benedict,” she whispered. “You must know how I feel about you.”
“No, I don’t. Not for certain. I think I know how you feel but at this point it is only a theory—unproven and founded only on hope.”
She took a few steps toward him and stopped. “I fell in love with you on board the Northern Star. I sensed that you had some feelings for me, but I was so afraid that those feelings were inspired by the knowledge that I had saved your life.”
“You did save my life. But that is not why I fell in love with you.”
Her eyes brightened. “Why did you fall in love with me?”
“I have absolutely no idea.”
“Oh.” The glow in her eyes faded.
“I could list all the things that I admire about you—your spirit, your kindness, your loyalty, your courage and determination.” He paused. “I could also add that you are a woman of great passion. Making love to you is the most thrilling sensation I have ever known.”
“Really?” She flushed a vivid pink.
“Really. Those things are all admirable traits, mind you. But none of them explains why I love you.” He took a few steps toward her and stopped. “That is what makes it all so fascinating, you see. Loving you is like gravity or the daily sunrise. It is a mystery that I know I will be content to explore for the rest
of my life.”
“Benedict.” She rushed toward him and hurled herself into his arms. “That is the most beautiful, most romantic thing that any man has ever said.”
“I doubt that very much.” He folded her close, savoring the soaring happiness. “I’m an engineer, not a poet. But if those words make you happy, I will be glad to repeat them as often as you will let me.”
She looked at him, her eyes brilliant with love. “That sounds like an excellent plan, sir.”
He took the Rose Necklace out of his pocket. The rubies and diamonds blazed in his hand.
“I would take it as a great honor if you would accept this as a symbol of our love,” he said.
Once again he waited.
She looked at the necklace for a long moment. When she raised her eyes he could see the sheen of tears. But she was smiling.
“Yes,” she said. “I will keep it safe.”
It was all she said but it was enough.
She turned around. He fastened the necklace around her throat and then he put his hands on her shoulders to turn her back to face him.
“Once upon a time I gave you a letter to keep safe,” he said.
“And I made you promise that you would survive to deliver it.”
“We kept our word to each other,” he said.
“Yes.” She put her arms around his neck. “That is how it will always be between us.”
The future, lit by the promise of a lifelong love, glowed brighter than the gems in the Rose Necklace.
“Always,” he said.
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