The Last Garden in England(103)

So tempting and so cowardly.

The bus rolled up to the stop, and the metal doors clanked open.

“Come on,” she said, never letting go of his hand.

They boarded and paid the fare, the driver nodding at the sight of Graeme’s uniform. They settled into a pair of seats toward the back, his hand laced with hers and resting on his lap.

As the bus pulled onto Old Warwick Road, Graeme said, “I want to hear everything about what you’ve been doing.”

She laughed. “I write to you every day. You’re better than keeping a diary.”

But still she told him everything. Stories from the farm, what the Penworthys were planting, how Bobby was doing in school. But there was one thing she didn’t say. She would keep that to herself for just a little while longer.

He leaned over and kissed her temple. “When there aren’t other people around…”

She pushed gently on him and reached around him to tug on the cord to ask the driver to stop. “We’re here.”

“This is too early for Temple Fosse Farm, isn’t it? It’s two more stops.”

“It is. We’re not going to the farm,” she said.

Graeme followed her off the bus, looking around as he went. “This is Braembreidge Manor.”

“It is,” she said, pulling him toward the drive of the grand country house.

“You didn’t mention you’d spoken to Lord Walford.”

“We’ve had tea a few times. He wants to see you straightaway,” she said.

“Lord Walford can wait. I want to spend time with my wife,” he said, slipping his hands around her waist.

She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “We can’t keep the earl waiting.”

With a good-natured groan, Graeme offered her his arm.

They crossed the gate she’d found so imposing on her first visit. If Highbury House was grand, Braembreidge Manor was palatial. Yet now that she’d been here a few times, she’d come to enjoy the sight of the old manor house. It was landscaped, not planted in gardens the way Highbury House was, and there was something charming about seeing children from the Coventry school spilling out of the doors whenever they were released from classes.

When they were halfway down the drive, a man in shabby tweeds and a pair of gum boots appeared around a bend. Three spaniels trotted along next to him until they saw Beth and came running.

“Good afternoon, my lord,” she called, using her free hand to pat the dogs each in turn.

“Good afternoon! Captain Hastings, it is good to see you hale and hearty,” said the older man in a gruff but polished voice.

“The pleasure’s mine, Lord Walford. I’m pleased to hear you’ve met my wife,” he said, placing a hand on the small of her back.

“I’m angry with you, Hastings, that you’d kept such a delightful woman from me.”

Beth smiled at the earl. “The earl has been tutoring me on the finer points of raising orchids.”

“And Mrs. Hastings has been pretending to enjoy it because she’s a good sport,” said Lord Walford. Then he dug into the pocket of his waxed jacket and pulled out a brass key. “I’ll let my housekeeper know that we’ll have tea in about a half hour. If you need me, I’ll be in the stables.”

“Thank you,” said Beth, clutching the key.

As Lord Walford walked off, his dogs dancing around his feet, Graeme asked, “What is that?”

Beth simply smiled. “This way.”

A few yards away, the path they were on branched off the main drive. Beth led Graeme along until, through the trees, a cottage of good size came into view.

“Here we are,” she said.

“Here we are what?” he asked. “You have the better of me.”

“Our home. If you want it,” she said.

His brows popped up. “Our home?”

“When I went to visit Lord Walford, he asked me where we planned to live. When I told him I didn’t know but that I wanted to stay in Highbury, he offered us this cottage. I haven’t accepted yet,” she said quickly. “I thought we could decide. Together.”

She watched him stare at the beautiful yellow stone house with its thatched roof. A chimney bracketed either side, and she could almost smell the smoke that would curl out of them if this house were hers. A rose grew up and over the porch, and she wondered what color the flowers would be in June.

“Are you angry?” she asked.

“No.”

“I know that you suggested living with your parents, but—”

He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I’m not angry. Not at all. I am surprised.”

“Would you like to go inside?” she asked.

He nodded.

She unlocked the door and stepped aside to let him walk into the entryway laid with multicolored tiles. Two doors banded with iron greeted them on either side, and ahead was a flight of stairs leading up to a set of bedrooms.

“The earl told me that a few of the cottages were updated about ten years ago because his land manager refused to live at Braembreidge Manor unless he had hot water, central heating, and working bathrooms,” she said.

He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Have you seen this house yet?”

“No. Lord Walford wanted to have it cleaned first, and I thought it would be best to see it together.”