Read Online Fortune Said: A Valentine Haberdashers Tale by Sue London - Free Book Online
Authors: Sue London
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the motley group of her cousins that had decided to attend suddenly realized they were in the presence of Quality. He needed to thank the duke for that moment alone, much less the honor of attending the wedding at all. But as furious as he might be at her cousins for their shoddy treatm ent of her, it was difficult to ignore that if they had taken her in then he never would have met her. She wouldn't have cared for him when he was ill and he might have died, or worse yet Josh might have cared for him and contracted the illness himself. What if it had killed Josh or Grace or Gideon? Those possibilities were beyond comprehension.
But that didn't mean that he wished her cousins well, either.
At the vicar's instruction he took her hands in his own. Slowly but surely her fingers warmed his. By the time he needed to slip the ring on he was able to do so without fumbling it in a cold, unfeeling grasp. Then it was time to kiss the bride.
Before he kissed her, he whispered in her ear. " Do you know what else I want? For you to always be my Valentine."
Epilogue
Whit watched his wife carefully examining the creature under glass in the shop.
"I think they've mislabeled it," she said.
"Really?"
"Don't pretend interest when you don't have any, you know that annoys me."
He danced his fingers over the back of her hand where it rested on the glass case. "I'm interested in you, doesn't that count?"
She turned her hand palm up so that he could lace her fingers in his and tug her away to the next display. "Of course it counts. We just don't have a great deal of time here in Bath and I want to see as much as possible."
"My wife and her unholy obsession with looking at things ."
"Curiosities."
" Odd things."
He had started by taking her to a museum in London. Her thirst for adventure was apparently easily satisfied by access to strange legends and the even stranger objects associated with them. Beasts with two heads or that appeared to be more than one animal. Hands cut off of thieves and preserved. The stories and objects were at times humorous and other times gruesome. It wasn't anything he could ever imagine having done without her, but on the whole he was enchanted. His Sissy was a unique creature.
Once able to get past grieving for her family she had bloomed. Mostly they were compatible as two peas in a pod. At times he bored her if he rambled on too much about a change in fashion, and although generally indulgent he did have his limits for wandering in search of curiosities. But they spent most of their free time reading and sewing. He'd had a fair knowledge of tailoring as part of his job, but the scenes she was able to render with her embroidery skills had enthralled him. Now they were working together on a forest scene that they thought they might give to the Dibbses as a gift.
There were probably those who were surprised that he as perfectly happy staying home sewing with his wife. But he never felt restless anymore. He knew exactly where he was meant t o be, and that was at her side.
* * *
Sissy loved her husband. Almost every day she was humbled and amazed that he was her husband. Not only for all the things that were remarkable about him, but because of how he treated her. He made her feel that she truly was his Valentine. Presents. Kind words. Flowers. Every day held some delightful surprise. Even the time they'd had a horrible row and he had looked like he would rather throw his gift at her than give it to her, he had never faltered. She returned his largesse in kind. Never anything expensive. Often they handmade their gifts for each other.
Yes, her husband was constant and steady as a rock. He loved fiercely and kindly. She was glad that she hadn’t assumed him to just be a flirtatious cad, as so many were wont to do without looking deeper. She rested her hand on her belly. She couldn't wait until tonight when she would tell him the tiny circle of those he loved would expand to hold one
But that didn't mean that he wished her cousins well, either.
At the vicar's instruction he took her hands in his own. Slowly but surely her fingers warmed his. By the time he needed to slip the ring on he was able to do so without fumbling it in a cold, unfeeling grasp. Then it was time to kiss the bride.
Before he kissed her, he whispered in her ear. " Do you know what else I want? For you to always be my Valentine."
Epilogue
Whit watched his wife carefully examining the creature under glass in the shop.
"I think they've mislabeled it," she said.
"Really?"
"Don't pretend interest when you don't have any, you know that annoys me."
He danced his fingers over the back of her hand where it rested on the glass case. "I'm interested in you, doesn't that count?"
She turned her hand palm up so that he could lace her fingers in his and tug her away to the next display. "Of course it counts. We just don't have a great deal of time here in Bath and I want to see as much as possible."
"My wife and her unholy obsession with looking at things ."
"Curiosities."
" Odd things."
He had started by taking her to a museum in London. Her thirst for adventure was apparently easily satisfied by access to strange legends and the even stranger objects associated with them. Beasts with two heads or that appeared to be more than one animal. Hands cut off of thieves and preserved. The stories and objects were at times humorous and other times gruesome. It wasn't anything he could ever imagine having done without her, but on the whole he was enchanted. His Sissy was a unique creature.
Once able to get past grieving for her family she had bloomed. Mostly they were compatible as two peas in a pod. At times he bored her if he rambled on too much about a change in fashion, and although generally indulgent he did have his limits for wandering in search of curiosities. But they spent most of their free time reading and sewing. He'd had a fair knowledge of tailoring as part of his job, but the scenes she was able to render with her embroidery skills had enthralled him. Now they were working together on a forest scene that they thought they might give to the Dibbses as a gift.
There were probably those who were surprised that he as perfectly happy staying home sewing with his wife. But he never felt restless anymore. He knew exactly where he was meant t o be, and that was at her side.
* * *
Sissy loved her husband. Almost every day she was humbled and amazed that he was her husband. Not only for all the things that were remarkable about him, but because of how he treated her. He made her feel that she truly was his Valentine. Presents. Kind words. Flowers. Every day held some delightful surprise. Even the time they'd had a horrible row and he had looked like he would rather throw his gift at her than give it to her, he had never faltered. She returned his largesse in kind. Never anything expensive. Often they handmade their gifts for each other.
Yes, her husband was constant and steady as a rock. He loved fiercely and kindly. She was glad that she hadn’t assumed him to just be a flirtatious cad, as so many were wont to do without looking deeper. She rested her hand on her belly. She couldn't wait until tonight when she would tell him the tiny circle of those he loved would expand to hold one
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