vibrant in their early summer colours.
‘We never did stop for that supper last time, did we?’ Nicco asked, breaking into her thoughts. She shook her head, relieved he’d taken her rebuttal so well. ‘Well, we will this time and then Nicco will propose in the proper manner,’ he declared.
‘What?’ she gasped, sitting bolt upright.
‘I can see that you expect things to be done properly and so they shall.’ His grin was so cocky, she was shocked into silence. What did she have to say to make him realize she had no intention of having supper with him, let alone marrying him?
‘Nicco …’ she began, but he put up his hand to silence her.
‘No, don’t say anything. I will make my formal declaration later and you can accept then.’
She opened her mouth and then shut it again. She was too tired to argue and if it was silence he wanted, silence he’d get, she thought, closing her eyes.
She was woken by the clanking of the chains and saw they were already on the ferry. The breeze tugged at her hair and she tucked the wayward tendrils behind her ears, drawing her shawl tighter round her.
‘I was not kidding when I said I would be marrying Sleeping Beauty, was I?’ Nicco quipped, his dark eyes boring into hers. Quickly she turned to look out over the murky waters.
‘I didn’t mean to sleep for so long. Too many late nights helping Grozen make up her quota for the agent.’
‘Ah, yes, your grandmother. I was pleased to hear she has recovered but I’ve always wondered why you call her Grozen?’
‘When I was little I couldn’t manage to say “Grandmother Rozen”. It came out as Grozen and I suppose it just stuck.’
He frowned. ‘Hardly grown up, is it? When we are united in family I shall call her Grandmother Rozen,’ he announced grandly.
‘Oh, look, we have reached the other side,’ Merry said, suppressing a shudder. The thought of their being joined in any way was just too awful to contemplate.
As on their last visit, the place was bustling with activity and the noise was deafening. Merry lapsed into silence as Nicco guided the cart through the mingling crowds and out into the traffic. Relief flooded through her when he finally pulled up outside the agent’s building.
‘Now I’m guessing your appointment will take the same time as before so I’ll make sure I’m back for when you’ve finished. We don’t want a repetition of last month’s stupidity, do we?’ he said, wagging his finger.
Biting down a rude retort, Merry retrieved her bundle.
‘Thank you for the lift, Nicco,’ she said politely, smiling to herself as she hurried into the building. Confident this appointment with Mr Fairbright wouldn’t take as long, she planned to visit the material stall when she’d finished. If she ensured she was back in good time, Nicco would be none the wiser.
The formidable Miss Brown sniffed as she took in Merry’s hatless head.
‘Name?’ she asked.
‘Miss Dyer,’ Merry answered, trying not to grin as the woman slowly ran her finger down a column in the diary. She stared at the shelves groaning under the weight of
ganseys, most in the navy blue but some in fawn, and wondered again where they were all destined.
‘I said Mr Fairbright is waiting.’ Merry stared at the woman. If the agent was waiting for her what had all that performance of checking the diary been about? ‘Follow me,’ the woman instructed, walking over and knocking on the office door. ‘Miss Dyer, sir,’ she announced.
‘Come in, my dear,’ Mr Fairbright said, smiling as he got to his feet.
‘I do hope I haven’t kept you waiting,’ Merry began.
‘Not in the least,’ he said, taking out his pocket watch. ‘Right on time. I do like punctuality,’ he smiled. ‘Tidy mind and all that. Some refreshment, if you please, Miss Brown. With two decent-sized pieces of your excellent pound cake,’ he added as the woman wrinkled her nose.
‘I don’t wish to hold you up, sir,’ Merry began, although her
‘We never did stop for that supper last time, did we?’ Nicco asked, breaking into her thoughts. She shook her head, relieved he’d taken her rebuttal so well. ‘Well, we will this time and then Nicco will propose in the proper manner,’ he declared.
‘What?’ she gasped, sitting bolt upright.
‘I can see that you expect things to be done properly and so they shall.’ His grin was so cocky, she was shocked into silence. What did she have to say to make him realize she had no intention of having supper with him, let alone marrying him?
‘Nicco …’ she began, but he put up his hand to silence her.
‘No, don’t say anything. I will make my formal declaration later and you can accept then.’
She opened her mouth and then shut it again. She was too tired to argue and if it was silence he wanted, silence he’d get, she thought, closing her eyes.
She was woken by the clanking of the chains and saw they were already on the ferry. The breeze tugged at her hair and she tucked the wayward tendrils behind her ears, drawing her shawl tighter round her.
‘I was not kidding when I said I would be marrying Sleeping Beauty, was I?’ Nicco quipped, his dark eyes boring into hers. Quickly she turned to look out over the murky waters.
‘I didn’t mean to sleep for so long. Too many late nights helping Grozen make up her quota for the agent.’
‘Ah, yes, your grandmother. I was pleased to hear she has recovered but I’ve always wondered why you call her Grozen?’
‘When I was little I couldn’t manage to say “Grandmother Rozen”. It came out as Grozen and I suppose it just stuck.’
He frowned. ‘Hardly grown up, is it? When we are united in family I shall call her Grandmother Rozen,’ he announced grandly.
‘Oh, look, we have reached the other side,’ Merry said, suppressing a shudder. The thought of their being joined in any way was just too awful to contemplate.
As on their last visit, the place was bustling with activity and the noise was deafening. Merry lapsed into silence as Nicco guided the cart through the mingling crowds and out into the traffic. Relief flooded through her when he finally pulled up outside the agent’s building.
‘Now I’m guessing your appointment will take the same time as before so I’ll make sure I’m back for when you’ve finished. We don’t want a repetition of last month’s stupidity, do we?’ he said, wagging his finger.
Biting down a rude retort, Merry retrieved her bundle.
‘Thank you for the lift, Nicco,’ she said politely, smiling to herself as she hurried into the building. Confident this appointment with Mr Fairbright wouldn’t take as long, she planned to visit the material stall when she’d finished. If she ensured she was back in good time, Nicco would be none the wiser.
The formidable Miss Brown sniffed as she took in Merry’s hatless head.
‘Name?’ she asked.
‘Miss Dyer,’ Merry answered, trying not to grin as the woman slowly ran her finger down a column in the diary. She stared at the shelves groaning under the weight of
ganseys, most in the navy blue but some in fawn, and wondered again where they were all destined.
‘I said Mr Fairbright is waiting.’ Merry stared at the woman. If the agent was waiting for her what had all that performance of checking the diary been about? ‘Follow me,’ the woman instructed, walking over and knocking on the office door. ‘Miss Dyer, sir,’ she announced.
‘Come in, my dear,’ Mr Fairbright said, smiling as he got to his feet.
‘I do hope I haven’t kept you waiting,’ Merry began.
‘Not in the least,’ he said, taking out his pocket watch. ‘Right on time. I do like punctuality,’ he smiled. ‘Tidy mind and all that. Some refreshment, if you please, Miss Brown. With two decent-sized pieces of your excellent pound cake,’ he added as the woman wrinkled her nose.
‘I don’t wish to hold you up, sir,’ Merry began, although her
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