*
“I can’t wait for you to taste it,” he said enthusiastically. “The fishermen who live here catch them in the spring and summer, and they’re a delicacy.”
“Ihaveeaten crab before, you know,” Lizzie teased him gently.
“Not Cromer crab,” he said adamantly and watched her like a hawk as she took a bite.
Elizabeth feared she might burst out laughing, but then the taste of the meat hit her.
“Oh my,” she said between bites, “it’s almost sweet.”
“Now add some lemon juice.”
This time, she complied without resisting. It tasted even better with lemon. She closed her eyes as she chewed. She then ate some fresh bread and butter. She was ravenous after her day at sea.
“And what is this?” she pointed with her fork.
“It is samphire,” Colin explained. “Salt marsh green.”
Never having heard of it, Lizzie cautiously took a small bite. Then added some crab meat to it for her second bite.
“It tastes like the sea,” she said admiringly. “It complements the crab meat perfectly.”
Colin smiled proudly, like he’d been the one who had woken up at dawn to catch the crab for her.
Lizzie was unable to stifle her smile at the memory of her husband struggling to light a fire, but Talbot thought she was just smiling back at him.
*
A week later, Talbot woke up in the same inn where he had spent his first night with his wife.
And consummated our marriage,he thought smugly.
He’d dreamt that he was falling and had woken with a start. Elizabeth was still asleep next to him. He looked at her serene face.
What is she dreaming about?He thought, somewhat jealously. He wanted to possess and know all of her, even her dreamscape.
He’d recently remembered the woman he had proposed to as a young man and had, once again, been filled with the profoundest gratitude that she had refused his proposal.
For a moment, he'd entertained the idea of telling Elizabeth about that time in his life, but he knew his kitten would find the idea of him proposing marriage to another woman (especially since he’d never proposed to her!) most abhorrent.
Better to look ahead than to dwell on the past, he concluded.
Colin could see how nervous and subdued his wife had become because of their upcoming return to London. Deep down, he had to admit that he was also worried about the possibility of people’s comments negatively affecting her and was desperate to shield her from that.
He had been surprised to realise that the only emotions he felt regarding his peers’ judgment were anger towards them and protectiveness towards Lizzie.
As soon as people see us out in society together, no one shall dare say anything to her,he reassured himself for the hundredth time.
But it didn’t help.
Will Elizabeth like our London residence?He wondered, trying to steer his thoughts in another direction.
Right then, his wife stirred.
Thank God,he thought.
“Good morning,” she said sleepily.
