“I haven’t,” he replied. “If I take him hunting tomorrow, I’ll bring him by afterwards if you’d like.”
She nodded enthusiastically, but then thought about how young the dog still was. “Will he know what to do during the hunt?”
Talbot laughed. “Yes, he will.”
“How was the fight?” She asked after a while to fill the silence that had descended upon the room.
“It was good,” Colin replied, looking like he was on the cusp of saying more.
Elizabeth waited as he thought about his next words.
“I’ve spoken to Harding. He understands. There will be no unpleasantness for you.”
Elizabeth relaxed and tensed in the same breath. “What do you mean, you’ve spoken to him?”
He gave her a disbelieving look, then glanced down at his arm in the sling. “What do you think I mean? I’ve spoken to him and I’ve… sort of apologised.”
“Sort of apologised,” Elizabeth echoed with a smile.
“As well as I know how,” he admitted, letting her see how vulnerable it felt.
“All right, thank you.” Lizzie decided to be gracious.
“He invited us to stay with them after our visit to Ashbury, what do you think?”
Elizabeth considered it for a while.
“I would love to spend some more time with Amelia, if you are certain it will be all right for everyone involved.”
“I’m certain. If it’s any comfort to you, I think Harding is rather happy with his wife.”
“Oh?” Lizzie’s ears perked up. “What makes you say that?”
“I recognise the signs,” Colin said with a mysterious smile and stood to leave.
He loves me. He loves me. He loves me,Elizabeth’s heart said with every beat as she walked him to the door.
“Shall I come to escort you down for dinner?” He offered, and she nodded shyly. “See you later, then.”
Elizabeth leaned her back against the closed door, her entire body warm and alive.
He loves me.
“Oooh, what are these?” Mary asked giddily when Lizzie handed her the open box.
“Colin got them for me in town,” she said, taking great care to appear unaffected.
“Mhm,” Mary hummed with her mouth full, then held up her palm.
When she was done eating, she told her, “Robert told me that the carriage drivers were complaining that the whole party had to wait for Talbot because he wanted to go to the shop, and that no other man had gone in to buy anything.”
“That does sound like him,” Elizabeth said with a wince.
“Hold on,” Mary said with a raised brow. “When he finally came out of the shop, he handed out generous vails to all the grooms, for their trouble.”
This knowledge was better than any box of sweets. Elizabeth smiled, and Mary squeezed her hand.
“What kind of hairstyle are we thinking tonight?” She asked.
