“Oh.” Griffin’s voice had changed in tone. “When’s good for you?”
“Tea, today? Do you have somewhere that works for you?” Now Harriet sounded less sure. “This afternoon, our nanny will have the children. Less chaos.”
“Four, at the Stream? We can have a bit more privacy there. They won’t bother us once we’re settled. And do you want Annice along, or just me?”
“Oh, both of you, if you like.” Harriet’s chin came up. “I will not make that decision for you. Not enough idea of the agreements and precedent.” Griffin chuckled at that. She’d obviously meant it as a bit of a joke, even if it wasn’t a very good one.
“Four, then. Annice, come along? You don’t have a lot of prep to do for tomorrow, right?”
“Not much that will take time.” She’d decided yesterday what she wanted to do in Whitby, and she had to pick up some more raw jet, anyway.
Harriet nodded. “Four. The Stream. Whatever room they tell me.” Then the boy at her feet was tugging her hand, and Annice handed back the toddler she was holding. She’d even managed it without him messing up her frock and cloak, which was rather impressive, given the nature of toddlers. Harriet turned, heading off into the crowd with both children firmly in hand.
“Well. Breakfast, then? I know a place.” Griffin glanced up at Annice, as if weighing if she’d had enough.
“You always know a place. Lead on. And tell me about the other traditions here.” By now the crowds had thinned enough they could comfortably go side by side, as Griffin settled in to telling her about the local land lore.
Chapter42
MAY 2ND
Monday, mid-morning, Annice made it back to Whitby and to the house about twenty minutes before Ruth knocked. It had been a rush. Tea with Harriet had turned into a long conversation that Annice was still thinking about. From there, they’d gone on to supper with a handful of other people. It had been a long day, full of many things, and dragging herself out of bed had been hard this morning.
But needs must, and she’d let matters drag out in Whitby too long. She wanted to talk to Ruth first, about what she had in mind. Then they could go along for tea with Aunt Sarah and whoever else, and talk the rest of it out. Griffin would be busy all day and then some. He didn’t expect her back until mid-evening.
Ruth knocked, then opened the door to find Annice at the downstairs table. “There ye are.” Ruth looked not frazzled, exactly, but definitely worn down. “And what have you been doing, then? You look...” Ruth took a step back, considering, before she poured herself some tea from the pot. “You look happy.”
“I am happy.” Annice couldn’t help twisting the ring on her finger, it wasn’t as if she’d taken it off. She looked forward to eventually cutting that gorgeous sea-storm of a sapphire, when she felt she could do it justice. But she liked having something that slid smoothly around on her finger, sturdy and even. She took a breath and let it out. “Look, I’ve got some things to sort out, but I think you’ll like what I have in mind. And then we can tell your mam.”
Ruth pulled out the chair and sat down, elbows on the table. “And what’s that, then?”
“First, um.” Annice couldn’t help blushing. “I’m engaged. To Griffin. And he’s got to be in Trellech, for more than a few reasons. He didn’t rush me and we’re expecting a longer engagement, time to make sure of it.”
“And where are you staying in Trellech, then? That inn?” Ruth had cocked her head now, as if evaluating how good the haul on one of the fishing boats was, calculating a dozen things by eye and practice.
“His flat. Little house. I don’t know what you call it. Used to be stables, entirely redone. He’s got an upstairs, but he doesn’t use that much. I can put a workroom there.” She blushed more. She could feel the heat of it. “His bedroom. Ours, I guess, now. Still getting used to that.”
“And he can keep that sort of thing up? Not be scrabbling to keep you both together, body and soul?” Ruth still sounded cautious. “Fancy men like that, they don’t always...” Her voice trailed off.
Annice held out the ring. “He gave me this. I’m learning to cut other stones, not just carve jet, I can sign a proper apprenticeship contract when I’m ready. Free and clear, whatever happens with us, though I’m hoping there’s a lot of us to be going on with. Griffin gave me a stone to set when I’m ready. Sapphire, as blue as the sea here, just the right colour.” Annice swallowed. “He thinks about things. How to make them work. How to make that sort of life something I could cope with, bit by bit. But I, I love him.”
Had she said that to him, directly? She’d have to make sure to do so when she got home. Not that Annice would swear to what she’d said in the throes of delight or the sated aftermath. She certainly felt it, even if Griffin had been kind enough not to press her until she was ready. Ruth was watching her. “You’re not just swept off your feet? Though, how would he’d do that?” It had a dismissive edge to it.
“Don’t you go getting any wrong ideas, Ruth. We’re having a grand time in the bedroom, thank you. Nothing wrong with the relevant bits of him, and so long as you don’t make him stand up, it’s fine.” She could feel her cheeks heating up again. “Much more than fine.”
“Eh.” That was a little snort, half amused, half dubious. “And he’s got reasonable prospects?”
The way Ruth put that made Annice start laughing and laughing. She had to put down her mug of tea, her hands flat on the table, and then she kept laughing until she could barely breathe. “Not a problem. Let me, um. It’s a very Trellech thing?”
Ruth looked even more dubious now, peering down her nose the way Aunt Sarah did when she’d decided something was suspicious.
Annice gathered her thoughts. “He’s been working for the Courts in Trellech for ages. Um. 1900, something like that. Long apprenticeship, he’s a solicitor too, but mostly he works on the magic of the Courts, keeping things running. There’s maybe twenty people like him? Or there should be closer to thirty. Steady work, excellent salary. And he’s - well. Up at the top of that. The kind of thing that means I need to learn how to eat with fancy forks and knives and make intelligent comments about the wine, at least one or two. And he’s set up an appointment for me for frocks with a dressmaker, one of the ones with a shop along the high street.”
“Frocks, is it? For fancy things?” Ruth was definitely dubious. “Not going to get too posh to come see us?”
“That’s the thing, Ruth.” Annice took a breath. “If I’m not going to be here, there’s the house here. I wasn’t sure I wanted to share. That’s complicated. But would you and Sam come live here? Keep the place going. I’d probably want to move some of the workshop, but not yet.”
“And what’d we pay you?”
