“Perhaps.” She turned to look up at him. “When do you want to go to the market?”
“I thought we would go now while I have a few hours to spare. We can look for some hats and ribbons to go with your new gown. It would be a shame if you only wore it once after all.”
“And then?”
Phillip never stopped at the small, cheap trinkets when it came to her. She’d learned that already.
He smiled. “I thought we might stop at the pastry shop this time for something small to eat.”
“Nothing else?”
“I figured we would play it by ear.”
“Very well. I would enjoy some time with you out of the mansion.”
Phillip wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her outside and around to the front of the house. The carriage was already waiting for them.
Eleanor shook her head with a laugh. “You always seem so certain of my agreement.”
“What can I say? I know you well enough to guess by now.”
She let him help her into the carriage. Shortly after they were settled, the driver kicked the horses into motion, and the countryside began passing by in hills of sun-drenched grass and fields dotted with sheep. “The countryside is really lovely this time of year.” She turned to look at Phillip. “Do you have a London residence you return to when Parliament is in session?”
“I have one in case I must stay for prolonged business, but I dislike the city,” he replied. “So, not really. I spend most of the year here, whether it’s snowing or raining. Besides, until recently, I was not a part of Parliament.”
She returned to watching the countryside pass by. “I have never been out in the countryside during the winter. My father much preferred London or his estate near it year-round, unlike the rest of the nobility. Is it beautiful here during winter? London is quite dreary in the winter months.”
“It is lovely, for all the cold. There would be nothing but pristine, sparkling white snow as far as the eye can see at the estate, and you would often see children out sledding or skating near the pond by the village.”
“I look forward to seeing it all, then. It will be a new experience for me.”
“I look forward to having you by my side.”
The two of them lapsed into companionable silence as the carriage sped towards the village market. Phillip enveloped her hand with his, lacing his fingers through hers with a gentle smile but not breaking the silence. She leaned into him and listened to the birds singing as they rode along the trees.
When they finally arrived at the market, she almost wished their trip hadn’t ended. The peace and quiet with Phillip was something she wanted to savor, but there would be the return journey, she reminded herself.
They wandered through stalls of hats and ribbons, looking over everything. Phillip found himself a new pocket watch in the process, replacing the old, scratched one he always wore with something a little nicer. Together, they picked out some green ribbons for her hair and a few hats. Green had quickly become Phillip’s favorite color on her, it seemed.
A few hours later, he guided her into the pastry shop and bought a tart for them to enjoy. She took a seat at one of the small shop’s windows and watched as people went about their day, runningerrands, shopping for leisure or simply enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. Others were hard at work in the shops or stands, selling their wares or working to create new items for sale. Eleanor had no doubt that the rest of the village was already hard at work in the fields to supply the produce being sold here.
Phillip returned with two small white plates and the raspberry jam tarts.
Eleanor ate hers in small bites, savoring the flavor. “I am surprised you remember this is my favorite.”
His lips curled up at the edges. “I remember a great many things when it comes to you, Eleanor. We may have been denied a formal, open courtship, but I spent the time we did have observing and memorizing every bit of information I learned about you. Now, I can be open about my courtship and my enjoyment in indulging your interests and tastes.”
He never ceased to amaze her with his generosity and kindness. Many men would care very little about what their wives did or did not like. She married a man who viewed it as his duty to do his best to make her happy, and she understood it was her duty to return that love with her own respect, love and obedience. She had never imagined she would find that duty a delight rather than a drudgery. “We are married, Phillip. Courting me is no longer necessary.”
He chuckled. “It most certainly is, the more so because I was not permitted to do it before we were wed. A man should never cease courting his wife’s affections if he wants a warm, happy homeand an equally happy marriage. My father taught me that, and I have never forgotten it.”
Eleanor finished off her tart, noticing that he’d already finished his. “Your father must have been a special man.”
Phillip’s smile dropped. “He was. I loved him dearly, even if he drove me mad at times.”
“That used to be how it was between my father and me,” she murmured sadly. “I am glad that at least one of us is still able to fondly recall their relationship with their parents.”
“He is long gone, Eleanor. I will not hold grudges against the dead, and I prefer to remember him for all the good he did and the way he treated me and my mother with kindness.” He rose and took their plates back to the counter before returning to her and offering his arm. “There is one last place I would like to go.”
