The Virtuous Widow by Anne Gracíe Page A

Most peculiar how the mind works—or doesn’t, as the case may be. Rothbury is a house as well as a village,” he explained. “I was born there.”
    “And, er, what do you do there?” Ellie enquired delicately.
    “I oversee the farm. I’ve found a position for you, too. You will be in charge of the house. After we’re married, of course.” He looked at her. “You’re sure, Ellie? Knowing nothing about me, you’ll marry me and come and keep house with me?”
    She smiled mistily and nodded happily. “Oh, yes, please. I could think of nothing more wonderful. I would be a good housekeeper, I think. In fact, I did try to find a position like that after Hart died and we found there was no money left, but having no references…and also a daughter…” She hesitated. “You know I bring nothing to this marriage.”
    He looked affronted. “You bring yourself, don’t you? You’re all I want, love. Just you. Oh, and a small bonus called Princess Amy.”
    “Oh, Daniel…” She kissed him again. It was that or weep all over him.
    He had brought a special licence. “I’ve arranged everything, my love. The vicar has agreed to marry us this afternoon—no need to wait for the banns to be called. Then Tommy—Sergeant Tomkins to you—will take Amy to stay the night at the vicarage.”
    “But why—”
    He looked at her and his blue eyes were suddenly burning with intensity. “We have a wedding night ahead of us, love…and this is a small cottage. Amy is better off at the vicarage. Don’t worry, she already has Tommy eating out of her hand. He loves a bossy woman! And the vicar is delighted, too. He loves Christmas weddings.”
    Christmas. They were only a few days away from Christmas. She’d been trying to forget about it, expecting this to be her orst Christmas ever. But now…
    Daniel continued, “We’ll stay one night here and then I’ll take you home to Rothbury. I thought it would be nice if we celebrated Christmas there, with my poor old mother.”
    Ellie smiled. “Oh, yes, that would be lovely. But…a wedding, today…I have noth—” She glanced down at the shabby dress she wore. “I don’t suppose my old blue dress—”
    “You look beautiful in anything, my love, but I brought you a dress…and some other things.” He gestured to a portmanteau, which the sergeant had carried in earlier.

    Hesitantly Ellie opened the lid. Inside, wrapped in tissue, was a beautiful heavy cream satin dress. She lifted it out and held it against herself. The dress was exquisite, long-sleeved and high-waisted, embroidered over the bodice and around the hem in the most delicate and lovely green-and-gold silk embroidery. It was utterly beautiful… Totally unsuitable for a housekeeper, of course, but did she care?
    “Is it all right?”
    She turned, clutching the dress to her breasts and whispered, “It’s beautiful, Daniel.”
    “The colour is all right, is it?”
    She smiled. “It’s lovely, though I’m not exactly a maiden, Daniel.”
    “You are to me,” he said. “Anyway, that wasn’t why I chose it. It reminded me of when I first saw you—you were dressed in that white night-thingummy.”
    Ellie thought of her much-patched, thick flannel nightgown and laughed. “Only a man could see any similarity between my shapeless old nightgown and this beautiful thing.” She laid the dress carefully over the chair and flew across the room to hug and kiss him.
    “A man in love,” he corrected her. “And that nightgown did have shape—your shape, and a delectable shape it is too.” He ran his hands over her lovingly and kissed her deeply. Ellie kissed him back, shivering with pleasurable anticipation.
    “Enough of that, my love. We’ll be churched before long. We can wait until tonight.”
    “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered.
    He laughed, lifted her in his arms and swung her around exuberantly, then kissed her again and pushed her towards the table. “There’s more stuff in the