Page 79 of Snapdragons
“Knowing a difficult portion of one’s life won’t last forever is reassuring, isn’t it? Knowing over the past years that I would not always be dependent upon my family, that I could eventually pursue the life I wished to live and achieve the goals I’d set for myself was very motivating.”
Penelope tugged his hand a bit, urging him to take a turn with her around the room. Her quick prodding was all he seemed to need, and they were soon undertaking a leisurely circuit.
“What goals have you set for yourself, Niles?” she asked. “I would very much like to know.”
“I don’t speak of them with many people,” he said.
“And I have told very few of my dreams to establish a horse-breeding venture at Fairfield,” she said, “but I shared that with you. Please trust me enough to tell me of your dreams.”
“I assure you, it is far more a matter of my reticence than anylack of trust in you,” he said. “I have long wished to have a seat in Parliament. Having a voice in the governing of the kingdom would allow me to make a difference. I wouldn’t be the most well-known nor the most influential, but I could do some good.”
The idea took immediate hold in her thoughts, growing more and more solid and real. “You would be an excellent addition to those hallowed halls, Niles.”
“A hard-working one, at least.”
“No, truly excellent.” She squeezed his hand. “You are thoughtful and intelligent and compassionate. All those things would make you, in some ways, an oddity in politics, but those are the qualities that ought to be foremost in a member of Parliament.”
He smiled at her, coloring a little. “I would like to at least try.”
“I like this dream of yours, Niles. I think you should follow it.”
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
From across the room, Digby announced, “I have chosen a game for this evening, friends. And I think it’s an excellent one.”
“Should we be worried?” Penelope asked Niles in low tones.
“Terrified.”
“Our Puppy has taken to wearing buttonhole flowers in the evenings,” Digby said.
Penelope couldn’t hold back a smile. He had worn snapdragons in his lapel every evening since the day she’d first brought him a sprig.
“The flowers have inspired me.” Digby stood tall and straight, watching the gathering with mischievous delight in his eyes. “I propose we play snap-dragon.”
The suggestion brought excitement to the faces in the room. Penelope hadn’t the first idea what the game was.
Lucas jumped up from his seat. “The boys would love this. We should bring them down.”
Julia snatched hold of his hand, keeping him there. “Lucas, ifyou wake those boys, their nursemaid will murder you.”
“But we’re to play snap-dragon, sweetheart. It would be their very first time.”
“They are too young to play with fire,” Julia said. “We’ll introduce them to the game when they’re older.”
He seemed to realize his wife was correct. “We could play snap-dragon when Adam next visits.”
“An excellent idea.”
Penelope turned a little to Niles. “Was Julia being literal when she said, ‘playing with fire’?”
“Have you never played snap-dragon?”
She shook her head.
“Yes, Julia was being entirely literal. Snap-dragon is, at its most basic, playing with fire.”
Penelope didn’t know whether to be excited or nervous. She felt both in equal measure.
