Page 58 of What's the time, Mr. Wolfe
“Not really. But I want you and that’s what you are.”
He picked up my hand and kissed my knuckles. “Do you trust me?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Do you consent to be with me in all my guises?”
I had no idea what he meant. “I do.”
“You’ll give yourself to me, and me only?”
I wanted to sigh. “I. Do.” I added an eye roll for effect.
He smiled, and it was a wicked smile that showed those white straight teeth. If I’d have seen canines, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
“Does all the,I do’smean we’re married?” I asked, giggling.
“In all but a signature on paper,” he replied, and I was stunned into silence.
Chapter Eleven
Sebastian had dropped me back home with a promise to call later. I had hoped that he might stay for a while, but he’d said he had things to do. He didn’t detail what that was, of course. I changed into my sloppy clothes and sat with Grandma. She held my hand and told me about her day.
She’d been to the shops with Fredo. He’d been so lovely to her, bought her silk stockings, she said. Of course, there was no Fredo, or shop visit, but I went along with it. Fredo was a soldier apparently and I got that we’d slip back into the war. She’d been a teen then, in her nineties now. I dreaded the day I’d lose her, which is why, I guessed, I’d hung onto her despite it being so hard for me. She told me about thewomanthat sat with her. Asking me if she was her daughter. I wasn’t surewhat to say to that. I nodded as tears sprang to my eyes. Grandma smiled, it seemed to please her.
I made her dinner and washed her. By the time I had her settled in her bed, it was nearing nine o’clock, late for Grandma, and I was starving.
As if he could read my thoughts, I received a text.
Are you hungry? Seb xx
I replied immediately.Starving!
I’ll be there in ten.
I placed the phone on the kitchen table and sat. I needed to add a screensaver, I thought. I had no idea how to do that. Perhaps a nice picture of Sebastian would be good. But then I didn’t want people at work to know about us, not that I really knew what we had still.
I sat and pondered. My life had been turned upside down by Sebastian Wolfe, and I knew so very little about him. I had no idea what kind of a relationship we were having. I’d committed myself to him, but had he to me? Yet he knew very little about me, also.
“Stop overthinking,” I said to myself, and stood. I needed to just take life as it came and see where I ended up.
Sebastian arrived promptly and I chuckled as I answered the door. “Are you ever late?” I asked.
“No, why would I be?”
“No reason.” I stood aside and let him in.
“How’s your grandmother?” he asked.
“Sleeping now, but she seems more talkative, more engaged but still in the past. She spoke tonight for about twenty minutes and hasn’t done that in years.” He stared at me. “Yes, I know,” I said, answering his silent message.
“I’m sorry, Ruby.”
I nodded gently. I’d read that, often, people perked up before they died. Grandma was on her last legs for sure. She’d used up all her lives multiple times over. It was just a matter of time now. I planned to talk to Monica about it in the morning.
“I have food,” he said, holding a bag aloft.
“Good, because I could eat a donkey’s arse,” I said, taking the bag from him.
