Page 50 of Caroline Saves the Blacksmith
Warmest regards,
Jane Thompson
* * *
Caroline was humming in the sitting room when William came downstairs. He could live a hundred years and never grow weary of hearing his sunshine’s melodies. With a smile, he entered the room to find Caroline sitting at the table with a cup of tea. It was evident she had already eaten before he had descended. Their new housekeeper, who was cleaning up, greeted him as she walked past to leave the room. “Good morning, Mr. Jackson.”
“Mrs. Marlowe.” He nodded. Walking over to the place set for him, ducking slightly to avoid the beams of the ceiling, William gave Caroline a quick kiss before taking his seat. Mrs. Marlowe returned with a plate of eggs and ham to set before him.
“Thank you.”
The housekeeper nodded in acknowledgment and left them alone.
“Annie came by this morning to inform me that Mrs. Greer has accepted an offer of marriage from Mr. Andrews.”
“At last! Mrs. Greer is a good woman and certainly deserves an improvement in her circumstances.”
“I am very pleased. Once she weds, Mrs. Greer will probably be helping the baker in his shop, so perhaps I shall find another widow for the work she has been doing for us. It has been rewarding to help a member of our community with enterprise.”
William nodded. “That would be excellent. What of Annie?”
“I informed her that if she were to want to apprentice with the baker instead, I would be agreeable with releasing her from our contract, but she said she enjoys making pretty things.”
“That was kind of you to offer.” William reached out to caress her soft hand.
Caroline nodded. “I thought it was important to verify that her interests had not shifted. She has learned much over the months, so I was relieved she wished to continue on with me.”
“I am gratified to hear that, considering the upcoming changes to our lives. I am looking forward to meeting Mr. and Mrs. Thompson after services today. He is an excellent architect from all accounts, so we should have an interesting conversation. Perhaps he can apprise me of the latest developments in London.”
His wife tucked an errant lock of flaxen hair behind her ear, her eyes shining in the morning light. “And I cannot wait to hear the latest from Town. Mrs. Thompson is well-versed in fashion, it being a special interest for her.”
“Will you inform her of our news?”
Caroline tilted her head thoughtfully before glancing down at her belly. “Not yet. Even your uncle and aunt do not know yet. We shall visit them so they can be the first to know. They are the only family we have, after all.”
William rubbed a hand over his beard, thinking about how they would react. Would it be the good news that brought hope back into their lives, as he had dreamed so many months earlier? They certainly had responded warmly to his letter that he had married. “Thank you for thinking of them.”
“Of course.”
“You look lovely.”
Caroline glanced down again. She was wearing her mulberry dress, one of his favorites. “The fichu is delightful, is it not?”
William squinted at the lacy gauze that shielded her bosom. “Not as delightful as what it concea—”
She groaned, dropping her forehead into her hand in agony. “Please do not finish that sentence! I am so happy I can discuss fashion with someone who truly appreciates it later today!”
He chuckled, lifting her smaller hand in his to plant a kiss on her smooth knuckles. “I am and always will be a blacksmith, my love.”
“That is more than apparent.” Her tone was scolding, but her hazel eyes were warm with affection as she smiled back at him.
* * *
William and Barclay—thearchitect had insisted conversation would be much easier if they dropped the formalities—were in a spirited discussion regarding the lock that William had recently perfected.
“Do you mind if we leave the table, my dear?”
Jane Thompson smiled at her husband, shaking her head. “The meal is mostly over. Please go ahead.”
