Page 108 of Miss Ashbury and the Anatomy of Mending a Heart

“No. I believe you already have some goose droppings on your knee from the last time.”

He grimaced, angling his leg to inspect the damage. “I’ve always heard romance can be a messy business, but I never imagined they meant this.”

Vera cleared her throat, her eyes on the small velvet box he held in his hand. Stephen laughed and opened it, letting the morning light play over the large, light-blue stone set in a simple gold band.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s stunning. I adore it.”

“It reminded me of you.” He slipped the ring on her finger.

Vera held it up to the light, enjoying the pleasing weight, the fact that Stephen had chosen it just for her. “I do love blue.”

“Not just because of that, though I’m glad to hear it. It reminded me of you because it’s a diamond, but it’s rare. No one will know it’s a diamond to look at it. I thought that was much like you—infinitely precious, and none of those idiots could see it, and I’m so grateful for it.”

Vera’s chin wobbled; she blinked back the tears that threatened to blur her vision of the stunning stone.

“Thank you, Stephen,” she finally managed to whisper.

“But we’ll have to get you a simple, smooth band to wear, too. That stone is far too large to wear during medical procedures—it will catch on the bandages and get in the way of your stitching.”

Vera laughed.

CHAPTER 36- VERA

One month later, Miss Vera Ashbury and Lord Winthrop stood before a small grouping of family and friends in the parlor of Devon Manor. The bride wore a beaded, light grey silk dress, one that Dahlia had slipped in amongst the orders for her mourning period.

It was as if she’d known, Vera thought.

Undoubtedly, it would have been a scandal for her to marry Stephen so soon at all—custom dictated that Vera be in full mourning for her mother for at least three months. However, Vera decided that she’d given enough of her life up for her mother and wasn’t going to continue to do so after the woman was gone.

Her veil was the most romantic delicate lace, and it swathed her from head to toe. When Vera appeared in the doorway, clutching a bouquet of pale pink cabbage roses, the groom nearly staggered beneath the weight of her beauty. Neither of them could tear their eyes from the other during their vows, even when Anne began to fuss and was removed by a tutting Hortense.

The Marquess of Salisbury had insisted upon hosting the celebration, as his wife had insisted upon attending the event. She was to give birth to their first child any day, and Percy’s worry had grown right along with his wife.

“He’s hired a footman to stand at every staircase to assist me up or down,” Adelaide said later, at the wedding luncheon. “It’s completely unnecessary—I’m well able to use the handrail.”

Vera secretly doubted it—the woman could barely sit close enough to the table to reach her plate.

Just then, a discordant clanging erupted from the sideboard.

“That blasted clock,” Percy said, shoving back from the table. “I’ve reset it a hundred times and it still clangs at odd hours. If it hadn’t been a gift from you, Candace, I’d chuck the thing.”

Vera rolled her lips inward and raised her eyebrows when she glimpsed the terrible clock. It was a stack of porcelain lemons, limes, and oranges in a basket. The thing was positively ghastly, and Vera knew full well that Candace had never intended upon purchasing it in the first place. Then again, that was an entirely different story.

Across the table, Candace caught Vera’s eye and gave her the barest of winks. It threatened to topple her straight into laughter, and she forced herself to look elsewhere before she succumbed.

“How’s the new house, Jacqueline?” Adelaide asked. “Are you feeling settled yet?”

“I must confess it does feel a bit lonely.”

It was only because she happened to be looking at him at the moment that Vera saw Hamish go very still.

“Even with your animals?” Candace said.

“Indeed. Perhaps I will add to my collection.”

“What are you thinking?”