Storm of Bells

16. Happy Family Reunion

'Oh, my goodness! Look, Miss, look!'

Leaning forward, I glanced out of the window, following the pointing finger of my new lady's maid, trembling with excitement.

'Oh. Um...yes. A cow. Eating grass.'

'Ain't this exciting?' Vinnie sighed, pressing her hands against her chest as if she were about to faint. 'And—oh! There's another! And another! Three 'ole cows!'

'Vinnie?'

'Yes, Miss?'

'You haven't ever been out of London before, have you?'

''ow did ye know?'

'Just a guess.'

Settling back in my seat, I let my gaze drift around the coach. To be honest, I could hardly contain my own disbelief and excitement. My heart was pounding in my throat, threatening to jump out at any moment. But my excitement wasn't directed at the three cows peacefully munching grass.

It's going to happen. It's really, actually going to happen.

Reaching down, I touched the engagement ring on three of my biggest fingers, just to be sure.

I'm going to get married. I'm going to get married to Mr Rikkard Ambrose.

Looking up, I glanced over to the corner where Mr Ambrose was sitting, his knees bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle, his back ramrod straight, stoic suffering at the merriment that surrounded him shining through the icy mask that was his face.

And then I'm going to make his life a blissfully chaotic hell.

Smiling, I glanced down at my copy of the Lady Gwyneth B. Patterson's Guide for Young Married Ladies. It had proven a really helpful book. Between it's thick pages, it was easy to conceal the bright brochure I had been working on. The Women's Foundation for Suffrage and Equal Rights, founded by Lady Lillian Ambrose. Stand up and live your dream! Hm...not a bad slogan. Apparently, my brief stint in advertising hadn't been a wasted effort.

'Aww! You're already putting effort into preparing yourself?'

Leaning over, Lady Samantha beamed at me.

Snapping the book shut just in time to conceal the draft of the 'Self-defense for beginners' section, I gave her back a wide smile.

'Err, um...yes, definitely!'

Lady Samantha's smile widened even more. Reaching over, she squeezed my hand.

'Such a lovely girl you are. I'm so happy to know you're going to be part of the family, dear,' she said, as her eyes screamed: Relieved! I'm bloody relieved! I thought he'd end up as a hermit! May I kiss your feet in thanks and put up statues in your honour?

'So am I.' I gave her a one-armed hug, while with the other hand shoving the book under my seat. 'I couldn't imagine a family I'd rather belong to.'

'I was so sorry to hear that your brother couldn't make it,' Lady Samantha sighed, then threw her son a disapproving look. 'If only someone didn't send him off on some supposedly urgent business.'

Mr Ambrose sent his mother a cool stare.

'It was business with the Bank of England, Mother.'

'And that's supposed to be more important than his own sister's wedding?' She sniffed. 'It'll be your fault if he cannot walk his sister down the aisle.'

'Somehow,' Mr Ambrose said, his icy gaze swinging to me, pinning me to the seat while I tried to look very, very female indeed, 'I highly doubt that.'