‘The wedding?’ I asked, ‘is that another decision?’
He nodded. ‘But no pressure, we don’t have to rush into it. Girls like a big affair don’t they, so we can do that if you like?’
‘You’d prefer a more intimate gathering?’ I asked. It was so much fun thinking of all that was to come.
‘Definitely, but we’re only going to do it once so I’m easily swayed.’ He looked at me so sincerely. ‘I want what you want, so it is a day you will never forget.’
It made me love him even more. But I had lost Mum and Dad, and now Heath too, so my ‘family’ were a smattering of school friends, cousins who didn’t live anywhere nearby, Nelly and Lockwood. If we had a big wedding most of the guests wouldn’t be special to me.
‘I’d rather something intimate, just immediate family and friends.’ I could see that made him happy. I saw our coffees coming; the same waiter, we thanked him again and I paused to sip and inhale the caffeine.
‘Depending on your next role and my next film, we’ll have to schedule the wedding carefully,’he continued.‘The sooner the better … but enough time for you to get your dress sorted out.’
I nodded. ‘Okay, that works for me.’ I smiled with anticipation. So exciting.
‘And then we have to decide what to do with Wuthering Heights,’ he said.
I snapped to look at him. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well we’re both going to have a London base and when we come home, we’ll stay at Thrushcross Grange, so do you need to keep Wuthering Heights?’ he asked, taking another large bite of his egg and toast. He sat back and mumbled, ‘Sell your half to Heath.’
I stared at him.
He frowned a little seeing my reaction and swallowed before speaking. ‘Well, you don’t have to decide right now.’
‘No,’ I said, ‘I can never sell Wuthering Heights. It’s part of me.’
‘It’s crazy to have it sitting there empty. I suppose we could rent it out.’
I shook my head. ‘It’s mine to worry about. I need it.’
‘Why?’ he asked, his eyes narrowing.
‘Because it is all I have left of Mum and Dad, and my family.’
He sat back and studied me. ‘Heath, you mean?’
‘My two brothers, Hindley and Heath.’
There was a cooling between us. I lost my appetite and put my cutlery down, returning to my coffee. Edgar softened and reached for my hand.
‘We’ve got our whole life ahead of us to sort out those things.’
He was right. I took a deep breath, nodded and gave him a weak smile.
Leave it for now.
‘The only thing we need to do today is look at engagement rings,’ he continued.
‘I hope your credit will be good there,’ I teased. ‘I’m planning on something noticeably large.’
He laughed. ‘Got a credit card on you just in case?’
I gave him a smirk and everything was back to normal between us.
Nothing on this earth will make me part with Wuthering Heights.
Chapter 31– The offer