“They’ll know you well enough soon, Catherine, but now let me show them how much you mean to me,” he urged.
And with that, he carried her up the lime steps towards a house so large she could barely take it in.
Ahouse.
The word was ridiculous.
It sprawled in each direction with several wings, and the towering dome above the central structure pierced the cerulean sky that bore silvery summer clouds traced in from the sea.
Was thehousea cathedral? It almost looked so.
She wondered at it. Was this a great memorial to his family? What would the inside be like?
There would be nothing cozy about it, she was certain.
No, it would be wondrous and meant to inspire awe, a man-made version of the glorious scenery of York.
She allowed herself to blink and look about.
Mountainous terrain sprawled in the distance, aligning with the vast moors.
The beautiful colors of summer, veranda oaks, and bright flowers, covered the landscape.
The sun was already beginning to set. They had made it just in time before nightfall. And the yellow kiss of those rays touched the hills, bathing them in the most glorious pink tones.
She gasped. “It is so beautiful,” she marveled, despite her ill humor.
He smiled down at her. “I’m glad you think so. You’re not talking about the house, are you?”
“No,” she admitted softly, “I confess I am not. I am in awe of the land that your ancestors chose to make their own.”
“You have the king to thank for that,” he said factually. “In about thirteen hundred, the king bestowed three thousand acres upon my ancestor, and we have accrued more and more land ever since.
“My family has some land in the lowlands of Scotland and Northumberland as well. There was a castle here before, and at about the time of Henry VII, when we were on the right side of the Wars of Roses, a new structure was built. That is the central part of the house. And we have added on ever since.”
“It doesn’t look very hodgepodge,” she mused.
He laughed. “What can I say? We have hired admirable architects who’ve made it all seem as one.”
She beamed up at him at that. “I’d like to see the drawing plans.”
“And you shall,” he said. “After you rest.”
“Fine,” she declared. “Fine. Whatever the duke decrees for now.”
“For now? I’ll take it,” he teased. And with that, he took her around the side of the house, still cradled in his arms. They had passed the servants with barely a greeting.
“They shall think I am the most awful of people,” she lamented.
“No, they shan’t. They all know the state that you’re in. Theysawit. None of them shall wish you to heave your innards onto their newly starched uniforms.”
Her cheeks burned with mortification. “I thought as much. Everson is very efficient.”
He was silent for a moment, then replied gently, “It is good that they know, Catherine. We wouldn’t want them gossiping.”
“You think they won’t gossip?” she countered, holding tightly to his broad shoulders.
“No, they won’t. As a matter of fact, they’re going to be happy for me. And you.” He smiled at her, a gentle, melancholic smile. “They’ll be grateful for you, don’t you know?”