“Well, it doesn’t sound all that – definite,” she edged. “I mean, to move to a place like this is a decisive step. You have to be certain it is right for you or you would be miserable living here.”
“It is a bit like marriage really, isn’t it? We have to be certain it is right for us or we are going to be miserable,” Moss murmured.
Clementine had to agree.
&nb
sp; “But I am right to believe that marriage to you is the right thing because I cannot conceive of ever calling another woman my wife. It must be you, Clementine. When I saw you fall into the hallway, I thought you had been shot. My world stopped and fell out from under me. I don’t know what I would have done with my life except face the bleakest future it is possible for a man to face. It is incomprehensible to me to have to face a future without you. I know we should have a proper courtship and all that, and we shall, but I want you to promise me something?”
Clementine nodded. In that moment she could refuse him nothing.
“Promise me you will be my wife?”
She blinked.
“Pardon?” Clementine daren’t breathe.
“Marry me? Be my wife. I need that promise from you now, before we take another breath. Be my wife. Promise me we can have a future together?”
“I promise,” she whispered tearfully. “I cannot conceive of any brighter future than being your wife.”
Moss grinned and swept her into a hug. Eventually, he became aware of the noise of several people gathered outside and knew it wasn’t going to be long before they were interrupted.
“I suppose we are going to have to re-join the others,” he murmured but made no attempt to move.
“I suppose we must,” she replied, nestling closer.
“We have decisions to make.”
“More decisions?”
“I am a private investigator. I am used to making decisive decisions,” Moss informed her with an emphatic nod.
“Like what?”
“Where we are going to live when we are married. How many children we are going to have. When we are going to have the wedding. How long this courtship has to last.”
“You don’t sound as if you relish the prospect of a proper courtship,” she mused, secretly not relishing any time that she had be apart from him.
“That’s because I am not,” he announced firmly.
Clementine smiled slyly at him. “Who says we have to have one?”
Moss pursed his lips. “I like the way you think.”
“Nobody in the village knows how long we have been courting. Nobody in town knows how long we have been courting either. People will always gossip and pretend they know but the worst they can do is speculate. Besides, given the news that will be rife in the morning about Elaine, I think the villagers will have other things to talk about. After what has been going on in the village, I am sure not many people will object to us making the most of every moment we have together. If there is one thing that I have learnt from the last several weeks, it is that life is precious. We only get one chance at it and when it is over it can never be replaced. We should make the most of the time we have together. I don’t want to waste a single moment of the chance we have of being together because we are obliged to undergo a more formal courtship just to indulge in the stringent dictates of other people. As far as I am concerned, I don’t care what anybody thinks about us. I love you, and don’t care who knows it. I want to be your wife. I want a family with you. I want us to set up a home together and argue whenever we annoy each other. I want a life, and don’t intend to allow Elaine or anybody else to spoil it.”
“Have I told you how very much I adore you?” Moss whispered.
“A few moments ago,” Clementine mused with a smile. Boldly, she reached up and began to pepper his face with tiny kisses. “Have I told you how much I love you, adore you, and worship you?”
Moss laughed and revelled in every kiss. This was a completely new side to his future wife he had never expected to discover, and it was wonderful.
“I cannot wait to marry you and, with your father’s permission of course, I think our wedding has to be held sooner rather than later.”
“Sooner rather than later.”
“I want us to be together,” Moss whispered.