Gwen couldn’thelp it. After the third or fourth expletive from his mouth, shecracked up, laughing. He was just so gangly and tall, it was asight to watch him duck and maneuver through the narrow stairway.“Oh my, does this mean the honeymoon’s over already?” she teased atthe return of Crispin’s sardonic personality.
“Glad to see someone’s finding humour in this,” he scoffed,sufficiently fed up and annoyed with the ordeal. “I blame myself,really. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to that itineraryof yours.”
“It’s not the B&B’s fault you’re so tall!” She doubled overand cracked up again when he bumped his head on the way into theirroom at the far end of the hall. She stopped laughing, though, whenhe opened the door and froze.
“Good God!”
“What now?” Gwen asked on her way in behind him. “Oh, wow!” Shecouldn’t breathe for a moment. One look around the room, covered ineverything chintz, from the peach coloured flowery bedding,matching curtains, and wallpaper she could only imagine whatCrispin was thinking.
“Oh, you laugh now, but you just wait, young miss,” hechallenged, dropping the suitcases on the floor and crossing hisarms defiantly over his chest.
“Hey, how is this my fault?” she asked, still giggling untilthe sinister look on his face made her think twice. When he winkedand motioned with his eyes towards the ornate brass bed, sherealized he hadn’t taken offence to the chintz decor as much as hewas overwhelmed by the possibilities.
“Now, don’t just stand there, tempting me.” He shrugged out ofhis dark coat and tugged at the sleeves of his black shirt,fiddling with the frilly cuffs. “Be ready in ten minutes. Let’s getthis sightseeing over with so the real fun can begin.” Quirking adefinitive brow, he turned and made his way into the powder room.“Oh, for fuck’s sake, more chintz!”
***
As they touredWindsor Castle, Gwen found herself overwhelmed by the history. Thegrounds themselves were gorgeous. The architecture, awe-inspiringand art within the castle itself, captivating. While Crispinappreciated it to a point, he was more in awe of Gwen’s fascinationwith it all. He surprised himself, really, with how much patiencehe had in regards to her. If he had it his way, they would haveburned through the exhibits in less than an hour, but not Gwen. Shefelt the need to read each little tag and study each bit ofinformation as if committing it all to memory.
“Sorry, Crispin, I don’t mean to keep you waiting.” She foundhim sitting on a bench at the exit of the latest room. “It’s justall so interesting.”
“You know…” He stood up and stretched, taking her hand. “We canalways come back someday. You don’t have to see it all in oneshot.”
“Oh, but we’re only in Windsor for one night. Tomorrow we leavefor Bath for two nights before we return to Canada.” As she spoke,her face dropped and Crispin noted the disappointment in her voice.She really did love it here, in dreary old England.
Tucking herhand into his elbow, he gave his head a slight shake, struggling tokeep the words from coming, but it was too late. He had alreadylost his heart to her. Why not go the distance? “I meant, we canalways come back another time. To England.”
“Really? You’d want to?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I am having the time of mylife.”
“Could have fooled me!” She chuckled, giving his arm a squeeze.“You looked bored out of your skull in there.”
“Ha, that’s just me, being myself.” He laughed alongside her.“I’m quite the miserable bastard. Best you know thatknow.”
“You have your moments,” she teased. “But I still love you.”She watched him smile as the words left her mouth. “Oh, Crispin,you are a treasure, to be sure.”
Taking herhand, he brought her knuckles to his lips and gave them a kiss.“Come on, cheeky monkey, let’s grab us some dinner.”
Once again,they found an old pub and requested a quiet booth. While theywaited for their food, they enjoyed a bottle of white wine. Tiredbut content, Gwen, slid closer to Crispin’s side and placed herhand on his knee. He no longer flinched or tensed, on the contrary,he seemed to appreciate her touch, even going as far as toencourage it by reciprocating the affection. What a nice change,she thought with a sigh. For a while, she had feared she wouldnever get to touch him so freely.
“What’s with the sigh?” he asked.
“I’m just so happy to be here with you,” she admitted. “You’relike home to me. I feel so safe when we’re together. I’ve neverfelt so secure.”
“Is this the wine talking?”
“No, it is not. This is my heart talking,” she said with asmile.
“Well, then don’t stop. Keep talking, sweetheart of mine.” Ashe listened, he toyed with the bracelet on her wrist, oddly quiteannoyed with it. Something about it bothered him and he didn’t knowexactly why.
“Do you think it’s weird?” she asked, stirring him from histhoughts.
“Weird?”
“That I could feel so at home so far away from my actual home?It’s strange to me. I mean, we moved around so much when I wassmall. And I know it’s where my anxieties stem from, the constantmoving from place to place, yet here I am, in a totally differentcountry and feeling perfectly okay if not better thanever.”
“Maybe it’s true what they say…”
“What?”
“Home is where the heart is.” As he said the words, he couldn’tbelieve it was him talking. What did he know of hearts andhomes?
“Aww… and since my heart is with you, I feel at home,” shegushed, batting her lashes up at him.
“God, Gwen, you’re quite the little poet, you knowthat?”
“I would have loved to be a writer,” she said with a sigh.“It’s what I was hoping to do after I graduated university. It’swhy I studied English Literature.”
“Why not try again?” Crispin suggested. “Sign up for theupcoming fall.”
“I don’t know.” She hesitated. “I don’t think it’s possible forme.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Well, for one thing, I couldn’t afford it.”
“Tell me about it,” he sympathized. “I’ve got loads of studentloans to pay off when I
