Page 140 of To Know Miss May

But then, he wasn’t the same man. And she couldn’t be more grateful for the change that had come over him.

“If that be all…” August said, once more bringing her to the present.

He motioned to the door, signaling his need to depart.

“Oh, yes. ’Course, ’course. Ye must go.”

He opened the door, then she held up her hand. “Oh, wait! I’ve remembered another thing. Dinner tonight. With your parents. Your sisters will be comin’, too.”

August stifled a sigh, though he still drew on a smile. “Yes, I remember.”

“And ye’ll be on time?” She struggled keeping her own smile at bay, knowing she was testing his patience like the best of them.

“Yes, love.”

He turned once more to the door.

“Oh, and Miranda do be needin’ new shoes soon,” she added.

He turned back to her, glancing down to his watch once more, then opened the door just a crack. “We can do that soon, then. Anythin’ else?”

She tapped her finger to her chin. “Just one moment, I know there be somethin’ else…What was it…I know it be somethin’…”

“Livvy, I do be sorry, love, but I really must be goin’.” He opened the door wider.

“No, no. Wait. It’ll come to me,” she said. But she could no longer keep in her smile.

Glancing at her husband with her best innocent look, she waited until he narrowed his eyes, then a grin split across his face, though he did his best to scowl. “Ye be doin’ that on purpose, ain’t ye?”

“I’d ne’er.”

He closed the door with a nearly soundless click, then faced her with a look that sent anticipation sailing through her limbs. “Just for that, I’ll take that other kiss from ye now.” Then he strode toward her with a determination that fluttered her heart.

Swiftly, he placed one hand behind her back and leaned into her with a warm kiss until she fell backwards into his arm, then he lowered her halfway into a dip in the same absurdly charming manner that he’d kissed her in front of the entire Mount on their wedding day.

After a moment, he straightened, both of them breathless as he grinned. “Now I must go.”

She allowed him to leave that time, though she stepped outside the door and stood by the blue-colored outer walls, waving to a few passersby before she watched her husband walk down the pathway away from her.

When he reached where the pathway curved away from the terraced houses, he turned around, delivered a little wave and an excited smile, then disappeared around the corner.

Livvy sighed with happiness, greeted another couple who walked by, then went back inside the home that she and August had made their own.

Leaning against the door, she went through the list of tasks she needed to see to that day.

Continue her redecoration of the sitting room.

Finish up the weekly meal schedule with cook.

Speak with the schoolteacher of the Mount to ensure Piran was doing fine with his lessons.

And read. Definitely read.

She pushed herself away from the door and headed to the kitchen first, but not before her eye caught onto the table in the sitting room—and the stack of new books she’d just borrowed from Mrs. Moon placed on top.

The temptation was too great. She would see to the rest of her list later.

Right now, she needed to see how Miss Anne Elliot was faring with Captain Wentworth being in Bath.