Page 89

Henry had told me so much about it that I felt as though I’d already visited. While I would’ve predicted hearing his mother, brother, sister, and their families all lived within walking distance of one another would’ve freaked me out, it didn’t. I actually liked the idea. Based on what he told me about them, I knew I’d like them straightaway.
“Can we go there first?” I asked.
“To Wargrave?”
I nodded.
“Of course. You’re not nervous about meeting my family, are you? They’re going to love you as much as I do. Nance, in particular, since I told her you enjoyed busting my balls. My mum too. I mean, everyone will. The nieces and nephews can be a tad overwhelming, but we don’t have to spend that much time with them if you’d rather not.”
“I think I would like it, actually.”
“Yeah?”
“I like children.”
He closed his eyes and rested his head against the pillow.
“What?”
“I know we haven’t talked about, you know, the future.”
“Okay…”
“I told James I saw you and I having children together.” He said the words so quickly that I laughed.
“Henry?”
He raised his head. “Yeah?”
“I saw us having children together too. I still do.”
He sat up. “You do?”
I nodded. “I’m a bit old-fashioned, though. I’m thinking we should get married first.”
He picked the ring Nem had given me for the op up from the side table. Since he arrived at the resort two weeks ago, I’d never seen him take his off.
“Until we can pick out one of your own, will you wear this ring after I propose?”
“When are you proposing?”
He shifted me to the pillow and got down on one knee beside the bed. “Alena, will you marry me?”
I held out my hand so he could slip the ring on my finger. “Yes, Henry, I will marry you.”
“I have an idea.”
I smiled. “Go on.”
“We fly to the UK tomorrow and file our notice to marry before we go to Wargrave.”
“Okay.”
“You haven’t heard the rest of my idea.”
I laughed. “What else?”
“There’d be just enough time for us to marry on the twenty-ninth day of February.”