Cassie stood on the beach in front of the house, her arms wrapped around herself. Finally some peace and quiet. A cool breeze blew in over Buzzard's Bay, whipping up whitecaps that broke on the shore, coming closer and closer to her feet as the tide came in. Around her lay the flotsam of the last high tide; strands of seaweed, broken shells, and here and there an empty shark egg case. Mermaids' purses—that was what children called the egg cases when they discovered them on the beach. A used-up, dead shell that once protected a baby dogfish or skate, and now it would be a child's treasure.
Nobska barked as he ran back and forth, trying to catch an elusive seagull. But Cassie could feel the sea's peace creeping into her, a little more with each wave which spilled up the beach before retreating into the vastness of the bay. It couldn't wash away the pain of the last two weeks. She couldn't pretend any more that she was just a clean-cut, dedicated marine biologist. She didn't want to. She was the girl from the slums, and part of her was trapped in a prison on the plains of southern Illinois. She was Calder's wife, with all the privileges that came with it, like the house standing behind her. And she would fight to protect the people she loved.
She heard the crunching sound of footsteps in the sand and then Calder's arms stole around her waist from behind. She leaned back, letting the comforting warmth of him flow into her, knowing he didn't want her to be anybody but who she was.
"What'll we do if Nobska ever catches one of those gulls?" Calder's warm breath tickled her ear.
"Beats me. I'm not sure he wants to, anyway. It's the game he likes." She watched Nobska charging through the waves.
"Maybe so."
"What's your father going to do when he finds out you're not going into politics?" Cassie raised her voice. "Nobska, no! Come!" Nobska veered off at the last second to avoid the bank of poison ivy between the beach and the marsh.
"That won't happen for a while. I'll give a few speeches, drop some more hints, and that'll keep him guessing." Calder threw the stick into the water. Nobska plunged in after it.
"But you can't stand that kind of thing."
"It doesn't bother me as much as it used to. Having you helps. Who knows, maybe I'll surprise us all and run for office someday."
She looked at him in shock. "You wouldn't!"
He laughed. "No, probably not. I'd much rather write."
Cassie picked up a round stone, smoothed by the sea, and rubbed it between her fingers. She'd had enough changes in the last few weeks to last a lifetime. "I hope your father stays away for a while."
"Me too. But we'll make do if he doesn't." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, just like he had the first time they made love, not a quarter mile down the beach from where they stood. "Remember what you told me about the marsh grass? It's resilient."
"And it can tolerate a change in environment."
"That's us. We're the marsh grass in the midst of the complex ecosystem." Calder swept his arm to include the bay and the salt marsh.
"You're starting to sound like me." Cassie leaned her head against him affectionately.
"Promise me one thing." Calder's voice turned serious. "No more secrets."
"No secrets. Unless they involve birthday presents." She'd already decided on that. "There's one thing I'd better tell you, then."
"What's that?"
"My middle name. Don't you dare laugh. It's Desiree."
He didn't laugh, but he did smile. "I have a secret to tell you, too. I already knew."
"You already knew?" She couldn't believe he'd never said anything.
He scuffed his foot in the sand. "My father had you investigated last fall. He gave me a copy of the report at New Year's. I threw it away without reading it, but I couldn't miss your name, since it was right there."
"Why didn't you say something, instead of letting me tease you about it all this time?"
"You didn't want me to know, and I didn't want my father to take away one more thing from you. Besides, I like it, even if it isn't your style. The desired one." He fell silent, but there was a faraway look in his eyes. "That was the original title for
Pride & Presumption,
you know—
Desire.
But it sounded too much like a corny romance. Which it wasn't, at least not then."
She put her arms around his neck. "You just ended it too soon. Maybe
Pride & Presumption
needs a sequel."
"I suppose I shouldn't leave poor Will Darcy sitting there all alone forever."
Her lips curved in a smile. "Certainly not. Maybe I can even give you some inspiration later on. The water's still warm, and there's no moon tonight. Just us and the biolumes."
A light kindled behind his eyes. "I think I could be convinced. Purely in the pursuit of art, of course."
"Don't forget science."
"How could I possibly forget science?" Calder traced the edge of Cassie's lips with his fingertip.
Cassie felt his touch through her whole body. Then Nobska bounded up the beach and shook himself vigorously, spraying them with salt water. Calder ducked, but not before his clothes were soaked.
Cassie laughed as she grabbed Nobska's collar. "No, pup, we're going swimming
later.
It's back to the house for now."
Acknowledgments
This book would never have reached this stage without the encouragement and help of many people. Maria, Nabby, HeatherLynn, Joy, Sarah, Eli, Marsha, Wanda, Beth, Dorothy, and Sylvie offered excellent feedback and support throughout the writing process. Carol, Susan, and Kathleen gave important advice on the final draft. If it were not for Ellen taking mercy on my technical incompetence, this book would still be languishing on my hard drive. Last, but never least, the readers at Austen Interlude and Hyacinth Gardens for providing inspiration, companionship, and enthusiasm. My deepest thanks to all of you.
About the Author
Abigail Reynolds is a lifelong Jane Austen enthusiast and a physician. In addition to writing, she has a parttime private practice and enjoys spending time with her family. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian, theater, and marine biology before deciding to attend medical school. She began writing
From
Lambton to Longbourn
in 2001 to spend more time with her favorite characters from
Pride and Prejudice.
Encouragement from fellow Austen fans convinced her to continue asking "What if…?," which led to four other
Pride and Prejudice Variations and her moder
n novel,
The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice. Sh
e is currently at work on another
Pride and Prejudice
Variation and a sequel to The Man Who
Loved Pride
and Prejudice.
She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two teenage children, and a menagerie of pets.
