tempted to chuckle but held it back. Instead, he opened the door and poked his head out. He was back on duty. He’d do best to remember to stay that way, to keep the walls up, no matter how easy it would be to tear them down.
Chapter 5
The bowls of fresh cut delphiniums on each of the elaborately set tables matched the color of the evening sky overhead. The scent of roasting scallops and lobster and oysters made Victoria’s mouth water in anticipation of the feast to come.
She loved Newport in the summer. She always had, even as a little girl when she’d built sandcastles, waded in the cold saltwater in her bare feet, and collected shells. Even now, as an adult, she enjoyed the months spent in the little seaside town visiting with friends, sailing aboard yachts, and having dinner parties on the beach.
“Your mother always does a beautiful job with her parties.” She allowed her shoulder to brush against Nathaniel’s arm.
“I told her to make this extra special for you,” he replied.
Guests mingled among the tables and along the shore of the private beach that belonged to the Winthrops. Their summer cottage sat back a fair distance from the water’s edge. Nicknamed The Arbor, the Italianate-style villa was three stories high and built of stately granite. A manicured garden with a center fountain graced the back of the house and provided a scenic ocean overlook. From the sandy shoreline, the house and garden were picturesque, perhaps even lovelier than the Cole cottage down the beach.
Victoria waved at Theresa, who was walking next to Phillip Smith. Although she was nodding at something he was saying, she was staring at Victoria and Nathaniel. Without waving in return, Theresa flipped her attention to Phillip and spoke to him as though he were the only one on the beach and the man just for her. Victoria could only pray he was.
She inhaled a deep, contented breath. The sea air was warm but pleasant, not yet containing the humidity that would come later in the summer. “Your mother is wonderful.”
“That’s because she adores you just as much as I do.”
She smiled up at Nathaniel. “I’m not sure anyone can adore me quite as much as you.”
“You’re right.” He tucked her hand more securely in the crook of his arm. He needn’t worry. She wasn’t going anywhere. Even though the tide was rising and the waves were sliding further up the wet sand toward them, she wasn’t ready to end their stroll and rejoin the others.
He leaned into her. “Have I told you yet tonight how much I love you?” His tone was low and intimate. It should have filled her with wonder and excitement. Instead, unwelcome trepidation crept into her stomach and nibbled at the lining.
After Mr. Cushman had told her she was afraid of getting married, she’d wanted to deny it. But she’d finally grudgingly admitted to herself that perhaps he was partly right. So she’d done as he’d suggested and had told Nathaniel she was having a few wedding jitters. Of course, Nathaniel had soothed her and told her that every bride-to-be was nervous, that it was perfectly normal, and that everything would work out just fine.
But she didn’t know if he believed his own words any more than she had. Ever since they’d had the brief conversation a few days after they’d arrived in Newport, he’d doubled his attention and gifts. She had no doubt he’d already been thinking about her two foiled engagements. Now with her admission, he was probably praying he wouldn’t be Victoria Cole’s third failed attempt.
She was praying he wouldn’t be either.
“I love you,” he said again, tugging her to a stop. He pulled a velvet box out of his vest pocket and held it between them. “This is just a little something to show you how much you mean to me.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Mr. Cushman standing in the shadows of one of the bathing machines that Mrs. Winthrop had provided for her guests. The roofed and walled wooden carts used by bathers to change into their swimwear were now pulled out of the water and rested in the thick sand. Even though Mr. Cushman had kept his distance, she knew he was well aware of every move she made. What would he think if she accepted another one of Nathaniel’s gifts?
It shouldn’t matter what her bodyguard thought. But after their discussion about Nathaniel, she’d realized that Mr. Cushman was