Widow in White

Chapter Eleven: Head over Heels

It was raining when Neil arrived home three days later, but Verity was waiting on the front steps with Podge in her arms and Annie sitting at her feet. Before he could even get out of the carriage, Annie had run down the steps and flung herself damply into his arms. Neil grunted at the force of her arrival.

"Papa!" she cried. "You're back!"

"I am!" Neil hugged and kissed her. "And I missed you so much! Have you been good for Mama?"

"Yes," Annie said, with suspicious angelicness.

Neil looked to Verity for confirmation. She was coming more gingerly out into the rain, holding her shawl over Podge's dark curls so he wouldn't get too wet. She suppressed a smile and then laughed.

"She tied together the tassels of all the carpets in the drawing room," she admitted. "And she took my scissors and cut off most of Podge's hair, which was very bad, Annie. You mustn't do that ever again."

"Oh, Annie, no," Neil said. "That's very naughty."

Annie's green eyes welled with tears. "But I didn't mean to," she said, starting to wail. "It was clicky and clicky."

There was time enough for deciphering what that meant later. Neil sighed and hugged her once more.

"Now don't cry," he said. "Come on, let's get inside out of the rain."

Once inside, he let Annie slip to the floor and pulled Verity into his arms and kissed her, very careful not to squash Podge, who she was still holding, between them. Releasing her, he kept one hand caressing her cheek and let the warmth of her presence wash over him.

"Welcome home," she said.

"I love you."

She looked a little surprised at the fervency of his tone, then her expression softened and she freed one hand to touch his own. It said everything that could not be so easily said in front of their children and the staff unpacking the coach. Neil found himself smiling.

"Pa-pa!" Podge said, clawing for him. "Pa-pa!"

Neil took his son from Verity's arms and pulled back the damp shawl to reveal a very close-cropped fuzz of dark hair.

"My god you look hideous!" Neil kissed him and hugged him close. Podge's tiny hands clutched at his ears. "How's he been?"

"He missed you. We all did." Verity rubbed Neil's damp coat sleeve. "It will grow back."

"I didn't mean to," Annie said mournfully from below.

Podge, in any case, did not seem distressed by his appearance. Neil shifted him to one arm and slid the other around Verity's waist. After nearly four weeks' absence, he found himself aching for her presence. It wasn't lust — though a separate part of him was looking forward to bed tonight — he wanted just to sit with her, to hold her hand, to know that she was there.

Of course Annie was tugging at his trouser leg and Podge had sticky fingers under the collar of Neil's shirt.

"Cadge," Podge said loudly in Neil's ear. "Cadge!"

"I made a pirate trap!" Annie was saying. "In the pond!"

Ruefully, Neil dropped his arm from Verity's waist and took Annie's hand.

"But did you catch any pirates?"

"Not yet!" she said proudly.

"Cadge!" Podge squealed.

"Carriage," corrected Verity, giving Neil a smile that seemed to say she felt the same way he did. "Why don't we all have tea and you can tell Papa all about it then?"