Tom woke naturally, as the sun rose. He was surprised at how rested he felt. Careful not to wake the sleeping Mary who cuddled into his bare chest he shifted his body into a more comfortable position and recalled the night before.
Mary had returned from her trip to the village while he was dressing for dinner. She came into the room without knocking and with a determined look on her face, locked the door. She looked at his cases, half packed, lying on the floor beside the walnut wardrobe and then back at him as he questioned her presence in his room, wondering if one of the children or another family member were ill.
"Everyone's fine Tom, well, almost everyone." He vividly remembered her chocolate brown eyes filling with nervous tears. "I've never done this before Tom."
"Done what, Mary? What's upset you" he moved closer, seating her on his bed, never one for propriety.
"You, you've upset me with your packing," she signalled his suitcases with a flailing arm, "and all this talk of America,"
He joined her on the bed and wiped the tear that travelled down her cheek.
"I know, it's made it real. It's hard for me too Mary. Did something upset you in the village?"
Mary stared into his chestnut eyes and smiled a watery smile. "No, quite the opposite actually. Someone helped me to realise something which I had repressed for almost a year."
Tom was relieved to see her smile again, but was reluctant to allow himself to hope. Could she really mean..? She couldn't.
"And what was that?" Smiling sincerely and staring hopefully into her eyes.
"I've been so blind Tom. I, I allowed Tony and Charles and whoever into my life to try and replace something.." She trailed off as she wrung her hands nervously.
"Matthew?"
"Partially. In the beginning yes, but about a year ago, I was trying to replace someone else...you Tom." She blushed at her confession.
Tom's face lit up as he took her in his arms. "Mary, Mary I feel the same, exactly the same."
She laughed and cried into his shoulder, relieved and ecstatically happy. She leaned back and smiled again as they both said "I love you" at the same time.
A giddy Tom pulled her in for a kiss and as they broke away for breath, Mary understood what Miss Bunting had said. Anyone would be jealous of the look of love on Tom's handsome face. Lucky for Mary, that look was reserved for her, and her alone.