After a bit of persuasion Lovejoy finally managed to convince Jane to get some more, (well disserved,) rest. He hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and, as an after thought, grabbed a baseball cap before going downstairs.
Tinker was right where Lovejoy had left him the night before, snoring loudly, sprawled across the sofa. Lovejoy stealthily tiptoed past him into the kitchen to make some coffee.
He lazily played with his car keys while he waited for the coffee to finish. Restless, he decided to go out to the truck. So Lovejoy reversed the tracks he had just taken, creeping back through the living room to the front door. He pulled on a pair of well-worn slippers and then continued his quest out to the truck, shuffling sleepily across the gravel.
Lovejoy unlocked and opened the truck door. Then reached into the backseat, where he had unceremoniously tossed that box…
He pulled it into the drivers seat and heaved a sigh before opening it. Inside was an array of various pictures, some with frames, some lose, as well as a number of small trinkets. He reached inside, rummaging around. His hand brushed across a framed picture of him and Charlotte standing together, laughing.
There was a reason he hadn't brought this box inside his new home yet. He didn't want it in his new life. It brought back too many painful memories. So, instead he brought it everywhere with him in his truck, unable to rid himself of it.
As he continued his search he came across an older picture of him, Tinker, Jane and Eric.
The good days, he thought with a smile. As he dug deeper into the remnants of his past he became more and more frustrated. He knew it had to be in this box… it had to be… Then he felt it. Small, hard, smooth and cold, he grabbed it and extracted it from the box. This was going to make everything perfect.
Jane awoke a while later, alone, in bed. She sighed and reluctantly sat up. Where could he have gotten off to? she thought with a roll of her eyes. Jane stood up and looked around the bedroom, then she spotted her nightdress, a crumpled heap in the far corner of the room. She walked to it, picked it up and threw it on. Then, proceeded into the upstairs hall and began to sneak down the stairs. A loud snore from the living room signaled the "all clear" for her to hurry past Tinker and back into the guestroom.
A half hour later Jane was washed and dressed in a pair of old jeans and a button down blouse, but there was still no sign of Lovejoy. Jane went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and found a pot already made, though probably a few hours old as it was ice cold. Lovejoy had obviously made it when he got up. There are only two things that could distract Lovejoy from his coffee in the morning, Jane thought with a smirk, women, and antiques. Jane poured out the old pot and made a fresh one. She then made two cups up. It was probably a safe bet that she would find Lovejoy in the workshop, and so she picked up the cups and continued to the door.
Lovejoy was indeed in the workshop. He had drifted to sleep whilst polishing an early nineteenth century flare gun. He awoke to a kiss on the cheek. Lovejoy smiled sleepily but didn't open his eyes.
"That had better be Jane, because if this is Tinker, I'm afraid I just don't feel that way about you." he murmured cheekily. Jane chuckled.
"I thought you said you would be coming back." she replied, trying to sound more upset than she really was. Lovejoy opened one eye and studied her. She looked absolutely stunning and smelt of that lovely French perfume of hers. She handed him a cup of coffee.
"I'm sorry." he said simply, trying to stifle a yawn, "I just got caught up in what I was doing." he said, waving the gun and setting it on the table.
"Sleeping?" Jane asked sarcastically.
"Well I had a rather active night Janey. You, I believe can vouch for me." Lovejoy replied with a wink. Jane only smiled in reply.
"What's all this then?" she asked gesturing to the three objects on the table.
"Ah. Well, this," Lovejoy said picking up the flare gun once more, "is a nineteenth century flare gun." he pointed it jokingly at her. Jane jumped back. "Relax," Lovejoy laughed, "I doubt it would actually go off. It's been out of use too long."
"And that?" Jane asked, pointing to colorful, and rather rusty cube shaped object. Lovejoy set down the flare gun.
"That, is a hunk of junk, that used to be a train lantern. The woman I bought it off called it modern art." Lovejoy replied with a sneer. "I was hoping to salvage it, but that plan isn't going very far…" Jane smiled and picked up the final object on the table; a small wooden box with a rose engraved into the cover.
And what about this?" Jane asked jiggling it before Lovejoy's face. He smiled charmingly up at her.
"That, is actually for you." he replied.
"So is this why you ran off this morning?" she asked, "Leaving me alone in bed?" she opened the box and gasped.
"Yes." Lovejoy replied sweetly, "In hopes that I will never have to leave you alone in bed again."
Sitting inside the small box was a ring. The sunbeams shining in through the grimy windows of the workshop reflected off the large sapphire set in the ring. Jane was speechless. She simply gaped at the ring, rather resembling a goldfish.
"I bought that for you after you told me that you would be leaving, when you found out that Alexander had lost all of your money. I had hoped that I could persuade you to stay if…"
"If we were married." Jane finished for him. Lovejoy smiled sadly at her.
"I never had the chance to give it to you though. It was never the right time. I was going to give it to you the night you left, but of course you made a run for it."
Jane sighed, feeling extremely guilty.
"But why didn't you give it to Charlotte? I remember her complaining that you had never given her a ring." Jane asked confused.
"It would have reminded me too much of you. I chose it because the sapphire reminded me of your eyes." he said smiling and standing up. He touched her cheek. "I love you." Lovejoy took the box from her hands and got down on one knee. "So what do you say?" he asked with a charming, but hopeful smile. "Will you, Lady Jane Felsham do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
I know you are all going to hate me for leaving it here, but I knew I wouldn't be able to finish this chapter if I didn't leave it here. My schedule is insane but Chapter 12 will be up soon. There will be an epilogue after that and then it will be finished.
