“Oh God, yes.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately, too hard for pleasure, but she didn’t seem to mind at all.
Now their story would begin, their futures instantly rewritten. Two futures joined into one. Light seemed to shimmer all around them, or perhaps that was just the effect of tears in his eyes. This, West thought in wonder, was far too great a portion of happiness for one man.
“Are you sure?” he asked in-between kisses. “Somewhere out there, the perfect man you deserve is probably searching for you.”
Phoebe laughed against his mouth. “Let’s hurry, then—we can be married before he gets here.”
Author’s Note
The phrase “God Speed the Plow” started in the 1400s. It relies on the original Middle English meaning of the word speed: prosperity and success. Plowmen used to sing a song of this title on Plow Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Night, when all the plowmen would go back to work hoping for a successful season.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of using x’s in letters to represent kisses dates back to a letter written by British curate and naturalist Gilbert White in 1763. However, Stephen Gorenson, a highly respected researcher and language specialist at Duke University, says the x’s in Gilbert White’s letter were intended to mean blessings. Gorenson found citations of the definite use of x’s as kisses from 1890 onward, including a letter from Winston Churchill to his mother in 1894: “Please excuse bad writing as I am in an awful hurry. (Many kisses.) xxx WSC.”
As part of my research, I watched (along with my husband Greg, who’s a history buff) the BBC’s British historical documentary Victorian Farm and the follow-up Victorian Farm Christmas. We were enthralled! The show recreates everyday life on a mid-1800s Shropshire farm by sending a team of three people—historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn to live and work there for a year. We found it on YouTube—watch it, you’ll love it!
Thank you for your kindness and enthusiasm, my wonderful readers! I love sharing my work with you, and I’m grateful every day that you make it possible.
—L.K.