‘What do you mean, you’re not coming back with us to Sandsend?’ Archie asked as they waited on the platform for their train to arrive.
‘It’s your honeymoon,’ Louis argued, giving a shrug. ‘What sort of man imposes himself on his brother and new sister-in-law?’
Phoebe was grateful to Louis for his consideration. ‘Where will you go?’
‘I had planned to look for work somewhere new, but haven’t decided where that might be yet.’
She sensed he was keeping something to himself and was happy to leave him with his plans.
‘But where will you go if not with us?’
Phoebe wished that Archie would stop pressing his brother but knew it wasn’t for her to question anything that happened between them.
‘Cornwall.’
Phoebe glanced at Archie, surprised. ‘Cornwall?’ She was starting to sense that she might have missed something important. She tilted her head to one side. ‘Whereabouts exactly?’
Louis grinned at her. ‘There’s this little village called Pennwalloe. I thought I might pop in to see a mutual friend of ours and tell her all about your wedding.’
Phoebe gasped, delighted to think that he might have feelings for Jocasta. They would make a wonderful couple. Both were kind and thoughtful.
‘It’s fine,’ he said, smiling at her.
‘What is?’ Archie looked confused. ‘I’m clearly missing something here.’
Louis handed Archie two train tickets for him and Phoebe. ‘When I went to Cornwall to tell Phoebe about you being found, I met Jocasta Chambers.’ He turned his attention to Phoebe. ‘We’ve been corresponding ever since.’
‘You have?’ She was excited for Jocasta but slightly concerned that Louis might not understand the depth of Jocasta’s grief.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’m aware how much she misses her husband. I’ll take good care not to overstep any boundaries.’
‘I know you will,’ Phoebe said, reassured. ‘Was she surprised when you first wrote to her?’
‘Before we left her house, when you were upstairs packing, she asked me to keep in touch and let her know how things were with Archie, and how you were coping. Our friendship grew from there.’
‘You’re developing feelings for Phoebe’s friend?’ Archie asked, catching up with the conversation.
Louis grinned. ‘She’s a caring lady and we could both do with a friend.’
Phoebe beamed at Louis, thrilled for him. ‘She is the best friend I could have asked for, and I know she thought you very handsome.’
He looked delighted. ‘She said that?’
‘She was terribly welcoming to me when I went to Cornwall in the New Year so unexpectedly,’ Archie interjected.
Phoebe nodded. ‘She was.’ She gazed at Archie and kissed him. ‘She has very good taste.’
‘I’m glad you think so,’ Archie said, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her to his side. ‘Then I wish you both all the luck in the world, Louis.’
‘Here’s our train,’ Phoebe said. They were only going to be sharing the carriage with Louis for the first few stops, then she presumed he would part ways with them to make his way west while they continued northwards. ‘I have such a good feeling about all of us,’ she said, sensing that everything was working out exactly as it should do.
‘So do I, Mrs Bailey,’ Archie agreed, opening the train door and taking her hand to help her inside.