The night before had gone even better than he had expected.  He had planned to have a ring for her before making the proposal but with Heidi there and how it felt, it was just perfect, at least he felt so.  He had taken Karen back to her cottage and kissed her goodnight with a fight inside him to stay the night with her, but he had promised himself to give her the best of himself and make sure there would be nothing she would have a need to feel shame or regret in their relationship.  He wanted her to be able to hold her head up high when they went together, knowing he had chosen her and had only love and respect for her.

He had done the morning tasks there at the stables and gone back to the house to clean up.  Peeking in to visit with Heidi, he then went down to make sure one of the small two-person carriages was ready for him to go to town.  He wore a nice suit, but nothing fancy.  This was a business trip after all, but professional looking.  It was brown and his cowboy hat and boots were black.  The shirt was white with a blue tie.  He was checking the rig as he waited for Karen to arrive for the trip.

She came out reluctantly. He'd be able to tell she was quite nervous to face the people of the market again. She wore a blouse and skirt and had slept better than she'd had since she moved into the cottage. She smiled at Lorn when she saw him and said, "Good morning, handsome." She grinned and reached out for his hand when she was near enough to do so.

Lorn heard her voice and smiled looking after turning around in her direction.  "Well, hello, Sunshine."  He responded going toward her and reaching out for her hand.  "Ready to go?"  He asked giving her a kiss on her cheek.  "Heidi is not thrilled to be going with us, but I thought it might be better just the two of us this time."

She said, "Next time, perhaps she can come wit' us." She almost said something else but didn't say it for fear it would hurt his feelings. She had been honest with him about her feelings, but she felt overwhelmed at the moment. Still, his presence calmed her a bit, pulled away some of the fear she felt.

"Indeed."  He moved to the carriage and assisted her up before getting into the rig himself.  Taking hold of the reigns, he got them started with a flick of the horse currently pulling them along.  "This is Daisy.  She is younger than most I put on a carriage but she seemed to have a temperament meant for it.  And she is pretty."  The horse was a white color spotted with black freckles.

The drive was about an hour and a half from the property to the stables and hired carriage business he owned in town.  As they went along his property fences along the road to the main road, there were many foals and fillies running around being frisky and playful.  They had experienced a good season for the breeding that he had been working on.  There were different types of horses as they went through the fences that separated the pastures.

"Take a look at that one."  He smiled as one of the colts was chasing a chicken that had somehow gotten out into the pastures.

Her eyes followed his gesture and she giggled at the sight of the colt chasing the chicken. "That is funny," she said and leaned against him. She let her head settle on his shoulder, having wanted to do that for a while. There was nothing wrong with that, right? Her mouth curled up into a smile and she said, "I love ye, Lorn." Then she pulled back her face so she could look at him. He'd be able to see that she was nervous, having made excuses plenty of times before not to go into town but not having made one this time. She was trusting him.

Lorn smiled back at her, the scene of the property around them making him in a good mood.  Having her there with him made it all the more so.  "It will be fine, Sunshine."  She made him feel like the sun was shining over him whenever she was nearby, thus the nickname. 

He turned the carriage off into the main road heading toward Whitby.  "Once I do my business at the stables, I want to take you to a jewelry store to have you pick out your engagement ring and we can also look at wedding rings if that is okay?"  He suggested.  "And maybe you know of a seamstress that you like that we can make an appointment for you to have a dress?"  He knew that was a woman thing but wanted to be sure she had all she needed.   He planned to stop by the bank as well to set up an account that she could use for things for the wedding and for herself and the babies without having to come asking for funds over every little thing.

"Nay, I... only just moved to Whitby right before the twins were born." She hadn't had much time to get situated in town, and what time she did get situated, well... There was something to be said about ring shopping though, not even Harold had taken her ring shopping... but then, they hadn't had much time to do anything together. He had been so busy with his practice while she had helped the best she could. She was coming to realize that her relationship with her husband had been too short lived to mark milestones. Buying a ring was not one of them either.

"I'd like that," she said softly.

He nodded thinking about it as they rode on their way to town.  It was about an hour and a half ride, but he was in no hurry.  It was a normal trip to make. 

"I will ask some of the men at the stable, they would know who is good.  They have to get their uniforms for fancy events fitted and mended.  So, they would know quality and good costs.  I didn't deal with that kind of thing back in London, my late wife knew all the good places.  But with you, and Heidi getting old enough to need something more grown-up and less baby-like, and then our baby girl," he grinned at Karen, "we will need to find out who is good and set up an account.  I'll leave it to you to determine if someone is worth hiring or firing on that topic.  I wouldn't know what makes a good dress or not."  He chuckled.

As they drove he mentioned the remodeling ideas.  "I have sent a letter to the carpenter that I hired to redo the cottages.  I figure he could change that large drawing-room into three bedrooms and add a bathroom at the end of the hall that will be created.  However, I want you to work with a designer and furniture store to decide what they should look like inside, and the parlor is totally your room to do what you want with.  Just have the bills sent to me."  He didn't care how the rooms looked as long as the children and Karen were happy and comfortable.

He was heaping a whole bunch of responsibility on her with all kinds of faith that she knew what she was doing and she had spent a good amount of time in a cart or a hotel room whilst traveling with her brother. "I showed the young lass how ta do the laundry to my specifications... ta finish off with the lavender ta keep the bugs at bay. I was thinkin'..." she said and paused for a long moment, hesitating... "I was thinkin' perhaps we should plant mint in pots... so they are close by the back door." She smiled, she was thinking ahead, in case they became in the family way. The mint would be good for the tummy. But also, it would be good just to have it on hand for medicinal purposes beyond just the tummy trouble.

"I've already got recipes I wish to share... Irish stew and soda bread. I'm not sharin' me chicken stew recipe now, not the one ye like so much." She grinned and looked at him adoringly, "And we could use a mite bit more cabbage in our lives too." She was serious. She liked cabbage.

"And I would be happy ta decorate the house. It does need a feminine touch, doesn't it?" Her eyes danced.