The reception for a wedding that never happened became a celebration for a marriage just announced.

Jordan Hamilton, the Duke of Roth, was to marry Martha York in a fortnight, the ceremony to be held at the bride’s home, the minister presiding. Only the immediate family would be in attendance, which meant Susan York.

Josephine had taken herself off to London, the whispered rumors said. Not only had she left Griffin House with no maid, but she’d done so in the company of the duke’s friend. People couldn’t decide whether they were shocked, horrified, scandalized, or simply fascinated by the tale.

No further reception would be held at Martha York’s wedding, so the villagers took advantage of this one, drinking their fill of ale, wine, and whiskey and eating all the wonderful treats offered up for their palates.

Susan York’s name was mentioned often, but not as much as the Duke of Roth’s. Wasn’t he a handsome man? Didn’t he have an air about him? And Martha York, when had she become so attractive? Maybe it had something to do with love, being as she was seen standing so close to the duke during the whole of the reception. Did you notice how the two of them were always holding hands?

Two hours into the reception, Martha wanted to escape all of it. From the look in Jordan’s eyes, he felt the same. Plus, he had a carefully neutral expression on his face, one that meant his leg was paining him.

The whole of Griffin House had been turned over to the celebration. People were wandering throughout the parlors while the staff was furiously filling up trays and carrying barrels and casks out to the serving tables.

The only place to escape was the cottage and they headed there as quickly as they could.

“We can lock the door and no one can bother us,” she said.

“You just want more kissing.”

She glanced over at him and smiled. “Well, there is that,” she said. “But more important, you can sit for a while.” A moment later she shook her head at him. “Don’t frown at me. You know you want to. It doesn’t mean you’re an invalid. Besides, I’d rather you keep your strength for other things.”

“And what would that be?”

“Launching the Goldfish again,” she said. “Recording our distance trials.”

His laughter was contagious.

She opened the cottage door and did exactly as she’d promised, closed and locked the door behind them. Once that was done, she turned to find herself in his arms.

“You do want kissing,” he said.

Sometime later, they surfaced to smile at each other.

She’d never been as happy as she was at this moment. Yet her joy was tinged with sadness. Her father wasn’t here. She couldn’t help but think he’d be celebrating both the Goldfish’s successful launch and her coming marriage.

Martha’s relationship with Josephine was filled with question marks and possibly always would be. For now, she wasn’t going to think about Josephine or what she tried to do.

“The Goldfish,” Jordan said, staring beyond her. “It’s gone.”

He circled her, going to the cleared table. She followed him.

“I had it brought to the cottage,” he said. “Evidently, Reese stole it again.”

The surge of anger she felt was not unexpected. What was strange was Jordan’s smile. When she questioned his amusement, he turned to her and kissed her lightly.

“I had a feeling he’d try to grab it again,” he said, turning and walking to the cabinet in the far wall. “Reese is ambitious. The Goldfish would do a lot to elevate him in the War Office.”

He opened the cabinet door, retrieving what looked like the entire stern section of one of her vessels. To her surprise, it belonged to the Goldfish, containing all of its guidance system, rudder, and propeller.

When she looked at Jordan questioningly, he smiled.

“I just replaced it with a section from another one of your prototypes.”

She stared at him in amazement. “Then what he has won’t even float.”

“I know,” he said, grinning at her.

Outside the cottage two groups, situated on either side of Griffin House’s expansive lawn, offered up entertainment: a string quartet that played cultured and refined selections and another, more raucous ensemble of village musicians with fiddles and flutes. People danced to one or the other or congregated in groups, smiling and talking about the scandal they’d witnessed that afternoon.

Inside the cottage, Jordan and Martha ignored them all, being involved with reciprocating engines, bending copper, buoyancy rates, and kisses.