A Perilous Secret

by Jane Wetherby

  “Thank you,” I said. “You are far too kind.”

  “It gives my heart joy to see that someone with such love of art has been able to capture a lovely moment here. Do you intend to take this piece home with you when you go?” he asked.

  “I do, yes,” I said. “I hope to show it to my sisters so they may take some pleasure from my trip as well.”

  “You are very thoughtful indeed,” he said. “You must consider showing this to my aunt. She will be overjoyed, surely. Art is a great love of hers. Yet, I suppose if you are not careful, she will surely take that piece and insist that you paint several more like it so that she may have one for each of her homes, so that she would never be without it.”

  “Perhaps she would,” I said, though in my heart, I doubted she would very much like anything I painted, given the scrutiny that she had placed me under.

  “Regardless, you have immense talent. I must admit that I could very likely sit here and while the day away as you painted. You would have to excuse me, however, as I would ask many questions about your inspiration and why you chose certain colors you did,” he said, his smile as warm as the sun.

  I knew it would be nearly impossible for me to paint while he watched me, so I decided it was best to converse with him more. After all, how could I convince him I would be a worthy bride if I was all but silent in his presence? “You say you have spent a great deal of time here in Bath?” I asked.

  “Indeed,” he said. “During my time with the army, my local regiment was often stationed nearby. The men in my unit would frequent the lively parties and balls here in the summer, as there were ample young ladies to dance with.” He gave me a sidelong look and chuckled. “I hope you do not think less of me. I was not often among them. As their superior, I was often busy with more administrative tasks that no one in their right mind would like to be doing.”

  I laughed, too, at his sly grin.

  “I do love this city, though,” he said. “There is always an energy about it that I cannot quite describe. Excitement and promise of good things to come.”

  “I understand completely,” I said. “I have felt the same way ever since I arrived. There always seems to be something to be excited about.”

  “What of your life?” Colonel Strickland asked. “Where do you live when you are not in Bath?”

  “Oh,” I said, my face coloring. “Well, I live in such a small town I am certain that you have never heard of it.”

  “Perhaps I have,” he said. “My time in the army took me a great many places around England.”

  “I see,” I said. “Well, we live just outside the town where Sir Hayward lives, called Leawood.”

  He smiled. “I suppose you were right. I have never heard of said town.”

  “We are not far from Oxford,” I said. “Perhaps a day’s journey, possibly two.”

  “And how do you like it?” he asked. “You said you had sisters?”

  “Yes, three,” I said. “And you? Do you have any siblings?”

  “I do indeed,” he said. “Three brothers, in fact. All older than I, and all have been grown and married, having settled in their new lives already. I adore them all, and we are all quite close.”

  “That’s wonderful,” I said.

  “My poor mother believes I have taken too long to start my own life,” he said. “She reminds me rather frequently that I am too old to still be unmarried and that I should seriously consider finding a good woman to make my wife.” He grinned at me. “Mothers certainly mean well, but it is as if she thinks I am unaware of my present circumstances.”

  I wondered if that meant that he was, indeed, looking for a wife. The thought alone made me flush once again.

  “What of your mother?” he asked. “I assume she must dote on you.”

  “She doted on us all,” I said. “I wish she was still around so I could spend time with her again.”

  “Oh,” Colonel Strickland said, bowing his head. “I am terribly sorry. I must apologize for my senselessness.”

  “How could you have known?” I asked with a smile. “It’s quite all right, Colonel. It has been almost a year since her passing, though sometimes it feels as if it happened just yesterday.”

  “I am sorry,” he said. “I imagine you must miss your sisters more so now than you might have before.”

  “I believe you are correct,” I said. “Though I will forever be grateful for Lady Hayward. She has done a great deal to help my sisters and me through this time. She is my mother’s sister, you see.”

  “How very kind of her,” the Colonel said. “Sir Hayward is an admirable man, and I have great respect for him. As do my aunt and uncle. From what I understand, they have been friends for many years.”

  “That is my understanding, as well,” I said. “Your aunt and uncle were very kind to allow me to come along and stay with them as I am. My aunt desired my companionship, and when she said I was invited, I was rather amazed.”

  “Well, I for one am certainly glad that you are their guest,” he said with a broad smile. “I find you excellent company, though I do wish we would have the chance to converse more.”

  My heart skipped. “What do you mean?”

  “My apologies for being unclear,” he said, adjusting the front of his jacket. “I will be leaving first thing in the morning for Bristol, at my aunt’s request.”

  My heart sank. His aunt’s request? Did she dislike me so much that she was sending him away in order to keep his distance from me? “Did your aunt say why?” I asked.

  “She wishes for me to fetch something from a friend of hers in Bristol,” he said. “It seems she does not wish to trouble herself with the travel, especially not so soon after arriving in Bath. Apparently, it is quite important.”

  Well, I imagined she would think it was important, especially if it was to keep him away from me.

  I felt so heavy, so discouraged then, that I could do nothing more than stare out across the river.

  “I shall return shortly, though,” he said. “Perhaps no more than a week. Will you still be staying at number eleven?”

  “I believe so,” I said, the hope within me rising.

  “Wonderful,” he said, picking up his hat and gracefully hopping to his feet. “I do hope that we will have the chance to meet once again upon my return.”

  “Yes, I hope so as well,” I said, smiling up at him.

  He returned his hat to his head and surveyed the street behind us, squinting against the sun. “I must take my leave, Miss Amelia. I hope you know how thoroughly I have enjoyed our little chat this afternoon, though. And your painting… I do hope that you will allow me to see more of your work when we next meet.”

  “Certainly, sir,” I said.

  He beamed at me. “Farewell, Miss Amelia. I hope you remain well until we see each other again.”

  “And you as well, sir,” I said. “Have a pleasant trip to Bristol.”

  “Perhaps…” he said. “Though I shall wish I was here in Bath instead!”

  And with that, he turned and hurried away, back toward the street as if he had suddenly remembered something.

  My heart fluttered in my chest like a butterfly taking flight for the first time. I laid a hand over it, feeling its frantic thumping against my fingertips.

  Was he wishing he was still here in Bath so that he could be with me? Or was I simply misinterpreting what he was saying?

  I couldn’t have been. He was saying how much he was hoping to be able to see me again, and how much he had enjoyed sitting and talking with me today.

  Once again, our conversation had been brief, but it had been so easy to speak with him. It was as if we had been friends for a long time and we had just happened upon each other like we always did.

  I had never had this sort of relationship with a man that was not my own father. And I was quite pleased about it.

  I smiled as I turned back to the painting, but my smile quickly turned to a frown.

  If Lady Voss had detecte
d the Colonel’s attraction to me, if that’s what it truly was, then was it just coincidence that she was sending him to Bristol when we might have spent time together? Was it possible that she was, in fact, sending him away so that he might not have the chance to spend time with me?

  Aunt Patience had said she was incredibly protective of him, but I had a very hard time imagining that someone would be so utterly manipulative like that.

  Was I that poor of a match for her precious nephew? She barely knew me. And she was friends with my aunt and uncle. Should that not be enough to vouch for my character?

  Nevertheless, it made me wonder if I would ever find a man who seemed so willing to speak with me again. And if his aunt did succeed in coming between us, what would I do then?

  Was my attraction to the colonel based solely upon the fact that he was the first man to give me any sort of attention? Or were my feelings genuine?

  It seemed I had a great deal to think about, but as I put the finishing touches on my painting, I found myself thinking of the way the sunlight made the blonde of the colonel’s hair seem to glow, and how it made the light dance in his eyes as he smiled at me.

  9

  I returned to number eleven feeling far more refreshed than when I had left. Whether that was because of my time beside the river painting or because of my chance encounter with Colonel Strickland, I could not be sure. All I knew was that no matter what I did, I could not get him, or his words, from my mind.

  Even before he had run into me beside the river, it seemed he had been hoping to see me again. It seemed that our short conversation that we had at Lord Voss’s dinner party had left as much of an impact on him as it had on me.

  We dressed for dinner, Aunt Patience gushing over the new dress that I had received from the seamstress Mrs. Crauford. It really was something lovely to behold, made of soft crepe in a soft white with small pearls adorning the sleeves. It was rather snug, and it took Mrs. Bower a few moments to strap me into the corset that came with it. I told myself I would not wish to sit down, lest I tear the delicate fabric.

  We took two carriages to Sir Yate’s home where the dinner party was to be held. Aunt Patience was all abuzz with excitement, listing off the guests to Sir Hayward as we went.

  “And, if we are quite lucky, Sir Hayward, perhaps Colonel Strickland will be there and will be entertaining our dear niece,” she said, giving me a broad grin.

  My heart skipped. I had not had the chance to tell her that I had seen him earlier that day in the garden near the park, as Lady Voss had been around for the rest of the day. I took a moment to tell her and Uncle Charles what had transpired down by the river.

  “And he sat with you?” Aunt Patience asked, her eyes wide.

  “Yes,” I said. “Right beside me on the grass.”

  “And he said that he wished to see you once he returns from Bristol?” Aunt Patience asked.

  “He did,” I said.

  Aunt Patience lay a hand on Uncle Charles’s arm, her eyes growing wider. “My dear Sir Hayward. Could it be true? Has our dear Amelia already found a potential suitor?”

  “Let us not get ahead of ourselves, my darling,” Uncle Charles said, patting her hand affectionately. “We still have some ground to cover. As you said, he is to be going to Bristol. We shall have to wait until his return.”

  “Unless he is delaying his trip to tomorrow so he may attend the dinner party this evening?” she said excitedly, grinning. “Oh, dear Amelia. How happy we are for you.”

  I wished to be as excited as she was, but part of me still feared his aunt’s interference. I did not dare raise my suspicions to Aunt Patience, as Lady Voss was a dear friend of hers, and if she had thought that perhaps Lady Voss was intervening, surely, she would have said as much.

  The house where Sir Yates and his family were staying was somewhat larger than number eleven, though it was not as centrally located. There were already a great many people in attendance, including some faces I recognized from the party at number eleven the night we arrived in Bath.

  Everyone greeted me warmly, which made me feel less like I stood out from them all and helped some of the tension to leave my shoulders. The ballroom where all the guests were gathered was brightly lit and inviting, and many people stood around mingling with before-dinner drinks and conversation.

  My eyes scanned the room, back and forth, hoping to catch a glimpse of Colonel Strickland. I had wondered the same thing as Aunt Patience; perhaps he was leaving tomorrow so that he may come to this party. Part of me wished I had asked him.

  “Looking for someone?”

  My heart leapt, and I turned to see Lady Voss standing beside me, her stern gaze fixed on me as she gently waved her fan in front of her face.

  “Oh, no, my Lady,” I said, curtsying to her. “I was just admiring the general splendor.”

  Lady Voss let out a small sound of disbelief, but she smiled at me. “I wonder, dear, are you beginning to miss your family? Surely, this must be one of the longest stretches of time you have been away from them, as young as you are.”

  There was a look in her eyes that I could not quite place. Was she challenging me? Threatening me to admit who I had really been looking for?

  And how had she known so readily?

  “Yes, your Ladyship,” I said with a slow nod. “I do miss them quite terribly.”

  “I thought as much,” Lady Voss said, snapping her fan closed. “Perhaps we should discuss the length of your stay with Sir Hayward. I am certain it would be no trouble at all if you wished to make your way home sooner than they.”

  I stared at her, and she returned my gaze rather coolly.

  She was challenging me. Was she so desperate for me to be away from her precious nephew?

  A bitter resentment began to rise in me, and like a peacock defending itself, I puffed up my chest and met her gaze, as if equals. “Thank you very much, Lady Voss, but I would never dream of insulting your hospitality in such a way. I have promised my aunt I shall stay with her until they are ready to return home themselves. I am certain that Bath shall be a far better place for me until they have all their affairs in order.”

  Lady Voss’s eyes flashed dangerously, and she unfurled her fan once again. “Very well,” she said. “Just know that I am looking out for your best interests.”

  “Of course, Lady Voss,” I said with a curtsy.

  She then turned and made her way across the room to stand with a group of younger people that I did not recognize.

  Dinner was as delicious as the first party I attended. I felt much more prepared this time, as well, and that made it easier for me to participate in some basic conversations with those around me. Aunt Patience seemed intent on praising me in front of everyone, but I knew she meant well.

  Once dinner had wrapped up and we had adjourned to the drawing room, which was easily twice as large as the drawing room at number eleven, everyone seemed content with splitting into groups once again for conversation. One of the young ladies I did not recognize sat herself down at the pianoforte and began to play. Lady Voss hovered over her, smiling at her and laying a hand on her shoulder.

  Was this who she had chosen for Colonel Strickland? Was I stepping into her carefully laid plans?

  “Pardon me, but you are Miss Amelia, yes?”

  I turned and saw a young couple coming close to me, both smiling. I had sat beside the young man at dinner, and the woman who he walked with must have been his wife, given the gentle hand he laid on her back as they approached.

  “Yes,” I said, returning the smile. “And you are Sir and Lady Byron, yes?”

  “Indeed,” Sir Byron said with a grin. “My father is Lord Voss.”

  “Oh,” I said, my eyes widening. I went to stoop into a curtsy, but Sir and Lady Byron both laughed.

  “Oh, please, no such formality for us,” Lady Byron said. “We wished to come and keep you company.”

  “Yes, it seemed that you were over here all alone, and no one should be alone at a
party such as this,” said Sir Byron.

  Another young couple came to stand with us, and Sir Byron introduced them to us as Mr. and Mrs. Lowell. Mr. Lowell was yet another son of Lord and Lady Voss.

  “We have come to visit our dear parents during their stay in Bath,” Mr. Lowell said.

  “Indeed,” Sir Byron said. “One of our favorite places to visit as children was this very house. We stayed here many times in the summer months.”

  “Before we went to London, that is,” Mr. Lowell said.

  “Certainly,” Sir Byron said.

  “Miss Amelia, tell me, is this your first time in Bath?” Lady Byron asked.

  “Yes, it is,” I said.

  “And what do you think of this fine city?” she asked, smiling.

  We had moved to a pair of settees on the far side of the room, away from the piano, and were enjoying some late tea that Mrs. Lowell had ordered.

  I was astounded at how kind these people were being to me. They had seen me sitting alone and decided to come and sit with me so that I was not by myself.

  “I am finding it is growing on me,” I said. “I have spent my life out in the countryside, so I must admit that I rather miss the open spaces, but if I am honest, the beauty of the buildings and the people wandering the streets are making it more than worth it to me.”

  “I am pleased to hear it,” Sir Byron said. “What of the company of my parents? Has my mother behaved herself?”

  My face flooded with color. “Oh, yes. Your parents have been nothing short of excellent to me. They so graciously allowed me to come with my aunt and uncle and have given me a place under their roof during our stay. I am quite fortunate.”

  “Very well,” Sir Byron said, giving Mr. Lowell a pointed look, who chuckled.

  “There, now, Mr. Lowell,” Mrs. Lowell said with a laugh. “You should be kind to your poor mother.”

  “Yes, well, she should do well to remember that she is not, as she likes to believe, a duchess,” Mr. Lowell said.

  “Or any other form of royalty, that is,” Sir Byron said. “If she has ever come across as rather cross to you, I shall apologize for her. She does mean well.”