When Two Rivers Meet (Regency Romance)

by Deborah M. Hathaway

  "Of course, Miss."

  "I love Mr. Bainbridge, but Mother and Father, as I am sure you have gathered by now, have ignored my feelings of love, as well as my decision to marry him. Mr. Bainbridge and I were planning on waiting until I turned twenty-one, however, my parents plan to force me into a marriage with Mr. Quigley."

  Mr. Lowick's moonlit eyes dawned with recognition. "The gentleman with the small, chestnut gelding."

  Lilyanna smiled. "The very same."

  Mr. Lowick looked away before narrowing his eyes at Elijah. "Forgive me, Miss," he said carefully, "but I must ask, what sort of gentleman would agree to elope with a lady?"

  Lilyanna opened her mouth in defense of Elijah, but Elijah spoke first.

  "Mr. Lowick," he said, "I thank you for your defense of Miss Crosgrove and her character. She has only ever expressed her good opinion of you."

  Mr. Lowick looked to the ground in humility as Elijah continued.

  "I have expressed my desire to wait for Miss Crosgrove to become of age, however, as she has already mentioned, this is no longer a viable option for us if we are ever to be together. The thought of stealing her away is unbearable to me, but she has helped me understand her own wish in this circumstance. I would never forgive myself if I left her to fend for herself in a loveless marriage, for I love her, and I know she loves me in return. Please understand the decision we have made, for it is our decision, mine and Miss Crosgrove's together."

  Lilyanna blinked away the tears in her eyes as she looked to Mr. Lowick, surprised to see a small smile on his thin lips.

  "Yes, sir," Mr. Lowick said, bowing his head.

  Lilyanna reached out and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Mr. Lowick," she whispered into his ear.

  She pulled back, kissing his cheek and saying, "Never has anyone been so kind to me as you have. I feel I have learned more from you than anyone else in my life. Thank you for understanding."

  Mr. Lowick waved a wrinkly, spotted hand in front of his face. "Not at all, Miss."

  "I do not wish for you to tell a lie, but would you mind keeping our departure a secret unless you are specifically asked about it?"

  "Of course, Miss," Mr. Lowick said.

  "Thank you," Lilyanna said. "Now I fear we must leave at once, or we shall miss our coach."

  Before she could depart however, his quiet voice stopped her.

  "Miss?"

  She turned back around, smiling. "Yes?"

  "If ever you are in need of a groom," he said, his eyes looking at the dark ground, "do not hesitate to send for me, if you wish. I know my wife would not mind a change of scenery in her old age, nor I."

  Lilyanna felt tears well in her eyes again. She reached forward and hugged him once more.

  "Absolutely," she said.

  She held Elijah's arm as Elijah nodded his head to Mr. Lowick.

  "Thank you, sir," Elijah said.

  "Take good care of her."

  "I will."

  And with a final wave goodbye, Lilyanna ran alongside Elijah through the thick trees near Heatherhill's grounds.

  Within a few moments, they reached the Godfrey's carriage waiting for them, and as soon as both of them were settled inside, Elijah rapped on the roof, alerting the driver to begin their travel to the center of Bath.

  Lilyanna's heart still pounded furiously within her at her fear of being discovered, but as Elijah moved to sit next to her, holding her hand with his own and reassuringly stroking his thumb over the back of her knuckles, she felt her nerves calming once again.

  "So," Elijah began carefully, "your father has returned?"

  Lilyanna nodded, recounting the reasoning for her father's sudden appearance. She mentioned how her parents spoke above her again, how she finally stood up for herself, how she overheard her father saying he would never agree to Lilyanna marrying a man such as Elijah, and as she ended the tale, she was reassured once again she had made the right choice in running away.

  "I am impressed with you, Lilyanna," Elijah said. "Not many a person could ever find the courage to stand up for his or herself in the way you did."

  Lilyanna blushed. "I only hope in time my parents will forgive me and see why I had to do this."

  "I am sure they will, my darling," he said, squeezing her hand reassuringly, "someday."

  The carriage soon rolled to a stop in front of the Godfrey's home, and not a moment later were they joined by Mrs. Bainbridge as Mr. Bainbridge and Mr. Godfrey loaded a rather large trunk at the back of the carriage.

  "Oh, Miss Crosgrove," Mrs. Bainbridge said, her voice unusually soft as she settled in the seat across from her, "how wonderful it is to see you again! Is this not the most exciting adventure you have ever had? I am sure it is for me! I am afraid I have not slept a moment all week for my anticipation over this. Are you as excited, my dear?"

  Lilyanna nodded her head but remained quiet.

  "Is this what you have managed to bring then?" Mrs. Bainbridge asked, motioning to the red shawl bag and reticule on her lap.

  "Oh, yes," Lilyanna said, handing the bag over as Mrs. Bainbridge motioned for it. "I could not bring much else."

  "That is quite all right, dear," she said. "You need not worry any longer. We will take care of you now." She stuck her head out the door with Lilyanna's bag in hand. "Roderick, darling?" she called. "Do place this in the trunk before you load it, will you?"

  "Of course, dear," Lilyanna heard Mr. Bainbridge say outside the carriage.

  Lilyanna's heart warmed with love for the couple and the kindness they showed her. There were not many parents who would agree to their son running away to get married, let alone finding it exciting enough to come along.

  As soon as Mr. Bainbridge and Mr. Godfrey secured the trunk, they filed in the carriage, and the five of them road together through Bath, avoiding the busier streets holding Assemblies and concerts. Mrs. Bainbridge chattered away with excitement until they found their way to where the stagecoach would pick them up.

  Mrs. Bainbridge handed Lilyanna a deep green cloak as the men exited the carriage before them, per her instructions.

  "Here you are, my dear," she said, helping Lilyanna with the large cloth. "This belongs to Hazel and is quite memorable. I am sure if anyone sees us all together, they will take one look at the cloak with you on Isaac's arm and think nothing more of it."

  Lilyanna nodded, though her fears would not believe Mrs. Bainbridge's confidence.

  She pulled the cloak's hood over her blond hair and exited last, taking Mr. Godfrey's outstretched hand and holding onto his arm at his bidding.

  "Do not fret, Miss Crosgrove," Mr. Godfrey said quietly. "The streets are not very busy as of yet. I am sure everything will move along smoothly."

  Lilyanna smiled up at him then looked to where Elijah stood speaking to his father. They looked concerned, Elijah having no doubt spoken of Captain Crosgrove's return, but they both smiled reassuringly at Lilyanna when they saw her watching them.

  Several minutes passed by as a few men and women, mostly servants and lower-class, appeared and stood waiting for the coach. Lilyanna discreetly eyed each person that appeared, ensuring she recognized none of them.

  When the coach finally pulled around the corner, the horse's clip-clops loudly echoing on the ground, Lilyanna feared her legs would collapse from shaking so badly.

  "Here we are," Mr. Godfrey said.

  Mr. Bainbridge paid the fee for his family before the driver loaded the luggage and the paid passengers entered the coach.

  Lilyanna sat on the window seat next to Mr. Godfrey, and she watched as Elijah sat across from her, sitting next to his mother. One more gentleman entered in after them who sat on Mr. Godfrey's other side.

  The gentleman briefly nodded to no one in particular before leaning his head back against the coach's wall and pulling his top hat down to cover his eyes. Within seconds, he appeared to be asleep.

  Lilyanna fidgeted with her hands as she heard the other passengers who had paid
less clamber to the back and the top of the stagecoach. She silently wished she could trade spots with them, for she would give anything for the cool breeze to dry her forehead.

  Her fears refused to cease as she kept her head down so no one could see her.

  What if someone discovers us and tells Mother and Father, she worried, only to have them lock me away until I agree to marry Mr. Quigley?

  However, as soon as the stagecoach jolted to a start, the horses' hooves clip-clopping once again, she sighed, feeling a large weight lifting off her shoulders.

  They had made it. They had set off before her parents discovered her, and finally, there was no stopping her.

  She looked to Elijah, seeing his worried gaze already on her, so she sent a smile in his direction. She watched his worry melt away, and he returned her smile with one of his own. She wished she could sit next to him, however, she was grateful for Mr. Godfrey's willingness to be a part of their charade.

  "Well, this is going to be quite the adventure, is it not?" Mrs. Bainbridge continued.

  "Indeed, dear," Mr. Bainbridge said, patting his wife's hand before motioning to the gentleman whose hat still covered his gaze.

  Mrs. Bainbridge nodded her understanding and sent a wink to Lilyanna who smiled at her in return until focusing her gaze out the window.

  Since fear no longer clenched her stomach, she had no distraction from the sadness in her heart. Her parent's lack of understanding hurt her deeply, and she could not understand their behavior, especially when compared to Mr. and Mrs. Bainbridge.

  She noted the way the couple sat close to each other, holding hands, and she smiled, feeling her decision was right, once again, to marry Elijah, for she could not wait to do the same with her husband.

  Silence filled the cramped stagecoach as eyelids began to droop, and Lilyanna's head bobbed up and down until she rested it against the window next to her. The last thing she saw before falling asleep was Elijah's smile in her direction, and she soon faded into restless dreams of runaway horses and fine dresses.

  Her sleeping state did not last long, however, as she was soon jolted awake by the sound of silence, the horses having ceased their movements as they reached their first stop.

  She looked outside, darkness still pervading, when she heard the sleeping gentleman groaning as he exited the coach noisily. Soon, Isaac was shifting forward out of his seat, too, ready to take his leave.

  He turned to Lilyanna with a kind smile. "Hazel wishes you all the best," he said. "And she says you had better be ready to give a full account of your travels to her as soon as you return."

  Lilyanna smiled. "Do tell her thank you."

  "I will," Isaac said. "She wishes she could have joined in the whole expedition, but we thought it best she remain at home."

  "Of course," Lilyanna said. "She is smart to rest while she can."

  Isaac nodded, wished her and Elijah good luck, then said goodbye to his wife's parents before exiting the coach.

  "What is he to do now?" Lilyanna asked as she watched Isaac disappear into the darkness.

  Elijah moved to the seat next to her, her heart skipping a beat at his sudden close proximity.

  "He will sleep at the inn here until morning to avoid suspicion for returning so early," Elijah said. "Then he will purchase a ride back to Bath and remain indoors with Hazel as long as they can manage."

  Lilyanna nodded her understanding then looked out the window to see more people climbing on and off the stagecoach. Two gentlemen entered the coach, squeezing in by Elijah and Mr. Bainbridge. Lilyanna felt cramped against the outer wall, but she did not mind, for Elijah's closeness comforted her.

  The driver soon guided the horses onward once again, and Lilyanna immediately felt herself fading back to sleep. She rested her head against the window until she felt Elijah's hand guiding her head to lean against his shoulder.

  She did not protest, so comforting and natural it felt for her to do so, and she soon fell into a peaceful sleep, only waking for a moment at the occasional stop of the coach and the on and off shuffling of the passengers throughout the night.

  ***

  Elijah had been awake for nearly an hour, and though his leg and arm were both numb, he dared not move for fear of waking the peacefully sleeping Lilyanna.

  He looked back down at her head lying on his shoulder, and he smiled at her dark lashes fluttering as she dreamed, the wavy, blond tendrils, falling gently across her temple and cheeks.

  How beautiful, how peaceful she looked, finally resting after such a taxing journey to get them to where they were. The achiness he felt and the lack of sleep he had received was nothing, for he had spent many a night doing the same in traveling to and from Warwickshire his whole life. However, he worried for Lilyanna, knowing she was not accustomed to such discomfort.

  His heart went out to the poor, young woman for having had endured so much, from having her parents be so misunderstanding, to having to run away from them and her home.

  He frowned as he wished there were some other way they could marry, but he again told himself it was what they wanted, for that was the only way to be together.

  Still, anger filled his heart at her parents being so unforgiving and unkind to their only daughter. Did they know what their actions had forced Lilyanna to do? Did they know what they were going to miss?

  He felt Lilyanna twitch, and he realized he had tensed his shoulders with his thoughts. He released his pent up breath, relaxing his muscles once more by focusing on simply getting through the rest of their journey to Gretna Green, knowing as soon as they reached Scotland, her parents would no longer have a hold on his beautiful Lilyanna's life.

  When the first morning light shone through the clouds, Lilyanna raised her head from Elijah's shoulder and rolled out her stiff neck before noticing he watched her.

  "Good morning," she whispered, seeing the others still sleeping.

  "Good morning to you," Elijah said with a smile. "Do you know, you look quite fetching when you sleep."

  Lilyanna smiled. "You flatter me, Mr. Bainbridge," she said.

  "Yes," Elijah replied, reaching for her hand and holding it securely in his own, "but it is true."

  "How did you sleep?"

  "Well enough."

  "So not very well at all then?" she asked, frowning.

  Elijah kissed the top of her head. "I have never slept better."

  She smiled, and her heart swelled with love for the man as they turned their attention to the rising sun. She found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything, however, but Elijah's callused fingertips stroking the back of her hand softly. Her fear from the previous night had all but dissipated, for the sleep she had received had managed to calm even the sadness she felt.

  As time passed, the other passengers slowly awakened, and a pleasant chatter erupted between all six of them until the coach slowed to a stop and they said their farewells.

  Mr. Bainbridge leaned forward, stretching his arms out. "I believe another carriage will be arriving shortly to take us farther north," he said. "We may manage to eat something, if we hurry."

  Lilyanna nodded as her stomach rumbled, and she became acutely aware of her hunger.

  As she was helped out of the carriage by Elijah, her legs felt wobbly for sitting cramped for so long, but she smiled anyway, delighting in the opportunity she had to stretch each muscle as far as she could manage.

  Her eyes darted around the small but established town for anyone she might recognize, but Elijah's presence calmed her again, and she forgot her worries as they sat down for a light breakfast of tea, toast, and cold ham.

  The food filled her belly as they quickly munched away, afterward purchasing a few rolls and pastries for their journey so as to not have to stop for a meal midday.

  The next stagecoach arrived, their luggage was loaded, and they boarded the compartment before the coach moved on. All the while, Lilyanna marveled at what she was doing.

  I am running away to Gretna Green! she
thought, smiling gleefully, I am going to marry Elijah Bainbridge!

  The day passed slowly on the stagecoach, the hours filled with pleasant conversations, more sporadic naps, and much staring out the window at the beautiful countryside.

  Lilyanna had always longed to travel by stagecoach, but her mother had never allowed it, saying it was for lower class families. However, as Lilyanna sat in the bumpy carriage, stifling hot, cramped, and achy, she could not remember having a more exciting time.

  Nearing six o'clock, the company stopped for a hearty meal until once again traveling to the next largest city.

  The middle of the morning came when Mr. Bainbridge thought it best for them all to get a few good hours of sleep at a nearby inn, so they filed out of the stagecoach in silence.

  Upon reaching the inn, Mr. Bainbridge purchased two rooms, one for him and his son, the other for his wife and Lilyanna. As soon as Lilyanna entered their room and her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

  When Mrs. Bainbridge gently shook her awake, however, she felt as if hardly a moment has passed by.

  "Already?" Lilyanna said groggily as she attempted to gracefully roll out of the bed.

  "I am afraid so, my dear," Mrs. Bainbridge said, helping Lilyanna find her slippers with the lit candle she held in her hand. "But do not fret. We are nearly halfway there now."

  Lilyanna returned the woman's smile and could not help but feel more energized at the news of their destination steadily approaching.

  She slept once again on Elijah's shoulder in the stagecoach until the morning light came and they stopped at the next town. The driver informed the gentlemen riding inside the stagecoach that a few women had purchased to ride inside, so Elijah squeezed Lilyanna's hand gently before exiting the stagecoach with his father and the other gentlemen.

  Mrs. Bainbridge moved to sit next to Lilyanna when a woman and her three daughters piled into the carriage. The eldest daughter, who Lilyanna guessed was near fourteen years of age, sat next to Mrs. Bainbridge, while the two younger girls, who looked strikingly alike and could be no more than eleven, sat next to their mother across from them.