by Abigail Agar
“Indeed, it would appear as such. You have helped him so much. I would not have been able to do even a fraction of that which you are doing,” Lady Beckman said.
“Do not say that, My Lady. You would be surprised how simple it is and how quickly you would grow to understand the steps,” Lavender said.
But Lady Beckman did not appear convinced, and Lavender did not look at Lord Beckman for his opinion on the matter. Instead, Lavender went to her room the moment she could get away and saw Melora already waiting for her.
“Busy day,” Melora said apologetically.
“Indeed, it is. But I wished to ask your forgiveness for the conversation that we had previously. I did not intend to upset you,” she said.
“I know that. And I know that it must have been difficult for you, what with my insistence. You are a far more private woman than I am,” Melora acknowledged.
“Yes, I am. But I still wish you to know that I hold you dear,” Lavender said.
“And I hold you dear just the same. Which is why I was so worried,” Melora said.
“There is nothing you should be worried about,” Lavender said.
“Are you quite certain?” Melora asked.
Lavender didn’t know whether she was being honest, but she did know that there was only one thing she could say.
“I am certain.”
Chapter 16
For seven weeks, Ronan had been stuck at home. He was eager to leave the house, and in fact, he was utterly desperate. And after a visit from the doctor, he was told that he now had permission to go out, so long as he remained in the wheelchair.
As someone who was always seeking to go outside, to have an adventure, to enjoy the outdoors, this was what Ronan needed more than anything else. Staying within the confines of the estate, even once he had been allowed to travel to the gardens and leave the actual home, it was too much. It was suffocating.
But now, he was going to be able to wander the city again. Yes, he would be in the chair, and yes, there would be those who might laugh when they saw him. But he could handle a bit of teasing from friends of his. He did not mind the idea of people mocking him when he could at least be outside.
That was all that really mattered.
“Here we are, boyo! I have heard the excellent news,” Harold said in his friendly way.
“You have? Well, I am delighted to know that. You must tell me what you think. Shall we go to Hyde Park so that you may push me around in front of the many young lovers? Or shall we peruse the streets of London where there shall be many familiar faces and a great deal of shock?” he asked.
“An excellent question. What do prefer? You are the one who has not been out in seven weeks. I do not mind whatever you wish,” Harold said.
Ronan thought about it for a moment and finally settled on Hyde Park, where there would be more space for the chair.
“Very well. And your mother tells me that Miss Philips will be joining us?” Harold asked, giving Ronan that same look of suggestion that he had continually been doing whenever Miss Philips was mentioned.
“Yes, she is. When did my mother tell you that?” he asked.
“I greeted her when I arrived. She mentioned it then. Now, where is your lovely maid?” Harold asked.
Ronan was hesitant to reply immediately. He recognized that if he had an answer at once, it would show far too great an eagerness for him. And yet, he did know. He knew precisely where she was.
“Miss Philips is getting assistance from the coachman for my chair,” he said.
“Your chair? What is the matter with it?” Harold asked.
“It is difficult to carry in the coach. They are trying to find a way to make it fit,” he said.
“Really? Interesting. That young woman might be an engineer if she happened to have been born as a man,” Harold said.
“I thought the very same thing,” Ronan said.
“Well, I do hope that they are able to get things working for you. I would be greatly disappointed if we made all of these plans only to find that your chair does not fit,” Harold said.
In the end, Miss Philips and the coachman succeeded. Following that, Ronan and Harold, along with Miss Philips, made their way into town. The conversation in the coach was limited, and Miss Philips remained silent, as a maid might be expected, and stared out the window.
Once they arrived at the park, Harold and the coachman assisted Ronan into his chair as Miss Philips watched and helped as needed. She was quite an excellent help, and Ronan was grateful for her even if it was a difficult moment of trying to adjust to being in a chair in front of others.
Miss Philips pushed him as they started to make their way through the park.
“Miss Philips, you really are quite remarkable with that chair,” Harold noted.
“Thank you, Lord James,” she replied.
“I mean it. My dear friend told me that you are a woman of very many skill sets, but I had no idea that you were quite so flawless as this in things of a mechanical nature,” he said.
“I suppose that my thoughts tend to be better focused on building and constructing, on understanding how things work,” she said.
“As opposed to …?” Harold asked.
“As opposed to wondering whether the burgundy silk is better than the pink cotton,” she answered with a hint of a laugh.
“Ha! That is very clever, Miss Philips. So you are not the sort of woman one regularly finds in British society? You care not for fashions and gossip, but rather the makings of a nation, is that so?” Harold asked her.
Ronan hung on every word, curious as to her response. He was glad that it was Harold asking all of these questions so that he did not have to.
“I suppose you could say that. Indeed, I am not someone you would wish to ask about whether that cravat befits the tone of your skin, but if you wish to know how the length of a cravat is determined, I may have some ideas,” she said, still teasing.
“Good heavens, Ronan. I believe you have discovered the most useful maid in all of England. I simply must have her for myself,” Harold said.
Miss Philips blushed, but Ronan was growing used to seeing that. This woman was not gifted in the art of accepting a compliment but rather tended to feel bad about having them offered to her.
“You may not have her. She is far too valuable to me for that,” Ronan finally replied.
Miss Philips stared at him in shock for a moment. He was coming to enjoy that look on her face every time he spoke well of her. It made him earnest to say even more.
Just then, however, Ronan saw Lord Andover coming toward them, and a fresh wave of embarrassment washed over him. He had not wanted to be seen this way by people. Especially other nobility. But, alas, here he was. There was no escaping it. He was going to be seen regardless of what he wanted.
“My lord! Look at you, out and about. I had not imagined I would see you for quite some time,” Lord Andover said.
“Indeed, I had not anticipated leaving my home for a good long while yet. Alas, however, here I am,” he replied, lifting his arms slightly as if to present himself.
“And with your chair,” Lord Andover said.
“Yes, I fear that I must remain thus for a little while longer. Thankfully, I am healing day by day,” Ronan said.
“So I can see. And here, I thought you were still bedridden,” he said.
“I was for quite some time. However, my maid managed to design a contraption for the chair, which allowed me to keep my legs perfectly straight, and I was able to go to the balcony even before I ought to have been. Anyway, I am well enough that I am even here,” he said, reciting the story as dryly as he could.
“Well, I am glad for that. It is a relief to see you doing so well,” Lord Andover said.
“Thank you, Lord Andover. It is good to see you as well,” he said.
They moved on, and Ronan was unsurprised to see three members of parliament as well as the sons and daughters of dozens of nobles he knew. Most of them we
re walking together, followed by a chaperone. After all, there was no better place for young courtiers to go than Hyde Park, and suddenly, Ronan imagined that Harold was not there with him and Miss Philips before shaking that thought away.
“And there is the Earl of Herford; you ought to sit up a little bit straighter,” Harold whispered to him.
Indeed, the Earl was drawing near, a smug look on his face when he saw Ronan in the chair.
“My goodness, My Lord. So the rumours are true? You have lost the ability to use your legs?” he asked snidely.
“No, I fear not. I have, for a time, been relegated to a chair for the sake of my recovery. But I have had a few wonderful opportunities in which I have been able to get up and enjoy myself a bit,” he said, hoping that there was no blush in his cheek when he thought about the dance.
Before he could consider that thought further, Ronan noticed the look in the earl’s eyes when he surveyed Miss Philips. It was one of certain interest and, perhaps, something less noble.
“Well, it would appear that you have the very best serving you in your time of need,” the earl said.
Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“I certainly think so. I am most fortunate to have my friend and mother by my side, as well as a maid who is very knowledgeable regarding medicine,” he said.
“Is that what you call it?” the Earl of Herford asked, scoffing.
“Certainly. Because that is what it is,” he replied.
“My goodness, Lord Beckman, you are quite an intelligent man. You really do know what words to use to stay out of trouble,” he said.
“Perhaps there is no trouble to find, Lord Herford,” Ronan said, feeling quite protective of Miss Philips.
“Very well, very well. You are too clever for me. Good afternoon to you, gentlemen,” the earl said, nodding once to Ronan before departing.
Ronan looked up at Harold and shook his head with great irritation.
“I know. But you cannot let him bother you. He is a petty man, jealous. Honestly, I do not think there are many so remarkably pitiful as he. Now, let us continue and actually enjoy our day, what do you say?” Harold asked.
“Yes, you are correct. I think that is best,” Ronan replied.
They continued their walk, and Ronan enjoyed the gentle breeze and chatting away with Harold about England’s political climate and how many were recovering from the war. He could not ignore Miss Philips being there but was doing his best to focus on his friend and simply allow Miss Philips to push the chair and assist with anything as was her duty.
They came upon a few others he knew, and it was good to greet some of the men who were friends and acquaintances. Most of them were perfectly charitable, and Ronan did not feel the need to be embarrassed by his condition.
“You see? You may enjoy yourself, after all,” Harold said.
“Indeed, I am enjoying myself. It is such a lovely day, and there are those who truly are making it even better. And I also got to enjoy the sight of Lady Willsburg with her gaudy gems that are more fitting for a ball than a walk in Hyde Park,” he said with a laugh.
“She was certainly happy to see you.” Harold chuckled in reply.
Indeed, the older woman had touched his face no less than four times, telling him how dearly she missed seeing him in society. There had been others as well, including a few different men who had given Miss Philips the same look of intrigue that Lord Herford had.
Ronan hoped to stay out a little while longer, and Harold had agreed to that. They were just coming around a curve when, from the other side of a tree, a figure appeared to make Ronan regret that decision.
“Oh! My Lord Beckman. What a surprise. I did not know that you were going to be out and about this way. My goodness,” she said.
Ronan took a deep breath.
“Lady Foster, how nice it is to see you.”
Chapter 17
Lady Foster. Of course, she would appear to ruin Lavender’s morning.
Although she had been largely ignored thus far, she didn’t mind it so much. She could still enjoy her time outside, in the park, surrounded by beautiful trees and the lovely air.
But now, there was Lady Foster. Now, the woman had appeared before them and was going to ruin the rest of Lavender’s day; she was certain.
“Lord Beckman, look at you. Out and about on this glorious day? My goodness, I am astonished. You look quite well. Are you feeling better?” she asked with what appeared to be quite a false cheer.
“Yes, Lady Foster, I am doing remarkably well. And you?” he asked.
“Oh, indeed, I am. I am so glad to have bumped into you. It was a shame that you were unable to attend my ball this past weekend. I knew that you would not be able to, but it was wonderful to have your mother present,” she said.
Lavender could see in his eyes that Lord Beckman was swallowing his pride and his irritation at the false kindness Lady Foster was showing.
“My mother had a nice time, I believe. And it sounds as though you put on quite a splendid event,” Lord Beckman said.
“Oh, it really was. Just such a shame that you could not come. Now, what are the two of you doing out today? Just a walk around the park or something more?” she asked.
“Yes, just a walk,” Lord Beckman said. Lord James was smiling politely but remained quiet, allowing the two of them to speak instead of involving himself.
As for Lavender, she was entirely ignored by Lady Foster just as she had been at the doctor’s clinic. Of course, she expected this. There was no reason for Lady Foster to interact with her or speak with her. More than anything, Lavender did not exist to this woman, who was quite clearly a viper.
“So, you must tell me, is your recovery going very well?” she asked Lord Beckman.
“It is, thank you. I am doing far better, and I am thankful to say that my legs are healing. Much of that is credited to Miss Philips,” he said, acknowledging Lavender.
Although she had not expected Lady Foster to say anything to her or suddenly engage Lavender in conversation, it was still a surprise when the woman did not even glance in her direction.
“It is such a fine thing to have help from a maid who knows her place and what must be done to keep her position,” Lady Foster said.
The words dripped with insult, and Lavender wondered if Lady Foster was being ignorant or intentional in her words. Was it possible that she was really trying to cut Lavender down? Or was she simply unaware of the rudeness because she was so intent on her own position?
“Miss Philips is far more than just a maid. Not that there is anything wrong with a young woman being such,” Lord Beckman said, surprising Lavender. She had not anticipated that he would stick up for her, even if his words were gentle and unassuming.
Lady Foster shrugged and smiled.
“That is nice. But I am mostly happy to see that you are doing so well. I was grieved when I heard of your injury, but I was led to believe that it was far worse than this. I thought that you might even need to have your legs amputated from some of the gossip,” she said.
“That was never an option,” Lord Beckman said, laughing bitterly.
“Oh, well, I am glad to hear that. Still, it is good that you have healed well enough to be out like this. It has only been, what, five weeks?” she asked.
