by Abigail Agar
“Yes, I imagine you must. After all, we look quite similar. But I wish for you to know that I am not looking for a friendship with you. I am looking for a route in order to protect my mother. Your insistence has left me with no other choice,” Amelia said.
Emma knew that to be a lie. She looked at the earl and he looked back at her. For a moment, she was warmed by his eyes. She wished to tell him that Amelia was lying, that she really did want to get to know him, even if she had only just begun to confess it to herself.
But there would be time for that later, Emma hoped. She hoped that she would have opportunities to speak with him in the future. That they would know one another.
“Do you agree to these terms?” Amelia asked.
“I do. I agree,” Lord Thornbury said.
“Very well, then. We are in agreement,” she said.
“I am glad of it. And I shall come back when I am able, for only a few moments at a time, to see you here in the shop,” the earl said.
“I have no doubt of that,” Amelia replied.
Emma did not wish for him to leave yet. Thus far, she had been forced to view all of this as an outsider and it broke her heart to not be a part of the conversation taking place. She had to simply hope that the earl had noticed her enough that they might speak in the future.
“If you would like, as it has been quite brief thus far, I would be more than happy to get tea for the both of you,” Emma decided to offer the men, thinking that she would be able to have a chance to interact more with the earl.
“We would love that,” he replied before Amelia could protest.
“Wonderful,” Emma said, rushing to get the tea made for them.
She came back into the sewing room to find Amelia working and barely acknowledging the two men. But Emma caught a glance between her and Mr. Day and was quite happy to see it.
After a few moments, Emma heard the sound of the door open and wondered in disappointment if she would have to go and help a customer. But then she heard the voice of Mr. Bonham.
“Amelia, come!” he yelled.
Amelia perked up and scampered off rather quickly. Emma suspected that she was glad for a reprieve from the small room with her brother and the other man who clearly found her beautiful.
“More than likely an important customer has come, and Mr. Bonham decided to return to the shop and get Amelia to measure her. That is generally the only thing that brings him here,” Emma told them.
“He is not the sort of man who enjoys being present in his work, it would appear,” Mr. Day said.
“No, I am afraid he is not,” she said quietly.
“And you? Are you happy in this work?” the earl asked her.
Emma smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“I suppose. It is certainly better than being in a factory. I have much more freedom here and it is just myself and Amel – Miss Lockhart. We receive a better wage because it is only the two of us,” she said.
“That is very well, indeed. And you must be an excellent seamstress,” Lord Thornbury said.
“I am decent enough. I enjoy it, although at times my fingers ache. But you must forgive me for the complaint. It really is an ideal position,” she said.
“You may complain as much as you like,” he said, smiling at her in a comforting way.
Mr. Day looked away and then put his hands in his pockets rather awkwardly.
“I…I shall be back in just a moment,” he said.
Emma watched him disappear and she wondered what it was that could have taken him away so quickly. A small part of her wished that he had observed the glances between herself and Lord Thornbury. Was it possible that Mr. Day had chosen to give them a few moments to interact on their own?
“I am glad that you are relatively happy here. I know that it is difficult for young ladies to find decent work,” he said, continuing the previous conversation.
“Yes, it can be. But we were very fortunate, your sister and I,” she said.
“I am also quite happy that she has a good friend in you. You appear to be quite a decent sort of woman and I should hate to think of her stuck without someone to be her companion,” he said.
“And you clearly have a very good friend as well,” Emma said, speaking of Mr. Day.
“Yes, he is. Although the older brother in me has started to become rather protective. I think Miss Lockhart would not take it so well if I instructed my friend to stay away from her,” he said with a laugh.
Emma could not help but giggle in reply.
“You noticed it as well?” she asked.
“He has tried to hide his intrigue, but I think it is primarily that he is uncomfortable with how much she resembles me,” he said.
“Well, Amelia has long spoken of her unwillingness to marry, particularly a man of wealth, but I have noted how keenly her gaze has found him at times. So you mustn’t think that it is only on your friend’s part. Amelia is certainly undergoing a change,” she said.
“You think?” he asked with great hope.
Emma wanted to tell him then that Amelia had just told her she was beginning to soften, but she did not wish to betray her friend’s confidence so easily.
“I…I think,” was all she said.
He smiled at her and she smiled in reply, the two of them seated comfortably in one another’s presence.
Emma had long imagined the sort of man she might fall in love with one day. And although she had, at times, dreamt about him being a man of nobler means than herself, she was trying to bear Amelia’s warning in mind.
This was a wealthy, titled man before her. They could never be anything more than this. Two people sitting near one another, smiling. Even this was considered too close by many.
No, she could not allow herself to hope. Not even for a moment.
“I look forward to getting to know you and Amelia better,” the earl said, as though his thoughts had been similar to her own.
“And I you,” Emma replied.
Mr. Day came back into the room and looked at Lord Thornbury as though they needed to leave. It saddened her to see him stand and exit the room, but as he did, he turned and gave her a final smile.
For the moment, that was all she needed.
Chapter 11
When the post arrived at the inn where Eric was staying, he had not expected much from the letter. Certainly, he had not expected it to contain such sad news from his mother as what he read therein.
My Dear Boy,
I am writing to ask you about what it is that is going on for you as you search for your sister. I have been utterly dismayed here by the news that has come about in the midst of your seeking her.
Indeed, I expected that there would be a great deal of difficult times ahead between the two of you. I had not thought that it was going to be easy or that she would simply sit by and allow for you to be at peace as the two of you tried to build a fresh bond.
Nor did I think that the union would be free of bitterness. I expected that she would have a poor taste regarding your father.
However, I was surprised by the venom with which she has handled this situation. Please ask her to cease from humiliating our family. It is not only affecting the memory of your father, but I am suffering as well and I imagine that it has impacted you.
As for me, I am facing a number of unpleasant comments. Here, in London, there are many who have used this opportunity to defame the name of my husband. They have called me a woman who could not appease her spouse. They have said that we are fools for having trusted him.
Eric, your name as Lord Thornbury is being rather smeared, and I am extremely displeased in how this has all played out.
The scandal sheets have turned this whole incident into the most dreadful situation and my heart breaks when I think of how we are going to suffer should all of this continue. I know that you wished to meet your sister, but I find that it would have been better if none of this had ever happened.
I love you, Eric. Please be wise
in how you proceed forward.
Your Mother
Eric released a breath of unease. His poor mother. She was suffering so greatly, having to go through so much pain from all of this. All from his desire to know Amelia. All because the thought of having a sister was far too tempting to simply leave alone and forget.
But his mother was right, he would have to be wise in knowing how to move forward.
Wondering how he could fix the problems, how he might resolve the pain of all of this, Eric even considered what he could do for his mother. He could always bring her out of London, but clearly Finchley was not the right place for her.
She might bump into Liza Lockhart and remember the betrayal of her husband. That would be the worst of agonies for her.
But what else was he to do? Leave her there in London where she was being gossiped about and treated poorly? It was unfair. She should not have had to go through all of this.
Eric took in a deep breath, trying to discern his options.
They were so few. He didn’t know what to do in order to help her.
Deciding to go for a walk to clear his mind, Eric put on his shoes and departed from the room at the inn.
The day outside was coming to an end, with the sun just half an hour away from disappearing. A light breeze blew through the streets of Finchley and Eric took in the sight of the sky above where a wisp of cloud threatened to call for its friends.
But it was still beautiful. He did not mind Finchley in the least. It was a nice enough place to stay and he was glad that if he had to be stuck anywhere, this was where he was at. Despite the difficult circumstances, he could do just fine.
For ten minutes, Eric walked up the street, but he took in a gasp of air when he saw her across the road.
Miss Sproul.
Eric tried not to show his intent, behaving as though he was simply crossing to the other side. But he reached it just in time to come upon Miss Sproul, who looked up at his face before he had a chance to say a word.
“Oh!” she said, as if terribly surprised by his appearance before her.
“Forgive me, I did not mean to come right in your way,” he lied, trying to sound casual and apologetic.
“It is nothing,” Miss Sproul replied, looking away from him.
“Have I startled you?” Eric asked.
“No, it is nothing,” she said.
“You must be on your way home after working,” he said.
Miss Sproul nodded.
“Yes, I am. It was a rather busy day. And you must be on your way to the inn,” she said, the disappearing sun leaving a gentle glow upon her.
“Actually, I was out for a walk. I have been at the inn for so much of my time of late that I needed an opportunity to get out for a while,” Eric said.
“Mmm, I understand. It is difficult to be cooped up inside at all times,” Miss Sproul said.
Eric agreed. He much preferred to be out and about, enjoying his time outside with the fresh air surrounding him and not having to be held in by four walls.
“Well, Finchley is a nice enough place for that,” he said.
“Yes, but more so for those who live outside of the town. Although I have lived here my entire life, I must confess that I would prefer it if I was not so closed in as the town is. It is far better to have the freedom of the countryside,” Miss Sproul said.
Eric understood that this conversation about the outdoors was merely a way for them to interact without speaking of anything deeper. Even if the words meant very little and he could not think that it mattered much to Miss Sproul. But he could not bring himself to letting her go from where they stood and discussed the matter.
To do that, to break the conversation at hand, would be rather painful.
But they entered a pause and Eric realised that it was up to him to keep speaking if he did not want Miss Sproul to walk away. He would have to come up with something, some way of entertaining her or something worth talking about.
“And how was your work today?” he asked, feeling very foolish at not having anything more clever to speak of.
“Oh, it was perfectly lovely. I had much to do,” she said by way of reply.
“Was it quite busy?” Eric asked.
“Y-yes,” she said, hesitantly, as though already bored of the conversation but not wishing to be rude and cut it off.
“Good, very good,” he said.
The awkwardness settled between them and Eric eyed Miss Sproul with wonder for a moment before he cleared his throat and smiled.
“Well, I imagine that you might want to be getting home,” he said.
“Yes, yes, I must,” she replied.
“But…” he began.
Miss Sproul waited, and Eric tried to make up his mind as to whether or not he would be daring.
“Well, it is only that I was wondering how you might feel about joining me for a meal,” he said.
“A meal?” she repeated, her eyes wide with uncertainty.
“The inn at which I am staying has quite a fantastic array of foods. Perhaps you might wish to accompany me for dinner there,” Eric said, worried that she might be angered by the offer.
“It is not quite the thing for a young woman to join a nobleman for dinner at an inn. As you are well aware, such a thing might invite gossip,” Miss Sproul said.
Eric nodded, understanding her point.
“Yes, I suppose that could be. I hope you know that I would never put you in the sort of situation where gossip might find you,” he said.
“I thank you for that, but you must know by now that these are not things that we can control. If someone wants to speak gossip about us, it will be spoken,” she said, her voice going quiet as the reality of Eric’s situation was brought to his mind.
Miss Sproul was right. Gossip was spreading about him for no other reason than what his father had done. If he now was seen with Miss Sproul, it was possible that something could be said against her.
But Eric was compelled to urge her into spending time with him. He could not help himself. She was beautiful and kind and lovely in every way and he had never seen a woman like her before.
How was he meant to restrain himself? How was he supposed to pull back and stop himself from expressing his desire to know her better and to spend time getting to know her?
He couldn’t. It was as simple as that. He could not help but let her know how deeply he was coming to think of her. And it was foolish, Eric knew. After all, he had not even gotten to know her well. He knew only that she was beautiful and sweet. She was a good friend of his sister’s.
But none of those were things that qualified him to understand her. None of those were reasons that he ought to be so compelled to be close to her. Whatever it was about Miss Sproul that he had been so moved by, it had very little to do with what he knew and everything to do with what he wanted to know.
“Yes, Miss Sproul, you are right. We cannot control the gossip that comes about regarding our choices. But I would like to ask you to trust me. I would like for you to be willing to spend time with me and get to know me,” Eric said.
