The township was quiet and peaceful, Emily noticed. They passed an inn before they slowed. The carriage driver got down and came to the door. “This looks to be the only pub near here, Ma’am. Are you sure you won’t let me accompany you in?”
Emily started to naysay the man, but as she stepped out of the carriage, she caught sight of the pub. There were a couple of men loitering around outside, and if they were patrons, then Emily did not feel comfortable going alone. “I think on second thought, that you should accompany me. You are probably thirsty, and it will be a long ride back,” Emily said in as reasonable a voice as she could.
The driver nodded his agreement. “Right you are, Ma’am,” he said as he followed Emily towards the pub.
Inside the pub, the patrons looked less welcoming than the men standing outside had. Emily looked around and spotted Oscar. He looked a few years older, but he was still the same all in all. She put on a bright smile and hurried to the man’s table.
When Oscar’s eyes took in who was standing next to his table, Emily did not see the reaction that she thought she would see from her old friend. Oscar scowled. “Emily?”
“Yes,” Emily said in relief as she sat across from the man at the table. He looked around like he was expecting someone else. “How have you been? It has been so long since we saw each other last.”
Oscar opened his mouth then closed it. He eyed her as if he did not know quite what to do. “Are you here alone?”
“Yes,” Emily said, and then amended, “No. I have an escort to keep me safe.”
Oscar nodded slowly. “Well, it is good to see you, but I really have to get back to work.”
“But your lunch,” Emily said as she indicated with her hand the plate in front of him. It still held almost all the cut of meat and potatoes that Oscar had ordered.
Oscar cleared his throat. “They took too long to bring it out,” he said as he stood up.
Emily stood up as well and followed Oscar when he made for the door. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“I really don’t have time,” Oscar said as he hurried towards the door. Once outside, Oscar walked briskly across the road towards a low slung building.
Emily took two steps to the man’s one to keep up with his long strides which was not easy in her double skirts. “Please, Oscar,” Emily begged. “It is important, and it will not take long.”
“Anything important always takes time,” Oscar replied. “I am sorry, Emily, but perhaps later?”
Emily nodded and agreed, “Of course. We can talk whenever you wish.”
Oscar raised his hand as he kept walking towards the building. Emily sighed and turned back towards the carriage. The driver had followed her outside when she went after Oscar, and now he waited by the carriage.
“Where shall we go now, Ma’am?” the man asked as he scratched his forehead where his cap was rubbing the skin.
Emily climbed into the carriage and called, “To the Milford estate.”
With a jerk, the carriage rolled forward, and Emily eyed the building that Oscar had gone into. The man certainly was acting odd, and she did not understand that. Had James told Augustus and Oscar something about her to turn the men against her? Emily had no answers and only hoped that Augustus would prove more helpful.
***
The Milford estate was a shambles. Emily got out and looked at the building, scarcely recognizing it. “What happened?” Emily looked around and only saw a gardener along the roadside cutting back some brambles. She hurried over to the man, well aware of what a ridiculous sight she made in her silk dress running along the dusty road.
The gardener looked up in surprise as Emily jogged over to him. “Is something the matter, Miss?” the man asked as he looked back down the road where her carriage waited. “Is something wrong with your carriage?”
Emily shook her head. “No, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to ask you what happened to the Milford estate.” Emily turned and waved her hand at the gardens which were overgrown and the house whose roof had seen better days.
“Oh,” the man said as if he was still very much confused. “The parents moved away. I think the son still owns it, but I never see anyone coming or going from it.”
Emily asked, “Do you think it would be too imposing if I looked around?”
“Not my property,” the man said with a shrug as he turned back to his gardening.
Emily trudged back across the road while holding her skirts up out of the dirt. She nodded to the carriage driver. “I am going to look around. He did not know if anyone still lived here.”
“I certainly hope they don’t,” the driver said as he stood beside the carriage.
Emily nodded her agreement. “Does look bleak,” she said. “Still, I might be able to find out something about where Augustus is.”
“Let’s go then,” the man said. Emily gave him a thankful smile. He had been most helpful and encouraging despite it going beyond what he was required to do.
They walked towards the house, and Emily looked over at what once was a rose bed. They had all played here in these gardens. She recalled the warm summer days like they had merely happened yesterday. Yet, the gardens now clearly indicated that it had been a long time since those days.
Emily made her way carefully over vines of ivy run amok towards the door. She tapped on the door. There was the sound of wind blowing through the trees, and Emily looked up at the trees swaying.
“Emily?” a whispered voice asked as if it were afraid of the answer.
Emily looked back at the door and found it slightly ajar. An eye looked out at her through the slit in the door. “Augustus?” Emily asked in horror. “I thought the house was abandoned. Augustus, please will you not open the door?”
Although she could not see much of the man, Emily could tell that he was shaking his head furiously. “No. You need to go,” Augustus said as he slammed the door shut.
Emily banged on the door with her fists. “Please, Augustus!” she called to him through the door. “Please, open the door!”
“Go away,” Augustus said in a voice that pleaded with her to listen.
She hated to hear that tremor in the man’s voice. Augustus had always been a gentle person. He sounded so afraid that Emily tried to open the door, and to her surprise, it was not locked. “Augustus?” Emily whispered as she slipped into the house. “Answer me, please.”
A cup fell off a table that looked oddly out of place in the foyer. Emily could not stop herself from jumping at the loud sound the cup made on the floor. Augustus said, “I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you.”
“I am fine,” Emily assured the man as he huddled in one of the chairs pulled up to the table. “I wondered why you and Oscar had not been to see me. I asked James about it. If he has told you something to taint the way you see me, then I would like a chance to prove his words wrong.”
Augusts looked up at Emily as if he did not quite know what she was saying. “James, no,” Augustus said. It was clear the man was deep in his cups, and Emily feared for his mental stability as the man’s wild eyes locked onto hers. “You stay away from Oscar.”
“I have already been to see him, but he was busy,” Emily said as she eased over to the table and sat down in a chair across from Augustus. “Why did you not come to see me? I have wondered about you for so long.”
Augustus nodded and picked at the threadbare sleeve of his linen shirt. “Thought about you too,” he said.
“Are you well?” Emily asked, concerned etched on her face. She slid her hand across the dirty table towards the man. “War can be hard. I have heard of men who suffer horrible nightmares from their time in the fight.”
Augustus eyed her hand as if it were foreign to him. Slowly his hand inched across the table. “Yes, I suffer horrible nightmares. It is right that I should,” Augustus said with a nod. His hand grasped Emily’s finally, and Emily felt hot tears spring to her eyes. “I am so sorry,” Augustus said.
“I know; neve
r mind it,” Emily said as she ignored the large tears streaming down her own face. “You were busy.”
Augustus shook his head. “So sorry about Edward,” Augustus whispered. “I loved him like a brother.”
“He knew that,” Emily assured the man. “Hold no guilt over that.”
Augustus whispered, “Cain killed his brother.”
“You are not responsible for Edward’s death. Do not torment yourself this way. He would not approve of it,” Emily pleaded with the man who still clung to her outstretched hand as if it were a lifeline.
Augustus’ eyes focused on her. He snatched his hand back and said, “You should go.”
“I want to help you. It is not right that you live like this while Oscar and James can help. We are all friends, and friends help one another,” Emily said with confidence that she did not feel. She did not truly know if she could convince James that aiding Augustus was right, or if the man would merely laugh at her idealistic ideas.
Augustus snarled, “They are not my friends.”
“Why?” Emily asked in shock at the man’s anger. Augustus was never one to have a temper, but then he used to not drink either. This man might be a completely different person. War had changed her friends so much that she scarcely recognised them.
Augustus looked around at the house. “They robbed me of my life, took everything I had. I had to sell my father’s business. I have nothing. They did not even see fit to leave me an afterlife. That too is stolen.”
“Augustus, come with me. I will see that this is righted,” Emily said with force. “You mustn’t stay here like this. You will die of the cold.”
Augustus scoffed, “I will be warm enough when I die.”
“Stop that, please,” Emily begged. “I cannot stand to hear you talk like that. You are not the man I knew. What happened in that war that made all of you turn against me so?”
Augustus’ face fell into despair. He sobbed and fell onto the table. Augustus’ arms came up over his head. “Go away,” he pleaded. “Please just go away. I do not want them to come here.”
“Who? James and Oscar?” Emily asked as Augustus wailed against the table. “My poor Augustus, what has broken you so?” Emily stood up. Perhaps her absence would help the man more right now than her presence. “I am going. Please, take care of yourself.”
Augustus only made a high keening sound that broke Emily’s heart into tiny pieces. She left the house wiping away tears. The driver was waiting outside, and he came over to her in concern.
“Are you well? I was watching through the window just to make sure that you were safe.” The man’s words were hurried as they walked swiftly back to the carriage.
Emily nodded her head and cleared her throat. “I am unharmed. I fear that the same cannot be said for Augustus. The poor man is clearly suffering from the war still.”
“Do you think he was telling the truth about someone robbing him? Surely the magistrate could handle that?” The questions the driver asked were ones that Emily could not readily answer
Emily shook her head as she pulled herself up into the carriage. “Perhaps he would not let anyone help him as he shunned my offer of help?”
Neither of them could answer. The driver was swiftly up in his seat, and the whole ride back to the Dalton estate, Emily pondered over how she might help Augustus. No matter what she thought of, if the man refused her help, then everything she did was for nothing. There had to be a way to rid Augustus of this horrible guilt he seemed to carry.
As soon as they were home, Emily checked to see if her husband was home. Once she was assured that James was out, she went to the kitchens to get something cool to drink and a bit to eat.
Pearl was more than happy to get Emily some refreshments. “You look awful, child,” Pearl said as she sliced a tomato to put with some sweet cucumbers in a salad for Emily to eat.
“I went to see Augustus and Oscar,” Emily said. “I wanted to talk to them. That is all I wanted. I have not seen them in so long, and James had suggested while drunk that I go visit them and ask them about Edward.” She shrugged. “I knew that James was not in his right mind when he said it, but it reminded me that I had not seen them much after they came home.”
Pearl sat Emily’s salad and tea down in front of her. “Something dreadful must have happened by the tears I still see in your eyes. It looks like you have been crying something awful. Did one of them say something to you? I am not above cracking them with my cooking pot.”
Emily shook her head. “It was nothing like that. It was just that Augustus seems to carry such a burden of guilt from Edward’s death. I tried to tell him that I forgave him, but it did not help.”
Pearl reached over and took Emily’s hand in hers. Pearl said in a quiet voice, “Perhaps it is not your forgiveness that the boy needs.”
Chapter 10
The house was a fine one, set amid equally luxurious houses in the fashionable district of London. It was everything that society expected out of someone who was wealthy and nothing more. Edward stared at the heavy, embroidered fabric that covered the window before him. Pushing the curtain aside a bit, he eyed the London street outside.
“Is everything to your liking?” the property owner asked behind Edward.
Edward turned towards the short, stout man whose belly was protesting frightfully against the buttons on his waistcoat. Edward nodded. “It is suitable,” he said layering on a soft Spanish accent. The time with the thieves in Spain had given him command of the language as if he were a native speaker. Adopting the accent had been easy enough after his years in Spain and helpful to complete his disguise.
The man bobbed his head up and down with an enthusiastic smile. “It should do you well for the time being. Did you say that you were staying long?” the man asked with a hopeful smile.
“No,” Edward said as he eyed the landlord with narrowed eyes. “I did not say.”
The landlord looked a bit confused. He said, “Well, the house is available for as long as you would like, Sir.”
Edward just nodded as he turned back towards the window. “I will take it for the time being while I look for a home in the country.” Edward knew that this would be a reasonable excuse. Few wealthy people chose to live in London full-time, preferring to spend their time at large country estates when the London Season was not underway.
“Of course,” the man said. “I shall go and get the paperwork drawn up at once. Please, make yourself comfortable in the meantime. There’s a tavern around the corner that serves a wonderful meat pie. You can come by the office this afternoon to sign the papers. Do you have luggage arriving that the doorman should look out for?”
Edward drew in a long sigh. “No,” he said as he eyed the man intently. “I prefer to travel simply and purchase what I need.”
“That’s a fine way to go about things. Would that I had the money to do so myself,” the man said with considerable glee. Edward imagined him already tallying up how much he could potentially get out of Edward. The landlord cleared his throat. “Right. I should be off to get that paperwork done.”
Edward turned away again from the man and waited. He listened as his new landlord scurried off to fret over his paperwork. The fabrics of the window were all too soft, and the colours too muted. Edward frowned. Had his sensibilities changed so? He pondered on it until he decided it was time to go out into the world and seek sustenance.
The street outside was damp with a mist of rain still lingering. Edward blinked up into the bleary sky. It was odd the things that he forgot about while in Spain. One of those things was the ever-present rain this time of year in England.
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