by Hawke, Jessa
We pass through the local village, where he happens to live with his father, leaving him at his house. Our little troop then continues on, to the mansion of the Duke of Norwood. All of us are very tired, but happy. The children rush off to change for dinner and I return to my rooms feeling slightly happier than I have for days.
Chapter 16
It seems an age before Sunday comes around. All I can think of over the week is meeting with Harry, after church. Our chance encounter on the beach that day has put me in a much better frame of mind, and Guy has hardly been in my thoughts at all.
We all go to church together, the Duke and staff arriving as one party. The children spot our new friend first, at the church, and wave over to Harry enthusiastically. He looks even more handsome in his Sunday best suit, and beside him sits his father. I can see where he gains his good looks, for although an older version, they are very much alike. To think, his father may have been at the same church every week I have attended, and I never noticed. For all I know, Harry could have been there too, but surely I would have noticed him. The service passed by quickly and afterwards we met at the gate of the church grounds, where everyone passes through to leave. As it is my half day off from my teaching duties, I am free to spend the rest of the day as I wish, and I wished to spend it with him.
He has brought with him a two seater buggy and a picnic basket. It seems he has thought the day out well. I am amazed at how well he handles the buggy, with just one arm, but he does so very capably. After a short ride we arrive in a small woodland, by a river. It was a beautiful setting. I see a curved, stone bridge and under the bridge is a small pebble beach. I hope that no one else has the same idea. It is so idyllic, and I want it all to myself.
“I come here when I need to think,” he smiles, helping me get down from the buggy. “It is such a peaceful and serene place, and very few people know of it.”
I approach the horse that has drawn us here, and rub her behind the ears. The mare is a beauty with black and white patches that are most stunning.
“You have a good taste in horses, what is her name?” I ask, still stroking her nose.
“Here, give her this,” he laughs, handing me a small apple. “We have a tree full of those and she’ll eat the lot, I guarantee it, every year. We call her Patchy, for obvious reasons.”
“She is lovely,” I say as I feed her the apple. “Do you ride her?”
“I do,” he says proudly. “Do you ride, Miss Blackwood?”
“I love to ride,” I reply. “Please, call me Rosalind; we don’t have to be so formal, do we?”
“I think your name is very appropriate. You remind me of a pretty rose, Rosalind,” he compliments me.
I can’t help but blush at his words and I can see he feels embarrassed, and he quickly changes the subject.
“I’ll spread the blanket by the running water. We’re lucky it’s a fine day for a picnic, and if it rains, we can run underneath the bridge,” he suggests.
The food is very welcome as I am rather famished; breakfast on a Sunday is a light affair. We chatter and I decide to tell him about Peter. They have the war in common so it seems good to share our private experiences of that terrible event. I see his face sadden as I tell him my tale.
“The war in Belgium was not kind to many of us. I was lucky to return home, but I do grieve for the many friends that I lost, so I share your pain.” He has a heavy note of sorrow in his voice, but he looks me directly in the eyes as he speaks, and I can sense his empathy and sadness at my loss, is genuine.
He encloses my hand in his large ones and squeezed firmly, though not painfully. It is a welcome human touch, as I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
I don’t want this day to be only about sadness, I’ve had enough of that recently. I tell him about my parents and my home in Worthing. How I had a wonderful childhood there, and I really miss my home town. It turns out he has been to Brighton, which is not far from where my parents live, and we speak about how we both love the sea. By the end of our day together, I feel I have made a new friend, one that I could enjoy sharing company with. It is not until this moment that I realized how lonely I have become. Losing Peter and then leaving home, has left me vulnerable. I am not making excuses for my shameful behaviour with Lord Guy, but nonetheless, I think in some ways I am still deeply entranced in my grief.
We ride back together and I thank him for such a wonderful day. When we dismount, he walks with me to the door of the Duke’s mansion. As I approach the entrance, I can see that someone else is arriving. The staff are out on the door step and the Duke is there to greet his eldest granddaughter, Lady Harriet, back home from Bath. I stay my distance, it is after all my time off and I’m not expected to perform family duties. However, the children have other ideas and they soon run over to me, especially when they see, and recognize, my companion. At this point I feel obliged to approach the welcoming committee. I bravely take my companion with me, and introduce Harry to the Duke of Norwood. It turns out there is no need as the he already knows Harry, and his father, well.
“Do you still do much fishing Harry?” Lord Guy asks him as he approaches us.
“It’s harder these days, Sir, what with my arm. Also, my father is working me hard in his workshop,” he smiles back at Lord Guy.
“Ah yes, your father, the finest jeweler in all of England,” Lord Guy replies. “Tell me, how is the wedding ring coming along?”
“It is almost complete, Sir, exactly as you ordered it. My father will bring it along in a day or two now that you have returned,” Harry says.
I look on in wonder as the two of them chat as if they have known each other all of their lives. Lord Guy says nothing to me, and neither does Lady Harriet, who passes us with her new companion, the young lady I had seen naked.
As everyone goes inside, I take the opportunity to thank Harry, once again, for my wonderful day.
“You want to stay away from that one,” he warns me.
“Who?” I ask, but I knew who he meant.
“Lord Guy, he’s a rascal with the women. He’s broken a few hearts in the village. It’s well known that he likes to prey on the local woman. I would hate to be his wife, that’s for sure,” he shakes his head as if in sympathy to the future spouse of Lord Guy.
“Well, you would look rather preposterous with a frilly dress on,” I joke, imagining Harry as a wife gives me a giggle.
I do not tell of my own personal experience with Lord Guy, but perhaps I will share it with him one day, when our trust has been secured.
“Good day to you then, Rose, erm, I mean, Rosalind,” he stutters, “or Miss Blackwood, whichever you prefer when you’re on your employer’s lands.”
“I like Rose very much, Harry, let that be your name for me, I would like that,” I say, rather pleased with being named after a beautiful flower.
“Very good,” he replies, “I like that too. I mean, having a special name for you.”
He stops fidgeting and puts his hat back on his head, making his way to the small carriage.
“Until next time then,” he calls over. “See you next Sunday, after church, yes?” he asks.
I nod my agreement. A warm glow sweeps through me and I feel a sense of happiness and contentment. I have a new friend and he is the perfect tonic to the toxic presence of Lord Guy.
Chapter 17
Over the next few weeks the household is in chaos, over the impending wedding. This makes me all the more determined to ensure that the children have a good routine. Children feel so much happier and secure, if they know what they are doing day to day. That’s not to say that the routine cannot be broken occasionally, because it can. It is important for children to feel there is some stability in their lives.
I have been making great progress with them and they are all coming along leaps and bounds, not only in the classroom, they are all developing in to able young people. After weeks of trying, I eventually managed to convince Margaret that it was time to be riding a horse again. Today
we are going to walk it around the stable yard, with me by her side. I am pleased that I have gained the confidence of my charges, all but Lady Harriet, that is. I wish I could tell her not to marry Lord Guy, but she is so blinded by him, as was I.
The man even had the nerve to approach me again, and that is with his other mistress right under his nose. In some ways I feel pity for Lady Harriet that she cannot see what this man is. Or, maybe she does, but choses to ignore it. For me, it will take a long time to rid myself of the shame that man caused me, or I caused myself.
Tomorrow I shall meet with Harry again, after church, and I am very much looking forward to it. He is taking me to his home for dinner, where I will meet with his father. They live in a house similar to my own father’s, so I should feel comfortable.
“Are you ready, Lady Margaret?” I ask, as we head for the stables.
When we get there, there does not seem to be any stable boys around to help, so we go inside in search of one. Margaret decides that she will go and pet the horses, to help build up her courage, while I search for the stable master. She has a few apples with her as treats for the horses. I leave her to go her own, as I want her to be daring and approach the animals on her own. I’m told she was a very good rider, which was probably her downfall, she might have been too confident.
As I see the stable master entering, I approach him to check where our horse is. That is when I hear a terrible scream from the horse stalls. I fear that Margaret has been kicked by a horse and both I and the stable master run quickly to her aid. As we rush into the stable, I see Margaret stood by the open door of one of the horse stalls, her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Just for a moment I fear she has seen a dead body on the floor, maybe the missing stable boy. I quickly rush between Margaret and the horse stall, in a hope of averting her eyes away from the scene. When I look in, it is not a dead body I see, but Lord Guy, his breeches around his ankles. Lying on the floor next to him, desperately trying to rearrange her clothing is one of the housemaids.
I pull Lady Margaret away, though she is transfixed by the sight before her. Inside, I have a little smile to myself, so very pleased that the stupid man has got himself caught with his pants down, literally. The game is up for him now. Margaret is not the most secretive of people and the news will be all around the household in minutes, once she returns. She pulls away from me and runs off to the big house. I walk briskly after her, although pleased that Guy has finally been uncovered, though I would prefer Lady Harriet to find out a little less dramatically. Margaret is too far in front of me as I watch her run through the front entrance. Even from here I can hear her shouting for her sister, Harriet. My fears are confirmed, it seems she is going to be the first to find out.
There is such a calamity by the time I arrive in the large reception hall of the mansion. Lady Harriet and Margaret are in a furious argument, and as I enter the hallway, Harriet slaps her sister across the face.
“Liar!” Lady Harriet shouts out. “How could you spread such a malicious lie?”
“It is not a lie,” Margaret says, tears streaming down her face. “Just ask Miss Blackwood,” she points, turning to me.
I stop in my tracks; both Margaret and Harriet are staring intently at me. I don’t say anything, but something in my face must give it away, as Harriet suddenly burst into tears before running upstairs to her room. Poor Harriet, as much as she has annoyed me with her vanity, I really did feel sorry for her. Though, better she knows now than after she is married. I feel no triumph now at his predicament; having seen the lives that man has ruined only fills me with sadness.
Lady Margaret quickly runs off upstairs to join her siblings, no doubt informing them of Guys indiscretion. Sure enough, as I enter the classroom, she is regaling them with all the gory details. I allow it to go on for a few moments, before putting a stop to such nonsense and informing them to behave with the manners expected of them.
There is a lot of coming and going for the rest of the day, with the Duke interviewing all who were present, to determine exactly what happened. I tell him what I saw, but do not mention my own previous tryst with Guy. It would not help the situation and would probably lose me my job. I did not see Guy at all that day, and wondered if he had slinked off with his tail between his legs.
Come the next day I am completely unaware of what, if anything has been decided. To be honest, I don’t really care. I have my date with Henry to look forward to, and nothing is going to spoil it, certainly not Guy.
He comes to pick me up in his buggy, by the church gate, and drives me to his father’s house. They have a wonderful home, and for some reason, I feel like I am home with my own parents. I am given a warm welcome by everyone, including the staff, and cook’s meal is delicious.
“Come, Rose, let me show the ring that father is delivering tomorrow to the Duke’s mansion,” Harry drags me along, keen to show me a ring that may not be needed.
I have said nothing of the incident at the mansion, from the previous day. Would the wedding still go ahead, I really was not sure, but felt discretion was my best option.
“Oh, they are indeed stunning,” I say, as Harry opens up a little navy blue velvet box, and shows me a pair of glowing and matching golden rings.
I feel that the bride and groom are unworthy of such fine rings, but who am I to judge, I too have transgressed with that man.
“Your father is very talented to have created such fine pieces.” I say, truly amazed at the workmanship.
“I have a little secret, Rose it was not my father who made them, but me. But please, don’t tell them will you?” he begs me.
“You never told me you were such a master craftsman,” I say with surprise.
“I have been training on and off all my life. My father always wanted me to follow in his footsteps, but I had other ideas. Now, I feel ready to settle down and make my peace with the world,” Harry says, as if he has made some great decision for himself. “We are invited to attend the garden party of the wedding, I hope I can spend it with you?” he asks.
“It would make my day so much more pleasurable, Harry, to be in your company,” I reply. “I have written to my parents as they are also invited. I should love for your family to meet with mine.”
He puts down the glowing box, holds my hand and kisses my lips, ever so lightly. I do believe that my blushing cheeks make him smile all the more. He is a wonderful man and I think I grow fonder of him daily.
Chapter 18
I feel quite excited today. My parents arrived yesterday, for the wedding, and have been given a grand room within the house, the Duke is most generous. I am surprised that the wedding is still going ahead, the Duke was not happy at Guy’s indiscretion, but it seems that Guy has wriggled out of the gossip, and into Lady Harriet’s favor. Good luck to the pair of them, they deserve each other.
My excitement is not for the wedding, but that Harry will be meeting my parents for the first time. I made the decision, in our early days together, to tell Harry about my stupidity with Lord Guy. Whilst a little hurt, he was not taken aback at all. He has known Lord Guy for many years and understands his character, fully. It is suspected that a maid who worked within the inn is having his child. I wonder why the Duke has not kicked his behind, and is allowing him to marry his granddaughter, but I understand it to be a good match for the family. These things seem all important to the upper classes.
I spend most of the morning showing mama around the grand mansion, and in the afternoon I take a walk on the grounds with both of my parents. The house is in such chaos that we are glad to be away. I take little Laurence with me as the girls are delighting in helping out with all the fancy arrangements.
The church ceremony goes without incident and the younger girls look so very pretty in their bridesmaid dresses. Lady Harriet looks beautiful and I feel in my heart that I want to wish her well, but somehow I do not see how that marriage can be a happy one.
When I told Harry about my imprudence with Lord Gu
y, I gave him the option to step out of our growing relationship. To my relief he has not mentioned it since. I think he respects that I admitted what I had done, and hopefully he forgives me.
The weather holds out for the huge garden party, so we all have a wonderful day. Boats have been put out on the lake and huge tents have been erected with food and drink. There is even an orchestra playing music outside, it is all a very grand affair.
The Duke invited us to dine with the family, when my parents arrived yesterday, so they met everyone, making them feel at ease today. I see my father in deep conversation with the Duke, from across the gardens. As I go in search of my mother, I find her sat at a table with Harry and his father. It all makes me feel so happy.
“Shall we go on one of the boats?” Harry asks me.
Of which I agree and meander down towards the lake, leaving my mother and his father chatting about fixing a broken locket.
“I only wanted to be alone with you,” he tells me. “We haven’t had a moment alone all day,” he complains.
