Enchanted Summer: (Regency Romance) (20 page)

“Is Caroline aware of all that’s happened?” Celia asked.

“Perhaps Jack has been in touch with her. If she knows anything at all it will not have been through me. I seldom correspond with Julia, and Sally and Mary are not great correspondents. Both Robert and I think that whatever news we disclose to them will best be told when they return from Bath, in a fortnight, from what Julia said in her letter.”

“I’m certain Caroline, if she learns anything about the outcome of the elopement and the fact that Jack did not bother to keep secret her part in it will not be too anxious to return, or shorten her stay.”

The girls parted that night each with many thoughts and events to think over when they were alone and glad that they had renewed their friendship.

* * *

Caroline continued unaware of the events that had shaken the lives of the Meade family.

Eventually, though, she received a scribbled note from Jack in which he disclosed he had called off the elopement in the middle of it and that he had been brought to the brink of a duel for his action. Jack gave her no details of the duel other than to say that it had been Fred who had challenged him. And shortly after, the uncle on whom he depended, appalled at his nephew’s actions, purchased for him a far post commission in India, and was long gone before Caroline returned from Bath.

Seething with anger after receiving Jack’s letter, Caroline was not too anxious to shorten her stay in Bath.

Tom found Caroline’s actions deplorable and he was too ashamed of her to even take pen to paper and put it down in writing. He had no contact with Fred, for now, for Fred, overwhelmed by the tasks left to him by Sir Hugh had no time for correspondence. Tom knew only that Mrs. Meade and Fred were gone to Farley Hall to attend a dying relative.

And as the days went by, Bella’s condition improved and she was, one sunny afternoon, well enough to be carried with her chair to the garden where a romance soon began to blossom between her and Liddell Welsh.

CHAPTER 22

“Celia,” said Ellen one day as the girls sat with their embroidery in the garden, keeping an eye on the two young lovers, “now that you can no longer be worried about Bella, could we not repeat an afternoon that once gave me great pleasure?”

It was now ten days since she and Bella had arrived at the house and she knew that in less than a week Dr. Lorne would allow Bella to undertake the journey back to Rook’s end. Her mother and Fred were still at the hall and she corresponded daily with them.

Uncle Worth was to return from Liverpool at about the same time as they. She had decided that she and Bella would not remain in the house for more time than was needed to thank Uncle Worth for all his help and to pack their belongings; she would not spend one more day than was necessary in the same house as Caroline, whose actions had brought them such grief.

“What afternoon do you refer to, Ellen?”

“Why, don’t you remember that lovely day when we went to the botanical gardens and then afterwards to the museum? Did you not enjoy it as much as I?”

“Enjoy it! Ellen, that was probably one of the nicest days of my life.”

“Well, then, it’s settled. I shall speak to Robert about it. He has mentioned that now that Bella is better we might go out a little. He’s been so busy with his Parliamentary duties that he’s hardly been with us much. He feels you have been cooped up here for far too long. And by the way, I have been meaning to ask you, you would not mind if Maria came along. I’m afraid the poor dear feels neglected.

“I would be happy to have her come with us. I hope she does not feel I take too much of your time.”

“No, nothing of the kind,” Ellen assured her. “She’s very fond of you. That’s why I think we should include her.”

“And on which day have you decided?” Celia asked, trying to control the tremor of excitement in her voice.

“Is tomorrow a suitable day for you?”

“Yes—but Bella—”

“I have thought of that too,” Ellen replied, “Maria’s mother, Aunt Helen, has agreed to spend the day at the house and sit with Bella and attend to her. In that way we shall not deprive Liddell of one single day of Bella’s company. I’m certain he would never forgive us.”

“In that case there is nothing to hold us.” Celia’s pulse had quickened at the prospect.

“We shall now start planning on what we’re going wear. And I hope you shall not deprive me of helping you with your toilette, Celia, for I do so long to arrange your hair. With all these troubles you have not taken any care about your appearance, other than to appear well-groomed.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Celia smiled in agreement.

The following morning Ellen asked Celia if she would come to her bedroom that she had something to show her.

“I have,” added Ellen, “a beautiful walking gown recently delivered that does not fit, nor does it look well on me. It’s really a lovely dress. Its rich bottle green is just right for your hair color and complexion, dearest. Will you allow me to make a gift of it to you?”

“Thank you, Ellen, I’m anxious to see it,” Celia said with a wide smile.

“Then let us go indoors and call Mrs. Pratt to chaperone these two.”

“It’s a beautiful gown,” said Celia, glancing at herself in the mirror. It was luxurious and becoming. “But surely it must cost a fortune. Did Mrs. Manley sew it?”

“No, of course it did not cost a fortune, Celia,” Ellen replied quickly, fearing Celia might change her mind about wearing the walking dress. She hoped she would be forgiven her small by evasion fib, letting Celia assume Mrs. Manley had sewn it, for she dared not let Celia know that the dress had been made at one of the most expensive shops in London and of the finest materials available.

“You look stunning,” she told Celia.

Celia thanked Ellen and hugged her warmly.

“It’s getting close to the hour Robert will come to fetch us.” Ellen said and brought out the seed pearl pins and the comb. “Let me do your hair, Celia.”

* * *

Robert waited for the girls downstairs in the hall. Ellen came down first and kept him company. Soon Maria arrived with her mother and the atmosphere eased a little. Ellen could tell her brother was extremely tense and ill-at-ease. She hoped her careful plans would not go amiss. She and Maria would keep each other company so that Robert and Celia might have a chance to talk to each other.

When Celia came down the stairs Robert had drawn his breath at sight of her.

After saying good bye to them and wishing them a happy afternoon, Maria’s mother retired to her tea.

The group boarded the carriage and Ellen kept up the conversation with Maria while Robert and Celia listened in silence. London was alive with sounds but the day, which had started out with sunshine had darkened and there was a fine drizzle that kept steady even after they had arrived at the botanical gardens. The place was almost deserted, for the rain had kept the visitors away. The group walked into the large building and commented on how pleasant it was to have the place to themselves, for the last time they had come there had been a throng.

The lanes, which accommodated only two at a time, forced the group into two abreast, with Celia and Robert in front and Ellen conversing quietly with her cousin behind them.

For a while Celia and Robert walked in silence, tensely aware of each other. Celia was aware of the exotic plants only as a green blur.

Ellen and Maria fell farther behind as Ellen stopped to admire plants, giving the pair ahead an opportunity to speak in relative privacy.

At first, Robert’s voice was strained, and Celia’s responses equally so. But little by little they began to feel at ease in each other’s company.

They had reached a fountain where there were comfortable benches around and where on their other visit Celia and Ellen had stopped to rest.

“This is such a nice fountain,” Ellen said when all four stopped.

“Shall we sit here a while?” Robert asked her, knowing that Ellen tired easily.

“You go ahead,” said his sister, “I’m not tired as yet and I want to show Maria some exotic plants. We’ll return shortly.”

Ellen and Maria walked away arm in arm and Robert and Celia sat on one of the benches to await their return.

“Would you rather go with them, Celia?” Robert asked.

“I think I’d like to sit here for a while,” Celia replied. “It’s so pleasant just to be among these beautiful plants. It feels as though we are in a jungle.”

“A jungle is much denser and there is such a heavy humid air about it that is very different from this hothouse atmosphere. I think you would like it.”

“You have been to the jungle?”

“Yes, the jungle in India.”

“Tell me about it, Robert, I would so like to hear about your experiences there.”

When Robert began to recall his journey to India Celia stole a glance at his profile. Robert looked steadfastly before him as he spoke, only now and then glancing at her and away from her as he emphasized words. Celia noticed that his dark brown hair curled a little in disarray around his ears and that the dark blue of his eyes, to which she was drawn to as a beacon, pulled her to him as he too turned and stopping mid-sentence gazed into her eyes. And this time he did not look away. Nor did Celia.

They had been sitting on the bench half turned to each other, each with an arm resting on the back of the bench and there was now a palpable silence between them. Robert then looked down at Celia’s hand, where there was not a single ring, and slowly, gently, covered her hand with his; then his fingers closed around hers.

For a few moments they stood still, looking down at their clasped hands as though afraid that the fragile connection might disappear like a mirage. They both stood up as if in accord and the chasm that had gaped between them was no more, as the distance disappeared in the crash of their embrace. Celia felt Robert’s lips hard against hers and knew then that even if they should be parted again, their spiritual union could never be dissolved.

She looked into his eyes as they separated and saw still in his eyes, through the mists in her mind that in his look there was still a plea. That he should still think she might not love him! She remembered that in the wood the weight of the moment had been on him.

“I have loved you from the first moment I saw you,” she said.

“Then why…”

“At the time I could not do anything that might endanger my family’s living. We were entirely dependent on Uncle Worth and little enough welcome in his house by anyone other than him. Caroline had called a meeting with her father and Mama and me. I was to avoid any contact with you or Ellen. If I didn’t, Caroline promised she would make life miserable for our family and we would be forced to leave.”

“It would have been better if I had known the reason, Celia,” Robert said, shaking his head. “I imagined—oh, God, what I imagined!”

“Yes, Robert,” Celia said with sadness in her eyes. “I promised myself that when I was free to disclose the reason why I rejected your love I would do so, for I felt you had mistaken it or that you thought I took your love lightly. But I could not place you in a position where you would have to take in my whole family when you had enough in your hands just taking care of your father.”

“I can’t imagine what Caroline was thinking,” he said. “You can’t make someone love you if they won’t. I have never been attracted to her and now I know why. She was not someone I would ever consider for marriage even before I met you. And after I met you that was all I wanted, for you to be in my life, always.”

“I felt I had no right to place my family’s living in jeopardy. You don’t understand how hard it was for us after Father died. I wanted to do as Caroline asked so that my family’s living would not be in jeopardy…”

“But denying your love for me was not likely to advance Caroline’s ambitions,” said Robert. “Actually, when you left, I felt compelled to spend more time in London, to get away from her.”

“We were in a precarious situation at the house, Robert,” Celia replied. “Bella had overheard Caroline–this is too painful. I should rather not talk about it for now. Later, we might go into the details so that there is nothing between us anymore, but for now, Robert, I’d rather not expand on it.”

“I understand,” Robert said, kissing Celia’s hand which he still held. “Your reasons were noble, though they were a bitter pill to swallow. But we are together now. That’s what’s important. And I love you more than my life. Will you marry me, Celia?”

“Yes, oh, yes!” Celia replied. She kissed the hand that held hers. “I would be proud to be your wife.”

They turned as they saw Ellen and Maria returning to join them once again.

“We’re ready to have our tea, aren’t we, Maria? I believe we walked a mile!”

“Yes,” Maria confirmed with a guarded glance at the couple’s locked hands. “We are quite ready for our tea.”

* * *

Robert and Celia spent many hours in the garden during Bella’s convalescence. And the two couples were hardly aware of each other or of the company that called occasionally on the family.

The quiet, walled garden seemed a haven for Celia as she waited for Robert to conclude the day’s business. For Celia there was music and poetry in the soft summer breeze that danced through the trees and stirred the upturned faces of the daisies and quivered among the posies and daffodils.

“Those two might as well be on the moon for all the notice they take of us,” said Robert one morning when the sunshine warmed their faces and bees and butterflies buzzed around the flower beds. His glance was on Liddell and Bella, whose heads were close together as they bent over a book that Liddell had brought to Bella.

“Liddell cannot neglect his business much longer,” said Celia. “I believe he feels now that a moment spent not in Bella’s company is completely wasted.” But although Robert and Celia might view the other couple curiously they were hardly better themselves, as they spent every single available moment with each other hardly aware of life around them.

She was sorry when these dream-filled hours in the garden came to their end and the journey back to Shelton became uppermost in their plans.

The group was to make the journey back together and Bella, having recovered completely made plans for the return trip with spirit and energy. Celia was happy that her sister seemed her old self at last.

“Will Mamma be very angry at me, Celia?” Bella asked on the eve of their departure.

“Can anyone be angry with you for long? But now that you are recovered, Bella, I must have a talk with you.”

“I know,” Celia went on, “that you were influenced by others in this impulsive step you took. You were lucky at the outcome, yet it could have turned out differently just as well and then you would have brought grief not only to yourself but to those who love you dearly.”

“I am so ashamed, and have thought a lot on it,” Bella replied.

“And what have you concluded?”

“That I did not see the consequences of my action but only thought of the moment—and of being with Jack.”

“One cannot make decisions that are for the moment,” Celia said gently, “for decisions of such magnitude affect your whole life and may have consequences that cannot ever be mended. Are you aware that submitting to an impulse could have ruined your entire life and brought shame not only on yourself but on your family?”