Tomorrow's Treasure (54 page)

“Because you do not need me to lecture you. You will do what is best.”

“Suppose I wish to keep them?”

Aunt Grace poured tea. “Then you will do so. You are nearly grown up now.”

“They are worth a lot of money. If worse came to worst I could sell them. A little nest egg, so to speak.”

“Yes.” She looked up from the teacups. “Do you want honey in your tea?”

She trusts my judgment
. Evy smiled, knowing she would not disappoint her aunt. She would make the appropriate decision.

But oh! How she wanted to keep the earrings!

With the New Year upon them, it was soon time to return to London. A day before Evy was to board the train she received a letter from Derwent. Mrs. Croft delivered it.

“Aye, Derwent is knowing what I think of him,” Mrs. Croft said shortly. “I told him before he left Grimston Way.”

Evy took the envelope and held it for a moment. Then she looked at Mrs. Croft. “You must not be too hard on him, Mrs. Croft. I told you, I'm not in love with Derwent. I suspect he did not want to hurt me and couldn't endure a face-to-face meeting. Down deep in his heart he probably believes he did betray me. His father, too, and Aunt Grace. Expectations were so high it never gave either of us much choice. I'll need to let him know I hold nothing against him. I only wish Alice and him well. Has he left the village?”

“He has, indeed. Squire sent him off to do some work in London at the family company there. Seems Master Rogan will be giving him some training now that Rogan's graduated from that university. In about a year's time they'll both be going to the Cape … after Alice ups and marries him, that is.”

Evy opened the envelope.

“Well, you've guessed how it is. He writes 'cause he can't look himself in the mirror. He don't have the courage to look you eye to eye either and admit he betrayed you,” Mrs. Croft stated.

Evy shook her head. “I do not think he betrayed me, Mrs. Croft.
This may sound strange, but Derwent and I never talked of marriage outright, or even said we loved each other.”

“Well, it were certainly planned by the good vicar your Uncle Edmund before he were killed the way he was that stormy night. I daresay he would be upset with Derwent for turning his back on you and running away to the diamond mines. Adventure, that's what he wants, and that silly little Alice. Mark my words, she'll regret it once she gets over to that land of savage Hottentots. An' I'll wager Derwent will want to kick himself once he's been married to her a time. He'll be thinking back to the vicarage and the old ways and what he gave up for big dreams.” She gave a sharp, quick nod. “He'll be regretting his quick decisions, all right. I've been around too long not to know that's how life goes. You reap what you sow, that's how it is …”

Evy was barely listening. She read to herself as she sat on the kitchen stool.

I have Squire to thank for this grand opportunity. We talked at some length in the library at Rookswood. It is no secret to you how I have wanted to go to the Cape to make my life and fortune. I never was cut from the cleric's cloth the way my good father was, or your Uncle Edmund. When my father was so ill and I filled in for him behind the pulpit, even writing most of his sermons, it gave me the opportunity to learn that I was not called to the vicarage, and do not at this time have a strong desire to return to divinity school. You are such a fine, upstanding girl that I guessed long ago I was never good enough for you, Miss Evy. Even Lady Elosia said you would never be pleased with me because I was not like your uncle. Alice thought so, too. Lady Elosia thought marrying Alice and beginning a different life in the Cape would be the wisest thing I could do for you, and for me …

I hope you will forgive me if I led you to believe falsely of my intentions toward you. It was always more what your aunt and uncle, and my father, wanted than what either of us wanted. I love you as a sister and think highly of you and always will.

As ever, faithfully your friend
,

Derwent T. Brown

Evy blinked back tears. She folded the letter and replaced it inside its envelope.

“That rascally scoundrel, Derwent!” Mrs. Croft scowled, evidently taking Evy's tears to mean heartbreak.

“My tears are for fond childhood memories, Mrs. Croft, not over losing Derwent. You see, he is right,” she said firmly. “And I think we all did him an injustice in not listening to him these years. He was not
called
to be a vicar. I'm seeing now that his gifts and abilities lie elsewhere than behind a pulpit.”

“Humph. I'm not convinced any.” She shook a finger. “Bad company corrupts good behavior, is what I say. It's that Master Rogan who planted all those restless seeds in Derwent's mind from the times they was boys.”

Lady Elosia said you would never be pleased with me because I was not like your uncle … Marrying Alice and beginning a different life in the Cape would be the wisest thing I could do for you, and for me …

Evy stared at the letter. Strange … about Lady Elosia.

The January morning was cold and frosty as Evy boarded the train for London. The evening before, when Evy questioned whether or not they could afford her return to music school, Aunt Grace assured her all was well.

“We will manage the expenses somehow. It's even more important now that you continue your music studies.”

Once back at Parkridge, school life and her love of music overshadowed past disappointments. She wrote a brief letter to Derwent in care of the Chantry Diamond Company assuring him that his decision to marry Alice Tisdale and go to South Africa in no way caused her either unhappiness or disappointment toward him. She wished him and Alice much joy and prayed God's blessings on their union. She also wrote Rogan:

In the months that concluded Evy's third year of studies, she did not hear back from Rogan, nor did she hear again from Derwent. As for Rogan, it was unclear when he would sail to the Cape. The last she had heard, he remained in London becoming familiar with the inner workings of the family company under the headship of Sir Julien.

Since Arcilla had already graduated from Montague, she remained at Rookswood, as did Peter Bartley. Aunt Grace wrote her that the engagement had been announced and that the marriage would take place in April. Within a week they would then sail for the Cape.

During this period Evy heard from Arcilla twice. She had sent a letter bemoaning the fact that she must go to South Africa, and deplored the notion that Peter might get a government post inland at the colony to be called Rhodesia.

I feel as though I am being sentenced to prison
.

Evy felt compassion for her plight, but what was there to do? At least Peter Bartley had seemed a patient man who would deal kindly with Arcilla's whims.

Another letter came at the end of March.

I am getting married at the rectory on the 15th. Everyone will gather at Rookswood afterward, including Rogan. He has finally accepted Peter as a future brother-in-law. They are getting on quite well now. I would invite you to the ceremony, but you would need to miss some of your exams, and that doesn't seem wise considering you lost Derwent to Alice. You may need to work as a music teacher in the future, so you had better study hard
.

That reminds me—Alice is such a copycat! A week after my marriage, she will marry Derwent in the rectory. Amusing, don't you think?

We sail for Capetown immediately after our marriage, and Derwent and Alice will sail in May. I don't know if I shall see you again before I sail to my doom … If not, I wish you well on your music and future teaching. I will write you from Capetown.

Arcilla

In April, Evy read of Arcilla's marriage in the society page of the London paper. “Diamond Heiress Marries South African Government Official,” the caption read.

There was a stunning photograph of the wedding. Arcilla looked like a princess in white, and Peter Bartley was quite distinguished. But it was Rogan who stood out, and in the background stood Miss Patricia Bancroft as bridesmaid. She held the bride's bouquet. Would she be next to marry?

Aunt Grace did not write about Derwent's marriage, which followed a week later, but she mentioned that Arcilla and her husband had indeed set sail for the Cape, and that Derwent and Alice, now Mrs. Brown, would sail on the first of May.

Evy turned her full attention to her graduation next year from Parkridge. She wondered and prayed about her own future, what she would do, and what God might have in store for her.

And yet, despite her best efforts, she could not shake the awareness that Rogan Chantry had not yet become engaged to Patricia Bancroft.