Where Love Takes You (3 page)

“And
I yours,” I told him truthfully for it had certainly been an eventful day and I watched his tall figure walk back along the lane before entering the house.

As
I stepped into the hallway and removed my straw hat I could hear laughter coming from the slightly open door of the drawing room. It was a woman’s soft laughter and I stopped wondering if it were indeed the visitor when the door suddenly opened and Lina started to run across the hallway towards me.

“Walk,
don’t run,” I admonished her gently and she did as she was bid.

“Charlotte,
please come and see what Miss Verity has brought me back from Paris!” She excitedly took hold of my arm pulling me toward the drawing room. As I stepped into the lovely green decorated room of modest proportions I could see Richard Roseby standing by the fireplace and seated on the settle was a lovely woman with chestnut-coloured hair, swept up at the back with soft ringlets adorning her brow. I had little time to study her or to think straight as Lina led me over to a small polished table beneath the long window which was draped with soft green velvet curtains.

“Look
Charlotte, Look,” urged Lina. I could see why she was so excited, silk ribbons of all hues and colours lay on the table in a profusion of colour along with white and cream lengths of intricately woven lace, together with a colourful round pomander.

“They
are lovely,” I enthused with Lina. “But do please try to control your excitement, especially in front of others Lina.”

“Ever
the dutiful companion.” I turned to Richard at the sound of his voice. I could scarce believe now that I was back at Middlepark that my day had gone so well, it was now all like a dream.

“I’m
sorry Mr Roseby, I should perhaps allow Lina some excitement for today as it is obviously very special,” I said demurely.

“Miss
Trent, I would have you no other way,” Richard said smiling.

“Let
me introduce you to Verity Hawksworth.” At his words the young woman rose from the settle, smoothing her pale violet-coloured skirts as she stood to greet me.

“I
am most pleased to meet you Miss Trent,” she spoke softly, “for I have heard so much about you today.”

“Good
things I hope,” I said rather foolishly, as for once the cat seemed to have got my tongue.

“All
good indeed; I assure you,” the young woman said. “And Lina very obviously adores you.” The young woman’s words held no hint of jealously or sarcasm and I warmed to her straight away, at the same time thinking as I looked at smiling Richard Roseby that my daydreaming days were finally over and I wondered idly if he adored the lovely Verity.

Chapter Three

I wouldn’t have found the letters if a half crown had not slipped from my hand and rolled under the bed. I had been assessing my finances with a view to buying a new gown when it had happened. It was the day after I had met Verity Hawksworth and the day Lina and I were to take tea with Georgina at Redcliffe Manor, which I was now looking forward to as I wished to see the manor close up. I got down on my knees and looked under the bed. I could see the elusive coin wedged in the corner between the floorboards, now what was I to do I mused, for the bed would be heavy to move but I had to retrieve the coin as I couldn’t afford to lose it. Getting to my feet I lifted the top bed head and with all my strength moved the bed toward me so I could just squeeze behind it and rescue the half crown. I got my breath back from the exertion and then pushed myself between the bed and the wall. Struggling to kneel down, my skirts hampering me, but with grim determination I found myself on my knees. The coin was hard to budge from its resting place, I pulled really hard, the coin grasped between my fingers and to my dismay as I released the half-crown the floorboard came with it and I was staring into a small gap beneath.

It
was a rogue piece of floorboard which had been cut into a small square and I was just about to place it back when something in the cavity arrested my attention, now my eyes had adjusted to the light in the corner. Reaching into the hole, my hand surrounded paper, quite a think bundle of it. Gently I removed the wad and still kneeling in the restricted corner of my room I looked down at that I’d retrieved. It was a bundle of letters, carefully tied together with a length of red silk ribbon. I carefully laid them on the floor beside me while I looked back into the gaping cavity to see if there was anything else there. A glint of guilt twinkled up at me and once more I placed my hand down to retrieve the item, and could see on bringing it out into the light that it was a small miniature of a young man. Laying it together with the letters before ensuring there was nothing else hidden beneath the floorboards, I placed the piece of polished wood back into position and swiftly got to my feet with the treasure I had uncovered, intent now on looking at my find before I was disturbed. I pushed my bed back into place with a little effort and sat down on the bedcover looking at the bundle of letters and the miniature which were now in my hand.

My
first thought was how long had they been lying in secret beneath the floorboards? My second question was, who did they belong to? And my third and most important question was why had they been hidden? My second question was answered as I pushed back the ribbon a little on the top envelope and could see written in a bold masculine hand the name Madeline. So who was she? Obviously a young woman who had occupied this room, but when? Should I pass them to Richard Roseby was my next dilemma? But a voice inside my head said an emphatic, “no”. Looking at the miniature I could see it was of a blonde haired young man dressed in a blue jacket with a white ruffled shirt. He was handsome in a gentle way, his blond eyelashes curled over his eyes and his jaw line held no determination. The small lips were parted in a half smile, his eyes looking directly at me as if he were indeed in the room. I made a sudden decision as I looked at my fob watch pinned to my grey day dress and could see it was nearly half past eight and I knew that Lina would soon enter the room. Quickly I hid the letters and miniature in my dressing table drawer underneath my neatly laid underwear. Just in time I thought as the door burst open to reveal Lina, dressed in a green muslin dress, a ribbon to match in her blonde hair.

“How
do I look Charlotte?” she said excitedly. “I’m so looking forward to our outing to the Manor today, for I’ve not been there before.”

“I
also look forward to it Lina,” I told her, going over to the dressing table mirror to check that I was tidy enough for breakfast, and thinking, as I looked into the mirror, of the apparition I’d thought I seen, wondering at the same time if it had been Madeline. This thought made me restless for I knew that I would not be able to look through the letters until much later in the day.

“You
look thoughtful Charlotte,” Lina observed.

“Goodness
me Lina, I was only deliberating as to whether to purchase a new gown for myself,” I told her lightly.

“Oh
yes,” Lina enthused, “when the dressmaker comes tomorrow you will be able to choose the material and be measured as I will.”

“I
do not think that will be possible Lina,” I said dampening her enthusiasm. “I will probably need to take a trip to Exeter.”

“I’m
sure it will be permissible for you to be measured tomorrow, in fact, I insist on it and I intend to put the matter to Papa,” she said boldly, and I realised that at last Lina was beginning to think for herself which was a sign of progress and also a sign of her becoming a young lady in her own right. I secretly hoped that this was in some way down to my tuition over the past weeks.

“We
shall see,” was all I said. “What is the weather like today?” I asked, changing the subject, “for I have not had much chance to look from the window today.”

“Come
and see,” urged Lina taking hold of my hand. We looked from the window together; the sky was a brilliant blue but today light grey clouds moved slowly across it. I realised that we were nearing the beginning of September and the weather was bound to change from the glorious summer I’d experienced since arriving here.

“Come
Lina, we had best go down to breakfast for we are late already.”

On
entering the dining room I could see Verity sat at the table sipping coffee from a white bone china cup, she looked up and smiled at us.

“Good
morning Lina and Miss Trent,” she said in her soft voice. “I apologise that I have finished breakfast, but Richard and I are to go on a jaunt to Exeter today for I have an appointment.”

“Do
not apologise Miss Hawksworth, for I am very lucky that a young woman in my position can breakfast with her employers,” I admitted, a slight tremor in my voice for Verity looked beautiful in a simple white cotton blouse with a frill at the neck and cuffs; a cameo brooch pinned sedately at her lovely throat. How I could ever have thought that my employer would fall for my charms, which were few against the lovely Verity’s I could not imagine.

“I’m
sure dear Richard is an admirable employer and very pleased for you to join them at their table Miss Trent.” At these words she got to her feet smoothing her black silk skirts. “I will see you some time later then, do enjoy your trip to Redcliffe; I have not seen Georgina for some time.”

“Thank
you Verity,” Lina said as she helped herself to toast and butter. As she went to leave Verity Hawksworth turned to me and said as an afterthought, “It is Mrs Miss Trent, but no matter.” With which words she smiled her beautiful smile and departed leaving me with a shocked expression on my face for I would have put a wager on it that Richard Roseby had introduced the lovely Verity to me as Miss Hawksworth. This put a whole new perspective on the situation and as Lina and I travelled in the open carriage to Redcliffe Manor I mulled this over and my spirits lifted.

It
was chillier today and I half wished I had covered my shoulder with a shawl as Lina had had the sense to do.

“What
do you think of Verity?” Lina asked me unexpectedly as we bowled along the country lane.

“She
is a very lovely young woman and very much a gentlewoman.” I had been caught unawares, but at the same time realised that my words were indeed true.

“It
is such a pity that her husband died so young,” said Lina in a very grown up way of talking.

“Her
husband died?” I said somewhat stupidly, my heart sinking once more.

“Yes,
he died of consumption,” Lina told me willingly.

“And
how long ago was this?” I asked with interest, trying at the same time to appear nonchalant.

“A
year ago,” Lina told me. “Verity has been in Paris for some time staying with her friend.”

“I
see,” I answered slowly, “and how did your Father come to know Mrs Hawksworth?”

“She
was a friend of the family or so I believe. So both she and Papa are on their own now, who knows what may happen.” Indeed, I thought to myself and my spirits flagged again until we turned into the drive of the manor. It still held the same beauty for me but as we drew nearer to the front of the building I could see with some astonishment that the building was in a sad state of disrepair. Paint was flaking from the walls and the many windows were shrouded with cobwebs and, now closer, I could see that shutters on the inside were closed against the daylight. I was even more astonished when instead of the carriage stopping at the front entrance we went on round to the side of the building where Georgina waited for us outside a small arched doorway which was set at the side of the vast building.

“Welcome
to Redcliffe Manor.”

“Thank
you for inviting us,” I replied amiably. “The manor is vast.”

“It
most certainly is,” agreed our hostess, seeming not at all perturbed by the shabbiness of her home.

Lina
and I followed Georgina along a narrow passageway which was covered with a green-coloured almost threadbare carpet; the corridor smelt musty and little used. We were led into a huge room at the back of the house, the musty smell continued in here also in spite of a large fire which, although summertime, burnt in the marble grate. There were two long maroon-coloured settles arranged around the fireplace with a beautifully carved walnut coffee table standing before them. A huge glass chandelier hung from the centre of the ceiling which was big enough to take at least a hundred candles. Two large windows with cream-coloured shutters and shabby maroon curtains were set in the wall opposite the doorway and looking to my right I could see a long polished dining table with ten high-backed chairs arranged around it. I took all this in in seconds and felt some sympathy for Jonathon and Georgina for the place had obviously been opulent at some time in the past, and I set to wondering what could have happened to it.

“Please
be seated,” Georgina said, indicating the settle by the fire. Lina and I did as we were bid. “I will just summon the maid.” As she spoke Miss Moor went over to the bell pull by the fireplace and I watched her. Georgina had an hourglass figure and today she wore a light brown-coloured day gown which suited her fair colouring admirably, and as she turned towards me, looking at her face I realised it wasn’t age etched there but worry and I could see why she had her sights set on Richard Roseby.

The
turn of conversation substantiated this.

“You
will have noted,” began Georgina as she settled herself on the other settle near the fire, “that our home is falling down around our ears.”

“It
is nonetheless a beautiful place,” I offered, trying to be honest and comforting at the same time.

“Our
Father gambled his fortune away,” she continued wistfully, as much to herself as to us. “He was a very unhappy man, but he has left us with very little. I had hoped that Jonathon would marry well, but he seems disinterested in restoring our family fortunes.”

“I’m
sure one day some good luck will be yours,” I pacified her, for I could see Georgina was in an unhappy frame of mind as she twisted her handkerchief between her hands, now and then dabbing her eye with it, We were interrupted by two maids who brought in a tray with delicately cut sandwiches and fruitcake on china plates with a pot of tea. The bone china was beautiful, a rose pink in colour with a large tea pot to match and I realised that there were obviously very lovely things in this house but little money for the upkeep, and as Lina and I left some time later I felt differently about Georgina, a thing that in time I was to regret but little did I know it then.

As
we travelled back in the carriage and watched the now slate grey clouds moving in over the sea I wondered idly where Jonathon had been whilst we had visited Redcliffe.

“Can
we walk down the lane and pick some wild flowers please Charlotte?” Lina asked so enthusiastically as we arrived back at the house that I could not deny her. I went to my room first to collect my shawl as the sun today was now and then hidden by grey clouds and the air felt chilly when for many weeks it had been pleasantly hot. I glanced briefly at the dressing table mirror, almost expecting to see another message scrawled across it but today the glass was gleaming, showing only my reflection. I went back down the two flights of steps to join Lina in the hall.

“There
is a letter for you Charlotte,” Lina told me, bringing it across. I took it gently from her wondering who could possibly be writing to me, I looked at the envelope in my hand, it was cream-coloured and of good quality. The address on the front with my name had been written in a business like way in black ink.

“Aren’t
you going to read it?” asked Lina with expectation.

“I’m
sure it will keep until our return,” I told her, placing the letter in my reticule. “Let us go then and see what wild flowers we can see and collect,” I said brightly all the while idly wondering who the letter was from.