Hello Lovely Readers,
Okay I will admit I am kind of cheating on NaNoWriMo as I am using this time to continue work on my story and type up parts I haven't or maybe write scenes I need to get through. I know this chunk of the story will not make sense but this is the scene where I keep getting stuck. I know what I want to happen by the end of this scene... I want Leopold to surprise
her by visiting her and then somehow on impulse just kiss her. I want Kelby to
catch them and he calls Mattie on it but she admit that she loves Kelby. But I
don't know how to transition to it. Please read and if you have any suggestions let me know. I really want to get this scene done (at least mentally) and be able to move on.
Thanks,
The whole dinner
was in silence Lord Welford felt no need to ask any of them any questions and
without any direct questions Daphne and Mattie had no opportunity to speak.
Mattie wondered during the meal if she would be ordered to leave in the middle
of the night similar to Catherine Morland had been in Northanger Abbey. If
anyone was General Tilney in this narrative it would be Lord Welford, tight,
rigid, and border line obsessive. Lord Welford did look down on the Harrington
by not being of noble birth or heiresses such as his own wife and he not condone
his wife's friendship with that child, that child who bore a marking
resemblance to Aurora if Aurora had had the chance to grow into maturity. It pained him to see the same hazel eyes with
a sparkle of emerald in them to look at him, and while some would soften with
that pain Lord Welford only grew more severe. The matter only grew worse as
Parker discussed the many attributes of Miss Daphne, the eldest daughter, and
Lord Parker feared his son would make a horrible match with a woman who only
had pleasing looks to recommend her.
"I am sorry for my father's
rude behavior," Parker softly spoke
to Daphne after dinner.
"It is all right Lord Parker. I
understand, I am sure it was a shock for him to have us here, we are practically
strangers to him."
"Still there is no
excuse."
"We will leave tomorrow,"
Daphne lowered her gaze.
"I wish that wasn't the best
option. I know my mother's desire to have your sister be with her, and I swear
as soon as he leaves I will welcome you both to this house."
"You are so considerate Lord
Parker."
Parker took her hands "I wish
you didn't feel the need to be so formal with me."
Daphne stepped back removing her
hands from his grip "Please we are not in London. I cannot do this her,
what if someone sees us."
"You mean what if he sees us.
Don't look at me so puzzled. I know Daphne, I know all about you and Shane
Foster. He can give you nothing. My father won't let me dismiss him as his
family has served us well for years, but he is a servant none the less. He can
give you nothing, I can give you everything."
Daphne would never be sure what
triggered her or how she even did it but she suddenly felt her hand slap
Parker's face. Then she took off running down the hall. He did not come after
her.
Mattie was sitting by the window
when Daphne came in still shaken from what she had just done. In a swift
movement Mattie crossed the floor seeing Daphne look so ill. Mattie asked if
she was all right and Daphne just trembled in answer. Mattie would never know
what transpired that evening, nevertheless, she wrapped Daphne into her arms
and guided her to the bed. Finally Daphne cried out "We have to
leave."
"What tonight?"
"Yes if we can."
"What happened Daphne? Did Lord
Parker say anything?"
Daphne just repeated that they
should leave tonight.
After a little while of Daphne crying
Mattie got Daphne into bed, still in her dinner gown but trembling far less and
her tears had turned into a whimper. Mattie then snuck out to the stable. Kelby
was right where he was suppose to be, reading the thickest book had seen
besides the family Bible and studying it intensely. He hadn't seen her come in
and did not even she was there until she was nearly upon him.
"Miss Mattie, what is it?"
He could tell she was distressed.
"Daphne thinks it is best we
leave tonight."
He didn't ask her why, he knew if
she wanted to say she would have. He simply said "It is not very safe at
night. I do not think Lady Welford would
be at ease knowing her guest had left in the middle of the night. Come calm
yourself with a cup of tea."
"Thank you, no. I have to tend
to my sister."
"Is she ill?"
Mattie just shook her head not
knowing how to truly respond. Something had happened that night though she didn't
know what? She worried that Lord Welford had dismissed them in the night as she
feared and Daphne was too kind to say. However, she didn't want to question
Daphne as Mattie feared that would only
distress Daphne so Mattie didn't know what had happened. Mattie wondered if
Daphne had seen Shane since they arrived, it seemed unlikely as she spent most
of her time indoors and with Lord Parke around so much she would certainly not
seek Shane out. Perhaps she had run into Shane and they had an argument. Mattie
didn’t know much about their relationship and how much they had seen of each other
and the strain that must be caused by hiding their relationship, and Mattie
wondered if this had grown to alter their love. Love is not love with alterations find, no it is an ever fixed mark. Mattie pushed these thoughts out of her mind,
Shakespeare was hardly needed now.
"I am sorry we did not get our
ride in," she breathed.
"I will always be here
waiting."
"Thank you Kelby."
With that she turned and returned to
Daphne who had managed to change out of her own dress and into her night gown
and was fast asleep. Mattie stayed up waiting staring out the window to watch
when Kelby turned out his lantern in the stable.
The girls left Cranston just after
breakfast. Lord Welford did not come to see them off. Mattie felt she had done
something horrible wrong and worried if she would ever be back at Cranston
Court again. Daphne hardly made eye contact with anyone that morning and felt
to be holding her breath until they were in the carriage. "Well I am glad
we have left, I have never felt a place so altered as Cranston has
become," Daphne said stoically but in truth it was just an act in front of
Mattie. She would never let her younger sister know what had passed the
previous night and how she felt the weight of that press on her chest.
Mattie did not question Daphne's act
as she was lost in her own thoughts of why Lord Welford had responded so
harshly to her friendship with Lady Adelaide. Last night Parker said it was not
for him to understand the thoughts and words, but he must have known something.
Mattie had seen him discuss things with Daphne maybe he had told her the
reasons Lord Welford had acted the way he did and that made her nervous.
"Thank you Kelby," Mattie
said taking his hand as he assisted her from the carriage.
"My pleasure Miss
Mathilda."
Daphne was already inside and they
held hands a little longer than necessary but both did not want to let go.
"Please write to me if Lady
Welford gets worse."
"I will come for you the moment
I can."
Mattie shook her head "no
don't, I know I am not welcomed while Lord Welford is at Cranston."
Kelby didn't understand what she
meant, he let her hand go after that and her walk. It had barely been a week
since she returned and already he felt the distance between her.
~~~
Two weeks passed before Mattie heard
any word from Cranston, it did not come from Kelby or Mrs. Banks as she
suspected but from Lord Parker. He wrote briefly to Daphne saying his mother's
health was on the mend and Lord Welford continues is residence. It was not much
news, Mattie replied when Daphne concluded the not though she was happy to hear
that Lord Parker was paying so much care to his mother's health. By the time
Lord Parker had written Leopold
Brashware had already wrote to Mrs. Harrington and she passed his letter onto
Mattie.
Miss Mathilda,
How
has it only been three weeks since I have seen you, it feels such an age ago. The
memories of our brief time in London keep me going as I have to handle business
here. I long to see you and talk to you again. I know you must be out of sorts
with your dear friend ill, but I have faith she will be well soon. I have only
met Lady Welford a handful of times in my time of knowing Parker but I
recognized a certain strength in her that tells me she is a fighter. The same
strength I see in you, though you try to hide it.
I
am promised daily by my father's managers that business should wrap up shortly.
I pray for it more than believe their words. Managers are paid whether the work
hands show up or not and without the workers they have less stress, so it might
be in their best interest to keep the strike going. However, it is not in ours
and I can tell the delay in work stresses my father.
I
do hope though that work will resume again and I might be so bold as to make a
detour to Derbyshire on my way back to London. I will wait for your approval on
that notion.
Your friend,
Leopold
It wasn't overly affectionate, probably because Leopold knew this letter would be read by Mrs.
Harrington and all things must remain in check under the rules of propriety. Of
course this was good since Mattie only asked for friendship from him. She had
been silly in London, to think he could care for her in any such ways, she
thought it had been the London air that got to her. Life in London had been quite
fast pace almost dizzying. She was certain because of it she had lost focus on
any true reality.
She had not replied to his letter
until after she heard from Lord Parker. Mattie told him how Lord Parker believed
Lady Welford's health was on the mend, although she couldn't confirm or deny it. She stopped herself from
reporting to him what had happened in their short stay at Cranston Court. She
advised Brashware that a trip at this moment would be fruitless. Even with Lady
Welford being on the mend she was hardly healthy enough to have guest. With the
news she heard from Kelby about Dr. Gibson believing it was Lady Adelaide's
heart and how she should go to a specialist Mattie didn't think Cranston would
not likely host anyone for another year. Mattie did not write that part,
fearing that if she expressed those words would make them come true, and it
pained her to think of Lady Adelaide so ill. Daphne was right Cranston had
altered dramatically, Lady Adelaide was the heart and soul of Cranston and
Cranston reflected her ill health.
 |
| {Leopold Brashware} |
After Mattie sent off her reply to
Leopold she thought life could return to normal. Deep down she thought he would
forget her, she felt that she had written a clear but respectful letter of
rejection. She didn't state that she wanted to see him and paid no mind to his
longing to see her. Mattie wrote wishing him the best in business and in life
and stated that she did not know when they would see him again. Though she had
little familiarity of how to write to a gentleman she felt her knowledge with literature
gave her inspiration enough to write her letter of refusal. Though as she
wandered back to Southerton from the post office she examined herself and
thought she had been too harsh and she didn't want to reject his friendship and
maybe he would read her letter and think that. No he must not think that, but
if friendship is all he wanted then he would certainly read it that way. She
wondered if she should follow up her letter with a note stating that she was
thankful for his friendship. Why does
mind go to such thoughts? When it
came to Leopold Brashware Mattie recognized she questioned herself far more
than she did with other people. With others she knew where she stood but with
him she felt oddly confused by his words and his actions and as much as she
didn't want to admit it, it intrigued her, just a bit.
