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Both Nicholas and Althia are
battling hardships during their time apart.
It had been six months since
Nicholas left. They had been the longest six months of Althia's life. It didn't
help matters that every where she turned, there was something to remind her of
him. Every night she would dream of him coming back for her, while every morning
she found it difficult to go down to breakfast, knowing she would have to pass
by "his" room. In the beginning, she had been angry. Angry with
everyone, but most of all with herself. Her self-anger permeated everything she
did or said. Quickly, everyone learned to avoid her and her wrath but now there
was just a dull ache that would not go away. She had no desire to draw or ride
and sent her regrets to anyone who invited her to their ball or reception. She
would not be seen out in public again.
Today she sat in the library,
clutching to the volume of Wordsworth poems, but not daring to open the book.
When would it end? Would she ever feel like herself again?
"Miss?" Humphrey's
voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes, Humphrey?"
"Lady Vaughn is here to
see you."
"Please tell her that I
am not of the temperament to receive visitors."
"He already did,"
Cordelia's voice and person entered the library, "But I wouldn't
listen."
Althia sighed. "Thank
you, Humphrey."
"Will you be needing
anything else?"
"No."
"Yes." Althia and
Cordelia answered simultaneously.
"I and Lady Shevington
will have a spot of tea. Would you please tell Jane to bring it in here,
Humphrey?"
"Yes, madam. Will there
be anything else, miss?"
"No, Humphrey. Thank
you." Althia dismissed him. Humphrey bowed and left the room.
"How can you stand to be
in such a dark room, Althia?" Cordelia asked as she moved toward the
drapes. "It's such a lovely fall day. You should open these and enjoy
it." Cordelia threw open the drapes and the room became awash in sunlight.
Althia brought the book up to
shade her eyes. "What are you doing here, Cordelia?"
"I'm trying to bring you
back into the living, Althia, dear." Cordelia smoothed her royal blue
overcoat of dust. "No one has seen or heard one word from you for six
months. I was beginning to think perhaps something had happened to you."
"I have just been under
the weather, Cordelia. I appreciate your concern, but..."
Cordelia interrupted.
"People have not stopped talking about you since the Wellston ball. Well,
with the Captain being arrested and your disappearance act, you can just imagine
what conclusions everyone is drawing."
"What?" Althia
unconsciously stood up. "The Captain was arrested?"
"Well, yes..."
Cordelia looked at her strangely. "You mean to say you didn't know?"
"No! Of course I did not
know. For what was he arrested?" Althia rushed over to Cordelia, anxious
for any news about the Captain.
"For unauthorized leave
and conduct unbecoming an officer. I simply cannot believe you did not know.
Certainly your servants were aware. Jane and Humphrey were here when the guards
came looking for him. Oh Jane," Cordelia's attention turned to the doorway
where Jane entered carrying the tea service. "Just in time. Just set it
right there." Cordelia moved away from Althia toward the table. Jane poured
the tea for the women while Althia turned but stood there dumbfounded.
"Althia, are you not
going to join me?" Cordelia questioned. Silently, Althia walked over to the
table and sat down.
"Thank you, Jane. That
will be all," announced Cordelia as she took a sip of tea.
"Yes, madam," Jane
curtsied before leaving.
"What of his
sentence?" Althia finally found her voice.
"Oh, it was not too bad,
as I understand it. I believe he was sentenced to Mill Prison for hard
labor."
"Mill Prison!"
Althia gasped. "That place is retched!"
"Indeed!" Cordelia's
eyes sparkled. "I hear some men do not even survive the lightest sentences.
It is a most harsh and foul place."
Althia shuddered. "Have
you heard whether or not the Captain..." Althia could not finish the
sentence.
"No, I have not. But I am
surprised that he has not tried to contact you, with the baby and all?"
"Contact me? Why would he
contact me?"
"Because you're expecting
his child." Cordelia spelled out. She took another sip of tea and watched
Althia's face display a variety of emotions.
Althia sputtered,
"E--Expecting his child? Is that what you think?"
"It is the only logically
conclusion to make, given your reluctance to leave Hindrake these last six
months."
Althia laughed out loud. She
couldn't remember the last time she had laughed and it felt so good, she
continued. Loud, hearty gales of laughter poured from her as Cordelia sat there,
sipping her tea, unsure what to make of Althia's reaction.
"Are you quite
finished?" Cordelia asked as, at last, Althia began to wipe tears from her
face and attempt to catch her breath. "I fail to see what is so humorous
about the situation."
"I...am...not...expecting...anything,"
gasped Althia.
"You mean, you and the
Captain..."
"No." Althia giggled
again. "He has a wife and child, but neither have anything to do with
me."
"Interesting..."
"Is that why you came
over today? To see if I was expecting?"
"It was not the only
reason," Cordelia defended herself. "My family is preparing to travel
to London for Margaret's wedding and I wanted to check on you before we
left."
"London?" An idea
began to form in Althia's mind. "Is there still room at your mother's
home?"
"So many are staying
there, one more will not make a difference. Why?"
"I have been holed up
here long enough. I think London in the fall would be a perfect holiday."
Althia smiled as she and Cordelia began planning the arraignments.
"Lieutenant Metcalf, come
in," Commander Bailey's voice ushered Nicholas into the office. The elder
seaman stood behind his large mahogany desk as Nicholas entered. "It takes
awhile getting used to, does it not?" The men saluted one another.
"I am afraid that I was
not Captain long enough to miss it greatly, Sir."
"Yes, well, it is good to
see you back in uniform. You gave us a bit of a fright those last few
weeks."
"I apologize, Sir. I was
unaware that my health was of such concern to you."
"Now, Nicholas, you know
we were all worried about you when you were injured. Our doctors did the best
that they could. We will never know if you would have lived just the same at
Stonehouse."
Nicholas did know, but refused
to comment.
"Anyway, we are most
pleased that you are well and have completed your sentence. I have your orders
here." He handed Nicholas a piece of paper.
Nicholas broke the seal and
scanned through the orders. "A wedding? Is this true, Sir?"
"Apparently the
bridegroom has some royal connections. Some of the court will be attending and
each military branch has been asked to send representatives. You have been
chosen to represent us."
"I do not understand,
Sir." Nicholas looked questioningly at the older man before him. "I
have just finished serving a punishment and have been demoted and you want me to
represent His Majesty's Royal Navy?"
"Nicholas,"
Commander Bailey walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Anyone of us, if in your situation, would have wished to die in the sea we
love instead of a cold, hard hospital bed. The difference is, most of us would
have died in that bed still wishing. You are one of the best navy men I've ever
had the pleasure of working with and I would be honored to have you represent
us. Besides," the Commander went back behind his desk, "think of it as
a holiday. I've included a few extra days before the wedding for you to go back
home to Gloucester and see your wife and child."
"I have no words,
Sir." Nicholas looked again at the orders. A wedding in London two weeks
from today; he wasn't sure whether to be glad or upset by the orders. His body
was still too weak for him to go back to full and active duty. Once he received
word about Althia, his desire to live died as well. There were a few nights when
even Nicholas himself wondered if he would live to see the next morning.
"Take care of yourself,
Lieutenant, and give that child of yours an extra hug for me, will you?"
"Of course, Sir."
They saluted again and then Nicholas left the office to go home to Gloucester.
Nicholas took a deep breath as
he stood at the bottom step of his sister's flat. He knew that this day would
come sooner or later, but that fact did not make it any easier. He finally
mustered up enough courage to climb the stairs and knocked on her front door.
A few moments later, the knob
turned and a woman appeared, slightly younger than Nicholas, but with the same
dark eyes. She looked up and recognition appeared immediately on her face.
"Nicholas!" she
gasped, throwing open the door. Her arms shot up as her brother's arms wrapped
around her waist.
"Alice, how good to see
you!" They embraced for a few moments.
"I almost didn't
recognize you, Nicky," Alice said as she ushered him inside, closing the
door behind him. "You're just skin and bones."
"The navy has been
working me harder than usual lately," Nicholas skirted the issue. "As
a reward, they allowed me to come here for a few days before reporting to
London."
"London? How
exciting!" Alice directed him to the parlor and motioned him to sit.
"I'll go get the tea started. Do not move!" she commanded mockingly as
she went to the kitchen. Nicholas took a moment to look around the room. Most
everything was as he remembered, but there seemed to be a heaviness that he
could not identify. The house seemed darker and even the fire seemed to have a
blanket keeping its blaze from emanating fully.
Momentarily, Alice returned
with the tea set. She set it down and poured a cup for Nicholas.
"Where is everyone?"
Nicholas asked as she prepared her own cup.
"Walter is down at the
docks helping your father as is Will. I expect them home in another hour or
so."
"And Catherine? Where is
she?"
Alice's teacup began to shake
in her hand. She reached up with the other hand to help set it back on the
saucer. "You didn't get my letter then, did you?"
"I did," Nicholas
admitted. "At least what could be salvaged out of it. But what does that
have to do with Catherine?"
Alice looked at her older
brother strangely. "Everything, of course. That letter was sent to notify
you of your wife's death."
"Catherine?"
Nicholas jumped up and almost knocked the tea service over. He began pacing the
room. "No, no--it cannot be..." he muttered to himself as he paced.
"I know that the two of
you had a falling out a while back, but..."
"No." Nicholas
interrupted. "The letter I received did not say Catherine died. It said
Althia died."
"Althia?" Alice
questioned, surprised. "The woman you wrote me about?"
"Yes! Yes! Your letter
said that she died." Nicholas scrambled to locate the piece of paper on his
person.
"Well, if she did pass
on, you did not receive word from me. All that I know about the woman is what
you wrote me."
He found the worn, wrinkled
piece of paper and eagerly showed his sister. "But this is your
handwriting."
Alice looked at the paper.
"Oh, Nicky...I can see how you could make that mistake. But this letter was
to inform you that Catherine had died of typhoid. It has been nearly two months
ago."
"But, here--at the
end," Nicholas' anticipation making him edgy, "Is that not supposed to
be 'Althia'?"
"No. If I remember
correctly, I wrote something to the effect that 'Although we have been..."
Nicholas cut her off.
"Although! It said, 'Although?'" Life began to dance in his eyes
again.
"What has got you
carrying on in such a way? I tell you that your wife has died and you behave as
if it is the most welcome news! Will you now dance a jig?"
"Only if you dance with
me," Nicholas teased as he smiled and winked at his sister.
"Really, Nicholas, you
should be ashamed of yourself. I know that Catherine was not the best wife, but
she was your wife nonetheless." Alice turned away from him and back to her
teacup. "Her parents have been taking care of Sarah since Catherine first
fell ill. They have made it quite clear that they do not think fondly of you and
do not wish for you to raise their grandchild. They are prepared to go to court
and fight for custody."
"They will get no
argument from me."
"Nicky, have you really
become that callused? What has happened to the dear, sweet, loving brother I
once had?"
"Oh but dear sister if
you only knew," Nicholas sighed as he sat back down. He proceeded to tell
his sister everything concerning Catherine, his injury, and Althia. He did not
tell her about being arrested, only that Althia left the ball and he was
suddenly called away and unable to go to her.
"...and, when I received
this letter fragment, I thought surely that she had died and I would never have
a chance to be with her."
"Oh, Nicky, that is a
most romantic and heartbreaking story. I understand now why you would react the
way you did. What are you going to do next?"
"After the wedding, I am
going to put in my papers to be discharged."
"Discharged? From the
navy? But you love the navy," Alice protested.
"Yes," he admitted,
patting her hand, "But I love her more."
"Your color has returned
very nicely, Althia," Lady Chanceler commented. She, Cordelia, and Althia
were having tea a few days before the wedding.
"I must say, I think that
the London air agrees with me. I do not know what has taken me so long to
come."
"Inability to leave
behind your beloved Hindrake would be my guess," offered Cordelia.
"You may be right,
Cordelia," Althia admitted, "But, I fear now it will be most difficult
to go back."
"You know that you are
welcome to stay as long as you wish, dear. Besides, I think Lord Harrington
would be most upset if you were to leave," Lady Chanceler hinted at an
older gentleman that paid special attention to Althia a few nights ago at a
reception.
Althia had dreaded going, but
quickly found that if she just acted like she was having a good time, she didn't
think about Nicholas and home. Lord Harrington was easily appeased by Althia
laughing at the right time and acting interested in his terribly boring hunting
stories. All those years of watching the Chancelers at work has finally paid
off, she complimented herself.
"While we are at the shop
today, Althia, perhaps we should look for a dress for you?" Cordelia
teased.
Althia smiled. "I do not
think that I will be needing one anytime soon, but it would not hurt to
look."
Mother and daughter smiled
knowingly at each other as Althia sipped her tea. A piece of red caught Althia's
eye. There were so many people here, but every time she saw something red she
half-expected to see Nicholas. This time it was just a woman's hat. She turned
her attention back to the women.
"Cordelia," Lady
Chanceler continued, "After you pick up the wedding gown, be sure to take
it directly to Margaret's apartment. That girl has enough to worry about without
trying to track down her gown."
"Yes, Mother,"
Cordelia dutifully responded.
"Do see that she does,
Althia."
"Do you not trust me,
Mother? I am perfectly capable of retrieving a wedding gown and taking it to my
sister. A gown, which--I would like to point out--cost nearly 3000 pounds."
"Cordelia, dear,"
her mother chided through clenched teeth. "We've had this discussion
before. You cannot expect one to be married in front of royalty wearing a comely
dress."
"Of course not, Mother.
Even though that dress was perfectly fine for my wedding, I can see how it would
not be fashionable for Margaret. Althia, I think we should be going to the shop
now. I would hate for it to be closed before we get there." Cordelia stood
and Althia obligingly did likewise.
"I'll see that nothing
happens to the dress," Althia promised after Cordelia was out of earshot.
Lady Chanceler smiled at her as she hurried off.
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