Page 10 of A Sonata for the Fiery Lady
“Since we are being perfectly honest with each other, Mr Quinn, I will tell you that I don’t want to marry Lord Smithers. If I could, I would find a way out of town immediately, away from my parents and society. But that is a hard thing to do for a lady of status. I’m not trained to work, and not many people would hire a lady of my upbringing,” Melisa confessed, averting her eyes from Mr Quinn because she was embarrassed to say such scandalous things. After all, they barely knew one another.
“If there is anything I can do to aid thee, Miss Melisa, I will do it,” Mr Quinn promised, causing Melisa to look at him again. He appeared genuine, and Melisa dearly hoped that she could really trust him.
“Thank you, Mr Quinn. Well then, I shall see you tomorrow morning,” Melisa said with a true smile, dipping her head to him once more. He smiled in return as he stood and bowed to her. She forced herself to turn away from him, hating to leave him because she’d enjoyed their conversation.
As Melisa made her way home, she began to pray again, silently this time as she thought about her fate.Please, Lord, Melisa thought,help me find a way out of this engagement. Help me find a way into a better life that I could be happy in, even if I have to work every day for the rest of my life. Melisa continued to pray all the way home, surprised when she returned to her house without anyone noticing her gone.
She went to the dining room, spotting her parents still having their breakfast. Melisa didn’t dare join them as she continued to the gardens, hoping to convince them that she’d been out there all along. She settled onto a bench near a rose bush, examining the blooms as her mind wandered. Even though she was looking at the flowers, her mind was on Mr Quinn, envisioning what their life could possibly be like together. It was a fantasy, but one that kept her company as the hours of loneliness dragged on in front of her.
Chapter 7
Oliver never thought he’d ever feel this happy again. It reminded him of when he’d first been hired to perform with a company of other musicians at a dinner party. He’d been barely thirteen when he was hired, and he’d performed so well that he’d been quickly hired by many other families. That feeling of success that filled him with joy was what he felt now as he made his way quickly back to his apartment.
He couldn’t get Miss Melisa out of his mind as he thought of their morning together. How fortunate for him that he’d stumbled upon her this morning. Oliver could only imagine how dreadful he currently appeared, but she didn’t seem to mind as she’d even taken him by the arm and led him to the park.
Oliver smiled the whole way home, thinking that if Miss Melisa hadn’t already been engaged, he would have kissed her this morning, wanting to show her just how much he appreciated all that she had done for him. Not only had Miss Melisa shown him sympathy and tried to cheer him up, but she had also given him a reference to a magistrate that might be able to help.
As Oliver made his way through the streets and back to his apartment, he stood at the door for a moment, being reminded once more that when he opened the door, his father wouldn’t be on the other side. Taking a deep breath, Oliver pulled his key from his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open so he could see into the apartment.
It looked like nothing was different as he stepped into the common room. If anyone came to visit him, they’d see nothing unusual or any signs that his father had died. He could still smell the scent of his father and was sure that if he went to his room, it would feel like he was standing right next to the man. The apartment simply looked like the cosy little home that they’d always made it to be.
Oliver eventually closed the door behind him, locking it again as he slowly walked down the hallway to his room. He felt exhausted despite the fact that he needed to pay Mrs Jenkins and then go in search of this magistrate. He had things to do, and yet he was losing control over his body. He’d been up all night and had spent the morning with Miss Melisa. And though he was overjoyed with getting to spend private time with the beautiful young lady, he knew that now he would pay for pushing his body to the limits.
He fell onto his bed, not even bothering to undress as he quickly passed out, his subconscious rising to greet him and pull him down into a sleepless dream.
~*~
Melisa was in her room, trying to read one of her favourite novels in Italian, when Miss Thorsten came into the room carrying an afternoon tea tray. She set it beside her as Melisa continued to pretend to read. Though she tried to read the words, her mind would only think of Mr Quinn and their morning together.
“Lady Stanton has gone out, Miss Melisa. She’s gone to call upon Lady Meriwether,” Miss Thorsten spoke up, causing Melisa to sigh.
“Well, that sounds very good for her, then,” Melisa replied, wishing that she had a friend to call upon. Or perhaps she wouldn’t feel so lonely if her mother inclined to take Melisa along with her. But she reasoned that since she was now an engaged young lady, there was no need to socialize with other families. After all, what connections could her mother’s friends provide that the Duke could not?
Melisa shut her novel and set it aside, welcoming the cup of tea Mrs Thorsten handed her. She took a few sips, the silence of the room seeming to bother her today.
“Did you have a pleasant morning, Miss Melisa?” Mrs Thorsten asked, eyeing Miss Melisa carefully.
“And what if I had?” Miss Melisa asked, wondering what Mrs Thorsten was implying.
“It is nothing, Miss Melisa. I simply worried about you when you did not come down for breakfast and I did not find you resting in your room,” Miss Thorsten quickly explained, her eyes falling to the ground. Melisa watched her carefully, praying that her lady-in-waiting hadn’t mentioned anything to her parents.
“I simply went out for a morning stroll, having woken well before Cook could have had anything prepared for breakfast. I enjoyed the park and came home,” Melisa said as she took another sip of her tea.
“But you readied yourself, Miss Melisa,” Miss Thorsten said, clearly surprised.
“Yes, Miss Thorsten. I dressed myself. I like to think I’m capable of doing such things and not having to rely on another human being to dress my body,” Melisa said, becoming frustrated. She didn’t need to explain her actions to a servant. They were not her keepers, after all.
“Certainly, Miss Melisa. I do not wish to offend thee. I am only simply concerned about your well-being,” Miss Thorsten said, backing up towards the door.
“Miss Thorsten, call down to the stables and have Thatcher prepare my mare. I’ll want to go out for a ride this afternoon,” Melisa said, shocking her even further. But as Melisa watched Miss Thorsten from over the edge of her teacup as she took another sip, the young maid didn’t say a word. She only dipped her head before leaving the room.
Melisa sighed, wishing that she could go and do as she pleased without the judgement of others or having to answer for herself. She wondered if marrying would grant her these freedoms, if the Duke would really provide for her every need, such as the need to feel free and choose as she wished. Melisa forced herself not to think about the Duke because she knew deep down inside that the man would probably treat her just like her parents had. She was a beauty to keep around, but not someone to hear speak.
Melisa stood then as she prepared for her ride. It had been a long time since she’d ridden her mare, and though ladies didn’t often ride horseback in town, she reasoned that it would give her something to do since she didn’t have any friends and could no longer think what she could occupy her time with as she sat alone in her room. Melisa could not expect any guests or young men to call on her now that she was officially engaged. She would have to do something to fill her days since soon she’d be married and over an entire household of servants as their Duchess. The very idea filled her with dread as she made her way downstairs and towards the back door that led to the stables.
Just as she was about to step outside, her father emerged from his study and grabbed her arm harshly, pulling her back inside with a hard tug. “My dear, what has gotten into your mind?” he said as he let her go. Melisa was shocked by her father’s actions, wondering what on earth he could be referring to. Had someone seen her in the park that morning and reported it to her father already? Melisa feared his next words as she only looked at him with surprise.
“What makes you think that it would be a good idea to go riding in town? Who knows who will see you riding on a horse instead of travelling by carriage? It would be an improper thing to do here in town. It’s not like in the country where very few people travel the open roads. If there is somewhere you wish to go, I’d be happy to escort you. Do you wish to do some shopping, is it?” Lord Stanton said. Melisa could tell that her father was trying to be reasonable and even trying to appeal to her as a woman, but it only made her more furious.
