Page 45 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“There is no surety in the matter,” Caroline confessed, looking down at her hands as she clasped them together. “My heart was not the main reason, no. With my parents now gone and the responsibility of ensure that my father’s title passes on to a worthy man, I knew that I couldn’t let Lord Canton take all that my father had worked hard to accomplish. I feel like I have a large decision to make that goes behind just choosing a husband.”
“You are very amiable, Caroline. No one could fault you for your decision and why you did so. But since most of the Ton prefer a more scandalous story to whisper, they will think that you have fallen in love with another.”
“I cannot confess to affections that are not reciprocated,” Caroline said then. Gwendolen stopped in her progress of choosing summer gowns and came back over to where Caroline was standing in the middle of the room.
“Then my eyes have not deceived me? You do have feelings towards Sir Roberts?” she asked. Caroline sighed as she nodded, knowing it wouldn’t be long before her dearest friend discovered the truth.
“I do have feelings for Sir Roberts. However, I don’t wish to act upon them until I understand his feelings for me, as well. After all, I recently lost my parents and broke off my engagement. It would be rather scandalous if I appeared in public with the man and showed signs of my affection,” Caroline said.
“Then it is a good thing that we’ll be travelling to the coast. I shall write Lord Sergio and you to Sir Roberts, letting them know of our plans. If they do truly have desires towards us, then they will make time to come see us in our swimming attire.” Gwendolen smiled brightly at the idea as she returned to her task of going through her gowns.
Caroline sat down in one of the chairs near the window, thinking more about her friend’s words. They would be far enough away from society’s eyes that she might be able to be more forward with William. She deeply desired to know his intentions. And though she could reasonably guess that he still had strong feelings for her, Caroline desperately wanted to know if those feelings would ever lead to something.
Furthermore, she’d already confessed her feelings to her guardian. She hoped William would show some intention so that she wouldn’t feel foolish for saying such things.
“What do you think of this gown? Is it too dark?” Gwendolen asked as she held up a blueberry-coloured muslin gown to her frame.
“I believe so. It looks lovely with your dark hair, but I think we should stick to crème as much as possible while in the sun.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Gwendolen mumbled as she placed the gown back in her wardrobe and continued her search. When a knock came to the door, Gwendolen called over her shoulder for the caller to enter. The door was pushed open then and in came in Caroline’s lady’s maid with a parcel in her arms.
“Forgive the intrusion, Miss. This just came to the house for you,” the maid explained as she came over to Caroline and curtsied before offering her the parcel.
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Caroline replied with the dip of her head. Once the maid had left the room once more, Caroline looked down at the small cloth sack with a ribbon tied around the top.
“Who do you think it’s from?” Gwendolen asked, abandoning her search and joining Caroline.
“I’m not sure,” Caroline said as she pulled off the ribbon and folded down the sides of the cloth. Inside was a book that looked new and a small porcelain horse that reminded her of her old mare. Caroline picked up the figurine and held it in her hands, feeling the smooth texture and the coolness of the material. She then used her other hand to open the book to peek through the pages, confirming her suspicions of the sender when she saw the name at the bottom of an inscribed message.
“I would like to say that this appears as though Sir Roberts has strong feelings for you,” Gwendolen said softly, making Caroline smile as she read the message.
My dearest Caroline,
I hope you are faring well and improving each day in your time of grief. I wanted to send you something to cheer you up. If anything, I want you to know that you’re not alone in this. I shall be reading my own copy.
All the best,
Sir Roberts
Caroline sighed happily as she closed the book and returned to observing the small horse in her hand. William had certainly gifted her an item that meant a lot to her.
She wasn’t sure when she’d see her mare again, now that her father’s estate lay in waiting for its new master. But now she would have a little piece of her favourite horse and could imagine the amazing feeling of riding through open pastures.
“And now you have a reason to write him,” Gwendolen said. “It will be good for you to focus on something happy and joyful.”
“I believe you are right,” Caroline agreed, looking up at her friend. “This was a very nice idea. Thank you for speaking to your father about it.”
“Of course, my dear. There is no point staying in town during this time of year. We must be able to enjoy ourselves, and there is no better place in the summer than on the coast.”
Caroline took a deep breath and let it out of her body very slowly. It had been what felt like a long time since she could really look forward to anything with hope in her heart. It would do her good to spend time away from town, simply enjoying a sunny day and listening to the sound of the ocean. Just the thought of inhaling the salty air filled Caroline with more life than she’d experienced since the masquerade ball.
“I’m going to go to my bedchamber and write a thank-you note to send to Sir Roberts. I’ll be sure to mention our upcoming departure from town and suggest that perhaps he’d care to do the same,” Caroline said with a smile on her face.
“I’m proud of you, Caroline. I shall see you one day happily married after all,” Gwendolen said as she turned from her task.
“There is no reason to speak of such things at the present moment. Though I do hope the same,” Caroline admitted.
She rose from the chair with her new items in her hand. She was eager to read the novel and felt a sense of connection to William since she knew that he would be reading the same book.
