Page 47 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“Thank you, Father. I shall go and make the arrangements right away. But I promise not to be gone for long,” he said as he rose from his chair, gathering all his letters in order to reply to them all that he was expected to leave town in a few days.
“Take your time, William. We are not going anywhere,” his father said with a smile. William nodded before leaving the sitting room in a hurry, excited about the idea of spending some time alone with Caroline so that he might finally fulfil his heart’s greatest desire.
~*~
As Caroline rode in the carriage with the Murphys, having left the day before, she did her best to focus on her new novel. She was enjoying the romantic story, told with plenty of humour and wit, yet she couldn’t wait to get settled at the seaside manor.
She was eager to know that if, during their month along the coast, she would have opportunity to see William. She had received no response to her letter, though they’d left only two days later. It was likely that Caroline could have missed William’s response.
While Caroline looked down at the books in her hand, the sound of the carriage rattling along the road filling her ears, she thought mostly of William as she tried to read the novel instead. She thought about how William used to look when they were younger, when he was a footman in her father’s household. And now, William looked so much more grown up.
His blonde hair was much shorter, his clothes of fine quality and in the latest style. Even his mannerisms had improved. With all these new changes that William had experienced over the years, she was curious to know his true character once more. His gifts proved he had feelings for Caroline, but did she truly understand him like she once had?
With all these thoughts rummaging through her mind, at first Caroline didn’t realize that the carriage was drawing closer to Lord Murphy’s estate on the coast. The days had only seemed to grow warmer and Caroline was thankful that she’d decided to end her time of mourning and resume wearing clothing appropriate for the season. She wore a crème-coloured muslin dress with only one petticoat underneath, else she would fear becoming too warm.
“Ah, there it is,” Gwendolen exclaimed as she leaned forward to peer out of the carriage window. Caroline leaned forward as well and looked at the manor situated above the sea on an outcrop of land. It reminded Caroline of lighthouses she’d seen along the coast before, though rather larger and more grand. Caroline couldn’t wait to see the inside and to enjoy walking along the beach in her bare feet.
“As lovely as ever,” Lady Murphy remarked as the carriage was drawn up the lane towards the house and came to a stop in the courtyard. Caroline knew that everyone was eager to stretch their legs and relax from all the travelling they’d been doing. As soon as the carriage was stopped and secured, the footman came forth to open the door and help everyone out.
“Father, can we go straight way down to the beach?” Gwendolen asked once they were all out of the carriage. Already, she was tugging Caroline by the hand towards the stone path that Caroline assumed went down to the beach.
“Yes, but do be careful. The stone stairs can become quite slippery when wet,” he advised.
Gwendolen didn’t need any more encouragement as she tightened her hand around Caroline’s and together they took off at a steady run. Caroline couldn’t help but laugh as they went, feeling much younger than she was. It was exciting to behold the vastness of the ocean and to hear it crashing upon the shore. There was something about being close to the salty water that made Caroline feel lighter than ever before.
Once they reached the stone stairs that led down to the beach, Gwendolen slowed her pace and helped Caroline down the steps for the first time. “When it is particularly windy, it’s hard to make one’s way up and down the stairs. You must always be careful,” she warned.
“I will remember,” Caroline promised. Once they reached the last step, Gwendolen let go of her hand and they both paused to pull off their riding boots and stockings. With bare feet, they left their shoes behind and made their way along the beach, holding up the hems of their gowns to prevent them from being stained by the water and sand.
“There is nothing better than being at on the beach on such a warm day as this,” Gwendolen declared.
“The wind from the ocean does make me feel cooler,” Caroline agreed. “The smell alone is heavenly.”
“So fresh and clean,” Gwendolen added. “Come. Let us find seashells to take back to the house to show my parents. I do love finding the different shells.”
For what seemed like the next few hours, Caroline walked up and down the beach with Gwendolen, laughing and playing in the sand. It didn’t take long before they no longer cared about the condition of their gowns—the closer they came to the water, the more often their hems would become drenched in the sudden waves crashing against the shore. Eventually, their hands became so filled with seashells that they decided it would be best to return to the manor to showcase their spoils and change into something a little more fitting.
“I had almost forgotten what it felt like to simply do as one pleases,” Caroline declared as they made their way across the beach towards the stone stairs.
“It’s important that you never forget again, Caroline, how spending time outside in the sun is good for your health,” Gwendolen said with a bright smile. “I have always loved the beach and can now share that love with you.”
“You’re the kindest friend in the world,” Caroline said as they made their way up the stairs. “Every young lady should have a friend like you. You are good at reminding me how to simply live.”
The women laughed together as they made their way to the house, both certain that Gwendolen’s parents would be crossed with their state of dress. As expected, they were surprised when Gwendolen and Caroline came into the drawing room with all of their shells, covered in sand and sea water.
“You two didn’t waste any time, now did you,” Lady Murphy said in a stern voice. Yet, a smile played at her lips as they laid out the shells on the table for them to see.
“It’s such a lovely day,” Gwendolen said. “It’s hard to be mindful of manners when the sand feels so good on your bare feet.”
“Oh, we did forget to collect our shoes,” Caroline declared. “I could hurry back and gather them.”
“No, there is no hurrying, Miss Caroline,” Lord Murphy spoke up. “We can all go down to the beach after tea. It is never good to hurry, because of the stone stairs.”
“You’re right,” Caroline concurred with a dip of her head. “Gwendolen had said such words to me earlier.”
“Wise words, I assure you,” Lord Murphy added.
Gwendolen and Caroline made quick work of getting changed out of their wet gowns and into something that would be light and airy for when they did return to the beach. Caroline loved the design of the seaside manor, with its marble floors that felt so smooth and cool underneath her feet.
