Page 18 of Marry in Secret
Cal grunted agreement and lapsed into another long brooding silence. Then he said, “You’re sure Lily didn’t know about this wedding? Those girls would happily lie through their teeth for each other.”
“No. I saw Lily’s face when it all came out. She was as shocked as you and I.”
“But if it was a real marriage—and it does sound like it was—why would Rose keep it a secret all these years?”
Chapter Three
Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths.
—MOLIÈRE
“It was when you had the mumps—remember, Lily? More than half the school was ill—your entire dormitory—and those of us who’d had them already were sent home.” The bath had helped. She’d given her situation a lot of thought while she was bathing—it was amazing how water helped clear the mind as well as the body—and realized there was only one thing that mattered: that Thomas was alive.
Lily nodded. “And you went to stay with Aunt Dottie, but—”
“And you know how Aunt Dottie likes to visit the pump room every day,” Rose continued hurriedly. She knew what Lily was going to say. Why hadn’t she told her afterward? Rose had no answer to that. She wasn’t entirely sure herself. All she knew was that at first she hadn’t wanted to speak of it to anyone, had wanted to hug it to herself as a most delicious, exciting, intensely private secret.
And later... Well, later she hadn’t been able to speak of it at all.
It was so painful, dredging up these memories, memories she’d never thought would see the light of day again.She’d buried them in the deepest, darkest corner of her mind and sealed them over with ice, frozen deep and cold and safe, never to be recalled, never to torment her again. No one would ever know, ever suspect. But now, the fragile shell had been cracked open and she was having to bare her secrets, her precious, private moments, to the harsh, if loving, exposure of family judgment.
Because Thomas was alive.Remember that.He wasalive.
Aunt Dottie nodded. “I do enjoy the company at the pump room, it’s true. And that was such a difficult time for us all.” She turned to the others in the room and explained. “Poor little Lily took the mumps very hard—some people just sail through them, but not Lily. She was so sick they wouldn’t even let us visit. Poor Rose was beside herself with worry, weren’t you, dear? So I took her out as much as I could.”
“Yes. And that’s where I met Thomas.”
“At the pump room?” Lily exclaimed in surprise.
Rose nodded. “His friend, Mr. Yelland—the man who came to the church today, remember?—had been ill, and was recuperating under the supervision of a Bath physician. Taking the waters twice daily, bathing in the hot springs, that kind of thing. Thomas had been given leave while his ship was in dock for repairs, and he came to Bath to see how he was getting on.”
“And?” George prompted.
“We met, and fell in love.”
George pulled a skeptical face. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Even now, after all those years had passed, Rose could remember the absolute certainty she’d felt, almost from the moment they met, that she and Thomas were meant to be together for all their lives.
And Thomas had seemed to feel the same. Napoleon had just been defeated—or so they’d thought at the time—and Thomas was making plans to leave the navy and make a home with her, perhaps to manage one of his uncle’s estates.
But later, she’d wondered whether perhaps Thomas hadn’t felt quite the way she did...
Aunt Dottie nodded understandingly. “Young love, I know.”
Aunt Agatha snorted. “Young nonsense, more like! To make such an appallingmésalliancebehind everyone’s back! If her father had found out, he would have horsewhipped the fellow and sent him on his way! Rose should be a duchess by now, and instead she’s, she’s—”
“Oh, be quiet and listen for once, Aggie. And don’t ridicule what you don’t understand. The heart wants what the heart wants.” Aunt Dottie continued, “Of course, it was very naughty of you to sneak out and make a secret marriage, Rose dear, but Aggie is quite right; your father, God rest his soul, would never have allowed it—”
“I should think not!” Aunt Agatha snapped. “A penniless nobody!”
Rose flashed her a hard look. “Thomas isnota nobody to me.”
“Well said, my love.” Aunt Dottie patted Rose’s knee. “So I quite understand why you did it in secret. It is very hard when you’re young and in love, and you think nobody understands or will listen.”
“Pshaw! Don’t imagine it has slipped my notice thatyouare the one at fault here, Dorothea! You were in charge of Rose at the time. It is your disgracefully lax guardianship that is at the root of this calamity.”
“Pooh! We don’t know that it’s a calamity at all. We haven’t even heard the poor boy’s story yet.”
