When Two Rivers Meet (Regency Romance)

by Deborah M. Hathaway

  She frowned as she stared at the floor. But he has missed it, she thought, just as mother said.

  "Is everything all right, Miss Crosgrove?"

  Lilyanna looked up at the sound of Elijah's softened voice, surprised to see him standing next to her. She looked into his dark brown eyes and wondered if she should be honest and tell Elijah how upset she felt over her parents' relationship, over her father's absence. However, the memory of Mrs. Crosgrove's warning prevented her from sharing anything.

  "Yes, thank you," Lilyanna said. "Everything is quite all right, I assure you."

  Elijah kept his gaze on her, so she smiled and held up her paper. "Shall we compare our likenesses then?" she asked.

  Relief flooded her as she watched Elijah nod, dropping the conversation by eying the drawing Lilyanna had made.

  After awhile, his silence unnerved her, so she asked, "Do you not like it?"

  "Oh, indeed, I do," Elijah said. "I only…well, I shall not show you my drawing now, that is all."

  Lilyanna tilted her head to one side. "Why ever not?"

  "Well, for one thing, your drawing is far superior."

  "Come now, it is a shadow tracing, Mr. Bainbridge. Mine cannot be any better than yours."

  Elijah raised his eyebrows with skepticism, and Lilyanna held in a bubble of laughter her mother would deem unladylike had she let it loose.

  "It is only fair for you to show me, Mr. Bainbridge," she said.

  She watched as he begrudgingly brought his paper forth from behind his back and revealed it to Lilyanna who immediately bit her lip to stifle her desire to laugh.

  Following the lines Elijah's hand had drawn, Lilyanna saw the tracing of her hair sticking up at random angles, her chin jutting forth past the elongation of her nose, and somehow her neck nearly as wide as her skull.

  "It looks nothing like you," Elijah said, and she looked up to see him nearly pouting.

  "On the contrary," Lilyanna lied, still eying the drawing and forcing her laughter down, "I believe it is a true likeness. Although, is my nose really that…large?"

  Elijah snatched the paper from her hands in a single swoop, and Lilyanna could not help but snigger.

  "Laugh all you want, Miss Crosgrove," Mr. Bainbridge said, though his tone remained light. "I told you I was terrible."

  "I promise, I am not laughing at you, Mr. Bainbridge," she said, her cheeks aching from her large grin.

  "Oh, and what is it you are laughing at then?"

  "Well…" she began, but she remained silent when nothing came to her mind.

  "Yes, not laughing at me, indeed."

  Lilyanna let out another chortle until Hazel joined them in their corner of the room.

  "What is so amusing, you two?" she asked.

  "Nothing that concerns you," Elijah said grumpily.

  Lilyanna tried to stifle her laughter as Hazel looked to her for an answer, but all Lilyanna could manage to do was point to the drawing in Elijah's hand and laugh again.

  Hazel seized the drawing from Elijah, despite his best attempt to hide it, took one look at his depiction, and then compared it to Lilyanna's grinning face.

  "Why, Elijah," she said, "it looks nothing like her. And here is your first problem. You see, you have drawn Miss Crosgrove's nose entirely too large."

  Lilyanna let out another burst of laughter at Hazel's blunt statements and Elijah's scowl.

  "As you can see, Miss Crosgrove," Elijah said, "my sister will not hesitate to agree in my lack of drawing skills."

  "Well, I for one am glad you do not draw very well, Mr. Bainbridge," Lilyanna said as she blinked away her mirthful tears.

  "And why is that?" he asked.

  "For I would truly be disheartened if I possessed such a nose as the one you have concocted for me."

  Hazel and Lilyanna both broke out into girlish giggles until Elijah stalked grumpily away without another word.

  "Oh dear," Lilyanna said, sobering at once, "I am afraid I have teased your brother too much."

  Hazel smiled. "Nonsense. He needs a bit of teasing every now and again. He still has not ceased in taunting me as an adult, so I think he receives what he deserves."

  The women exchanged smiles, and Lilyanna felt encouraged at the favor she saw in Hazel's eyes. They continued to speak pleasantly until the rest of the couples had completed their drawings. The group gathered once more and shared their depictions, apart from Elijah who had seemed to "misplace my rendition of the lovely Miss Crosgrove," though Lilyanna eyed the fire suspiciously when she saw the flames instantly devour a certain piece of paper Elijah had dropped into it.

  The whole party decided Lilyanna's drawing to be the best, and she felt flattered to receive such praise from the group.

  As the game ended and refreshments were served, Lilyanna found herself sitting alone near one of the room's large windows. She took a sip of her scalding drink, but the liquid nearly jumped back up her throat when she saw Elijah approaching her.

  "You have finished with your laughing then?" he asked.

  She smiled when she saw his lips curve upwards. "I feel the need to apologize, Mr. Bainbridge," she said. "I am afraid my teasing has left you unhappy."

  Elijah sat down on the same red sofa as her, and her heart leapt at their close proximity, though they did not touch.

  "No need to worry, Miss Crosgrove," he said before taking a sip of his own drink. "I have thicker skin than I let on."

  She looked over to see Elijah wink at her, and she smiled, blushing as she looked down to where she swirled the tea around in her cup.

  "I do hope you have had a pleasant evening," Elijah said, his gaze averted.

  "I have," Lilyanna replied. "I have enjoyed your company tonight a great deal, as the last evening we were together we did not get the chance to visit for long."

  Elijah nodded. "I am glad, as well," he said, peering into her eyes. "I have found it hard to, well, to be out in society the past years. I have had less than favorable experiences whenever I have managed to do so. However, I must admit that knowing you has made it far easier. Enjoyable, even."

  "I am happy to hear that, Mr. Bainbridge," Lilyanna said.

  They shared a smile until Elijah cleared his throat and looked away. Silence ensued for only a brief moment before their conversation picked up, and they spoke for the rest of the evening about Elijah's home, why Lilyanna disliked embroidery, and how much they both loved to ride.

  The night came to an end far too quickly for Lilyanna, and when it came time to take her leave with the other guests, she thanked her hosts graciously.

  "I had a wonderful evening," she said. "Thank you for allowing me the pleasure to come tonight."

  They exchanged goodbyes, and after another smile in Elijah's direction, Lilyanna entered her carriage, longing for the ability to relive the night over and over again.

  After the guests departed, Elijah and Isaac listened in the parlor as Hazel recounted the evening to them, despite their own attendance at the dinner party.

  "And Mr. Gloventry, I am sure, enjoyed his fair share of our finest drink," she said, "just as much as Mrs. Gloventry enjoyed her fair share in talking."

  "Yes, dear," Isaac muttered, though his eyes continued to open and close as his head bobbed up and down.

  "And Mrs. Copley was as kind as usual," Hazel purged on, "a great deal more than Mrs. Ripling and her stories of who is more unattractive than the next. All in all, though, it was a wonderful evening, and I believe everyone had a jolly time. Even Miss Crosgrove seemed to be in good spirits, despite her mother's absence."

  Elijah smiled, thinking of the good time he and Lilyanna had had together. "I believe she did enjoy herself," he said. "As did I."

  His sister smiled over at him, and he sent her a grin of his own until a yawn interrupted it.

  "If you will excuse me, I believe it is past my bed time." He stood from his chair to kiss his sister on the cheek, saying, "Thank you for convincing me to join you this evening."

&
nbsp; He left the room but not before he heard Hazel say to Isaac, "He hardly needed convincing once he knew Miss Crosgrove would be joining us."

  He heard Hazel giggling to herself, and Elijah smiled, knowing his sister had spoken the truth. He had not needed any convincing at all.

  ***

  Lilyanna arrived at Heatherhill shortly after the Godfreys' dinner party and walked past the empty rooms with her single candle lit. She traveled slowly as she smiled, thinking of Elijah and his brown eyes until she noticed a light glowing from within the parlor.

  Peering inside, Lilyanna could see her mother's form sitting on the red velvet couch and staring into the fire.

  "Good evening," Lilyanna said.

  Mrs. Crosgrove jumped and looked over with red, swollen eyes.

  "Lilyanna," she said, blinking slowly, "how was your evening? Amusing enough?"

  "It was wonderful, thank you," Lilyanna said, trying to lessen her smile slightly. "Are you feeling any better? I thought you might have spent the evening in bed."

  "I was going to, but…" Mrs. Crosgrove hesitated, looking back to the glowing orange and black logs in the fireplace, "my mind has not allowed me to rest."

  Lilyanna stood in the doorway, silently trying to summon her courage. "I wanted to apologize for earlier, Mother," she said after taking a deep breath. "I am sorry for our quarrel."

  Mrs. Crosgrove looked to Lilyanna with saddened eyes. "Oh, my dear," she said, her voice breaking, "I am sorry. I spoke harsh words without thinking."

  Lilyanna tried not to fidget, feeling uncomfortable with her mother's unexpected apology. "It is all right," she said carefully. "I cannot blame you for how you feel. I know you must miss Father terribly."

  Mrs. Crosgrove looked away. "I do. At times, I wonder if it is even worth the misery."

  "I am certain it is, Mother."

  Again, Lilyanna felt unnerved under her mother's stalwart gaze.

  "I miss him terribly, Lilyanna," she said, "and sometimes my frustration with his absence is misdirected to you. I apologize for it."

  Lilyanna kept silent, unsure of what else to do but nod.

  "Now," Mrs. Crosgrove continued, clearing her throat, "I hope you behaved yourself tonight."

  "I did my best, Mother," she said, trying to hide the stain accrued from meat and gravy within the folds of her gown.

  "I am glad of it," Mrs. Crosgrove said as she stood, her normal tone returning. "I hope you heeded my words concerning Mr. Quigley."

  "He was not there."

  "Pity. At any rate, I am sure I can safely assume you were attentive to Mr. Bainbridge. It is a wonder, indeed, he is still interested in you."

  Without awaiting a reply, Mrs. Crosgrove walked out of the room, but Lilyanna remained behind, her mood threatening to darken. She tried to forget her mother's words, and within a few moments she made her way to her room, retrieving every moment from her evening spent with Elijah and the Godfreys at their happy, carefree home.

  Chapter Six

  Merely two days after Hazel's dinner party, Elijah found himself calling upon Mrs. Crosgrove and her daughter at Heatherhill.

  He followed the butler as they moved throughout the large estate, passing through hallways and closed doors until they reached the parlor where he remained outside for his presence to be announced.

  Holding his hands behind his back, Elijah looked about the large hallway, examining various paintings hung across walls until his attention was captured by feminine voices coming from the doorway where the butler stood silent, awaiting to be acknowledged.

  "For heaven's sake, Lilyanna," Elijah heard Mrs. Crosgrove say, "not again."

  "I did not mean to, Mother," Lilyanna replied in a quiet voice.

  "You really must learn to be more careful," Mrs. Crosgrove said, and Elijah imagined the scowl no doubt embedded upon her face. "This is the third dress you have ruined due to your clumsiness."

  "I know, Mother. I am sorry."

  "If you do not take care, I will soon provide you with only dull, brown gowns in order to avoid drawing attention to the stains you constantly create."

  "I will try harder, Mother," Lilyanna said, and Elijah's frown deepened.

  "At any rate," Mrs. Crosgrove continued, "brown would be better than the Pomona green you constantly insist upon wearing. It does wash you out terribly."

  As Elijah's patience wore thin, he heard the butler clear his throat.

  "Oh, what is so important, Mr. Harper?" came Mrs. Crosgrove's irritated reply.

  "Mr. Elijah Bainbridge to call upon you and Miss Crosgrove, ma'am," he said.

  There were hurried whispers, and Elijah was grateful he could no longer hear what the mother and daughter said. He knew not all parents were as kind and loving as his own, but the thought of Mrs. Crosgrove constantly berating Lilyanna in such a way made his stomach churn.

  Mr. Harper soon appeared from the doorway and motioned for Elijah to enter the parlor. Elijah took a deep breath to calm his frustration before walking forward and entering the room.

  He plastered a smile on his face as he bowed to them, observing Mrs. Crosgrove's calm demeanor and Lilyanna's averted gaze.

  "Forgive me for calling with no notice, Mrs. Crosgrove," Elijah said, pausing long enough to send a smile in Lilyanna's direction, though he knew she did not see it. "My sister wished for me to ask after your health. She has been concerned for you ever since your absence at her dinner party."

  Mrs. Crosgrove smiled. "How very kind. I am feeling much better," she said. "And you must thank your sister for her concern."

  "I will," Elijah said, swallowing his mounting frustration with Mrs. Crosgrove's choice to show kindness toward Hazel more than her own daughter. "I am sure she will be relieved to hear it."

  He turned then to Lilyanna, smiling as he asked, "And you, Miss Crosgrove? I hope you are feeling well."

  "Certainly," came her reply as her blue eyes finally looked up from the carpet.

  Her smile was warm, but it quickly vanished when she glanced with apprehensive eyes toward her mother.

  Elijah studied her blond hair and blue eyes, his gaze moving past the small, brown stain to the soft green folds of her dress, and he thought of how she grew more beautiful each time he saw her.

  "I am glad you have not taken ill, as well, Miss Crosgrove," he said, "and might I add, you look quite stunning in that shade of green."

  Lilyanna blushed. "Thank you, Mr. Bainbridge," she said.

  He looked to Mrs. Crosgrove who had since resumed her seated position and was eying Lilyanna's gown with disapproval.

  "Do sit down, Mr. Bainbridge," Mrs. Crosgrove said, and he took a seat near Lilyanna. "I trust your sister is doing well? And Mr. Godfrey?"

  "They are, thank you."

  "Last time I spoke with Mrs. Godfrey she mentioned your parents coming to stay with you."

  "Yes," Elijah said, "they are scheduled to arrive in about a month. We are looking forward to it."

  Mrs. Crosgrove nodded, then looked expectantly toward Lilyanna. Lilyanna looked at a loss for words until both she and Elijah followed Mrs. Crosgrove's motioning gaze which was directed at the tea placed on the table beside them.

  "Oh," Lilyanna said loudly, quieting down only after receiving a reprimanding look from her mother, "do join us for a cup of tea, Mr. Bainbridge."

  Elijah smiled. "Thank you, Miss Crosgrove, but I am afraid I cannot stay for long. I have not been able to ride my horse as frequently as I should like since my stay here in Bath, so I must exercise him while I have the opportunity."

  Mrs. Crosgrove folded her hands in her lap, looking bored, but Lilyanna's eyes did not waver from his own.

  "Actually, I have only now thought of an idea that might intrigue you both," Elijah said, though he directed his gaze solely on Lilyanna. "You see, I still do not know Bath's countryside very well, but since you both have lived here longer than I, you must know the best sights to see. I should find it enjoyable if you would join me and show me your favori
te walks."

  He watched as Lilyanna's eyes lit up, and he smiled, pleased with himself for creating such a plan to help cheer her up.

  "I am sure no matter which direction you ride," Mrs. Crosgrove said, "you will find a satisfying viewpoint."

  "Oh, but, Mother," Lilyanna said, "Solsbury Hill is far prettier than the rest." She turned to Elijah, excitement filling her voice. "From one view, only the countryside is visible, and to the other, the entire city is before you. It is my favorite place to ride."

  "You must know the way well," Elijah said. "Would you mind showing me? I would certainly enjoy the company, and it is a beautiful day."

  Lilyanna looked to her mother with hopeful eyes.

  "I am afraid I am not one for riding horses," Mrs. Crosgrove said.

  Lilyanna blurted out, "Yes, but, Mother, you know I am!"

  Elijah nearly laughed at her excitement. "I do remember you expressing your love for it the other evening," Elijah said with a smile. "If your mother will allow it, I would appreciate your company as well as your expertise of the land."

  "Mother?" Lilyanna said.

  Mrs. Crosgrove looked as if she wanted to refuse, but Lilyanna spoke before she could.

  "You would do well to continue your recovery indoors, Mother. After all, Mr. Lowick could accompany us, and I am certain he would not mind at all."

  Elijah held his breath until Mrs. Crosgrove sighed.

  "I suppose you may go," she said. "I will send for your horse while you change."

  Lilyanna jumped from her seat, her vigor causing the table nearby to teeter and the teacups to cling in protest as they bumped against each other.

  "Lilyanna," Mrs. Crosgrove said in a sharp voice.

  Before Mrs. Crosgrove could scold her again, Elijah stood, saying, "Wonderful. It is settled then. I shall wait outside for you, Miss Crosgrove. Mrs. Crosgrove, it has been a pleasure. Please, do excuse me."