Always

by Amy Richie

Her eyebrows knitted close together. “What is it, dear?” I saw the heavy rise and fall of her chest.

  “I’ve become engaged!” I nearly squealed in my excitement.

  She tilted her head comically. “I know that, Claudia. You’ll be married this afternoon.”

  My face fell then. How could I have forgotten about Edmund? “I don’t mean…” I shook my head from side to side, “I don’t mean to Edmund.”

  “Not to Edmund? Whatever do you mean, child? Has he changed his mind again?” She put one hand on my shoulder to give me comfort.

  “No, you don’t understand.” She sat silent, waiting for me to explain myself.

  “I’m going to be married to Marcus Letrell.” My voice rose with my excitement.

  She flinched back slightly. “Marcus Letrell?” Her smile began to grow wide.

  My heart beat wildly as I sat there watching for her reaction. “Well?” I raised my shoulders helplessly.

  “Well, I think he’s a wonderful choice for a husband.” She clapped her hands together as if she were a little girl again. “Such a handsome thing!”

  My tears started flowing then. We hadn’t asked for Uncle Philip’s permission before we were engaged, but I knew that once we had Aunt Dora’s approval, Uncle Philip would be happy with our decision.

  “You know,” her face suddenly darkened drastically and she grasped my hand, “you’ll have to tell Edmund.”

  I grimaced again as I sat at the table waiting for Marcus to return with his collected eggs. Telling Edmund had not been a pleasant experience.

  Before Marcus had returned, a soft knock sounded on the door. I perked up instantly. There was no one else it could be but Sylvia. No one else had ever been to our home.

  I bounced up from the table happily and dashed to open the door. As expected, beautiful Sylvia Conner stood on the other side. “Good morning, Claudia,” she sang.

  “Sylvia!” I flung my arms around her slender shoulders. “I thought you were coming over yesterday,” I pouted.

  She tsked as she swept past me. “I was giving you two some space.”

  I blushed and looked down at my feet. “I’m happy that you came today.”

  I followed her in to sit at the table. I eagerly pulled out two mismatched teacups and filled them with hot water. “Nice,” she winked as she traced the delicate pink petals on her own cup.

  “Do you take sugar?” I asked, unfazed by her criticism.

  “Nope.” She cradled her hands around her cup. “Where is Marcus?”

  “He went out to get eggs,” I jerked my thumb towards the door that Marcus had disappeared through a while ago.

  “Eggs?” She laughed as if the idea of eggs amused her.

  “We ran out,” I defended him.

  I pulled two teabags from the drawer and placed one in each of our cups. “How are you, Claudia?” she asked sweetly.

  “I am a happy bride.” I slid into the seat across from her with a happy grin plastered on my face.

  “With a missing groom.”

  I almost stuck my tongue out at her, but in the final moment, I remembered my manners and folded my hands on the table. “He’ll be back,” I promised.

  “You know what I was thinking about today?”

  I took a sip of my tea and shook my head. The tea didn’t taste as nice as it did at Aunt Dora’s, but it was okay. “What were you thinking?”

  “About London.”

  “What about it?”

  “I miss London. We haven’t been there in a while.”

  “You’ve only been in Hamel a few weeks.” I blanched at the reality of the words.

  Only a few weeks and yet Marcus and I were married and living in our own home.

  “We left London long before we found Hamel.”

  “Why did you ever leave?”

  “We…um,” she sighed softly, “for a change of scenery.”

  “And now you want to return?” My heart sank at the thought. Sylvia and I had become such good friends. How awful it would be if she and David were to leave us.

  “We could go together.”

  “What?”

  “I am sure Marcus would not be so against the idea of returning to London for a time.”

  “I don’t know what Marcus…”

  “What about me?” The front door opened suddenly and Marcus came in–without any eggs.

  “Where have you been?”

  “Out in the barn.”

  We didn’t have a barn, but I didn’t say that out loud. I chewed on the inside of my lip. “No eggs?”

  “What?” He held open his hands. “Hey,” he quickly crossed the room, “I need to leave for a little bit.”

  “Wh…”

  “I need to see David. Will you be alright here?” He glanced to Sylvia, who nodded.

  “I was going to see Aunt Dora today,” I reminded him.

  “Right,” he nodded distractedly. “That will be fine.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and left again.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Well,” I turned back to Sylvia with a nervous chuckle, “I wonder where he has gone off to.”

  “He said he was going to see David.”

  “David.” My lips tightened slightly. I didn’t know Marcus’s cousin David very well. He was a quiet man who rarely spoke to me. He always seemed to me that he had a secret that he couldn’t tell me.

  “The two are very close, you know,” she sipped daintily at her tea, “at least they used to be.”

  “How long have the three of you lived together?”

  “I can’t even remember now, it all seems so long ago.”

  “Have you met any of Marcus’s brothers?”

  “Oh, yes,” she smiled wide.

  “What are they like?”

  “Most of them are very agreeable.”

  “Most?”

  “He has a brother called Dominick,” she shuddered over the name, “an awful creature. I hope you never run into him.”

  “He has a twin brother as well, right?”

  “Paris,” her smile lit up. “He is extremely… entertaining.”

  “I hope I meet them all.” I set my cup down heavily on the table. “Will they be in London?”

  “Oh, no, they live at Blakesly House. I’m not sure where they are now, though.”

  “So, maybe?”

  “Maybe,” she conceded with a nod. “Anyways, I thought you didn’t want to go to London.”

  “I do, it’s just,” I played self-consciously with the handle of my cup. “I like it here. It’s cozy.”

  “You’ll love London.” She reached across the table and covered my hand with hers.

  I smiled and bit my lip.

  “So I propose,” Sylvia leaned in towards me as if to tell me a great secret, “that we go to London and spend a few months there.”

  A few months in London? I could finally see a real live show. And I was sure that Marcus would let me purchase a new gown. Maybe Sylvia would take me to one of the shops that Savannah Borman had written to me about.

  “Have you ever been to a show, Sylvia?”

  “I love to see them!” she exclaimed happily.

  “Can we go?”

  “Absolutely.” Her blue eyes twinkled happily. “And I’ll take you to the most wonderful little shop.”

  “To buy a new dress?”

  “Yep.”

  “Can it be a blue dress?”

  “Claudia, you already have blue dresses–two of them.”

  “I like the color blue,” I giggled.

  “How about a red dress?” She wiggled her eyebrows dangerously, “A low cut one with plenty of ruffles and material down the front.”

  “No,” I held my hand up to stop her flow of embarrassing words.

  “Oh, yes,” she came around the table to wrap her arms around my shoulders. “Cut down to here, huh?” She traced her finger along my chest.

  “Stop that,” I swatted her hand away from me.

  She kisse
d my cheek and stood up straight. “It is going to be so much fun having you around. I’ve been the only female for far too long.”

  “I’m glad to be amusing for you.” I was still laughing when she returned to her seat. “Do you want some more tea?” I asked when I noticed her empty cup.

  “Nope,” she covered the cup. “I have to go soon.”

  “Alright,” I mumbled sadly.

  She pinched my chin affectionately. “We’ll be in London soon, then you’ll get so tired of seeing me, you’ll beg Marcus to make me leave.”

  “I will not,” I laughed.

  She kissed my cheek as she was wrapping her shoulders with a shawl. “Do you need dropped off at your aunt’s?”

  “No, I’ll manage.” I waved her off at the door, watching until her small carriage disappeared from view.

  The wind picked up slightly, making me clutch my own shawl tighter around my shoulders. Maybe I wouldn’t be going to see Aunt Dora today.

  The door shut with a loud bang behind me. I scurried over to the fire and rubbed my hands briskly together to get them warmed back up.

  My mind traveled back over the conversation I had with Sylvia that afternoon. London? Was I really going to see London soon?

  I would miss Aunt Dora and Uncle Philip. I would even miss the good people of Hamel. Who would ride Clover while I was away? But Sylvia had said we would only be gone for a few months.

  My lips curved up into a soft smile. Maybe I would go visit with Aunt Dora today. She would be excited to hear my good news. With an excited skip, I straightened my wrap and went out into the crisp air.

  The walk to Aunt Dora and Uncle Philip’s seemed to take longer than ever as I trudged along the dirt path. They didn’t live far out of the town of Hamel, but without a horse, it seemed much further.

  When I finally reached the gate, I had to stop to wipe the sweat from my brow. “Whew,” I sighed audibly.

  “Hey there, Claudia,” Uncle Philip called with a wave.

  I unlatched the familiar gate and rushed into his open arms. “Good afternoon, Uncle.”

  “Did you walk all the way here?” He looked behind me as if hoping for a carriage to appear.

  “Yeah,” I puffed out my cheeks, still worn out from my excursion. “It wasn’t too far.”

  “It’s getting awful cold for a young lady to be out walking such a distance,” he reprimanded.

  I smiled fondly at his concern. It didn’t matter to Uncle Philip that I was a married woman, he would always be concerned about my well-being and safety. “It wasn’t far,” I said again.

  “Well, come on inside with you,” he waved me forward, “Your aunt will be pleased to see you again.”

  “It’s only been a few days; surely she hasn’t had time to miss me yet.”

  “Of course she has,” he chuckled.

  I intertwined my arm in his offered one and let him lead me up to the house. As we passed by the barn, I longed to go inside and say hello to Clover. Maybe before I go back home, I thought to myself. For sure before I leave.

  Uncle Philip patted my hand affectionately and I leaned into his once broad shoulder.

  As soon as the parlor door opened, I saw Aunt Dora’s smiling face. “I was hoping you’d stop by today,” she gushed.

  “For a particular reason, or did you just miss me?” I teased.

  “Oh, my,” she looked up and seemed to see me for the first time. “You look so peaked, child. Your cheeks are so red. Are you ill?”

  “She walked all the way over here,” Uncle Philip spoke up from behind me.

  “It wasn’t that far,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t you have a horse?”

  I shook my head. “The stables aren’t ready for a horse,” I admitted. “Marcus says we will soon, though.”

  “Come on and sit down,” she patted the seat next to her. “I’ll show you what I found today.”

  “What is it?” I tried to peek around her to see what she was hiding behind her back, but I couldn’t see anything.

  “This,” she pulled out my discarded needlepoint of the half-finished rose.

  A huge smile broke out on my face. “I hate needlepoint,” I admitted with a laugh.

  “But, Claudia, it’s such a beautiful piece.” She held up the awful material. The rose was so lopsided that if I didn’t know what it was supposed to be, I couldn’t have guessed. We both burst into a fit of giggles.

  “You always did prefer to be on that horse of yours,” she admitted with another laugh.

  “You know…,” I began, but I was cut off by a loud noise in the hall.

  The door suddenly burst open and I was surprised to see Marcus striding in. Becky followed close behind, agitation clear on her face. When he stopped suddenly, she ran into him with a soft “Oph!”

  “Mrs. Sinclair,” he greeted Aunt Dora without even acknowledging poor Becky.

  “Hello, dear, what a surprise,” she beamed at him. “Becky, will you go and fetch a cup for Mr. Letrell?”

  “No,” he put his hand out to stop her, “we don’t have time to stay for tea.”

  I glanced quickly at Aunt Dora. Her face fell with her disappointment. “Oh, that’s too bad.”

  “Claudia, are you ready to go?” He turned impatiently to me.

  “I was having tea with my aunt. Couldn’t you please join us?”

  He hesitated, obviously torn between wanting to go and not wanting to hurt Aunt Dora’s feelings. He ran a heavy hand roughly across his face.

  “Only for a moment,” he conceded.

  He perched on the edge of a nearby seat, ready to bolt at the lightest moment. I couldn’t understand what had him so tense. Had he argued with David?

  I longed to ask him if everything was alright, but I only smiled reassuringly in his direction.

  “Aunt Dora and I were just discussing my old mare, Clover.” I raised my cup to my lips.

  “A horse?” he asked harshly.

  I gasped at his tone, inhaling a large amount of tea in the process. I jerked the cup away from my mouth, only managing to spill some on my skirt. I gingerly touched the burn on my lip and looked over at Marcus.

  “Yes, a horse,” I said in clipped tones. “I’ve had Clover since we moved here.” Maybe now he would realize how much the horse meant to me.

  “Mmm,” he nodded, but I could clearly see that he didn’t much care about Clover.

  I tried to smile at Aunt Dora so she wouldn’t think we were having problems already, but it didn’t reach my eyes. She nodded, uncomfortable with the obvious tension between us.

  “Will you two stay for supper?” she offered.

  “Um…” I looked to Marcus, who still seemed preoccupied.

  “No,” he suddenly snapped. “We’re not staying.”

  “Oh,” her disappointment was clear. “Do you have prior engagements?”

  “We have to leave.”

  “Marcus,” I whispered sharply.

  “I mean we have to leave Hamel.”

  “What?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Where are we going?” I was shocked by his declaration. We were leaving? Why was he saying that? Was it only because he didn’t want to stay for supper? It would be nice to eat again with Aunt Dora and Uncle Philip. What was wrong with Marcus?

  “We are leaving for London–tonight.” He stood up abruptly.

  “It’s just…he doesn’t mean…” I looked helplessly from Marcus to my aunt. She looked as confused as I felt. Marcus, however, only looked determined. “We’re not going anywhere. Don’t worry, Aunt Dora.”

  “Claudia,” Marcus reached for my hand and I automatically stood up to join him.

  “We’re leaving tonight?” I asked softly.

  “Sooner than that,” he acknowledged. “There is nothing to be done for it.”

  “When will we return?”

  He hesitated, his face drawn down with anguish. “I’m not sure.”

  “You’ve always wanted to go to London, dear,�
�� Aunt Dora tried to be helpful.

  “Not like this.” I kept my eyes only on Marcus.

  “We have to go now. Say your goodbyes.” He went on ahead of me so I could have a moment alone with Aunt Dora.

  She pulled me tight to her chest for a long moment. “I always knew this day would come.” She brushed the tears off my face with a loving hand. “You were just too beautiful to be kept hidden away in a place like Hamel.”

  “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Your place now is with your husband, no matter where he may lead you.”

  “I’ll miss you,” my voice broke.

  “We’ve enjoyed having you here, Claudia. Your uncle and I never had children of our own.” She brushed a stray curl away from my forehead. “So much like your mother,” she murmured.

  “Aunt Dora…”

  “You best go now, dear,” she pushed me gently away from her. “Your husband is waiting for you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  He practically dragged me to the carriage after we left Aunt Dora’s, and we were barreling down the road before I had time to be properly seated. Then, when we arrived home, he hadn’t even tried to help me from the carriage, choosing instead to pick me up and place me on the ground.

  I couldn’t help the small scream that escaped my lips as I was flying through the air. “Marcus,” I squeaked, “What is wrong with you?”

  “Nothing, I…” He ran his hand through his hair, “we just have to go.”

  He pulled me close to his chest, long enough for me to feel the heat of his body. “I just don’t understand why we have to be in such a hurry,” I said into his broad chest.

  He put his thumb under my chin to tilt it up to his face. “Maybe one day you will understand, Claudia. If that day ever comes, I hope you will still be able to love me.”

  His eyes were so broken, so full of unhappiness, that impulsively, I wrapped my arms as tightly as I could around his waist. “I will always love you, Marcus; always, no matter what.”

  He returned my embrace, but all too soon he was pushing me away again. “Let’s go,” he ordered harshly.

  He grabbed my upper arm roughly and started towards the door. I gritted my teeth together angrily and pulled my arm away from him. He looked back, a look of annoyance darkening his handsome features.

  “I’m not going,” I crossed my arms angrily.