Now that James was gone, there was nothing to bring them together again. It was better for her to just forget about him and concentrate on the matter at hand – finding out what really happened to her family on that terrible night.
Chapter 5
Miss Magnolia Richmond
The next morning, both Magnolia and Aunt Dorothy sat down together in the parlor. The men working in the house were done with their painting and were finally gone. Now it was just the two of them, for which Magnolia was happy.
Aunt Dorothy was busy making embroidery while Magnolia’s face was buried in one of James’ books. Eventually, Magnolia noticed that her aunt had been trying to say something for the past five minutes but seemed to be having difficulty voicing it out.
Magnolia was used to it. She knew it happened anytime her aunt had a pressing matter on her mind. She would think about it over and over before putting it into words. For this reason, Magnolia was calm and simply sat waiting, knowing that sooner or later she would hear it.
“Magnolia, darling,” Aunt Dorothy said at last.
Magnolia smiled. Finally.
“Why are you smiling?” asked her aunt.
“Well, perhaps because I knew you have been contemplating on how to talk about something for the past five minutes.”
“Stop trying to read me,” her aunt cautioned, but her voice was light.
“So, what is it you want to say?” asked Magnolia.
“Well – as you know - the society we live in and the fact that you are no longer a child, I think it is time for you to get yourself a suitor.”
Magnolia was surprised. She did not even know what to say. “A suitor?” she asked, to be certain that she had heard right.
“Yes. It’s time you were married, Magnolia, and a suitor will not come to your home to find you. You have to get out there and be seen!”
Magnolia just sighed and closed her eyes.
“And I have a great news,” her aunt said, with rising excitement. “We have been invited to Lord Stewart’s ball!”
Magnolia tried to think of a polite way to respond. “Aunt Dorothy, I appreciate your concern. I think you are absolutely right. However, I daresay a suitor is the last thing on my mind right now. I do not think that I am ready for that.”
“Of course you are ready for that!” replied her aunt. “You must start planning your future now, dear. You have to go on and live your life as you would if – if they were still alive.”
While they were talking, the butler came in to announce the arrival of her friend, Miss Caroline Johnson.
“Please show her in,” said Aunt Dorothy. The butler bowed and left. A moment later, Caroline came into the room.
“Hello, Caroline. How are you, and how is your family?”
“We are all fine, thank you, Miss Richmond,” she said before sitting down beside Magnolia. “So, let me ask you straightaway: Will you be attending Lord Stewart’s ball, as I fervently hope you will?”
Magnolia was not surprised when her aunt threw up her hands in an I told you so sort of gesture.
“I was just informing my niece about that!” her aunt said, quite happily.
Caroline turned to face Magnolia. “Do you not wish to go to the ball?”
Magnolia shook her head.
“You cannot be serious,” said Caroline.
“Well, I am happy that you are here to speak some sense into her, dear,” said Aunt Dorothy. “And if you do not mind, I believe I will return to my room.”
As soon as the older woman was gone, Caroline turned to Magnolia again. “But why would you not wish to go? I will be going, too, of course, and I would so love for you to be there, too. Besides – I do not think your aunt would be happy if you did not attend.”
Magnolia sighed. She knew her friend was right. “But I do not have a dress for it.”
“Oh, that is a small thing! We can always get new dresses. I am certain that if your aunt knows you wish to go, she will be quite excited and would willingly pay for your dress!”
* * *
And Caroline was quite right, of course. Aunt Dorothy was more than willing to buy Magnolia a new gown. That very afternoon, Magnolia and Caroline went for their fittings in the workshop of one of the finest dressmakers in town.
When they were finally done with all the measurements and details of the gowns they were ordering, the two of them went to Caroline’s house to spend the evening there.
Caroline’s parents were not home; it was just her, Magnolia, and the servants. As the two got settled in Caroline’s room, Magnolia finally decided to bring up the thought that had been running through her mind all day.
“Adam and his mother came over yesterday,” she blurted.
“Do you mean – Adam Avery?” asked her friend, in astonishment. “The Earl of Strickland?”
“The very same,” Magnolia admitted. “So much has happened within two years. Not only has James died, but his friend has become an earl.”
Caroline’s face shone with excitement. “So, Lord Strickland came to your home to call upon you! Did you see how much he has changed?”
“Yes, of course he came to my house. He was my brother’s dearest friend. And it would be difficult not to have noticed how much he has changed . . . including how handsome he has become.” Very deliberately, Magnolia sipped her tea.
“Aww,” her friend cooed. “You still have feelings of affection for him, don’t you?”
Magnolia ignored her. “No, I do not,” she lied, straightening up and maintaining a deadpan look. “Those were times when I was very ignorant of so many things. Now that I am wiser, I shall not indulge myself in unnecessary affection. Besides, I have more pressing matters in my mind.”
Caroline burst into laughter. “Since when did you grow so cold? I remember how you used to peek at him whenever he was with your brother in the parlor.”
Magnolia colored instantly. It was awful that Caroline knew so much of her secrets. When they were children, talking about her feelings was a great way of passing the time; but now, it was only embarrassing. “Please do not speak of those times,” she whispered.
Caroline nodded. “Just so. But when the earl came to your home, did the two of you talk?”
“Hardly at all,” she replied impassively. “He began to explain why he never wrote to me during the last two years, but I stopped him from doing so. I was not interested in hearing anything he wanted to say. It was of no use.”
“You were just cold to him?”
“I – yes. We were never friends to begin with. Whenever he did come to our house, it was only to spend time with my brother. Now that James is no more, there is no reason to pretend that Adam and I are friends.”
Caroline stared at her in surprise. “Why are you angry if you do not have feelings for him any longer?”
“I am not angry with him,” stated Magnolia. “I am merely recounting everything that happened when last he came to my home.”
“I see. But I must ask you – are you prepared to see him at the ball? He will surely be there!”
Magnolia merely shrugged. “I suppose. There will be many men in attendance. And if Adam is there, we shall exchange pleasantries and that will be all.”
Caroline just smiled. “I think you greatly underestimate the earl, Magnolia.”
* * *
Even though Magnolia had tried her best to make it seem so simple, her dilemma was actually quite a bit more complex than that. When she returned home, thoughts of seeing Adam again kept a tight hold of her – and she was forced to admit that deep down she was eager to see him again.
As she lay in bed, intending to read for a short time before going to sleep, a soft knock on the door distracted her.
“Magnolia, darling. Are you awake?” came her aunt’s voice.
“Yes, Aunt Dorothy,” she replied. “You can come in.”
“I was told you were out when I got back from calling on Caroline,” said Magnolia as the door opened and her aunt walked
in.
“Yes. That is why I am here,” Aunt Dorothy replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “How did your fitting go?”
“Oh, very well. The new gown is supposed to be ready in three days’ time,” Magnolia replied.
“I want to discuss something of grave importance with you, dear,” started her aunt. “I know I mentioned it in the morning, but I would like for us to talk about it further.”
Magnolia could guess what this was all about. She rose to a sitting position, leaned back against the pillows, and folded her hands. “I am all ears, Aunt Dorothy.”
“Do you believe in love, dear?”
Magnolia sighed but nodded.
“Good. Then – do you believe in marriage?”
Of course, she knew where this was headed. “I do believe in marriage, Aunt Dorothy. But why are you asking me all this?”
“I am asking you because I want you to be prepared, like I said this morning. You are a woman of twenty-one years now, Magnolia, and a very lovely one. The instant you start going out to balls, parties, and dinners, potential suitors will start falling over themselves for your attention. I know you think that this is too soon, but it is not.”
“You make it sound frightening.”
Aunt Dorothy chuckled. “I am not here to frighten you, dear. I just want you to be prepared.”
“Well, I do believe in love, Aunt Dorothy, and I do believe in marriage. I love the marriage that father and mother had. They were both happy and very much in love with each other. But…”
“But what, Magnolia?”
She hesitated, but not for long. “Why are you not married, Aunt Dorothy?” She had been wanting to ask that question for a long time but had been afraid of how her aunt might take it.
But the older woman just smiled. “I was expecting you to ask that. I only wonder why it took so long. You see, I was once in love myself – with one of your father’s closest friends.”
“With – one of Father’s friends? But, yes, I suppose it makes sense. It is the same way Adam was my own brother’s closest friend.”
“Exactly so. Romeo was my brother’s dear friend while we were young, and the sweetest man I had ever known. He made me feel so happy. It was the kind of feeling you have when you know you are in good hands. Do you see?”
Magnolia nodded, smiling as she listened attentively.
“Yes. I was so safe with him. Because he was your father’s friend, the three of us were always together; and sometimes, our little group included your mother.
Your mother was actually the one who made me understand that Romeo was in love with me. I never knew! The truth was that I became quite enamored by him, for he was always around my brother and we spent so much time together.”
Her paused and smile. “But I never knew he felt the same until your mother told me. Then we danced at your parent’s wedding, and we kissed. I had never felt so much alive.”
Magnolia could relate to every word her aunt was saying. It was as if Aunt Dorothy and her long-lost suitor, Romeo, were an older version of herself and Adam. She listened attentively, clinging to every word to see what happened – and to find out why her aunt had ended up being alone and unmarried.
“Romeo proposed to me a week after your parent’s wedding. I accepted. We started planning our wedding, and things went well until all that remained were two days before our wedding.”
Magnolia swallowed. She could feel that something dreadful had happened and was impatient to hear what it was.
“That morning, my wedding gown was supposed to be delivered. Your mother was with me. Romeo was in the Royal Navy, you see, and he had gone on a mission. He was supposed to return that very day.”
Magnolia noticed how sad her aunt’s voice had become. Even though the woman was smiling, Magnolia could tell she was grieving and was only trying to be strong to finish the story.
“A letter came announcing his death,” concluded Aunt Dorothy, blinking back the tears that were beginning to form.
“Oh, my goodness!” cried Magnolia, and threw her arms around her aunt.
But Aunt Dorothy, even in her sadness, was laughing at the same time. “Thank you, dear, but I have gotten over it,” she said, drawing back from her niece. Then she took both of Magnolia’s hands and squeezed gently.
“I loved Romeo so much that I did not want to marry another, and as time went on, I just made up my mind that there would never be anyone else. I am happy, now, in knowing he is the only man I will ever love.”
Magnolia nodded - her heart filled with sympathy for her aunt.
“So, Magnolia! Open your heart and live. Live for your brother, for your parents, and for me. I will be happy when I know you are happy. When you are happily married, I will be fulfilled knowing your parents will be happy with me.”
Magnolia nodded and kissed her aunt’s cheek, and then laid back in bed as she watched her leave the room.
There was much to think about.
Chapter 6
Adam Avery, the Earl of Strickland
Adam sat in his mother’s room, holding one of her hands. She laid back on her bed as the physician tended to her.
“Is she going to recover?” Adam asked, deeply concerned. “It has been three days of this now.”
“She will recover, my lord, but she needs much rest to do so,” said Mr. Wheatleton. “She must take enough water and refrain from doing difficult things for some two months. This kind of sickness is not uncommon for people of her age.”
“But, will she be all right?” he asked, not entirely convinced.
“Certainly. There is no cause for alarm,” the physician said. “Once she takes enough rest, alongside her medicines as prescribed, she will be back on her feet in no time.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Wheatleton,” Adam said to the man, who bowed and then took his leave.
Finally, Adam was alone with his mother, who seemed to be asleep. He stood with his back against the wall, looking at her, feeling great unease for he had never seen her like this.
The last person who had been as sick as his mother was his father . . . and sadly, that sickness had killed him. Now he was afraid for his mother. He could not bear to lose her as well.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Yes?”
A woman servant walked in and curtsied. “Lord Midhurst is here to see you, my lord.”
“Very good. Send him to the parlor.”
A few moments later, Adam walked downstairs and found Richard waiting in the parlor.
“I got your message,” said Richard, standing up on seeing him. “How is your mother’s health?”
Adam shook his head and sat down, and his friend did the same. “I do not know, Richard. I will admit that I am terrified. I cannot go through this again.”
“You mustn’t talk like that,” said his friend. “Your mother will recover and be perfectly fine once more. Did the physician not say as much?”
“He did say,” replied Adam, finding it difficult to relax. “But he said the same thing about my father just days before my father died.”
“No, Adam. What happened to your father was different. He had some illness of the heart, and just with looking at him you would know he could not survive. The physician said what he had to say to give you hope. You cannot entirely blame him. Now, let us hope for the best with your mother.”
Adam sighed and nodded, as a servant walked in and swept a bow.
“Lord Strickland. Her ladyship requests for your presence.”
Adam was surprised, he had left his mother while she slept. “Is she awake?”
“She is, my lord,” replied the servant.
“Excuse me,” Adam said to his friend before leaving with the servant.
When he got to the room, he found his mother fully awake but still lying on her bed.
“Mother,” he said, going over and sitting on the side of the bed. He took her hands into his. “You summoned me?”
“Adam,” she whi
spered, her voice weak. “What did the physician say?”
He smiled. “Mr. Wheatleton said you must relax and not worry about anything at all.”
But his mother only coughed in response, again and again. “I am afraid, Adam,” she gasped, letting her head fall back to the pillows again.
A Mysterious Quest of a Seductive Lady: A Regency Historical Romance Novel Page 4