by Vikki Vaught
“My darling girl, you look marvelous, and where did you get that gown?” Aunt Miriam asked. “Obviously, marriage has agreed with you. I have never seen you look so happy. I was sorry to hear that Henry had to leave. I’m sure you miss him quite a bit. If you need anything, just let me know. Please come for tea tomorrow so you can catch me up on everything.”
“Thank you, Aunt Miriam. The gown is part of my new wardrobe, and it’s one of Madame Devy’s designs. I would be happy to come for tea. I look forward to it. I have so much to tell you.” Melody turned to Susan and said, “Susan, you look lovely tonight. How have you been?”
Susan looked over and giggled, then said, “I have so much to tell you! I’ve met someone. His name is Arthur Taylor, and his father is a viscount. He’s very handsome and also very funny. He makes me laugh all the time, and I really like him. He should be here soon. I want to introduce him to you. Are you going to have time to help with the orphanage while you’re in town?”
“Yes, Susan, I’m looking forward to seeing all the children again. I’m glad you’ve met someone. You deserve to be happy. I’m so happy with Henry, but I miss him terribly. I hope this conflict can be cleared up quickly, so he can come back to me. Here comes Nelson. He’s my brother-in-law, the Marquess of Wyndham, and he has been so helpful to me since I joined the family.” She smiled at Nelson as he joined them, and said, “Nelson, this is my best friend, Susan Wilton. Susan, this is Henry’s brother, the Marquess of Wyndham.”
Nelson made his bow and said, “It’s lovely to meet you. Melody has mentioned you several times. I’m pleased she has a good friend to help occupy her time while she waits for Henry’s return.” He looked over at Melody and asked, “Melody, may I have this dance?”
Melody smiled and said, “Of course, I would be pleased to dance with you.”
Then Nelson turned to Susan and asked, “Do you have room for me on your dance card, Miss Wilton?”
“Yes, my lord, I have a quadrille coming up. Would that do?” she asked.
Nelson smiled as he replied, “That would be perfect. I look forward to our dance, Miss Wilton.” They talked a few more minutes, and then Nelson said, “I believe this is my dance, Melody.”
They made their way to the dance floor and joined the line for the country-dance. As they danced, Melody asked, “Is Mrs. Harrison here tonight?”
“Yes, she’s over there with her mother,” he said. “I would like it if you would befriend Mary. She’s a little shy and doesn’t have many friends in town. She’s missing her brother, and I know you could comfort each other.”
Melody smiled up at Nelson, and said, “I found Mary delightful when I met her at Christmas and also when she came back to visit her brother in February, so I would be happy to make her acquaintance again.”
Once the dance was over, Nelson led Melody over to where Mary was sitting, and he introduced her to Mrs. Bronson. Soon they were chatting as if they were old friends. Melody liked Mrs. Bronson, and she enjoyed seeing Mary again. While standing by Mary, she said, “I volunteer at an orphanage when I’m in London. Would you be interested in helping?”
Mary replied, “I would love to help out. There are so many children less fortunate than my son. I know I would enjoy helping out very much.”
“I’ll be going there tomorrow at ten o’clock. Would you be able to come with me?” she asked.
Mary turned to her mother and asked, “Mother would you mind watching Roderick while I go with Lady Montgomery?”
Mrs. Bronson said, “I would be happy to watch him.” She turned to Melody and added, “I think it’s a wonderful thing you are doing, Lady Montgomery. Not many young women are willing to donate their time to the less fortunate.”
“Thank you, ma’am, I truly love working with all the children. It’s so sad that so many of them are left without their parents. I want to help them out anyway that I can. Oh look, here’s Susan Wilton. She also volunteers at the orphanage. Let me introduce you to her.” As Melody welcomed Susan into their group, she said, “Susan, this is my friend Mary Harrison and her mother Mrs. Bronson. Mary has offered to help us at the orphanage. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Susan enthusiastically replied, “I’m pleased to meet both of you. You’ll enjoy all the children, and I’m glad you’ll be joining us.”
They all stood there and talked for a while. Helen came over, and Melody introduced her. Once Helen found out about the orphanage, she told them that she would like to help also, and they all agreed they would go together. Melody looked around and saw Lord Weston walking toward her.
She smiled at Lord Weston as she introduced him to everyone. “Lord Weston, let me introduce you to Mrs. Bronson. I believe you know her son, and of course, you met Mrs. Harrison at our home at Christmas.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bronson. I think highly of your son. I’m sure you miss him, but he is one our brave heroes on their way to fight Bonaparte. I’m sure he’ll return to you soon. From all the news, this conflict should be over shortly.” Lord Weston turned to Melody and asked, “Lady Montgomery, would you care to dance this next set with me?”
“Certainly, my lord, I would be happy to dance with you.” They walked to the dance floor and joined the other couples dancing. It was a waltz, and it made Melody think of the last time she and Henry had danced together.
“How are you, Lady Montgomery?” Lord Weston asked, “I’m sure you’re missing Lord Montgomery. I was sorry to hear he had to leave for the continent to join Wellington. Have you heard from him since he left?”
Melody smiled and said, “Please call me Melody. After all, you’re Henry’s best friend. I received a letter from him yesterday, and he sounded in good spirits. He was complaining about all the rain they were having. He told me that his men were getting impatient waiting for something to happen. They’re ready to see some action. I dread it when they do because I worry that Henry will be hurt or even killed. I don’t know what I’ll do if anything were to happen to him.”
As he twirled her around the dance floor, he said, “Please try not to worry. Henry has been in the army for a long time, and he’ll make sure that nothing keeps him from coming back to you. I know he cares a great deal about you and will make sure he’s able to come home to you as soon as we defeat Bonaparte. If I’m to call you Melody, then you need to call me Weston. That’s what all my friends call me. If there is anything I can do to help the time pass easier for you, just let me know. In fact, how would you like to go for a drive in the park tomorrow afternoon?”
“Thank you, Weston. I would love to go. I have plans for the morning, but I’ll be free later in the day and thank you for offering to help me. Henry told me I could count on you to be there for me,” she said.
“I’ll come by to pick you up at four o’clock, and we’ll take a drive through Hyde Park. Will that be convenient for you?” he asked.
Melody smiled as she said, “That’s fine. I should be back from Lady Helton’s by then.”
Once the dance had ended, he returned her to her friends. Nelson was dancing with Mrs. Harrison, and they looked as if they were having a deep discussion. Melody hoped they would get together. Mary seemed just the right kind of woman for him. Of course, his parents would not be happy if anything were to come of this relationship. They were still pressuring him to marry Lady Penelope. Melody had met her at the Christmas party, and she really did not care for her at all and knew Nelson would be miserable if he were to marry her. Melody danced several more times with some of Henry’s friends. She had a very pleasant evening, but she was glad when everyone decided to leave.
The next morning, she got up and hurried through her morning ablutions, because her day was full. She remembered that she had promised her aunt she would come by for a visit today. She was also supposed to go to the orphanage and then for a drive with Weston at four o’clock. She went down to breakfast and had her usual toast and jam with hot chocolate. Helen was there talking excitedly about the ball. She had ha
d a marvelous time and was supposed to go driving with a nice young man she had met last night. His name was Andrew Hamilton, and he was the Earl of Everwood’s heir.
Helen giggled and said, “Melody, he’s so handsome, and he dances divinely. I liked his sense of humor, and he was so polite. He told me he thought I was beautiful!”
“Helen, you’re very beautiful. I’m not surprised at all that he found you so. When is he picking you up?” Melody asked.
Helen sipped her tea, and then she said, “He’s going to be here at three o’clock, and Mother even approves of me seeing him. She told me he was from a very good family. Will you be here this afternoon when he comes to pick me up?”
“I doubt that I’ll be here. Remember we’re going to the orphanage at ten o’clock this morning. I’m going to see my aunt Miriam at one o’clock, and then I’m also going for a drive with Henry’s friend, Lord Weston, at four o’clock, so I have a very busy day ahead of me,” she said.
“Well, maybe we’ll run into each other at the park later this afternoon. If we’re going to the orphanage at ten o’clock, I had better hurry and get ready,” Helen said as rushed out of the room.
They went and picked up Mary and Susan and then went to the orphanage. Melody was so glad to see all the children again. Some of the children from last year had been adopted, and other children had arrived. While they were playing with the children, Melody pulled Susan to the side and asked, “How is Brandon? I felt so awful when my mother wrote and told me about Lily and the baby. I wish I could have been there to help console him. I’m sure he was devastated by it all.”
“I saw him right before I left to come to London, and he’s terribly morose and misses Lily desperately. I’ve tried to be there for him, but he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Susan said. “He’s even talked about moving somewhere else because the memories are so painful. I’m sure a letter from you would help him tremendously. You’ve always been so close.”
“I wrote to him right after I heard the news, but I haven’t written since then. What with Henry leaving for the continent and all, I’ve just had too much on my mind. I’ll write to him tomorrow. Well, if I’m going to get to my aunt’s on time, I need to leave.” As Melody left, she added, “Susan I’ll see you in two days.
Melody had a pleasant visit with her aunt. They planned on meeting at the Milton Musicale that they were both attending that evening. She rushed home and got ready for her drive with Lord Weston. He picked her up on time, and they drove to Hyde Park. It was a lovely spring day, and the drive was very enjoyable. “Thank you for asking me to go driving with you. It’s a lovely day, and all the flowers are so beautiful. I particularly enjoy the spring of the year. It’s hard to be blue when everything is so pretty.” Lord Weston was driving his phaeton, and it was obvious that he was a very good driver. She had never ridden in a high perch phaeton and was enjoying it tremendously.
“I’m pleased you could come for a drive today. Your husband has been my best friend since we were at Eton together as young boys. I wanted to go with him when his father bought Henry his commission, but since I’m an only child, my father refused. Of course, shortly after that, my father died, and then I inherited my title. I was so disappointed and a little envious of Montgomery. In some ways, I’ve lived vicariously through him, imagining that I was in the army with him. The army has been good for Montgomery, and he wasn’t looking forward to civilian life until he met you. You make him very happy,” Weston said as he pulled to the side to let an approaching carriage pass.
“He makes me deliriously happy, and I do miss him desperately. He has become my best friend, not just my husband.” They continued to drive through the park and ran into Helen with her beau. They chatted for a while, but then it was time to leave. She had had a very pleasant afternoon with Lord Weston, and they planned to do it again soon.
When Melody got home, she went to her room to rest before dinner, as she knew it was going to be a long night. When she woke up, she barely had time to dress for the evening and just made it downstairs in time for dinner. They arrived at the Musicale at nine o’clock, and they stayed there for several hours. Melody was exhausted when she finally made it to bed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
She remembered to write Brandon the next day, and she hoped her letter would cheer him up. She wrote about Henry having to leave to go fight Bonaparte and told him she was in London for a few weeks, but then she would be going back to Sanderford Park.
The next month went by very quickly. They went to either a ball or some kind of entertainment every night. She especially enjoyed the opera. When they went there, The Barber of Seville was playing, and the soprano had a stupendous voice. Melody had always enjoyed singing, and she had a lovely light soprano voice herself.
She was very tired and was glad she would be leaving to go back to the country the next day. Nelson was going to take her and Kathryn, because he had some estate business he needed to take care of. She had no regrets about coming to town, but she was more than ready to go back to Sanderford Park.
They left the next day, early in the morning and were there by four o’clock that afternoon. Melody slept most of the way. She could not understand why she was so tired and sleepy all the time, and she had been nauseous lately. This was puzzling to Melody because she was rarely, if ever, ill. It only happened in the morning, and then she was fine for the rest of the day. Nelson had asked Melody to come to his study after she had freshened up. He had something he wanted to talk to her about, and she wondered what it was. She met Nelson, and he asked her to take a seat.
“I want to run something by you. I’ve decided that I’m going to ask Mary to marry me. We get along well, and her son is delightful. She’s very peaceful to be with. You’ve been spending quite a bit of time with Mary. Do you think she’ll want to marry me?” he asked.
“Nelson, I know she’ll want to marry you. She’s mentioned several times to me how much she has enjoyed your company. I think you’ll suit each other very well. Henry just knew she would be the right woman for you, and I wish you every happiness. You deserve to have someone in your life that you can care about. I know you loved Nora very much, but I’m sure she would want you to move on with your life. Have you told your parents about your decision?” she asked.
“I’ve decided not to mention anything to them until after I find out if Mary accepts my proposal. If she says yes, then I’ll tell them at that time,” Nelson replied. “I’m glad you feel this is a good direction for me to take. Mary is so pleasant that I know we’ll get along well. I don’t love her as I loved Nora, but I admire her tremendously, and I feel I could grow to love her in the future. I’ll be going back to London in a few days, and I’ll ask her then.”
“I hope you have a safe trip and please tell Helen to have fun. I just hope she can meet someone she can love and who will love her. I’ve grown so fond of all of you, and I appreciate all of you so much. Having you in my life has helped me deal with Henry leaving. I’ll be so grateful when all this conflict with Bonaparte is behind us and we can get on with our lives,” she said. “Well, I think I’ll go upstairs and rest before dinner. I’ll see you later.”
The next day, Melody received a letter from Brandon. He thanked her for writing and told her he was sorry that Henry had to leave her to go fight. He also told her that he was looking for another teaching position because the memories of Lily were driving him mad. Melody’s heart went out to him. She could only imagine how horrible it would be to lose your true love. Melody decided she would write Brandon occasionally, just to let him know she was thinking about him.
CHAPTER 12
Brussels, Belgium
May 1815
HENRY ARRIVED IN Brussels at the beginning of May. The passage over the English Channel was rough, and many of his men were seasick. It had been a grueling march ever since they had arrived in France. His men were very tired, and morale was extremely low. What was surprising was the amount of people that were arriving i
n Brussels. Many of the ton were setting up house, and there were balls, galas, and parties every night. The Duke of Wellington hosted many of them, himself. Henry did not feel like going to these events, but Wellington gave direct orders to all his officers, telling them they had to attend. During the day, they were scouting out possible battle sites and then dancing all night. Henry was missing Melody terribly. He almost wished he had brought her with him. He would have, had he known there were going to be so many of the ton here. Her letters were all that kept him sane. She must have been writing everyday, because he was receiving letters on a daily basis. They were always so cheerful, and he was pleased she had decided to go to London for the season, after all. Evidently, Helen and Melody had convinced his mother to let Kathryn come to London too. Henry was relieved that Melody was in London, because that way she would stay busy and would not miss him as much.
As May moved along, there were rumors flying everyday. Bonaparte was holding back and not taking the offensive. Wellington was waiting for Marshall Blucher to arrive. Henry wished they would just get this over with. The army was not holding the appeal that it once had. Everything was dependent on the seventh coalition. Bonaparte was trying to get some of the allied to change sides, and it looked as if he had been successful, because Marshall Ney had joined forces with him.
Henry was trying to write Melody everyday, but it was difficult to find the time, and he wanted to be positive in his letters; for the most part, he was. Sometimes, he did mention the morale problems and the level of boredom of his troops. After all, how many times could his troops practice drills without any action and without growing bored.
Thank goodness for Melody’s letters. They were always so cheerful, and it sounded as if she were having a good time. Her last letter stated that she had returned to Sanderford Park. Kathryn had come with her, because that had been the arrangement she had made with the duchess. She said she was tired of all the parties anyway and wanted the peace and quiet that she would find there.