by Julie Matern
He noticed that her expression was serious and imploring. Not a social visit then. His heart stuttered at the anticipation of what the subject matter might be. “I was going to visit our tenants—but that can wait a while. I have no fixed appointment. Come, let us ride over to the folly and talk in private in the shade of the great oaks.”
He trotted over to the area in question, dismounted, tied his horse to a tree and turned to help Francesca dismount. His skin tingled as she placed her delicate hand in his. He wondered if she felt it too and glanced at her face but saw only concern and indecision depicted there. They were in full view of the house for propriety’s sake but far enough away to be sure of privacy in their conversation. He sat on a bench and indicated for her to join him.
She perched on the edge of the bench in an attitude of anxiety, fiddling with a handkerchief and unable to look him in the eye. His heart took a dive. Pray, let it not be that she has decided to marry someone and is seeking my advice on the matter! he agonized.
Since she appeared unable to begin he said, encouragingly, “There is a matter you would like to discuss?”
“Yes …” she hesitated. “You are fond of me, I think?”
His hopes took flight. “Of course—”
“We have been good friends since childhood, have we not? Almost brother and sister, no?”
His hopes crash-landed. He struggled to arrange his features so that his feelings were not apparent. “Indeed …” Where was this conversation headed?
“Your affections would not be altered if you learned something about me that would change how society viewed me, would they?”
He shook his head in confusion and then intelligence unfolded.
“Has someone spread a rumor about your trouble with Mr. Ashbourne? You can be assured that I will defend you on that score and will contradict the account at every opportunity!”
He saw that his vehemence made Francesca smile and gave her courage to continue. “No, no! That secret is safe, thank heavens! No, it is another matter entirely that I wish your opinion on.”
He relaxed.
“Phillip, what would you say if I told you I had been adopted?”
His eyes dilated briefly and then the edges crinkled in amusement. “What would your parents have to say about that? Are you not satisfied with them?”
“Phillip, I am in earnest.”
His mind spun momentarily as the facts impressed themselves upon his consciousness.
“You are adopted? But that cannot be, surely?”
“Yes, indeed it is! I have only just learned of it myself, this very morning. An agent of the man who is my natural grandfather, an Italian, came to visit my father this morning. He desires to meet me and make me his heir.”
“I think you had better tell me the whole story from the beginning,” he said.
T
As the tale unfolded, Phillip considered the differences in appearance between Francesca and her parents. He, himself, did not wholly resemble his parents, but in this light, it was clear that Francesca had differences that could readily be explained by this new revelation.
“Now my parents have left me to decide what I will do with this new information. They will support me in any decision that I make but want me to consider deeply before taking any action.”
“I suppose there is no doubt that the account is true?”
“None. My parents showed me the letter my birth mother left them, and there is more …”
She turned in her seat so that her back was facing him and lifted her hair to reveal the birthmark on her neck.
“My birth mother had the same mark upon her. Very few people know of mine and it is usually covered by the tiny curls on my neck but this man, this agent, knew of it.”
She turned back to face him, her dark eyes full to the brim with concern.
“Until this very day, I did not know of my Italian grandfather’s existence, now this knowledge has turned my world upside down. There are so many consequences attached to each choice! I am at a fork in the road and know not which is the best one to take.”
“Indeed.”
His tone made her looked up sharply. “Has this then, changed your opinion of me, Phillip?”
He took her hand gently in his and smiled.
“By no means.”
Her shoulders loosened.
“However, the rest of society will not be so forgiving. It is a complicated world we have created, consisting of points for and against our standing in the rankings, and though I hate to say it, your own grandmother is the worst offender.” Francesca nodded with a sad smile. “Her reaction will determine how the rest of them receive you, I believe. For my part, it makes not the slightest difference.”
He hesitated to add that he loved her either way, though it was on the tip of his tongue, thinking that she had had enough revelations for one day.
“Oh, Phillip!” and she leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder in an attitude of utter solace. They sat like that for some time; he relished her closeness, she basked in his acceptance.
At length, she lifted her head and engaged his eyes.“Can you tell me what to do, Phillip?”
She was biting her lower lip in a most engaging fashion and he had to tear his eyes from her mouth in order to concentrate. “I cannot, but tell me what you want to do and I will advise you whether I think it is wise or what some of the drawbacks may be.”
“In truth, I feel an extraordinary force tugging me to Italy, an unquenchable desire to visit that place—that it might help me understand myself.”
“Are you in a state of confusion, then?”
“The horror of my interaction with Mr. Ashbourne aside, I have lately felt very happy with who I am becoming and am enjoying the new-found freedoms life as an adult has to offer, but this news has undeniably shaken me and I feel that I do not know myself anymore. The person I thought I was is false. I feel an evolving need to satisfy my curiosity about my real parentage and to see the place of my ancestors.”
“Then I believe you have made your decision!”
“Yet, will this not upset my parents? Will they not question my love for them? Truly, I know of no one who loves their parents as I do, but will not this desire call that love into question in their minds? I could not bear to upset them and knowing now the heartache they have already endured, being unable to have children of their own, I feel it would smack of ungratefulness. I am torn between my own desires and my unwillingness to hurt their feelings.”
“Then describe for them the battle your emotions wage. They have sworn to support any decision you come to, have they not? Tell them that you fear hurting them and ask them to travel with you. Make it a journey that unites you rather than divides you.”
“That is an excellent proposition, Phillip! I think I must go. Not knowing would eat at me and render me dissatisfied with my life, I believe.”
She gazed toward the house, deep in thought, and he took the occasion to peruse her lovely face, his mind still reeling from the revelation, but his heart steadfast in his affection for her. After a moment he said, “Will you tell your grandparents and the general public?”
“As for the public at large, I will be guided by my parents. I suppose I must tell my grandparents. Mother’s parents will be surprised and even hurt by the discovery but I do not fear their rejection. Father’s …” she let the words hang in the air.
“Let us hope that their love is affixed and true and not subject to the alteration in your situation. You are prepared, though, for a tempering in their affections?”
“The announcement is still so new to my own conscience. I hardly know—but you are right, I will need to steel myself for their wrath and rejection. Poor Mama and Papa. They will feel it too. Oh, perhaps it is too much for them to bear! For myself, it is a path of discovery, but for them, it could be the shattering of their comfortable life. Illegitimacy is such a scandal, is it not? Do you not feel a little revolted by it?”
He turned to her and took both her hands in his. His gaze was penetrating, and he suddenly flashed back to their conversation by the brook at her cousin’s picnic. His brow cleared, and his lips parted in a tender smile so that his whole face was alive with tenderness.
“Francesca, I hope that you think me a truer friend than that! The circumstances of your birth are completely outside of your control. You have been raised as a lady by loving parents. Therefore, in my eyes you are a lady. Nothing in this world could change my high regard for you. Nothing.”
For reasons she could not fathom, Francesca felt her nose tingle and tears spring to her eyes. She was filled with comfort and peace such that it caused her to smile and cry at the same time. He pulled her close, and she again placed her head upon his shoulder. “Will you come with me, Phillip?”
“No, little one. This is a private time for you and your family. You can make your travels and tell me all about them on your return.”
They stood slowly and he helped her onto her horse, smiling benevolently. She noticed that his fair hair hung a little over his left eye and that his smile illuminated his entire face. How could she ever have thought him lacking?
As she trotted back home, she cast a glance behind her and was surprised to see him still standing, still smiling, as she departed.
Twenty-Four
UV
ENGLAND
The air was frigid with an icy silence. The faces of the four grandparents were similar; eyebrows raised, mouths forming an O, eyes wide open, as if life had paused for a moment.
John Haversham stood at the fireplace, having just related the whole story. Emily perched on one of the sofas, awaiting the reaction, thankful they had decided to have this meeting without Francesca present.
After a beat, it was as if someone had pressed a button and all the grandparents spoke at once in a cacophony of sound. John raised his hands for silence and gestured to his father-in-law to speak.
“Why on earth would you do that? Shouldn’t you have found an orphanage?”
His wife hit his arm in reproach. “Do you realize how offensive you sound?” she declared.
Emily’s face collapsed in disappointment, and a look of deep concern filled her husband’s. If this was the reaction of those they hoped would be accepting, how would John’s parents respond?
Emily replied, “We had been praying so long for a baby. She was—no, she is the greatest blessing ever bestowed upon us.”
John’s father, Sir John Haversham, spoke out in a loudly pompous tone, “We have grown to love her, of course, but her heritage is completely unknown, you say? That was utterly irresponsible of you! Preposterous! The truth is that you have betrayed us most cruelly and now we find that she is not actually our granddaughter! The deception is inexcusable. She may be the offspring of a peasant for all we know!”
“Father, please moderate your tone! I understand that this has been a shock and that you are angry with Emily and I, but please, temper your opposition.”
His father bowed and shook his head muttering under his breath. John looked to his mother, Augusta, whose face was scarlet.
“So rather than a young lady of high rank and breeding, she is a mongrel.”
Emily flinched.
“Mother!”
“You have brought this on yourself, John. You have deceived your family. What? Did you think we would embrace the knowledge that our granddaughter is of low birth? For shame! Our family has been noble for two hundred years, unsullied by any vagrant offspring, and now this! It is not to be borne!”
Emily looked to her mother, Lady Davenport, for support. “Now, now everyone,” she said, “Francesca has not changed in the space of these five minutes. We know her to be a diligent and respectful child and in all relevant senses a lady. We have known her as our progeny, and she has never given us any cause for complaint as to her conduct or bearing. Indeed, we have never witnessed any evidence from her behavior that she was not, in fact, blood of our blood. She is, in every other respect, an English gentlewoman, in spite of her true parentage.”
Emily rushed to taker her mother’s hand in gratitude as Lady Davenport continued, “The Bible speaks kindly of adoption. Let us be more Christian in our attitude and take time to adjust to the shock before spouting things while in this emotional state that we might later regret. And, foremost, let it not change our affection for dear Francesca. Hysteria will help no one and will only serve to ostracize us from our granddaughter’s affections.”
“Thank you, Georgina,” said John, relieved to have at least one ally. “You are perhaps all forgetting that Francesca herself was only informed of this a week ago. She has experienced myriad emotions and has frankly forgiven us. She has not deceived you. Lay the blame at our feet for that. At the time we could, honestly, see no good reason for admitting the fact that she was adopted and your conduct today has borne that out. She is a child of God, as are all of us, and is deserving of our unconditional love and support at this difficult time.”
His father, Lord Haversham, harrumphed in disapproval, and his mother spat back, “The deception itself is a sin. Were it not for this, this agent coming, you would have continued to deceive us our whole lives. Are we picking and choosing which of the Ten Commandments we will keep now?”
“I suppose that is the true reason for the choice of name, which I thought strange at the time. No one on either side has ever been called ‘Francesca.’ Indeed, it is rather foreign sounding, and I have always thought so,” fumed Lord Haversham.
John looked between his parents. “Please try to understand how hard it was for us to pray for a child but not be blessed with one. None of you has ever experienced that kind of anguish. She was truly a miracle, an answer to our prayers, and it seemed fitting that she be named in remembrance of that blessing. It is a beautiful name in its own right and doubly so as it reminds us of how God smiled on us,” he pleaded.
“But it was another lie compounding the first! You said you chose the name because she was born in France close to Italy. Another deception!” cried Lady Haversham.
Emily began to weep.
“What will we tell society?” gasped Lord Haversham, working himself into a frenzy. “We, who pride ourselves on the purity of our blue blood? We, to whom others look for guidance on lineage, proper ranking, and manners? We will be mocked to shame! Ridiculed as hypocrites! Come, Augusta, let us leave this place where we are not given the respect we deserve and carefully ponder how to proceed in this matter.”
He stood in dramatic fashion and waited for his wife to rise. They swept from the room. The effect of their departure was like that of popping a balloon and those still present sank as the tension exited the room with them.
“I think we see where their true rancor lies—in how this will affect them!” said John.
Lady Davenport patted her daughter’s hand. “There, there, my darling girl. We will not desert Francesca, shall we George?” In a brusque manner, he stiffly agreed. “No, no. She is a good girl, and we are fond of her…. There is, however, the greater moral question to address …”
“What do you mean?” asked John.
“Well, you will have a moral obligation to tell any future suitors of her true heritage. You may pooh, pooh it sir, but breeding is the lifeblood of English society and a man deserves to know all the facts before entering into a marriage.”
“Of course, Papa,” said Emily to her father. “We have concluded the same thing, but as to the greater society in general, do you believe we have a similar obligation? You have been witness to the prejudice from her own family, would that not open her up to unnecessary abuse from those not related to us?”
“I do not believe such a course of action is necessary at this time,” he said guardedly. “But we will all need to give it more thought.”
“Indeed, I think you need have no fear of John’s parents broadcasting it!” exclaimed Lady Georgina.
“The immediate course we have decided on,” continued John Ha
versham. “After much deliberation and discussion, is to travel to France to show Francesca where she was born and then on to Italy to meet her grandfather and visit the land of her mother’s birth, without disclosing the reasons for the journey to anyone here. I have instructed the Italian agent to travel back in haste to tell him, Signore Giaccopazzi, that we will arrive in a few weeks.
Upon our return, we will, of course, tell any young man who seeks Francesca’s hand in marriage that she is adopted, but feel, as you have validated, no compunction to broadcast it generally.”
“You realize that if such a young man decided not to pursue her after your disclosure, he will be at liberty to tell whomsoever he desires,” counseled Lord Davenport.
“We shall cross that bridge when we come to it,” John sighed. “Poor Francesca is just coming to terms with the change in her fortunes herself.”
Lord Davenport, who was pacing by the fireplace, stopped and faced them all, no smile upon his countenance. “Then she should be very careful of the male company she seeks upon her return. Her very future and standing in society will depend on it!”
Part Two
UV
Twenty-Five
UV
FRANCE
The crossing to Calais had been very rough, and more than a few passengers had been green around the gills, including Francesca.
Thus it was that their eventual arrival in Cannes, with its resplendent views of the Mediterranean, had the effect of a good tonic, and Francesca had the sudden and unexpected impulse to share the moment with Phillip.
She was enthralled by the sight of water so blue that it rivaled sapphires, having only ever seen an ocean that was a rather murky green most of the time, and the pleasant sun was a definite bonus. She again experienced the juvenile desire to rip off her stockings and shoes and plunge her toes into the inviting water.
After their arrival, they passed a very pleasant afternoon walking along the coast and then repaired to an hotel in the town of Grasse, a little inland, up in the mountains, so that on the morrow they might show Francesca the villa where they first lived with her and the small mountain town where they had met the woman who gave birth to her. They planned to spend several days there to show Francesca around the entire area where their happy life had begun.