by Aria Norton
The main course was soon served, followed by dessert. Helena hoped to get away as soon as they left for the drawing-room, but her parents said something that just about stopped her heart.
“Why don't you go for a walk with Nathaniel, dear?” her mother asked.
“Yes, child,” her father agreed. “Walking helps to digest your food.”
Over my slowly dying body! “Oh, I'd rather not. A walk is not what I wish to do this evening.”
“Please, Lady Barclay,” Nathaniel pleaded. “I would be honoured if you would walk with me.”
Helena frowned slightly, wondering at the pleading tone Nathaniel had used. Does he have something to tell me? It had better not be about Beatrix, or I might wallop him over the head with the closest object I can find. Still, Helena was curious about what Nathaniel had to say.
“Very well, Monsieur Baudelaire. Please, follow me.”
Helena did not want to put her hand on his arm again, so she walked ahead of him, expecting him to follow her. What a pathetic creature I am. Why did I agree to be alone with him? Time would only tell.
Helena led Nathaniel into the garden and stopped in the middle. "You may go where you want to, Monsieur Baudelaire. I will sit here."
A garden bench was partially concealed by a rose bush, but enough was visible to give a spot to sit.
“If you don't mind, I would like to sit with you.”
"As a matter of fact, I do mind," Helena snapped. "You are my parents' guest; thus, I ask you to please not burden me with entertaining you."
And with that, Helena sat down, crossing her arms as she faced away from Nathaniel. For heaven's sake! When would mercy be shown? I wish he would leave. Instead, Nathaniel sat down at her feet.
“What are you doing?” she demanded. “You will dirty your clothes.”
“I'm not bothered about my clothes, Helena. I only wish to speak to you.”
Nathaniel had dropped her formal title. This didn't bode well. "About what? I assure you we have nothing to talk about."
“Even if I tell you that I am madly in love with you?”
Helena stared down at Nathaniel. Had he hit his head on something? He couldn't possibly be confessing his love to her when he was engaged to Beatrix! What was this all about? Helena didn't even allow herself to accept Nathaniel's words, blocking them out with every ounce of mental strength she could muster.
“I stopped enjoying comedies some time ago, Monsieur Baudelaire. I have ceased to read them.”
That went for romance and fantasy as well. These books only served to show Helena how pathetic her life was.
“This is no joke,” he insisted. “I love you, and wish you to know it.”
“You must think me a fool. Have you forgotten that I am an engaged woman, and you are an engaged man? This is hardly appropriate, you know. Luke would not be impressed, and neither would Beatrix.”
“I'm no longer engaged to her. Once I found out about the misunderstanding that separated us, I broke off the engagement.”
Helena sat back, feeling thorns poking into her back, but she paid them no mind. Nathaniel had ended his engagement?
“What misunderstanding are you talking about?” She asked, cautiously.
“I'm not the one who ended our lessons together. My employer informed me you no longer required my services, and warned me to stay away from you. When I heard you were going to London, I decided to follow you to find out if you indeed felt nothing for me. Beatrix warned me you had been receiving suitors, but I didn't want to believe that. When I saw you with your fiancé, I grew angry. I was not engaged at the time, but jealousy made me hint at a possible marriage between Beatrix and I. Unfortunately, Beatrix took it to heart, and convinced me that the best way to get over you was to marry her.”
This entire story was obviously missing some facts because it was confusing. Who would have told Nathaniel's employer she no longer wanted his services? However, one particular aspect of what he said stood out for her.
"You got engaged because you saw me with another man? Did you fail to see how miserable I was? If you had known me at all, you would have realised I wasn't happy at all!"
“But you got engaged as well,” he countered.
"That was different! I did it because I felt that whatever we had was gone, and I had to resign myself to a loveless marriage for my parents' sakes. What was your excuse? Pride? You could have spoken to me, but you chose to listen to another woman."
Nathaniel hung his head. "I've been a fool, I know. If I could take back all the heartache I caused, I would."
“But you can't.”
Helena clenched and unclenched her hands, itching to hit something. Anger coursed through her veins, making her feel warm inside. She couldn't even take in the fact that he loved her, not yet. First, she wanted to know who had interfered in the first place and ended her lessons with him. Who could have forbidden him from coming to see her? The only person who could have done such a thing is Papa. He organised the lessons in the first place and would have cancelled them.
Shaking her head, Helena got to her feet and marched back towards the house.
“Where are you going?” Nathaniel asked, running after her. “Are you not going to say anything else?”
“Oh, just hush! I have not finished with you yet.”
Nathaniel was wise enough to shut his mouth, but he continued to follow her. Entering the drawing-room, Helena found her parents quietly talking to each other. They were both startled when Helena entered the room without a word, her hands on her hips.
“Have you finished your walk already?” her mother asked.
"It was finished before it began," Helena answered. "Mama, Papa, I have something to ask you. I need you to be perfectly honest with me."
Her parents looked at each other, and only when Helena's father nodded his head, did they turn to her once more.
“What would you like to know, dear?” said her mother.
"What part did you play in keeping Nathaniel away from me? I recall how mortified you were that I could ever like a common man, and that must have been the catalyst that ensured Nathaniel would be kept away from me." The more Helena thought about it, the more the puzzle pieces fell into place. "Ah, I see. You were worried a romance would brew between Nathaniel and I, or a scandal would harm my reputation. We weren't supposed to leave for London so soon, but you insisted on doing so. You were taking me away from Nathaniel, weren't you?"
Both parents had the decency to look down and nod their heads. Helena uttered a cry, putting a hand over her mouth as she turned away from them. Not only did Nathaniel betray me, but my parents did, too. They were the ones who set everything in motion. I'm surrounded by liars.
“We're dreadfully sorry, dear,” her mother pleased. “Your father and I thought we were doing the right thing. There were dreadful rumours. We didn't realise we were messing with something as strong as love.”
Helena covered her eyes with her hands. “You were not doing the right thing by my standards, but by the standards of others. You wanted to ensure I wouldn't do anything to embarrass you. You weren't concerned about my happiness.”
“That's not true!” her mother protested. “We were thinking about you, dear, but we went about it the wrong way. Please, forgive us.”
Helena walked away and stood by the mantelpiece. Nathaniel and her parents had deeply hurt her- did they understand that? Nathaniel may not have been the one to start the betrayal, but he had certainly added to it by becoming betrothed to another when it was apparent she was hurting. He ignored my pain and used a knife to dig another hole. How was she supposed to deal with that? It appeared her parents and Nathaniel didn't know her well at all.
“You've all hurt me more than I can explain,” she began, her back still turned. “I cannot believe that the people I love the most hurt me the worst. It's almost as though you hate me.”
They all protested at once, but she held up her hand, silencing them. It was her turn to talk.
“I would never do this to either of you because your happiness matters to me.”
So much so that she couldn't stay mad at them. Yes, she was hurt, but she would heal. However, if she continued to be angry with her parents and Nathaniel, she would cause them pain. I don't want anyone to go through what I went through. Everyone had admitted their wrongdoing, and Nathaniel had confessed his love to her. Furthermore, he had ended his engagement to Beatrix, and her parents seemed to have accepted him. I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Helena turned to them, seeing their worried gazes. "I would like to say a few things and ask for no interruptions."
They all readily nodded.
"Firstly, I have decided to forgive you. Secondly, I do love Nathaniel, and probably always will. Thirdly, who is going to break the news to Luke?”
Helena obviously could not marry him now. Nathaniel came towards her, his face full of relief and hope.
"Does this mean I have a second chance with you?"
"Did I not make myself clear enough? I confessed that I love you, and I'll be ending my engagement with Luke. What do you presume this means?"
Nathaniel's eyes lit up. He took her hands and turned to her parents. “May I?” he asked.
May he what? Helena's parents nodded their heads. She soon understood what Nathaniel meant when he dropped to one knee. Everything was happening at a fast pace, but Helena wouldn't have it any other way. She had waited long enough.
“Helena Barclay, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
She didn't have to think twice. “Yes, nothing would make me happier.”
Helena felt her melancholy lift, and knew she would never experience it again. This was how things should have happened from the beginning, but better late than never. That should be my new motto.
Epilogue
There was likely never a greater day of scandal than the day Helena called off her engagement to Luke and announced her engagement to Nathaniel.
The mere fact that she chose a commoner over the son of a viscount (with a sizeable fortune, mind you!) had been likened to a crime.
The entire matter had been blown out of all proportion. Helena and Nathaniel, and indeed her parents, suffered much ridicule and slander for months to come, but their resolve to continue with the marriage never failed.
Today, Helena would marry the man she loved, and although people had eventually come around and ceased to oppose their union, their words would not have deterred her from becoming Mrs Nathaniel Baudelaire.
“I still think it's wonderfully romantic!” Candace gushed. “I've never heard of a greater romantic tale than this one.”
“You are undoubtedly one of the few who think so,” said Helena. “I imagine most of the wedding party still think it preposterous that the daughter of an earl will marry a common violinist. I believe an uncle cautioned my father to lock me up in my room until I woke up from my faerie tale.”
Helena's father had been so angry with his half-brother that they had nearly come to blows. Papa is not a violent man by nature, but he does feel he needs to protect my honour. I'm glad Nathaniel had been there to stop the fight.
Helena's husband-to-be had accompanied her father to a gentleman's club to introduce him to his acquaintances, and while some had received her sweet violinist, most had snubbed him. I do feel sorry about ending my engagement with Luke. He was kind about it, although Lady Staten had some choice words to say.
Helena hoped Luke would find the right sort of girl to marry and be happy with. We would have never made each other happy. Indeed, I might have made him miserable! I am most grateful Rose intervened and brought Nathaniel to his senses before we both made a mistake and married the wrong people.
“I do not think I could have been so brave to defy society,” Sophie commented. “But if there is anyone who can get away with it, it's you. You're the darling of society and always have been. I'm simply glad that you're finally happy, and that too with someone you love. I hope the same for me one day."
Poor Sophie had not been able to keep a suitor long enough to be engaged. However, Candace was awaiting a proposal any day now from Philip Costner, the youngest son of Baron Tate. Perhaps Sophie still has much to learn before committing her life to any person.
“You will find the right man for you, Sophie,” Helena assured. “Never doubt that. You are but eighteen, and still have some time.”
Helena heard a brief knock on the door before Rose appeared. “I thought you would be ready by now! What on earth have you all been doing since I've been away? Chatting?”
All three women had the good sense to blush. Rose chased Candace and Sophie from the room, calling them more of a hindrance than a help to the bride.
"Are you ready?" Rose asked after closing the door. "I mean emotionally and mentally. Of course, you are not physically ready, as you have been chatting too much to complete your attire."
“I know that I'm ready to be with the man I love,” Helena admitted. “And spend the rest of my life by his side. I never thought I would ever find a man who understands me as Nathaniel does. He could have run for the hills when people mocked him, but he stood his ground for my sake. I cannot help but love him more.”
Nathaniel never flinched when people called him an upstart, or a social climber. He had maintained his respectability and calm nature even when Monsieur Debussy fired him from his job. It had been a blow to Nathaniel, and Helena had believed that he would undoubtedly give up and leave her, but he didn't. Eventually, people started to see the goodness of his nature and ceased to openly mock him.
“Then you had better get ready and get downstairs, and put that poor man out of his anxiety,” said Rose. “He has not stopped pacing since he arrived. He keeps looking at his watch and sighing.”
Helena smiled. “Indeed? He must be impatient to make me his.”
The two women continued to chatter as Rose helped Helena get ready for her wedding, laughing and reminiscing about their childhood. A wedding was always bitter-sweet, wasn't it? It marked the ending of one life and the beginning of another.
Finally, Helena was done, and just on time as another knock sounded on her door.
“Could that be a servant calling me down?” she asked.
“Possibly,” said Rose. “I'll see who it is.”
Rose opened the door halfway and appeared to stiffen. Who on earth would bring about this reaction? Rose turned to her, her eyes spitting fire.
“Miss Beatrix Saunders wishes to speak with you,” said Rose.
Beatrix? What on earth would she want to say? Helena was well aware of the tricks Beatrix had employed to separate her from Nathaniel, and while Helena had chosen to forgive the woman, she certainly did not wish to see her! Ever the curious one, Helena wanted to hear what the woman would say.
“'Tis fine, Rose. Let her in.”
Rose shook her head but widened the door, admitting the woman. “I'll give you a moment of privacy.”
Beatrix looked at the floor as she walked into the room, her hands clasped in front of her. This did not look anything like the haughty woman who had tried to destroy Helena's life. Instead, Helena saw a humble woman who looked full of regret.
“Why have you come to see me, Beatrix? 'Tis my wedding today, and I do not wish to argue with anyone.”