32. A Return Trip Flies By
CHAPTER 32
A RETURN TRIP FLIES BY
T he following day
After a leisurely breakfast around the same trestles they had dined at during the dinner the night before, Will announced it was time they finish packing to head back to Athens. “We’ll want to be home before dark,” he reminded them when murmurs of disappointment sounded from around the table.
Will remembered the arrangements they had discussed over dinner the night before. “It seems you and Tom are riding with Barbara and me,” he said, directing his comment to David.
“It’s fine, Father,” David assured him.
“More room for me. I’m going to sleep the whole trip,” Tom claimed.
Barbara tittered, although she seemed troubled by her son’s reaction to the arrangement. “I can be ready to leave in ten minutes,” she said.
“Hah!” Will responded. “You’ve all been challenged,” he said with a chuckle.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed before the coaches were loaded and their occupants settled in for the trip back to Athens.
I n the coach which included Randy, Jane was sandwiched between Marcus and Antonio while he shared a bench with Diana, Volume 1 of Pausanias’ Description of Greece separating them. He waited until they had been traveling for a few minutes before he broke the awkward silence. “Is there some announcement you’re withholding from us?” he asked, directing his query to Marcus.
For the entire time during breakfast, Marcus and Jane had exchanged looks that could only be described as flirtatious. If he hadn’t known of David’s betrothal with the young lady, Randy would have simply concluded Marcus had succeeded in securing some sort of promise from Jane.
“Jane has agreed to be my wife,” Marcus blurted.
Diana, who had settled her head into the corner of the squabs to stare out the coach window, straightened and stared at her brother. “What?”
“I... I proposed last night after dinner?—”
“And I accepted,” Jane said happily, pulling off her glove and lifting her left hand to wiggle her fingers.
Randy furrowed his brows in confusion. “Wh... what of David?” he asked. “I thought?—”
“He broke it off,” Jane said. “ We broke it off. Last night. Before dinner. He... he wished to wait to wed, and I do not.” She sighed contentedly. “Oh, Diana, thank you so much for your words of encouragement yesterday,” she added. “It made all the difference, and I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you last night. I know you must have wondered at my odd behavior.”
Diana’s eyes rounded in wonder, but she quickly recovered when she got a closer look at the ring. “Well, you’re forgiven, of course, but isn’t that the same ring you were wearing yesterday in the coach?”
“It is indeed,” Jane replied in delight.
“Penton gave it to me,” Marcus stated. “He was such a sport last night. Said it belonged to her, and that I should use it as a betrothal ring. I’ll give her another when we wed, of course,” he added.
Randy turned his attention to Antonio, surprised to see his eyes were closed, his breathing suggesting he was fast asleep.
“Oh, he knows. I told him last night,” Marcus said, aiming a thumb in Antonio’s direction.
“And he agreed?” Randy pressed.
Jane nodded. “His only concern is that Marcus doesn’t have our father’s blessing,” she said. “But he will after he writes to him.”
“That could take weeks. Months,” Diana murmured.
“Jane accepted my proposal on the condition that we marry quickly,” Marcus explained, his face briefly displaying a wince. “I am in agreement, of course. I plan to take her to Rome and Derbyshire for our wedding trip before we go to London. That’s where we’ll live.”
Diana blinked several times at hearing her brother’s itinerary. “You’ve made all those plans since last night?” she asked in alarm. “You haven’t even spoken with Father,” she added in disbelief.
“I will. When he finally arrives in Athens. Which... should be any day,” he added. “He knows I want to go back to London. I’ve not made it a secret,” he argued. “He says I can live in the townhouse.” He took another breath and let it out. “I will require some help to see to finding someone who can perform the wedding ceremony.” His gaze settled on Randy.
“Why are you looking at me ?”
Marcus chuckled. “I thought you might have an idea. Some suggestions.”
“Well, we’re not going to find an Anglican priest here in Greece,” Randy countered. “But if you agree to a civil service, there might be someone who can do the honors. The mayor. A state official, perhaps. The king,” he said, grinning at mentioning the last option.
“The king?” Jane repeated, excitement in her voice.
“I, uh... I have never met King Otto,” Marcus stammered.
“Queen Amalia is said to spend time in her gardens, and apparently she isn’t much older than me,” Diana remarked. “I do know where you can find the mayor, though,” she added.
“The mayor would do,” Marcus replied. He glanced over at Jane for confirmation, and she allowed a brilliant smile.
“The mayor will do,” she affirmed.
M eanwhile, in the other coach
“Thank you for arranging this trip, Uncle,” Tom said as he settled onto the bench facing away from the direction of travel.
“You’re welcome,” Will replied, grinning, He sobered when he noticed his son staring out the coach window, an expression of sadness on his face. “It appears this wasn’t a good trip for everyone, though.” When David didn’t respond, he glanced over at Barbara.
“David, you’ve been awfully quiet... since before dinner last night,” she commented.
Her son gave a start. “The temple was... fine. I quite liked the sunset,” he said.
Tom elbowed his cousin. “Why aren’t you in the other coach?”
David sighed. “Jane and I broke off our betrothal last night.”
“What?” Barbara and Will replied in unison.
“He loves her. And she... I think she likes him very much. I told Marcus. I think he proposed after dinner last night. Jane has obviously accepted his suit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her as happy as she was during breakfast.”
Will leaned forward. “What about you, though?”
David lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t expect it to hurt this much,” he admitted.
“Oh, David,” Barbara whispered.
“I thought I would feel relief. Especially after what happened in the caves,” he went on. “I never meant for my cousin to despise me so much because we were in love with the same girl.”
“So... you were in love with her?” his father asked in confusion.
David nodded. “Well, at least I think I was. Am. Although, I knew we would probably never wed,” he admitted. “I think I aways knew she would be of a mind to marry long before I would be ready, so I cannot say this was a surprise.”
“It wasn’t a real betrothal, though, right?” Tom asked. Despite his comment that he would be sleeping for the entire trip back to Athens, Tom seemed particularly interested in the conversation.
“It was conditional, yes,” David agreed. “It still is. I told her if something should happen and she’s in need of a husband when I am ready to wed, then she can have my heart.”
“Oh, how romantic,” Barbara murmured.
Will glanced over at her before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “You may wish to guard your heart, son. You have a tendency to fall in love far too easily,” he warned.
David nodded, chuckling softly. “I know.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh .
After what he thought was only a quick nap, he awoke to discover the coach had halted in front of Engels Mansion.
He had to wake up everyone else.