Chapter 16
sixteen
The next day, as she was having breakfast, Effie was still seething after the absurd, confusing proposal of marriage by Tristan.
Seething was maybe a strong word, since she’d gone through a wide range of emotions in the past hours.
She’d been annoyed, offended, and incredulous. But then, worry for Tristan had crept through her thoughts, and finally compassion as well. She hadn’t let him explain himself properly although his proposal had been one disaster after the other.
But maybe he’d wanted to say something else. Or maybe she should stop defending him. She had to judge his words and actions, and they hadn’t impressed her.
Besides, after what Jane had told her, doubts bothered her. Did Tristan have a rich, noble mistress? Was he as brutal with his employees as his father had been?
Rumours were only rumours, and he might not be as terrible as they pictured him.
Still, his words, said in the wrong moment and with the wrong tone, had irked her, which was hypocritical of her, considering she’d accused him of having a short temper.
As a result, she’d slept poorly, and her mood was foul.
“What is it with you?” Papa asked, sipping his morning tea in the sunroom.
“Is it so evident?”
He gave her an affectionate smile. “You’re easy to understand for me. Just like your mother, you wear your heart on your sleeve. What is it?”
No, she didn’t want to discuss Tristan’s proposal. Papa was already prejudiced against him; he would challenge Tristan to a duel, or something similar.
“Just annoyance that will go away as soon as I take a walk.”
He tensed a little. “Where are you planning to go?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go to Farringdon. There’s a new park I would like to visit.”
He put down his cup of tea, and maybe she was too sensitive that morning, but she could swear he shivered.
“Why don’t you go to see Colin? There’s a train leaving in a couple of hours from Victoria Station. The girls will be delighted to play with their favourite aunt, and the day is beautiful.”
She chuckled. “I’m not their favourite aunt.”
“You will be if you bring them the almond cake Cook baked yesterday.” He squeezed her hand. “Take a day for yourself. See your brother and nieces. Leave London. It’ll do you good.”
A day immersed in Nature with her brother and nieces was a strong temptation compared to busy London.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I usually am.”
“I’ll go to Greenford then. The country will be a welcome change from the city. I’ll take a walk in the forest with Colin if he’s free. It’s been a while.”
He nodded, tension leaving his shoulders. “Excellent.” He rose and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you at dinner, or tomorrow if you decide to stay with Colin and come back in a day or two.” He stared at her with hope.
“Honestly, are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Of course not, darling. But if you need to spend the night in Greenford, I can only be happy for you.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He kissed her cheek again and left, humming a tune.
An hour later, Effie was in the hallway, ready to go in her travelling cloak and leather boots. The footman opened the door for her when the butler arrived.
“My lady, this has just arrived.” Doyle handed her a message.
She didn’t pick it up immediately, fearing it was Tristan, but she exhaled when she realised it was Rowan, politely inviting her to the inauguration of Tristan’s latest locomotive at Aldersgate Station, which ironically was close to Farringdon, her original destination.
Her sour mood melted like sorbet in the sun.
The boy didn’t deserve her bad temper, and she wanted to make him happy. Although she wasn’t ready to see Tristan again. The thought sent a fresh wave of doubts through her.
“Change of plan, Doyle,” she said. “Instead of Victoria Station, I’ll go to Aldersgate Station, and I would like to send a message to Lady Vaughan.”
“You look awfully tense, if you don’t mind my saying,” Jane said as she and Effie walked towards Aldersgate Station.
“I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep well.”
“Because of what I told you?” Jane asked. “You’re disappointed by Montcrest, aren’t you?”
“He proposed,” Effie blurted out before she could stop herself. Perhaps she needed to tell someone.
A gasp came from Jane. “He did not! What did you say?”
“I refused. Between what you told me and his proposal, which was too close to a business deal, I wasn’t convinced.” But she wasn’t convinced now about her reasons for rejecting him.
They stopped in front of the station under the dark shadow of the building.
Train stations were growing all around London at an alarming speed, and maybe that was the reason for the barren, uninspiring facade.
No ornaments or clever design, but instead it was designed as if the architect didn’t care about beauty and elegance.
It was only a square, boring pile of bricks that made her sad for some reason.
Things happened too fast in London, and beauty was sacrificed for speed. Like a hasty, practical marriage proposal.
“I didn’t want to be the cause of your refusal,” Jane said. “After all, he’s a marquess with a solid financial situation. A good match. Rumours would follow you everywhere if you married him, though.”
“That doesn’t worry me. I just want to find a gentleman who understands how important practising veterinary medicine is for me, respects my choices, and doesn’t treat me like a broodmare.”
“My, my. You’ve been reading those suffragettes’ pamphlets again.”
“No, I just want a proper gentleman.”
Jane touched Effie’s shoulder briefly. “I think you’ll have more luck finding a dog with those qualities.”
“So, you think I should have accepted his proposal? I thought you disapproved of him.”
Jane hooked her arm through Effie’s and resumed walking. “I would have left him to wonder about my answer for a while, instead of giving him a quick, flat rejection.”
“What’s the difference?”
“That you would have kept him on pins and needles. Something a man like him hates.”
“I don’t want to be cruel.”
Jane sighed. “You’ll never understand how things between a man and woman work.”
They walked up the short flight of stairs to the main hall of the station. The inside was less disappointing with its soaring ceiling and Grecian columns, but it was so crammed with people she could barely see anything else.
They made their way through the excited groups of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen, a band of musicians, food vendors, and journalists. The thick smell of a coal and oil engine was the same as in any other train station.
“So many people.” Jane craned her neck. “Where’s your friend?”
“Over there.” She led Jane towards platform number one where Rowan was standing next to a shiny locomotive blowing steam.
She smiled when Rowan spotted her and ran towards her.
“Lady Effie.” He removed his flat hat and bowed. “Lady Vaughan. Thank you for coming.”
Jane shielded her eyes with a gloved hand from the light coming through the glass ceiling. “We wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world. Is that the new locomotive your family is inaugurating?”
“That’s her.” Rowan stretched out an arm towards the shiny black machine. “Tristan said I could ride with the machinist for the first stretch if I wanted to.”
“Wonderful.” She rose on her tiptoes to see past the crowd of passengers, onlookers, and dignitaries.
Tristan should be close.
A part of her wanted to see him soon; another part wasn’t so sure. Only Tristan could make her so confused. Her pulse gave a kick when a group of men parted, revealing him. As if summoned by her stare, he turned towards her, and their gazes locked.
She didn’t mean to stare at him, but his eyes had a magnetic quality she couldn’t dismiss. The glint in them wasn’t hard to interpret; it was sheer, pure longing, and her pulse spiked in reply.
He weaved through the crowd towards her, moving with predatory menace. A little shiver went down her neck the closer he walked.
Rowan stopped smiling when Tristan stood next to him.
“Lady Effie. Lady Vaughan.” Tristan gave her another intense stare she found difficult to hold.
“What a beauty you have there, Montcrest.” Jane pointed at the locomotive.
Tristan took a moment before angling towards her. “She isn’t just beautiful but also strong and determined. She’s special.”
Jane looked puzzled. “You’ll get great satisfaction from her.”
His harsh mask slipped for a moment, and he showed the same fragility as he’d revealed the night of the ball.
His long eyelashes fluttered down. “One can only hope.”
Effie’s face warmed, but this time it wasn’t anger.
Rowan broke the spell. “May I go on board?”
“The train should leave in twenty minutes,” Tristan said, returning to be his usual controlled self. “But if you want to go now and take a tour, the machinist will let you in.”
Rowan let out a whoop. “Thank you.” He went to hug Tristan but stopped awkwardly midway before stepping back from him.
Tristan moved as well as if to hug him back, but between Rowan’s indecision and Tristan’s stiff moves, nothing happened.
“Ladies, I’ll see you later.” Rowan bowed quickly before rushing towards the locomotive.
Steam crept out from underneath the machine and wrapped around Tristan’s legs, giving him the air of a supernatural being emerging from the shadows.
“Lady Effie, I need a word in private if you have time,” he said, bringing her back to the less ominous present.
Jane gave her a shocked, wide-eyed stare. “Do you want to go?”
The sooner she dealt with Tristan, the better. Also, she might clarify some of her doubts. “I do. Will you be all right here?”
“Do not worry about me. I’ll stay here and wait for the machine to…” Jane waved. “To start.”
Effie followed Tristan to a quiet corner at the end of the platform. The station was crowded, but his presence never failed to be imposing as if he used more space than he needed.