Chapter Fifteen
Perhaps, Lydia thought, pacing back and forth by the parlor window, she was over-reacting.
It was a funeral, after all. A sad event that might easily have demanded more of Ambrose’s time.
To be away a full week longer than expected was, however, a little excessive, was it not?
Especially since there had been no word.
Then again, she mused, no news was good news.
If something untoward had occurred, she would surely have been notified by now.
Even as that thought crossed her mind, the front doorbell jingled, and Lydia’s heart leapt.
She paused her pacing and looked at the parlor door.
Could it be him? Ears straining, Lydia held her breath, her hopes sinking as the muted sound of female voices drifted into the room; Doyle’s and that of another woman.
Harriet?
Apprehension fluttered beneath Lydia’s ribs, though she wasn’t quite sure why. Moments later, the parlor door opened. “Lady Eskdale to see you, Miss Lydia,” Doyle announced, standing to the side as Harriet entered.
“Lydia, my dear.” Harriet moved into the room and glanced briefly over her shoulder, apparently waiting till the door closed before continuing. “Are you quite well?”
“Harriet, how lovely to see you,” Lydia replied, her apprehension growing. “And yes, perfectly well, thank you, other than being a bit worried about Ambrose. He should have returned from Nottingham by now, but I haven’t heard a word.”
“Ah, I see.” Frowning, Harriet cleared her throat. “I took the liberty of asking your maid to bring us some tea, dearest. I’m a little parched.” Something in Harriet’s voice, the look on her face, implied concern. As did the preorder of tea.
“What is it, Harriet?” Lydia toyed with the locket at her throat. “Has something happened to Ambrose?”
“No, not that I’m aware of,” she replied, tapping her spectacles more firmly onto her nose. “It was you I was concerned about, actually.”
“Me?” Lydia shook her head. “Why?’
“Well, let me say, first of all, that Ambrose is apparently hale.” Harriet gestured toward the settee. “Let’s sit, shall we?”
“Hale?” Lydia sank onto the settee. “How do you know that? I mean, I’m glad to hear it and all, but I still have the distinct impression that something is wrong, otherwise you wouldn’t be calling like this.”
“I’m not sure if anything is actually wrong.
It’s more like something doesn’t seem quite right.
” Harriet sat beside her, heaved a sigh, and glanced around the room as if gathering her thoughts.
“What I’m about to tell you is, at best, secondhand, and as we all know, gossip tends to be edited as it’s passed around, so this all may be a simple misunderstanding. ”
“All right. Please go on.”
Harriet took hold of Lydia’s hand and shifted slightly to look her in the eye.
“I took the twins for a walk in Hyde Park yesterday and bumped into Lady Falstone, who proceeded to tell me about her evening at the theater this past Wednesday.” Harriet cleared her throat.
“Specifically, that Lord Pendlewood had also been in attendance.”
Lydia flinched. “Ambrose is in London? Since when?”
“I don’t know, my dear,” Harriet replied.
“The fact that he was unaccompanied, however, caught the immediate attention of the gossipers, including Lady Falstone. It seems she cornered him during the interval and asked where you were. He told her he’d only been back in London for a couple of days and then changed the subject.
Yesterday, she asked if you were unwell, and I confess I told a little fib and hinted that you were, indeed, a tad out of sorts.
I didn’t know what else to say. To plead ignorance would have set off a maelstrom of speculation.
And, of course, I wondered if you were, in fact, truly under the weather. Which is why I’m here.”
“If I have been out of sorts, it’s only because I haven’t heard from Ambrose.” Still fiddling with her locket, Lydia glanced away, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. “So, you’re telling me he’s been back in the city for almost a week? Then why hasn’t he called?”
“You’ve heard nothing from him at all?”
“Not a word.” Lydia drew a shaky breath and dared to voice what she dreaded the most. “Do you think he’s had a change of heart?”
Harriet tutted. “Oh, I sincerely doubt it. It’s obvious he’s smitten with you.”
“Then why the silence?” Lydia rubbed at her temple. “I simply cannot understand it.”
“I agree, it is strange. Maybe he’s testing himself. Making sure his feelings for you are genuine. Or maybe he had a miserable time in Nottingham and simply felt like indulging himself a little. Cheering himself up before he seeks you out, as it were.”
Lydia grabbed at the possibility. “Yes, that might be it. It was a family funeral, after all. Maybe he is simply dispirited. Perhaps I should send a note.”
Harriet pursed her lips. “You could do that, yes.”
“You sound unsure.”
“Well, if it were me, I’d be on his doorstep demanding to know why he has not been in touch. It’s not only odd, but also disrespectful, no matter his mood. I mean, he could at least have sent you a note. And I have to say, I’m glad you found this out from me, and not from some random person.”
Lydia pondered. “It might not be appropriate, but yes, I think I will call on him.”
“To hell with propriety, Lydia,” Harriet replied, with a sniff.
“Something is off and you need to find out what it is. I was once in your shoes. Well, sort of. I found out Edward had left London without telling me, so I followed him to find out why. I won’t go into details.
Suffice to say, it was something I considered necessary given the circumstances, and I’ve never regretted it.
I took my maid with me. You could take Doyle with you, if you like. ”
The door opened and Mary entered with a tray. “Your tea, Miss Page,” she said, setting the tray down. “Shall I pour?”
“No, that’s all right. I’ll see to it,” Harriet said, releasing Lydia’s hand and rising to her feet.
“Things obviously worked out for you and Edward,” Lydia said, after Mary had left. She needed to hear Harriet’s response, to grasp the hope that it offered.
“Yes, they did.” Harriet replied, pouring the tea. “And they will for you too, I’m sure. There has to be a simple explanation for this. I cannot imagine that he’s had a change of heart. Sugar?”
“Just a splash of milk.”
“Biscuit?”
“No, thank you.” Lydia smiled over a relentless sense of dread. “If he’s had a change of heart, he’d tell me, wouldn’t he?”
“I imagine he would if it came to that, but I refuse to believe it has, in fact, come to that. He loves you, Lydia. I’m sure he does.
There has to be another explanation for his behavior.
” Harriet set Lydia’s tea on the side table.
“If you’re hesitant to act, perhaps wait another day or two, and if he still hasn’t been in touch, either call or send a letter. ”
Lydia grimaced. “If I’m hesitant it’s because I fear what he might say. At the same time, I’m not sure I can wait another day or two. The sooner I find out what is going on, the better, I think.”
“I would be the same.” Harriet settled back on the sofa. “Now, let’s change the subject for a while and enjoy our tea. What have you been doing this past fortnight? Other than worrying about you-know-who.”
Lydia managed to smile over her angst. “Actually, I have had a bit of a surprise. A nice surprise.” She went on to explain about Bertram and how he’d shown up at the door.
“Totally unexpected, but it was wonderful to see him again. You could say he was my first love, and it seems his tendre for me still exists. In fact,” Lydia winced, “he apparently named his ship after me.”
Harriet’s eyes widened and her teacup halted on its way to her mouth. “What?”
“Incredible, isn’t it?” Lydia shook her head. “But it’s true. Lydia Jane. His company’s flagship. Between you and I, he hinted strongly at marriage but I made it clear my heart belonged elsewhere.”
“Might that be it, Lydia?” Harriet set her teacup down. “Might Ambrose have heard about this fellow?”
Lydia shook her head. “No, absolutely not. Ambrose was still in Nottingham at that time. No one would have heard about it, actually. It was only a brief, private visit. A couple of hours at the most.” She shrugged.
“Bertie was always on the move, even as a boy, and things haven’t changed.
He’s currently traveling around the country on business and won’t be back for several weeks.
In fact, I fully intend to introduce him to Ambrose.
” She heaved a sigh. “Or, at least, I’d intended to do so. ”
“Oh, now, let’s not assume the worst. And we’re back on the subject again.” Harriet glanced at the window. “Have you been outside today?”
“No, not yet.” Lydia followed Harriet’s gaze. “It was raining this morning.”
“Well, it isn’t now. Fancy a walk?”
No, she didn’t. Or maybe she did. Her thoughts and emotions were all over the place.
Beneath it all, however, she sensed that whatever she’d shared with Ambrose had changed.
She just didn’t know why. “All right.” She drank the rest of her tea and got to her feet.
“A walk would be nice. And I shall call on Ambrose in the morning.”
“Why wait till morning?” Harriet replied. “It’s only two o’clock. A walk to calm your nerves, followed by a visit to Pendlewood’s house a little later this afternoon. Have Owens get the carriage ready while we’re out.”
The notion set Lydia’s stomach churning but the constant uncertainty was torturous. She needed answers, and delaying served no purpose. “He might not be home,” she said, her mind toying with different scenarios.
“In that case, my dear, then you can leave a note,” Harriet suggested. “He’s obliged to respond to that.”
“Yes, of course.” Lydia nodded. “That’s what I’ll do.”