Chapter 22 #2
It was the day after her visit to the orphanage and the second day of Cedric’s visit to Manchester, and when Isolde had arrived earlier that morning, she had questioned her sister’s sudden arrival, but did not do so too much.
“How does married life treat you?” Isolde asked.
“Married life is… an adjustment,” she replied honestly. “Cedric works a lot, and I almost never see him some days.”
“From what some of my friends have told me, that’s not that odd,” Isolde shrugged her slim shoulders clad in white muslin. “From what I understand, most married couples of the ton barely spend two minutes together a day.”
“That is not how Mama and Papa did it,” Ariadne replied.
They crossed the long, wide green area near Speaker’s Corner and headed towards Rotten Row, the infamous racing course. The Serpentine River was just in the distance.
“I don’t think you should expect the marriage Mother and Father had to be like yours, especially with how your marriage started,” Isolde said as she gazed out to a trio of lords across the way. “But you could try.”
There was a host of people riding up and down the Row in their perfect habits on their beautiful horses. It was a lovely day. The sun was out. The green leaves upon the towering trees shimmered a beautiful, effervescent green.
One day, she promised herself one day, I’ll be just as good as them.
“At least, mother is not rushing to marry us off as quickly as she would a few months ago,” Isolde lifted a gloved hand to shield her face. “Mayhap I won’t have that trouble on my hands… ever.”
“Trouble?” Ariadne teased. “You think marriage is trouble?”
“I do not… relish the feeling of being under guard all the time,” Isolde said warily. “I want my autonomy.”
“You are so different from me,” Ariadne laughed, “I wanted to marry, but marry someone I love. You don’t want to marry at all.”
Isolde blushed, “I wouldn’t know the first thing about homemaking.”
“That’s fair,” Ariadne said. “You were allowed to run amok while mother focused on Celestine and had to hunt Marigold out of the library to eat.”
She watched Isolde stare at a magnificent onyx stallion and the man leaping off of him. She shook her head softly, knowing her sister was picoting herself atop that horse, racing pell-mell across the meadows near their country home.
The lord spied on Isolde’s look and lifted his hat to show a head of burnished copper hair before he winked an impish green eye at her.
“We should go back,” Isolde spun on her heel. Her face was red like a tomato.
Laughing, Ariadne followed her sister back to the waiting carriage. The footman helped her into the open-air carriage, and she fixed her skirts.
“Do you want to get an ice at Gunter’s?” Ariadne asked. “It would be a shame for you to go back home and not try something new.”
“I’d like that,” Isolde replied. “Thank you.”
“Someone is staring at you,” Ariadne smiled.
“What?” Isolde’s head snapped left to right, “Who?”
When she finally spotted the copper-haired lord blatantly looking at her, Isolde’s cheeks flamed. “Please, let’s go.”
Chuckling, Ariadne hugged her sister, “Don’t worry, I will protect you from the troublesome lord with the gall to stare at you.”
As the carriage went off, Isolde’s shoulders sagged as they went off and she looked worried. Reaching out to hold her hand, Ariadne asked, “What is bothering you?”
Isolde’s shoulders snapped back, and she forced an unbothered look on his face. “Why do you think I am worried?”
Ariadne gave her sister an eye. “I have raised you since you were born. I know all your tells.”
“I don’t—”
“Isolde.”
The youngest seemed to fold on herself and nibbled her lips. “I-I didn’t want to tell you this, but mama is… mama might lose the house.”
“What?” Ariadne exclaimed. “When did this happen?”
“I overheard her talking to Mr. Parker yesterday,” Isolde said, mentioning their elderly butler. “I knew she didn’t want to bother you about it, nor does she want to let us know. I think Uncle Thaddeus has done something that is putting us in danger.
“Mama does not want to burden you with this, but there is only so much she can do without a husband by her side. The courts will side with Uncle, and we both know it, which is why I think Mama’s pride may be the doom of us all.”
Ariadne ground her teeth. “He must have been on one of his gambling rampages again.”
Isolde paled. “You think he bet the house?”
“He could have,” Ariadne replied. “When Cedric returns, I’ll let him know. I am sure he will find something to do about it.”
The journey to Berkeley Square was short; when they started to slow, Ariadne looked out the window to see the storefront of the sweets shop. Taking her sister’s hand, Ariadne assured her, “I will get to the bottom of this.”
An hour later, bathed, refreshed, and with a cup of tea in hand, she stepped into her drawing room to tackle the unending pile of letters and cards. Isolde was on her way back home with a basket of sweet treats from Gunther’s to share with the family.
As she sorted through the cards, another whiff of gaudy perfume had her skin crawling. Instantly, she fished out the card and ripped it open, not caring that it was addressed to Cedric.
My dear love,
It is hard to pad through the house alone, thinking of you and not having you by my side. Fondly do I remember and hold unto the moments you held me close and whispered your love in my ear. I ache to touch you again, to feed you those tender white cakes you love when I make.
I cannot wait to see you on my doorstep again, my love.
Ps, I have heard you’re married now, but you and I know, I am your true love.
The happiness Ariadne had carried with her all that day evaporated, and all started at the note with a sinking heart.
I have to believe this is a joke; Cedric will never betray me like this. If this happens again, I’ll tell him about it.