Chapter 18
“What are your thoughts on a picnic later this afternoon?”
Temperance looked at her mother from her book, and shot her a puzzled expression.
“What is the occasion?”
“There needs to be no occasion for joy,” Albina rolled her eyes. “I just think it could be a good idea for all of us to spend some time together. Like, well, a family.”
“You and I are the only family here,” Temperance replied. She could tell that her mother was trying to make a point, but could not put her finger on it quite yet.
“I would not repeat that in front of Joseph,” Albina warned. “I believe that he has warmed up to us quite well, and I do not mind considering him as a part of my family. Besides, I have already informed him about it and he seemed rather ecstatic about the idea. The weather is good, as well.”
“What about Harper? He has meetings on Saturday mornings,” Temperance said.
“He had meetings on Saturday mornings,” Albina said. “I spoke to him yesterday evening and he has rearranged them.”
Temperance looked at her mother. “You spoke to Harper about rearranging his meetings? Or rather, he listened to you?”
“I suggested it,” Albina shrugged as it was nothing, “He agreed. You know, he is more amenable than he appears, when you catch him at the right moment.” She finally looked up at her daughter, who was looking back at her with a surprised expression.
“Go and put on something you don’t mind getting grass on,” she smirked. “And stop looking so surprised, please.”
It was time for the picnic, and all arrangements had been made. Albina had arranged the blankets in the wide section of lawn between the apple trees and the rose bed, which was large enough for all of them and the dogs, and had set out the hamper.
Joseph arrived first, followed by Harper. Temperance was the last to arrive, and she took in the scene of the three of them sitting on the grass, chatting away.
“Everyone seems to be in a great mood this afternoon,” she acknowledged before sitting down. “Did I miss something?”
“You are late,” Joseph said.
“I am exactly on time,” Temperance said, sitting down on the blanket across from them, “You were all early.”
“No, you, being early is being on time,” Joseph said. “Being on time is being late.”
“That is your father’s philosophy and it is a very exhausting one,” Temperance said, and looked at Harper, who was looking at her with the expression he had been wearing since the library two nights ago. She looked away from him, reaching for the hamper.
“Can I help with that?” Harper said.
“I have it,” she said quickly.
“Now that we are all here,” Albina said, setting down her cup and looking around the blanket with satisfaction, “I think this is an excellent time to get to know each other properly. Like a family.”
There she was using that word again. Temperance looked at Harper nervously, as though she was worried that he might not take well to the comment. But he showed no reaction.
“I have a question for each of you. Joseph, I will start with you,” Albina went on.
Joseph set down his sandwich and gave her his full attention.
“What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Joseph thought about it seriously for a moment.
“I want to manage an estate,” he said. “Like my father.”
“That is what you think you should want,” Albina said, “I asked what you actually want. You know, often there is a difference in what we want and what we think society wants from us.”
It was not lost on Temperance that her mother was glancing at her as she said the words, probably trying to make a point. Temperance ignored this for the moment.
Joseph glanced at his father, briefly, then back at Albina. Something in his face changed.
“I want to ride across the whole of England,” he said. “And stop wherever looked interesting.”
“Oh, you want to be a traveler?” Albina encouraged. “I think that is a great answer. You learn a lot about the world from travelling in it.”
“You still have a few years before you get to do that,” Harper stepped in. “In the meanwhile, you shall focus on your education which will get you far in life.”
“Oh, must you ruin the fun like that?” Albina said, giggling. “We don’t need to remind him of the practicalities, this is merely a question I posed.”
“Only a fool forgets the practicalities, and I’m not raising my son to be one,” Harper said simply.
“I think it’s equally bad to be a bore with only regard for practicalities,” Albina said. “We only get this one life.”
“Yes, I am well aware of your outlook on life,” Harper said, frowning. “And you seem to have rubbed off on my son as well.”
Albina laughed.
“I consider that a victory, but why don’t you answer the question next, Your Grace?” Albina said. “We would all love to know what you wanted to be growing up. Surely, it was not limited only to being a duke.”
Harper seemed to think hard about the answer, and then crossed his arms out in front of him.
“I suppose it barely matters anymore.”
“For practical reasons?” Temperance stepped into the conversation, feeling herself growing curious. She tried to imagine what the duke must have been like as a child. Carefree or troublesome? She could not imagine it.
“It’s been a long time,” Harper shrugged, trying to avoid the topic entirely.
“So?” Albina said. “A dream does not die only because time has passed.”
All eyes were on Harper now, who seemed rather uncomfortable with the attention.
“Why doesn’t Temperance answer first?” he said.
“Oh my dreams as a child were fairly uncomplicated,” Temperance said quickly. She thought back to the nunnery, where getting out of that place was the best thing that could happen to her and was the subject of all of her dreams, “I’ve always wanted to be free.”
“I wonder where you get that from,” Harper said sarcastically, glancing at Albina. “Like mother, like daughter.”
“It’s not a bad dream to have,” Temperance replied. “Certainly one you can imagine someone in my situation to have.”
Harper’s expression softened at that.
“Well, I hope that it is achieved for you now,” he said, sincerely. “You are free in this estate.”
Temperance blushed at the remark, which surprised herself. Albina watched this interaction carefully.
“Your turn,” she said to the duke. “You said I must answer first, and I have. Now, you go.”
“Well..” Harper said, hesitating, “are you really that interested?”
“We are all answering, so you do as well,” Temperance covered up her interest.
“I’ll save that answer for another day,” Harper replied. Temperance knew that there was little arguing or persuading him after that. They settled into some other conversation, with her mother doing most of the talking.
After a while, when Joseph had wandered off to investigate something at the far end of the garden and Harper had leaned back on his hands with the closest thing to ease she had seen from him since he arrived, Albina turned to her daughter.
“You seem tired,” she said, quietly.
“What gives you that kind of impression?” Temperance looked at her. “I’m not tired.”
“My dear, we may have spent many years apart from each other but I can still read you better than anyone else can,” Albina insisted. “There is a tiredness to you that I have not seen before. Don’t assume that you can just lie to me about it.”
Temperance sighed. Her mother could be quite observant when she felt like it.
“If you really must know, then I am managing okay,” Temperance replied, “Oh, don’t look at me with that worried expression, please Mother.”
“I cannot help but be worried. All this commotion about the suitors, and the balls, and the proposals, and…” she looked at her daughter steadily. “I want you to know that none of this is necessary on my account.”
“Mother….”
“I mean it,” Albina said. “I am perfectly capable of managing my own situation. Whatever happens with the estate and the title and all the rest of it, I am not someone who needs to be provided for at the cost of your peace.”
“Why do you say it like that?” Temperance replied. “Do you not think that it is possible that I might be enjoying this process? Young girls usually do, you know.”
“But when have you been like other young girls, dear?” Albina pointed out. “I just think that maybe you are taking this thing too seriously, and pressuring yourself to find a match as fast as possible.”
“That is usually how it goes,” Temperance shrugged her shoulders. “You know I do not have unlimited time available to find myself a husband, and the sooner I do it, the better match I can find.”
“Not at all,” Albina shook her head. “Haste is not the answer here.”
“It is easy for you to advise me,” Temperance said, the words slipping out sharply before she could soften them. “But I think you might have done the same had you been in my situation.”
Albina was quiet for a moment.
“You know my thoughts on marriage already. I would hate for you to go through the problems I had to endure, and would never want such a thing to happen at my expense, surely. This is why I am asking you to be more careful and avoid haste.”
“You are worrying for no reason. Elias Talbot is a very good man,” Temperance said. “He is kind and intelligent thus far. There is nothing being sacrificed.”
Albina looked at her daughter for a long moment.
“He is a very good man,” Albina agreed. “But you do not light up when you talk about him.”
“Oh, Mother. I am not living in a romance novel,” Temperance tried to dismiss.
“Sure, but I know you to be a passionate woman. I would expect you to act a little more enthused.”
Temperance considered this for a moment, but decided not to dwell on it too much.
“That,” Temperance said, “is not a reliable basis for a practical decision.”
“Perhaps not,” Albina agreed. “But it is a reliable indicator of what is actually happening, which is useful information regardless of what you decide to do with it.”
“Mother,” Temperance sighed, “I appreciate what you are saying but I want you to stop worrying about my side of this and trust that I know what I am doing.”
Albina looked at her for a moment longer. “All right,” she replied and let the subject rest.