“Not once?” Adelaide asked almost teasingly.
“No,” she replied honestly and without any confusion.
“And what happened after that? Did he apologize?”
“No, actually, he didn’t … I think we were both too busy absorbing the new information … I asked him where he had heard it, and he replied that his cousin, Felicia, had relayed the information to him. He didn’t know where she heard it. After that, I decided I wanted to leave his presence. He tried to stop me, but I essentially told him to leave me alone.”
“He wanted to talk further, though?”
She huffed. “I believe he had some hope we could … repair our relationship a little. Whether he wants to be friends or not, I don’t care. He cannot possibly realize the gossip I have had to endure while he was living in France.”
They sat side by side for a while in silence, then Adelaide reached over and gave her a long, tight hug. Feeling immeasurably safe and loved, she was almost sad when her aunt finally pulled away.
“Come, I know just what you need to make you feel better,” her aunt told her as she took her hand and led her up the stairs.
“Lucy!”
“Yes, Lady Irvington?” Lucy quickly appeared in response to her name being called.
“I want you to prepare a bath for Georgiana. Infuse it with some of that lavender oil we recently purchased from the perfumery,” she instructed.
As the lady’s maid went to carry out her instructions, Adelaide turned back to face her niece. “There. The lavender should be quite soothing. Try to relax and think of more pleasant things, such as the horses your uncle is no doubt looking at right this minute.”
She smiled and kissed her aunt’s cheek. “I will try to, Aunt! And I will also have Lucy dress me in something more comfortable afterwards.”
“Now, while we wait for your bath to be ready, perhaps you could tell me how you enjoyed the tea party, apart from the matter we shall not further discuss.”
Georgiana had to smile again at Adelaide’s choice of words, but she could not complain. “I thought it was lovely, even though I couldn’t fully enjoy it,” she replied thoughtfully.
“Hmmm …. you know what we should do?”
“I have no idea.”
“We should see when Così Fan Tutte is playing and arrange to go. Even though we have already seen it, we can still enjoy it again.”
“Così Fan Tutte is being performed again? I must have missed hearing about it. But, yes, I would love to go and see it again,” she eagerly replied.
After a short time of reminiscing about that and other operas they had attended in the past, the bath was ready. Lucy helped her undress, and she got in the large tub.
While she soaked up the heat of the water, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander to the events of the day. Little had she thought this morning what would happen at the garden party…
Now she was calmer, she felt a painful ache in her heart. How could he have just left me like that? Could he have really cared for me at all if I were not even worth inquiring about? Does he have any idea how much he hurt me?
Without warning, the pain seemed to strike her all at once, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She had cried so many times about the very same thing, she did not have many tears left to spend on it. Somehow, though, these tears felt different, as though they might be a final release.
Georgiana could only hope it was so. She wanted to put everything behind her and move on with her life. Away from him…
Chapter 16
Walter did not have long to wait before his mother entered the carriage and sat across from him. He kept looking aimlessly out of the carriage window, even as it started moving.
His guilt had found a center he could fix upon. He knew he tended to be impulsive at times and had perhaps a slightly more than healthy amount of pride when it came to certain things.
It was to these two flaws he was able to trace the whole misunderstanding between him and Georgianna back to. His impulsiveness had led him to leave for France on the first ship he could book passage on, and his pride had told him he would only be making a fool of himself if he asked her if the rumor was true.
Now, he found himself filled with nothing but regret. He had ruined their relationship, the life they could have had together. There had to be some way he could make it right…
His mother pulled him out of his thoughts by speaking to him. “So, do you intend to tell me what the matter was earlier?”
Walter sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew from her tone of voice she would not press for an answer if he was unwilling to give it, but he felt the need to unburden himself. “I talked with Georgiana, I mean, Miss Montgomery.”
There was a long moment of silence. “And? Were you able to resolve things between you?”
He sighed again, more deeply this time. “I found out … well, perhaps I should start at the beginning. I know I never told you exactly why I left, though you doubtless understood it had something to do with Miss Montgomery and me.”
“I always knew that … but I could never figure out what could have driven the two of you apart.”
“Well … it was simple. At least, I thought it was. Now, I am not so certain. I had heard a rumor—a false one, as it turns out– that she was engaged to Mr. Ambrose Rowley. That it was simply a quiet engagement few people knew about.”
When he glanced at his mother, he saw the genuine surprise on her face as a frown began to form. “Why should someone start such a rumor?”
“I don’t know. But I heard it, and left, and now that I know… I am afraid Miss Montgomery will never forgive me for believing such a lie about her. I can hardly believe myself for thinking it possible, even for a moment!”
“And you, my poor, impulsive boy, left without saying a word to anyone who might have been able to set you straight.”
Walter looked both sheepish and guilty. “Yes … that about sums it up. I only discovered the truth tonight. When I first came back from France and saw her, I thought she would doubtless be married by now.”
“Well, now you know, perhaps you can finally put your mind at rest and move on. You will probably never be able to explain your own actions, even to yourself, but at least you know what happened.”
“Move on? Part of me is not certain I want to move on…”
His mother seemed surprised. “I see … but I highly doubt what you are hinting at is even possible, Walter.”
“And why not? There must be some way I can make it up to her, some way to make it right, even if it means I have to completely start over with her.”