“Felicity…” he whispered.
“I’m so sorry I made a scene. But they wouldn’t tell you I was here.”
Leo stared at me incredulously as one of the men tried to explain.
“Do you know this woman? We didn’t think—”
“Please leave us be.” Leo held his hand out. “Go back inside.”
The man stammered, “Your Grace, we were just—”
“Leave us be!” Leo shouted.
The air fell silent. The man nodded, and the other guys followed him back into the house. The door didn’t completely close behind them, but at least we were alone now.
Leo seemed neither happy nor upset. His was an expression of pure shock.
“What are you doing here?” he finally asked.
My heart nearly stopped. Why is he asking me that? My voice shook. “I got your letter. Two months late. I’m so sorry I didn’t respond, but I only saw it sitting there in a pile a few days ago.”
His eyebrows knitted. “My letter…?”
“Yes.” I fished inside my purse for the envelope. “The letter you wrote me back in June. You said you were getting married in September—which is less than three weeks away. And you needed to know if I still had feelings for you before you took that step. I was so shocked to receive it, but honestly, Leo, I haven’t stopped thinking about you over the years, either. I would have come sooner if I—”
“Let me see it, please.” He held out his hand. “The letter.”
Confused, I handed it to him.
What’s going on?
Then a feeling of dread came over me. The letter mentioned he’d been drinking.
Oh no. Panic squeezed my chest.
“Do you not remember writing it?” I asked with a lump in my throat.
He seemed to be in disbelief as he stared down at it. “Of course, I do.”
“Why are you acting like you don’t?”
“Felicity…” He took a few steps toward me and handed the letter back. “Look at the date.”
I looked down and read. “It says June 2, 2025.”
“That’s not a five.” He paused. “It’s a three. I wrote this letter to you over two years ago.”
A few seconds went by as I processed what he said. It felt like all of the air left my body. Then my heart dropped to my feet. “How can this be?” I looked down at it again, the letter shaking in my trembling hand. Three… Five… Everything looked blurry right now.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he whispered.
I cleared my throat. “Wait…so, um, if this was written two years ago then…you’re…”
He finished my sentence. “Married.”
The sun seemed to disappear in that moment. It felt like the world was closing in on me. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t move. “Oh.”
“Why is it that you only saw the letter now?”
My eyes closed. “Mrs. Angelini passed away after a heart attack about two years ago. This letter must have arrived around the time she died. It got mixed in with a bunch of sympathy cards. I only just found it when going through all the mail at her house recently, and that’s why…” My words trailed off.
“Oh, Felicity. I’m so sorry to hear about Mrs. Angelini.”
“Thank you.”
“I know how much she meant to you.”
You meant a lot to me, too.
As we stood facing each other, light raindrops began to fall.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
Those words were like a knife to my heart.
“So do you. Handsome.” I nodded. “Healthy.”
Healthy? I didn’t even know what I was saying at this point.
He kept shaking his head. “I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless right now. I can hardly breathe, let alone speak.”
“I can relate.”
He looked beyond me, as if to check for a vehicle. “When did you get here? Are you staying somewhere?”
“Last night. I’m staying at a bed and breakfast two miles down the road.”
I looked over and noticed a group of people inside the house staring at us from the window.
“What’s the name of the place?” he asked.
“The Bainbridge Inn,” I answered, still focused on the window.
“We need to talk,” he said. “I’ll meet you there later.”
“I guess I don’t need to ask why you’re not inviting me in. Not sure there’s anything left to say. Honestly, I should just go back to the States, Leo.” My eyes began to well up.
“Please don’t leave Westfordshire.” His tone was urgent. “At least not until we’ve had a chance to talk properly in private, all right?”
Just then the door opened. An attractive woman around my age stood in the doorway. She wore a pink dress that accentuated her tiny waist. Her hair was blond, pin straight, and cut to just above her shoulders. Based on her look of disdain, it didn’t take much to figure out who this was.
She looked me up and down. “What’s going on here?”
Leo opened his mouth, but I didn’t give him the chance to respond.
“Nothing,” I said, straightening my posture and feigning a smile. “I’m an old friend of Leo’s. I met him when he was visiting the States years ago and thought I would come say hello while I was here visiting England. I would’ve called, but I left my phone at the place I’m staying. Also, stupid me didn’t realize I needed an appointment. I made a bit of a ruckus with your security people. Leo came out when he heard the racket.”
Her eyes moved between the two of us. “I see,” she said, looking skeptical.
I wondered if she could sense the shakiness in my voice, if she could see the lingering tears in my eyes. Could she see that she’d interrupted the moment my entire world turned upside down? The moment my heart was ripped out of my chest?
For Leo’s sake, I hoped not. He didn’t deserve the position my stupidity and inability to decipher a simple number had put him in.
I can’t breathe.
I need to get out of here.
Forcing composure, I said, “Leo, it was nice seeing you. I hope you have a great rest of your day.”
As I turned to walk away, he called, “Felicity, wait.”
His plea was painful. Refusing to turn and acknowledge it, I kept walking down the long pathway until I was off the Covington grounds. Only as I turned the corner to the main road did I allow my tears to fall.
I wasn’t even sure I knew how to get back to the damn inn. And it wasn’t like I had a phone for navigation.
Here in this rainy countryside was the lowest point of my life.
* * *
Felicity
Track 20: “Someone Like You” by Adele
If I’d known I was going to be walking two miles, I would’ve worn sneakers. My flats were now covered in mud. However, this now-soaked black dress was perfect for mourning all hope of a future with Leo Covington.
As the rain poured down, I figured I had about a mile more to go. Thankfully, I’d stopped and spoken to someone who gave me precise walking directions back to Lavinia’s.