asked myself, or was he not wishing to lose me as companion to his daughter.
“No, sir, I have no intention of leaving Middlepark in the immediate future at least,” I answered, quite perplexed.
“I am pleased to hear it, Charlotte,” he said taking my hand and kissing the back of it in a gallant manner as I trembled with emotion at the unexpectedness of it all.
Some time later, back in my room, after goodnights had been said by all and I had settled Lina for the night, I mulled it all over in my mind and relived the conversation between myself and my employer. Had it really happened I mused, or was it another daydream, but I knew I had not imagined it and wondered if Richard was being a gentleman when he kissed my hand, or chivalrous. Maybe I would never know. The thought of love and romance which invaded my mind at that moment led me to think of the last letter to Madeline. Quickly I went over and retrieved the bundle from my drawer and sat again in the armchair in the light of the lamp. What would the final letter reveal and should I read it or pass the whole package to my employer? The answer was that I had to know the content of the final letter or I would not rest. Taking the letter out of the envelope, which was far more bulky than the others had been, I realised there were two letters. Swiftly I parted them and could see that the one was in a now familiar hand, the other in a hand I had not seen before. With trembling fingers I unfolded it. The missive was brief and written in a feminine hand. Looking swiftly at the bottom of the page I saw the name, Madeline. Once more I went over to the window and drawing the curtain to one side, looked down once more on the black outline of the oak tree. I dropped the curtain back in place and sitting down once more, read Madeline’s words:
“ You know I am with child yet choose to ignore my plight . How could you when you so loved me . I have your letters and the flowery words you wrote only recently to remind me of it . I beseech you to help me . I am this day to move from here and stay with your nurse at her invitation . If it were not for her , what would I do . My pillow is wet with tears ; my hand trembles as I write this and my heart is heavy . I cannot and I will not believe that you do not want this child . What is to become of me . Never again will I believe a man’s loving words as I believed yours .
You are a coward , Sir ,
Madeline .”
A tear trickled down my cheek, the words so unbearably poignant and sad. The letter was obviously never sent to her beloved. Had she thought better of it not wishing to enrage him, or had the situation resolved itself happily. Now to the letter from the man who had professed his love for Madeline. I opened it and read:
“ Madeline , I can do nothing to help you , my family forbid it .”
He was a coward, indeed. My heart bled for Madeline and I guess the situation did not resolve itself.
My sleep was restless that night. As I tossed and turned, Madeline’s words and my employer’s attentiveness all turning, whirling around in my head, but finally, at daybreak, I fell into a sound sleep with the thought in mind that I would now pass the letters into Richard’s hands.
Chapter Six
Monday morning came with the incessant rain of the last few days continuing. I’d not seen Richard since our discussion in the drawing room a few evenings ago. He hadn’t joined us for dinner either and this morning Lina had informed me that she and Verity, with her father, were going out for the day, so I had been left to my own devices. I was left wondering how I was going to get to Redcliffe Manor in this awful weather. In the meantime, I reached for Madeline’s letters in my drawer and re-tied them with the red ribbon. Keeping them in my hand, I walked over to the window looking down on the oak tree, it’s branches now dripping with rain, leaves falling around the trunk’s massive girth. Looking down at the
“No, sir, I have no intention of leaving Middlepark in the immediate future at least,” I answered, quite perplexed.
“I am pleased to hear it, Charlotte,” he said taking my hand and kissing the back of it in a gallant manner as I trembled with emotion at the unexpectedness of it all.
Some time later, back in my room, after goodnights had been said by all and I had settled Lina for the night, I mulled it all over in my mind and relived the conversation between myself and my employer. Had it really happened I mused, or was it another daydream, but I knew I had not imagined it and wondered if Richard was being a gentleman when he kissed my hand, or chivalrous. Maybe I would never know. The thought of love and romance which invaded my mind at that moment led me to think of the last letter to Madeline. Quickly I went over and retrieved the bundle from my drawer and sat again in the armchair in the light of the lamp. What would the final letter reveal and should I read it or pass the whole package to my employer? The answer was that I had to know the content of the final letter or I would not rest. Taking the letter out of the envelope, which was far more bulky than the others had been, I realised there were two letters. Swiftly I parted them and could see that the one was in a now familiar hand, the other in a hand I had not seen before. With trembling fingers I unfolded it. The missive was brief and written in a feminine hand. Looking swiftly at the bottom of the page I saw the name, Madeline. Once more I went over to the window and drawing the curtain to one side, looked down once more on the black outline of the oak tree. I dropped the curtain back in place and sitting down once more, read Madeline’s words:
“ You know I am with child yet choose to ignore my plight . How could you when you so loved me . I have your letters and the flowery words you wrote only recently to remind me of it . I beseech you to help me . I am this day to move from here and stay with your nurse at her invitation . If it were not for her , what would I do . My pillow is wet with tears ; my hand trembles as I write this and my heart is heavy . I cannot and I will not believe that you do not want this child . What is to become of me . Never again will I believe a man’s loving words as I believed yours .
You are a coward , Sir ,
Madeline .”
A tear trickled down my cheek, the words so unbearably poignant and sad. The letter was obviously never sent to her beloved. Had she thought better of it not wishing to enrage him, or had the situation resolved itself happily. Now to the letter from the man who had professed his love for Madeline. I opened it and read:
“ Madeline , I can do nothing to help you , my family forbid it .”
He was a coward, indeed. My heart bled for Madeline and I guess the situation did not resolve itself.
My sleep was restless that night. As I tossed and turned, Madeline’s words and my employer’s attentiveness all turning, whirling around in my head, but finally, at daybreak, I fell into a sound sleep with the thought in mind that I would now pass the letters into Richard’s hands.
Chapter Six
Monday morning came with the incessant rain of the last few days continuing. I’d not seen Richard since our discussion in the drawing room a few evenings ago. He hadn’t joined us for dinner either and this morning Lina had informed me that she and Verity, with her father, were going out for the day, so I had been left to my own devices. I was left wondering how I was going to get to Redcliffe Manor in this awful weather. In the meantime, I reached for Madeline’s letters in my drawer and re-tied them with the red ribbon. Keeping them in my hand, I walked over to the window looking down on the oak tree, it’s branches now dripping with rain, leaves falling around the trunk’s massive girth. Looking down at the
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