The children were indeed tearing circles around the garden with the dogs in hot pursuit. It was an idyllic picture of happy family life. For a moment, there was a twinge in Rose’s stomach as she thought how much she would have loved the same, but she squashed the feeling down alongside all the other emotions she had crushed deep inside of her for so long.
“I think he would be thrilled,” she told her sister, wishing with all her heart that her father was sitting there right now and she could seek his advice before committing to what she was about to do.
“You really do need to come more often,” Mary said as she rang for some tea.
Rose's mood was lifted by her sister's radiant and happy appearance. Her long brownhairwas styled fashionably, with ringlets cascading over her shoulders, and she was dressed in a lovely teal blue morning gown that matched the color of her eyes. The girls were all the same in that regard, save for Rose being blonde.
“I have been a bit… lost,” Rose confided.
Mary moved to sit at her side on the deep buttercream velvet sofa and put her arm around her shoulders.
“Of course you have. You have endured a great shock.”
“Yes but…” Rose explained, suddenly feeling rather emotional as she sat in her sister’s embrace. “I used to have a purpose, and with that purpose gone now, what am I to do?”
A tap on the door interrupted her thoughts. Jacob and Mary had kept her parents' housekeeper and butler because they couldn't bear the thought of letting them go. Old Agnes was as happy to see Rose as her sister was. She dropped the tea tray she was carrying and hugged hertightly, kissing her cheeks animatedly. She then drew back and adjusted her hair and pinafore.
Rose took the old woman’s hands in hers. “You were more of a mother to me than my own, Mrs. Bentley. It is wonderful to see you.”
“God bless her soul,” Agnes smiled and then politely excused herself from the room.
“Not much has changed around here,” Mary laughed. She started pouringtea from the silver teapot theirparents onceowned, but suddenly stopped, her face falling.
“Actually, there is something that has changed; something really quite sad.”
Rose looked back at her, concerned.
“Benjamin Browning has died. His daughter, Alice, called on us last week.”
Rose knew she should have feigned ignorance; she should have pretended to be shocked and sympathetic but failed.
“You already know!” her eyes widened. “How do you know?”
Think of something, Rose thought desperately.Say you heard it from someone in town or one of the servants.But Mary was already four steps ahead of her. Her sister gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “You’ve seen Will.”
Rose couldn’t have denied it if she had wanted to. Just the mention of his name sent a shard of pain through her chest, and she knew her expression was betraying her.
“Oh, Rose. How? When?”
Rose managed to gather herself in those few seconds. Her well-worn mask slid back into place, and smiled serenely.
"It was all right. Really. We met while I was out for a stroll—he'dreturned due to his father. We spoke briefly before he continued on his way. I sympathized with his loss.” She tried to keep her tone light, but a sudden image of Will's lips descending on hers jolted her inside, and for a split second, she could feel the play of his lips, possessing hers, urgent and demanding. She felt as if something had dropped in her stomach, and she was certain she was blushing. So she lowered her head.
“Was that the first time you had seen him since—”
“Yes,” Rose cut her off. “The first time,” realizing her hands were shaking.
“What did he say?”
Rose kept her gaze averted. “He was still a little sore at me, not surprisingly.” She pictured Will’s face contorting almost into a sneer as he had whipped his horse’s head around and ridden away from her. “He was polite and seemly.”
“And what about you?” The concern in Mary’s voice almost undid her. She gulped surreptitiously to hold back unbidden tears, then finally looked up at Mary, praying her sister would not see the desperation behind her eyes.
“That was all a very long time ago,” she managed. “We both left those lives behind.”
Shewas saved by Tara, Theo, and the dogs barging into the room. The children were desperate to tell their aunt about their new barn kittens and were craving biscuits. They rambled on, each speaking over the other, as their mother tried to remind them not to drop crumbs on the new sofa. They were so cheerful that Rose forgot about her problems for a few moments—theheaviness in her chest easingslightly. But then Agnes came in, grabbed the tray, and scooped up the kids to take them downstairs for some juice.
“I don’t know what I would do without her,” Mary laughed. “Jacob tried to engage a governess, and Mrs. Bentley was furious. You would think we were letting her go. So now she does all.”