earlier days, and a strong friendship existed between
the three of them.
Charles, too,
was pleased to discover that Biddy had arrived. Once she had rested he
questioned her closely on the condition of the roads, which were now open again
after a lessening in the severity of the weather.
‘If the mail
has got through, then a private coach should be able to get through as well,’
said Charles. ‘We won’t have Joshua with us here in London for much longer, I fear.’
His words
proved to be prophetic. That afternoon Joshua called to make his farewells.
‘You’re
leaving us tomorrow, then?’ asked Charles, when Joshua had told them of his
plans.
‘Yes.’
Although she
had been expecting it, Rebecca, for some reason, felt her heart sink.
Joshua went
on. ‘Now the roads are passable there is nothing else to keep me here.’
He glanced at
Rebecca as he said it and then looked away again.
The thought
crossed Rebecca’s mind that, had she accepted his hand, there would have been
something to keep him in London : preparations for their wedding.
But of course,
she had not.
‘It won’t be
an easy journey, even now,’ said Charles, pursing his lips. ‘The roads are
still very bad in places. Miss Biddulph has been telling us all about it.’
‘Even so, I
mean to leave first thing in the morning. My work here is done, and I’m eager
to take over the running of the mill.’
‘We shall miss
you,’ said Hetty, kissing him on the cheek.
‘It’s been
good of you to put up with me for so long,’ Joshua said with a smile.
‘Nonsense!’
declared Hetty. ‘It hasn’t been long enough! We have hardly seen anything of
you this last week. But you will be in London again before long, I hope?’
‘That depends,’
said Joshua. ‘I will have to see how things go.’
‘Well, you
know you are always welcome here,’ remarked Hetty warmly.
Joshua took
his leave of Hetty and then turned to Rebecca. ‘Rebecca,’ he said, formally
taking his leave of her.
‘Joshua,’ she
replied equally formally as he bowed over her hand.
‘ Your parting
will not be of such a long duration,’ Hetty remarked innocently, ‘for you will
be seeing each other again before long.’ She smiled artlessly up at Joshua. ‘Rebecca
will be returning to Cheshire next week, and that of course is very near the mill.’
Rebecca felt
Joshua’s eyes rove over her face, but there was nothing burning in his glance.
Instead, his manner was cool and distant. ‘Until we next meet, then,’ he said.
And with that
he was gone.
The rest of Rebecca’s
visit passed quickly. She was determined to enjoy herself, and to make the most
of her time with Hetty and Charles in the capital.
Miss Biddulph
had by now completely recovered from her illness, and Rebecca was glad that
Biddy would be able to accompany them on their outings. It was for this reason
that Rebecca had asked her old governess to act as her companion on the long
journey, knowing that Biddy would enjoy herself in London , visiting the elegant shops and
interesting museums, once they arrived.
With the
weather a little improved Rebecca, Biddy and Hetty embarked on a number of
shopping trips. Cousin Louisa, unable to travel to London herself because of her rheumatism,
had given Rebecca a list of commissions, and these commissions Rebecca now set
about fulfilling. She enjoyed purchasing the lengths of silk and muslin her
cousin had asked for, as well as slippers and bonnets and a host of smaller
items that bore the stamp of London instead of the less modish stamp of the provinces.
In this way
the final week of Rebecca’s visit passed, and before long it was time for her,
too, to leave.
‘You hardly
seem to have been here two minutes,’ said Hetty regretfully as she kissed
Rebecca goodbye. ‘Next time, you must come for longer.’
‘If Louisa is
fit to travel, I will,’ Rebecca promised, returning Hetty’s embrace. ‘I did not
like to leave her too long on her own this
the three of them.
Charles, too,
was pleased to discover that Biddy had arrived. Once she had rested he
questioned her closely on the condition of the roads, which were now open again
after a lessening in the severity of the weather.
‘If the mail
has got through, then a private coach should be able to get through as well,’
said Charles. ‘We won’t have Joshua with us here in London for much longer, I fear.’
His words
proved to be prophetic. That afternoon Joshua called to make his farewells.
‘You’re
leaving us tomorrow, then?’ asked Charles, when Joshua had told them of his
plans.
‘Yes.’
Although she
had been expecting it, Rebecca, for some reason, felt her heart sink.
Joshua went
on. ‘Now the roads are passable there is nothing else to keep me here.’
He glanced at
Rebecca as he said it and then looked away again.
The thought
crossed Rebecca’s mind that, had she accepted his hand, there would have been
something to keep him in London : preparations for their wedding.
But of course,
she had not.
‘It won’t be
an easy journey, even now,’ said Charles, pursing his lips. ‘The roads are
still very bad in places. Miss Biddulph has been telling us all about it.’
‘Even so, I
mean to leave first thing in the morning. My work here is done, and I’m eager
to take over the running of the mill.’
‘We shall miss
you,’ said Hetty, kissing him on the cheek.
‘It’s been
good of you to put up with me for so long,’ Joshua said with a smile.
‘Nonsense!’
declared Hetty. ‘It hasn’t been long enough! We have hardly seen anything of
you this last week. But you will be in London again before long, I hope?’
‘That depends,’
said Joshua. ‘I will have to see how things go.’
‘Well, you
know you are always welcome here,’ remarked Hetty warmly.
Joshua took
his leave of Hetty and then turned to Rebecca. ‘Rebecca,’ he said, formally
taking his leave of her.
‘Joshua,’ she
replied equally formally as he bowed over her hand.
‘ Your parting
will not be of such a long duration,’ Hetty remarked innocently, ‘for you will
be seeing each other again before long.’ She smiled artlessly up at Joshua. ‘Rebecca
will be returning to Cheshire next week, and that of course is very near the mill.’
Rebecca felt
Joshua’s eyes rove over her face, but there was nothing burning in his glance.
Instead, his manner was cool and distant. ‘Until we next meet, then,’ he said.
And with that
he was gone.
The rest of Rebecca’s
visit passed quickly. She was determined to enjoy herself, and to make the most
of her time with Hetty and Charles in the capital.
Miss Biddulph
had by now completely recovered from her illness, and Rebecca was glad that
Biddy would be able to accompany them on their outings. It was for this reason
that Rebecca had asked her old governess to act as her companion on the long
journey, knowing that Biddy would enjoy herself in London , visiting the elegant shops and
interesting museums, once they arrived.
With the
weather a little improved Rebecca, Biddy and Hetty embarked on a number of
shopping trips. Cousin Louisa, unable to travel to London herself because of her rheumatism,
had given Rebecca a list of commissions, and these commissions Rebecca now set
about fulfilling. She enjoyed purchasing the lengths of silk and muslin her
cousin had asked for, as well as slippers and bonnets and a host of smaller
items that bore the stamp of London instead of the less modish stamp of the provinces.
In this way
the final week of Rebecca’s visit passed, and before long it was time for her,
too, to leave.
‘You hardly
seem to have been here two minutes,’ said Hetty regretfully as she kissed
Rebecca goodbye. ‘Next time, you must come for longer.’
‘If Louisa is
fit to travel, I will,’ Rebecca promised, returning Hetty’s embrace. ‘I did not
like to leave her too long on her own this
Similar Books
