The Proposal (37 page)

“Yes, I’m sure of it.”

“Then I’m staying out of it, at least until one of them comes to me. If he can’t find a way to prove that he loves her, then he doesn’t deserve her.”

“And if he doesn’t love her?”

“If he doesn’t love her, why does he bother coming around?”

Again husband and wife looked at each other, but this time both were out of words.

Tipton

“Well, hello,” Palmer greeted his wife on Saturday morning.

Lydia smiled and stretched, her hand bumping the headboard of the bed. She had slept long and hard, or rather it felt like she had, and for the first time in weeks, she was rested.

“What time is it?”

“Almost noon.”

Lydia sat up.

“No, Palmer! I have a hundred things to do.”

“No, you don’t. The party is at Thornton Hall. You have nothing to do.”

“We’re taking food and some small things for the boys.”

“Judith is seeing to all of that. I told her you were to sleep. I’ve already been over and had Bible study with Jennings. Everything over there will be ready on time.
You
have nothing to do, Lydia Palmer.”

Said in that tone, Lydia knew she had no choice. She felt fine—she truly did, nothing like before—but Palmer was not taking any chances.

“Can I even get out of bed?” she asked, a bit miffed at him.

“If you want to,” Palmer replied with a smile. He knew she was upset with him but that she would think it through and get past it.

“I’m hoping for a boy,” Palmer suddenly remarked, causing all of Lydia’s irritation to drain away.

“Why?”

“This might be our last. A little boy would have adventure and fun on his own.”

Lydia put her hand out, and Palmer joined her on the bed.

“I’m sorry I was cross at you.”

Palmer leaned to kiss her. “Forgiven. Want me to rub your back?”

“Why don’t I rub yours?”

“We could take turns,” Palmer suggested, a distinct glint in his eye.

Lydia’s smile was very warm as her husband leaned to kiss her again.

Thornton Hall

“I’ll help you.” Penny was at her most convincing as she, Emma, and Lizzy stood at the mouth of the maze on Saturday afternoon. “I know the way.”

The young visitors did not look convinced. They glanced at the tall shrubs before them and then back at Penny.

“We can do it,” Penny tried again, but the Palmer girls shook their heads. Penny looked most unhappy with them and tried again to assure them, but it wasn’t working. Lydia came along just in time.

“Are you going into the maze?” Lydia asked.

“No,” her daughters said in unison.

“Why ever not?”

“We’ll get lost.”

“You know the way, don’t you, Penny?”

That little girl nodded, looking grateful that someone understood.

“Well then, let’s go!”

“You’ll go with us, Mama?” Emma asked. This put the excursion in a whole new light.

“Certainly. I’m sure that Penny can get us out. If not we’ll shout and carry on until we’re rescued.”

Amid much laughter, the four set off. Penny was a determined little leader, not pausing very often in indecision and even showing the girls a few points of interest along the way.

“This is the duck head,” Penny offered, stopping at a hole in the hedge.

“Oh, I see it!” Lizzy exclaimed.

Lydia had to bend some to be at the correct level to view it, but she could see how the hole would remind one of a duck’s head.

“And there’s a flower up here,” Penny added as they walked along. “James wanted to pull it, but I said it helps me remember which way to go.”

Hiding laughter, Lydia took Penny’s word for this as the flower sat in an area that could only be leading in one direction.

“And this—” Penny the guide continued, “this is where I got lost the first time.”

“What did you do?” Emma asked, eyes large.

“I cried,” Penny said simply, and Lydia’s hand came to her mouth until she could control herself.

“I think Emma meant to ask how you got out.”

“Oh, I just went the right way.”

Lydia followed in the wake of this seven-year-old logic, very pleased she hadn’t missed this little outing.

“Are we headed the right way now?” Emma asked.

“We are! Come on!”

Penny picked up the pace, and Lydia’s daughters ran after her. She didn’t worry about losing them—their laughter and chatter were easy to trace—but remembering that the older two girls were headed off to school soon after the boys departed was not something she cared to think about at the moment.

Liddy and the girls have just started through the maze. You can catch them!

Palmer’s words rang in Marianne’s ears as she exited the house, went along the side of the building, and headed to the gardens and into the maze. Confident that they were just ahead of her, and buoyed by the fact that she’d been inside before, Marianne boldly followed.

Things went well for the first few minutes, but in very short order the walls of greenery closed in around her, and Marianne became uncertain of the way. She tried one direction and then another, not sure if she was making progress or not.

She stopped and looked back, wondering if she’d missed something. Even though she had just been that way, she went back around the corner and ran straight into Jennings’ waistcoat. He reached to steady her, and she looked up.

“Are you lost?” he asked kindly.

“Yes,” she answered, looking more than a little distressed. “And you’re not in the window!”

Jennings smiled down on her and brushed a stray curl from her cheek.

“This way,” he offered, directing her right back the way she’d come. Once he got her turned around, he took her hand and led her to the exit, letting go only as they stepped out to join the group already assembled in the garden.

“Thank you,” Marianne said quietly as she looked up at him.

“You’re welcome,” Jennings answered, working not to reach for her hand again. She had initiated eye contact for the first time, and his heart was doing funny things in his chest.

“You made it!” Lydia congratulated them as they moved into the garden.

“It’s time for cake!” someone else was heard to say, and the party moved indoors. They feasted on fresh fruit, small sandwiches, scones, biscuits, cheese and sausage rolls, and cake. They drank tea and milk, before leaving the table and getting comfortable in the large salon. Once there, Palmer asked the boys to share a bit.

“Tell us something you’re looking forward to, something you’re thankful for, something you’re not too keen on, and something you’ll miss. Frank, why don’t you start us out.”

“All right.”

That young man stood, smiling at his father’s twinkling gaze before addressing the group.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my school chums again. I’m thankful that Thomas will be along this school term. What else was there?”

“Something you’ll miss, and something you’re not overly keen about.”

“Oh, right. I’ll miss some of my freedom being at home and all, and I’m not too keen on being away from mum when she’s waiting to have a baby.”

Lydia smiled at her oldest, her heart burgeoning with love as he sat back down and smiled at her.

“Thank you, Frank. Thomas, can you go next?”

“I think so.” He rose as well. “I’m thankful for Mr Jennings, who wants us to call him Jennings, but I can’t quite make myself do it, and also for my friendship with Frank. I’m looking forward to some of my favorite classes and getting a first glimpse of the school. I’m not all that keen to be away from Thornton Hall and Penny for the next weeks, and I’ll miss everyone here.”

Marianne thought if they kept it up she would be in tears. This was not the first year they would be going away, but having to say goodbye to the Jennings children as well as the Palmers was proving to be harder than she thought.

Walt was next with the list, giving several items he was not that excited about and having to be reminded to name something for which he was thankful. People were still chuckling at him when James began. He stood and faced the group, saying that he would miss his horse but that he was thankful for the holiday they’d taken to sea bathe and visit Morehouse.

“I’m not in a hurry to go back to school at all,” he shared for the item he wasn’t keen on, “so in light of that, I guess I’m looking forward to term ending and a chance to come home.”

The adults laughed again, and when they quieted, Jennings spoke.

“Thank you, gentlemen. I’ve never suggested anything like this before, but I wonder if now wouldn’t be a good time to pray together. It might be the last chance we get.”

“That’s a splendid idea,” Palmer remarked, and everyone bowed their heads. Palmer began and Jennings ended. They asked God’s blessing on the boys, that they would learn well and apply knowledge to their hearts. They also prayed that they would be diligent in their daily reading of God’s Word, and that those verses would be life changing forevermore.

With prayer time over, everyone was up for a few games in the yard. The children trooped out first; the adults followed more slowly.

“You look thoughtful,” Jennings remarked to Marianne as he walked behind her. The Palmers had gone ahead.

“I was thinking about how much I’ll miss them.”

“It’s going to be very quiet around here,” Jennings agreed.

“You’ll have to find someone to keep you company,” Marianne said without thinking.

“Are you offering?” Jennings’ already deep voice dropped even lower, and an unfamiliar feeling centered itself around Marianne’s heart. She turned to him, her eyes wide, and began to stammer.

“I think the children…games are outside…they’re probably looking for you…”

Without warning, Jennings bent and kissed her lips.

“We’ll join them, shall we?” he said, looking much calmer than he felt.

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Marianne agreed, her voice soft and bemused.

With a hand to her back, Jennings made sure she went in the right direction. He wasn’t sure the kiss was the best thing to have done, but it was obvious he’d gained her attention. It might backfire on him somewhere along the line, but at least it was a start.

Jennings looked across the carriage at the little girl with the dark hair and wondered what she was thinking. She hadn’t cried when she said goodbye to her brothers, but she looked rather lost and alone as the carriage pulled away from the school to take them home.