Leap of Hope by Shannon Winslow

Author:Shannon Winslow [Winslow, Shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heather Ridge Arts
Published: 2017-02-28T05:00:00+00:00

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Lucy and Arthur Sotheby were married on a Wednesday morning three weeks later. It was a very low-key affair compared to what I was used to and especially compared to the elaborate display of the ball – just a simple ceremony at the local parish church followed by the legendary ‘wedding breakfast’ at Laurelwood. And then the newlyweds took off on an extended honeymoon.

I was over the moon with happiness for Lucy. I really was. At the same time, I knew I would miss her terribly while she was gone. She would be living only a mile away when she returned, though, and had promised to write faithfully in the meantime. Still, it made a big change to our household to lose Lucy. And there was a very natural letdown after the excitement of the ball and the wedding.

A month went by with nothing of much significance happening. There were visits to and from our local friends, calls from George Galloway, frequent excursions into Carding, and one small assembly in the coaching town beyond it. Otherwise, it was the quiet of home and village life, day after day. I didn’t mind at all, though. It was the life I had chosen, and I filled my time with things I enjoyed: reading and music when the weather kept us indoors, walking and riding when it was fair.

More importantly, I had my family – most of it. A hundred parties and fancy balls could never equal the value of that. Looking back, I see those weeks as some of my happiest. Yes, I missed Lucy, but because she was away, I spent more time with the others, learning to treasure each one every bit as much.

Carmen had taken to mooning over Shakespeare’s sonnets, and then one day she confided in me that she was “in love” with the new curate of the parish. I still remembered all the wonderfully tragic feelings of my first crush when I was about her age – Joe Hendricks, a bookish college man who lived down the block. I converted him to his Regency equivalent and shared the story with Carmen, swearing her to secrecy. We became fast friends over it.

Matilda decided to forgive me for my newly discovered musical ability, partly, I think, because she found a way to turn it to her advantage. It seems she had always wanted to play duets but never found a suitable partner. Now she finally had one in me. We spent hours happily collaborating at the pianoforte, often racing faster and faster, until our fingers couldn’t keep up and we collapsed into laughter.

With Lucy away, Mama began to turn to me instead, telling me her all her plans, taking me with her on her errands, and asking my opinions on this, that, and the other thing. Although she could be a little silly and overly dramatic, like Mrs. Bennet, mostly I found her ways endearing, and it was a treat to spend some one-on-one time with her.

The same thing happened with my father: more one-on-one time.

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