Page 58 of The Unforgiven
Madeline went downstairs, hoping to find Amelia seated at the breakfast table. Amelia hadn’t left her room since the night she lost her baby, but she had to come out sometime. Instead, Madeline found a trunk by the front door.
“Bette, is Mr. George going on a trip?” she asked the maid as she rushed by with a basket of laundry.
“I wouldn’t know nothing ’bout that, Miss Madeline,” Bette replied.
“It’s Amelia who’s leaving,” Sybil said as she stepped out of the parlor.
“Where is she going?” Madeline asked, surprised to see her grandmother up so early, since she rarely made an appearance before ten. But Sybil was up, dressed, and in something resembling good spirits.
“Amelia is going to visit with her family in Boutte. I think it will do her a world of good to spend some time with her mother and sisters. Won’t it, Amelia?”
Amelia was descending the stairs, parasol in hand. She’d lost weight and her skin was as white as bleached cotton, but at least she was out of bed, which had to be a sign of progress.
“I expect so,” Amelia replied. The dead-eyed stare of the past two weeks had been replaced by something resembling an interest in the world around her.
“Enjoy your visit, Amelia,” Madeline said, glad to see Amelia up and about but sad to see her go. The house would be very quiet with just Sybil for company. George was too busy to pay her much attention, and the servants kept their distance, all too aware of Sybil’s displeasure if they got too friendly.
“Thank you, Madeline. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Ready, Miss Amelia?” Jonas asked, having come back inside after making sure Amelia’s trunk was securely stowed in the back of the carriage.
“Yes.”
Madeline stepped outside with Amelia. The morning was cool and fresh, and full of promise. Perhaps she’d take a walk after she waved Amelia off.
Amelia’s head snapped up when she noticed a rider approaching from the direction of the fields. George galloped up to the house and leapt off his horse before it fully stopped. Madeline would have expected Amelia to be pleased that he had made it in time to see her off, but she frowned as if she’d been hoping to get away without seeing her husband.
“Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” George demanded. He looked wounded and Madeline felt a pang of sympathy for him.
“George, I…” Amelia looked flustered. “I thought it best.”
“It’s never best for a wife to leave her husband without a word of farewell.” George took Amelia by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “I will miss you, Millie, but I want you to stay as long as you need. I want to see you smile again.”
Amelia’s eyelashes shimmered with unshed tears. “Thank you, George. I appreciate your kindness.”
George leaned in and kissed Amelia on the forehead in a fatherly fashion. “Be well, Millie.”
He helped Amelia into the carriage, shut the door, and gave the driver the go-ahead. The carriage began to move and was halfway down the avenue within moments, growing smaller as it rolled toward the gates. George stood still, staring after the conveyance long after it had disappeared from view.
“I think we need to cheer ourselves up, Maddy. What do you say?” George asked as he came back in the house and joined Madeline in the dining room. He held his cup out for coffee and reached for a beignet.
“Aren’t you going back to the fields?”
“Not today. What do you say to a picnic lunch by the lake?”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. But wear something plain. You can’t sit on the ground in those silly hoop skirts. It would be like trying to sit while wearing a church bell. Quite a sight, to be sure, but not very comfortable.”
Madeline giggled. “All right. I will wear something simple.”
“Excellent. Meet me in the foyer at noon.”
“Shall I ask Mammy to pack us a basket?” Madeline asked, her spirits rising by the moment.
“Leave all the planning to me. You are my guest.” George winked at her and gulped the last of his coffee before springing to his feet and presumably heading for the kitchen house to place his request. Madeline hastily finished her breakfast and stepped outside. She had over two hours until she had to meet George, and she felt too restless to remain indoors. She walked for about an hour, going all the way to the River Road and back down the main avenue, then headed inside to change. Cissytsked with disapproval but removed Madeline’s hoop skirt and helped her into a dress of simple sprigged muslin. Madeline wore a ruffled petticoat beneath and a pair of sturdy shoes, suitable for walking on the grass.
“Don’t forget your bonnet, Miss Madeline. You must keep the sun off your face to protect your complexion.”
