Page 16 of The Spring Promise
“Being pretty is all very well. I don’t know much about that,” Abby declared. This surprised Molly because she had always thought Will’s sister very pretty indeed. It was just that she rarely bothered to dress up, and her hair was usually untidy.
“Can you imagine the two of them at Starling Hall,” Abby went on. “With all of us gathered about the table, talking over each other and squabbling over the last serving of potato? I am very sure Celeste would take off before a month had gone by, to London, or back to Sir Reginald. She was not brought up for the simple life, while Will would be miserable anywhere else. You are far more suited to my brother, Molly. There, I’ve said what everyone in my family is thinking!”
Despite the truth of her words, Molly felt obliged to object. “Will and I are friends. We have been friends since we were children,” Molly insisted. “He doesn’t see me in any other way.”
Abby put her chin on her hand. “It is perfectly plain to me that you love Will. The shame is he is too foolish to know he loves you.”
Molly felt her shoulders sag. It was all very well for Abby to say such things, but what was the point? Will did not love her and she must accept it. Not that that meant she wanted to run off with Mark Hunter.
“Heisvery handsome,” Abby said, staring back toward the house, where they could see the dancers against the soft lighting.
“Will?” Molly asked.
“No, I meant Mr Hunter,” Abby said, and then got up. “I should go back and keep an eye on Breana again. I think it is time we went home. I need to be up early tomorrow. Wash day, you know.”
Molly stood and tucked her hand around her friend’s arm. “I don’t know how you manage it all,” she said.
“I have to. We don’t have enough servants, and the children are always getting their clothing dirty. I tell myself it isn’t forever. One day, they will be grown up and go their own ways, and I will have time to myself. Of course, by then, I shall be an old maid.”
But Molly wondered what Abby would do with her time then. Would she remain at the Hall to care for her parents, or perhaps Will and Celeste’s children? Women like Abby were often taken advantage of and taken for granted. It didn’t seem fair. Abby should have a life of her own, a home of her own. Molly loved the Starlings dearly, but in this they were being selfish when it came to their eldest daughter.
Once inside, Molly found that Grace was also ready to leave, and the two girls set off in their gig. They did not have anything as grand as a carriage, but they didn’t have far to go. Grace was quiet during the trip, but that suited Molly fine, because she did not feel like speaking.
Her silly plan had not changed anything when it came to Will. He might dislike Mark’s attentions to her, but that was just the sort of thing a brother would do, and Will had always thought of himself as her brother.
It was no use wishing for the moon. She would just have to learn to live in darkness.
“Molly?” It seemed Grace had found her tongue, and the look on her face was one of determination. “You’d better tell me what the matter is. You know I won’t stop pestering you until you do.”
CHAPTERTEN
Will arrived at Lacey Farm in good time to accompany Molly to afternoon tea at Hunter’s grandmother’s house.
Molly was almost ready, her sister told him as he kicked his heels in their parlour. Mrs. Lacey was busy baking in the kitchen, and the delicious smells made Will’s stomach rumble. He’d have preferred to have remained here, he thought grumpily. He wasn’t looking forward to spending time with Hunter. And now, even Celeste had begun to irritate him.
After Molly had left the Norris’s ball Celeste had insisted on dancing with Will several times, no doubt causing raised eyebrows and gossip. Barton Lacey may be far from London, but the social niceties were still observed, and dancing so many times with Celeste would have tongues wagging, whereas his dances with Molly would not. Everyone knew they had been friends from childhood, so no one thought anything of it. Whereas Celeste…
Will wasn’t sure why that worried him. A few weeks ago, he would have been happy to have his name linked to Celeste. He wanted to marry her and spend his life with her. And now…
He didn’t.
It was as simple and yet as complicated as that.
He wasn’t sure whether he had fallen out of love with her, or whether he had never been in love with her in the first place. It was as if he had been under a spell and now that it had broken, he could see clearly again. He didn’t blame Celeste for clouding his mind and his eyes. That had been his own doing. A madness that had come and gone like a fever, and now he was well again.
Grace leaned closer to Will. “Are you listening?” she whispered. “You have a faraway look on your face.”
“Sorry. What did you say?”
“I said,” Grace looked behind her as if afraid Molly might be hovering. “Mr Hunter made Molly an offer of marriage at the ball. What do you think of that?”
Will was speechless. He stood up and then sat down again. “He asked her…”
“Yes. He said to think about it. She didn’t want to tell me, but of course I made her,” Grace said. “I could see she was big with news when we drove home.”
Will hardly heard her. He was still dumbfounded.
“If she marries him, I would like to go and stay with her,” Grace said dreamily. “Life is soboringin Barton Lacey.”
