Page 81 of A Duchess to Fight For
“No, thank you, Mother. I just spoke to Father. He told me to see you. I want to go back to London. Tomorrow. If you can’t leave that soon, send me along ahead of you and join me when you can.”
“What has brought on this need to get to London? Is something wrong with one of your friends? Is Percy ill?”
“No, Mother, nothing like that. I need to go.”
Amelia put down her teacup and moved her book aside, “What’s this all about? You will go nowhere unless I know why you want to return to London.”
Louisa knew this wasn’t going to be quick. She thought her parents would be thrilled she wanted to go back and become social again. She was going to have to be honest.
She breathed in, and her shoulders drooped when she breathed out. “I miss Percy. I don’t want to be without him. He’s at all the balls, and he is handsome and fun and wealthy. He’s going to find someone else.”
“Louisa, you turned down his marriage proposal. Of course he’s going to find someone else. Has this just occurred to you?”
“Well, yes. I mean, I guess I didn’t think I’d never see him again, but now I think it might be a possibility. I need to go back and see him.
“Please, Mother. This is important to me. If I go back, and he doesn’t want me, I’ll find a way to deal with it. But if I don’t go back, and he ends up with someone else, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself.”
Louisa looked down and traced the pattern of the rug with her shoe. She tried to show restraint but was having trouble. Her mother’s head was tilted, and she was staring at Louisa.
“What happened? And be honest with me, Louisa. I’m not going to London with a half-hearted explanation. Everything, Louisa.”
“Percy is courting Nora.”
“Oh. I see. For how long has this been going on?”
“I’m not sure. Emma says he’s not moping as much, and he enjoys her attention. He was going to propose to her at the end of the season last time he courted her. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were his plan now. Cecil and Emma are courting, and although the pace is slow, they are doing well. And Emma says Kent and Gertie will be betrothed soon.
“That leaves Percy. If Cecil and Kent find wives, there won’t be nightly dinners at White’s. No tea with me in the afternoons and no dinners out. He’ll propose to Nora, or he’ll be all alone.”
Amelia looked at Louisa without saying anything. She went to speak then stopped. She tried again. “What is your plan? Are you going to want to be his best friend again, or do you want to be his wife? Are you going to propose to him? What if he’s not happy to see you?”
Louisa stood and started pacing. “I don’t know. I can’t sit by and do nothing. I miss him. Every day I’m here, I think about him, and I miss him.
“If he marries Nora, I’ll never see him. My friends will all be couples, and I will only have infrequent visits from Emma and Gertie for tea. Then they will start having children, and I won’t see them at all.”
Amelia sighed. “When do you want to leave for London?”
Louisa ran to Amelia and hugged her hard. “Oh Mother, thank you. I knew you would understand. I’ll go start to pack now.”
Louisa turned to leave the parlour. Amelia said, “Hold it.”
Louisa came back in the parlour jumping, her feet dancing beneath her.
Amelia pulled the Bell. “Mendon. Could you please ask Frederick if he is available to meet with Louisa and me?”
Mendon bowed, “Your Grace.”
Five minutes later, Frederick walked into the parlour. “Does this have anything to do with taking a trip to London?”
Amelia patted the seat next to her. “Please sit, Frederick. It does.”
