Page 42 of A Maid's Fateful Courtship
Finding a secluded spot in the formal gardens was never difficult, for they were so large. On this day, she chose to sit amongst the roses. The air was filled with their sweet perfume, and she breathed in the soothing scent. Brightly coloured butterflies fluttered around the hedge ways, and the sound of bird songs was the perfect setting for a relaxing break.
The thick, green grass felt soft underneath, as she found herself a place to sit on the ground. Closing her eyes, she listened to harsh squawks of the large crows that nested high in the trees close by. They were a noisy lot sometimes, but she thought them to be admiral creatures.
Soon her thoughts meandered onto her present problems, and naturally, Ethan came to mind. In her mind’s eye, she envisioned his heart-melting smile, as if he were seated by her side. She smiled as she thought about how he favoured one side of his mouth when he grinned at her.
It always caused a dimple to form in his left cheek, and it was so endearing. As a child, she had kissed that dimple many times over, if only she could do so as an adult.
If only we could talk now,she pondered, because she did not know what to do with all her confused thoughts.Should I turn my back on you and leave? Should I become your mistress, as Lettie talked about? No, I cannot do that Ethan, it is not what we are about. Our love is sweet and sincere.
Thoughts continued to swirl around in her dizzied head, as she lay on the grass feeling the heat of the sun on her skin. Looking up to the deep blueness in the sky, she spotted a magpie going about his business.
“One for sorrow,
Two for mirth,
Three for a funeral,
And four for birth.”
She repeated the poem that she had heard tell for birds of ill omens, such as the corvids.
“Thank you, Madam Magpie. It seems I am only to see a single bird, and so, I will be suffering from sorrow," she said out loud. "I suppose that is quite fitting with the mood I find myself in. Perhaps the superstitions of ill-omened birds do ring true after all?”
Although she did not much care for superstitions, this one did seem to fit her demeanour.
“I am very sorrowful,” she said to herself, feeling a heavy sadness weighing her down.
Oh, Ethan... where are you now, in that big house?she thought as she blinked at the bird so she could fool fate into believing that she had seen two magpies, and not only one. That way, she could experience mirth and merriment, far better than sorrow.
What are you doing right now, my love?she wondered, imagining him in his study where he might be learning the ways of the big estate.
What are you thinking about?She could only imagine, for she knew him to be a sobering character. He was always the one to be level-headed when they were children.
Are you thinking of me as I do of you?She hoped that he might be. Although she did want him to suffer the sorrow that afflicted her, in the dark pits of unhappiness.
“You would never take a mistress, would you, my lord?” she said in a whisper, for she knew him to be the perfect gentleman. It was not in his nature to be deceitful.
“I wish to be your wife and not a concubine.” She scowled at the magpie that was now hopping about the grassy area close by.
Despite her angst, the cheeky magpie caused her to smile. It was a brave little thing as it looked her way with its dark, beady eyes.
“I can never see anything bad in nature,” she told the bird as she sat up to converse with it. “You are a beautiful creature, are you not?”
As she sat watching the clever bird, another magpie flew in to join the first one.
“Hah!” Josephine called out in excitement. “Are you to give me mirth after all?” she asked of the pair of magpies.
Josephine noted that the newcomer was much smaller than the original one. The chances are it was most likely a fledgling, looking for its parent to feed it.
“Two for mirth,” Josephine repeated. “Thank you, both of you. If I see you around the kitchen, I will throw you some food,” she promised them, finally managing to find a smile at the turn of events.
For the next half hour, she lingered in the heat of the day and passed the time of day by watching the two corvids. The magpies pecked at worms in the ground, and then the adult one flew away, with the fledgling soon following behind its parent. Whilst she did not believe in old wives’ tales, she still had hope that the poem might ring true.
“I could do with some mirth,” she called out to the birds as she stood up and straightened the creases out of her dark grey dress.
It was time to return to her tasks, and time to put Ethan aside if she could. “I need to hold my head up high and pretend that all is well with the world. Even though my heart breaks to be near you.”
With those final words, she set off towards the house, ready to busy herself with work that would take her mind away from what she really desired.
