Page 19 of Choosing Her Earl at Last
“Thank you, Cousin.” Colin beamed, his usual exuberance returning.
“When is this meeting to occur?”
“This evening there is to be a concert.”
Michael nodded his head. “I will meet you there.”
***
That evening, Michael made his way to Vauxhall Gardens, where people of all classes could come together in a plethora of excitement and awe.
The gardens were beautiful, verdant with lush foliage and colorful blossoms. Lights and decorations hung from the pavilions and trees that dotted the landscape. Michael found Colin awaiting his arrival at the head of the Grand Walk, a lantern-illuminated walk through an elm canopy.
Upon seeing his cousin, Colin smiled in relief. “Michael,” he called, inclining his head in gratitude.
“Have the others arrived yet?” Michael asked as he came to stand beside him.
“Indeed, we have.” Theodocia Frampton’s tight, precisely clipped voice announced from behind him.
Michael turned to find the three Frampton women approaching. “Ladies,” Michael replied, his manners impeccable as he greeted each one in turn.
“A pleasant evening for a stroll, is it not?” Colin joined them, offering his arm to Rebecca.
Rebecca blushed prettily, accepting his proffered arm. “Enchanting,” she agreed.
The young couple began walking, Rebecca’s mother walking directly behind them, keeping a wary eye on their every move. Out of necessity, Michael and Emmeline fell into step beside each other. They kept a respectable distance from one another, each with their own thoughts.
“Have you been well?” Emmeline finally broke the silence.
“Well enough,” Michael answered. He had no desire to tell her the truth of how he truly felt. Such a conversation would not have gone well between them. “And you?”
“Well enough,” Emmeline echoed his own reply.
“Hmm,” he grunted in acknowledgement. Their last stroll in the park had resulted in a pleasant walk down memory lane, butthere was still much left unsaid between them, and the chasm of their pain was deep. Michael was not certain that he wished to cross it. Content to walk in silence, he did not encourage further conversation.
When their little group reached the end of the Grand Walk, they came to a pavilion where a concert was underway. The audience was entranced with the elaborate melody that swept over them like waves upon the shore.
Lulled by the beauty of the music, they decided to stay a while and listen. Michael and Colin agreed to retrieve refreshments for the ladies and left them securely ensconced along the back row of seats.
“Is your courtship all that you desired it to be?” Michael asked his cousin as they waited their turn at the refreshments table.
“It is.” Colin nodded, his eyes aglow with love and happiness. “She is everything that I could ever wish for in a wife. I plan to ask for her hand very soon.”
Michael choked back the argument that rose to his lips. “I wish you both every happiness.”
Colin’s brows rose in surprise at his cousin’s seemingly sudden change of heart. “It is not too late for you to find happiness with the woman that you love,” he pointed out, his eyes filled with compassion.
Michael shook his head. “It is too late. What was done was done.”
“But…” Colin began.
Michael raised a hand, cutting him off before he could continue. “But nothing. I will no longer cast a shadow upon your joy, but I cannot join you in it.”
Colin sighed but said no more on the matter.
Once the men had retrieved their refreshments, they turned back toward the concert pavilion.
“Where is Miss Rebecca?” Colin inquired as he handed Theodocia her drink.
