Page 7 of A Sense of Fate
Now, all thanks to her, Archie had improved flexibility and sometimes, very occasionally, went an hour or two with almost no pain at all.
It was remarkable.
Pawson closed the door once Archie had settled himself and climbed onto the box seat beside Archie’s driver. The conveyance made its way to Swindon railway station, where Archie remained in the carriage and had Pawson wait on the platform for Flora’s arrival. He hoped that he hadn’t missed her or that she had decided to stay overnight, and continued to fret about the reunion with her family. He didn’t doubt for a moment that her father would have made a fresh attempt to heal the breach between them. Coercion hadn’t worked but a gentler touch could well stir Flora’s conscience. Archie closed his eyes for an expressive moment, trying to imagine how he would go on if Flora turned her back on him.
She had given a life that had seemed futile, meaning and purpose. But he also knew it would be selfish to prevent her from following her own course. Religion had been an intrinsic part of her entire life. She had turned her back on it because her psychic abilities threw its tenets into question, but even so…
Archie’s fears were laid to rest when ten minutes later, Pawson reappeared with Flora at his side, looking vibrant in a smart walking gown he had not seen her wear before.
‘Archie,’ she said, as Pawson opened the door and helped her into the conveyance. ‘What a lovely surprise. No, don’t get up. What are you doing in Swindon? I am very glad that you are here, mind you, whatever the reason. It’s freezing outside and starting to sleet and I was not looking forward to a long wait for my connecting train.’
Archie smiled at her lively chatter, conscious of her light floral fragrance filling the interior of the carriage. ‘You look very elegant.’
‘Thank you. I don’t think my outfit was demure enough to secure parental approval, but then very few things are, unless they are the plainest of the plain.’ She rolled her eyes expressively and flashed the impudent smile that Archie loved so much. ‘Perhaps that’s why I chose to wear peacock blue. Besides, dull colours have no place at weddings, which are supposed to be joyful occasions.’ The conveyance moved off once Flora had settled herself next to Archie on the forward-facing seat. ‘Whatareyou doing here anyway?’
‘I spent a few days with Luke, learning what duties I am expected to perform as his best man. Then I happened to recall you were due to return this afternoon. As I was leaving Swindon myself, I decided to make myself useful.’
‘For which I am grateful. As to the situation with Luke, a witty speech that will embarrass him isde rigueur, one supposes, as is ensuring that he remains relatively sober on the eve of the big day. But then if you are with him, as well as Paul and Alvin, there is little possibility of your achieving that ambition, so Luke will just have to make his vows to the accompaniment of a thumping headache and little recollection of the previous night.’
‘What a poor opinion you have of the four of us, little one.’
‘You don’t deceive me with your pretence at wounded pride, Archie Felsham. You four have been joined at the hip since your university days…well, apart from when you were dead, which I don’t suppose you could help, given the circumstances. Anyway, just make sure you get Luke to the church on time.’
Archie chuckled. ‘I will do my humble best,’ he replied, observing that she seemed perfectly content to speak of Luke’s forthcoming marriage in her customary irreverent manner. If she felt any regrets, they remained well hidden. ‘Anyway, how was your day?’
‘Pretentious. Papa forced the bishop to officiate.’
Archie winced. ‘That was unkind and unnecessary.’
‘That is what I thought. I exchanged a few words with him; the bishop, that is. He put on a good face but I could tell that he disliked being manipulated and would much prefer to have been somewhere else.’
‘Without knowing the nature of the hold that your father has over him, it is difficult for me to express an opinion.’ The bishop had confided in Flora after his nephew tried to force himself upon her, but Flora had maintained his confidence and Archie wouldn’t ask her to break it.
‘Well yes, but I think Papa will find that there is only so much pressure the bishop is prepared to withstand. Sooner or later, Papa will push him too far, the bishop will throw caution to the wind and exert his authority, and I suspect Papa will come off worse. The bishop is popular amongst his fellow clergy, but my father is not.’
‘You are none the wiser as to your father’s desire to pull you back into the family fold, I suppose.’
‘You are in the right of it.’ Flora scowled. ‘Mr Bolton was there, and my conversation with him reinforced my opinion that Papa has something he desperately wants to hide. I think Mr Bolton has some idea what that might be but it was neither the time nor the place for him to share his thoughts with me. I don’t suppose he would do so anyway, if Papa’s difficulty results from an ecclesiastical difference of opinion.’
‘If it does, it fails to explain his desire to bring you to heel.’
‘Ha! You make me sound like a dog!’ Flora grinned up at him from beneath the wide brim of her rather fetching hat. ‘Papa met me at the station himself.’
Archie flexed a brow. ‘Did he indeed?’
‘My thoughts precisely. I know how to handle him when he is being cross and throwing his weight about. But when he smiles and pretends to care about me, I am at a loss to know how to react.’
‘I dare say you stood your ground.’
‘I did.’ She chuckled. ‘I thought about the countess and wondered what she would have done, then knew precisely how to behave—which was not very well, I’m afraid. Anyway, it wasn’t a complete waste of time since I was very pleased with Melanie, my youngest sister. She is maturing quickly, has a sharp mind and thinks things out for herself, never accepting anything at face value. She is only just thirteen and reminds me of myself at that age, especially since she is showing signs of rebelling against the family line.’
‘I am sure you didn’t encourage her,’ Archie said, fighting against a smile.
‘Certainly I did not, but nor will I attempt to quell her spirit. She expressed a desire to come and stay with me and I am going to try and persuade Papa to allow it. Not that I hold out much hope of success.’ She grinned mischievously. ‘But still, if Melanie is as much like me as I am starting to think she could be, she will take matters into her own hands.’
‘Careful, minx! Your father might allow her to visit, but only if you offer up some sort of compromise in return.’
‘I know.’ Flora blew air through her lips. ‘I just cannot abide the thought of Melanie’s natural curiosity, her questioning of the religious tenets she has grown up having thrust upon her, being suppressed.’ She settled herself into a more comfortable position. ‘Anyway, the real reason why Papa was so keen to have me there seemed to be to introduce me to a friend of his.’
