sudden departure two years ago? Of course, you don’t. You were never one to care about such things. I, on the other hand, have heard far more than I care to from other people while you have been hiding away in France.”
Now she had started, there was a fire in her eyes Walter had never seen before, the sight of which forced him to listen.
“I have done my best to deal with everything while you have been gone, to look over the business side of things despite knowing little about it, to keep up appearances, to keep our family name intact, to…”
He watched in stunned silence as she inhaled shakily and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. “Walter, I have done all my strength has permitted for the good of our family. What have you done? And by that, I mean besides getting to know a young lady only at my prodding and grumbling the whole time. You made it clear you did not even want to return from France.”
Both were silent for what felt like a very long time. The carriage was at a stop, but neither made a move to get out. Sylvia’s breathing was fast and shaky, while Walter felt himself feeling both stunned and guilty.
His mother had always been strong, had never broken down, and the only times he had ever seen her shed a tear before today was when someone she loved had died. But here she was beside him with her eyes watering because of him.
The words she had spoken were sharp and biting and yet thoroughly deserved. I have been entirely selfish. Though my mind was elsewhere at the time, I knew when I left for France she hated talk of business just as much as despise gossip.
I should have realized there would be gossip about my leaving so suddenly, and she was left to deal with it alone. I suppose there was likely some gossip about Georgiana, as well. Perhaps that is why she seems so angry with me…
Every action of his over the past two years, when looked at anew, seemed entirely selfish and, sometimes, utterly childish. He had convinced himself at the time his uncle needed his help more than his mother, that he was being responsible, but now he saw otherwise.
“I suppose … I see now I have … that I have behaved poorly of late,” he said quietly.
He felt her look at him questioningly, clearly wanting him to continue. He gently took one of her hands and held it in both of his own, “I’m sorry. For … for everything, Mother. I will go with you.”
“And you will try to smooth things over with the young lady?” she asked hopefully. “I am not asking you to become friends with her or anything of that nature, just … try to make it so things are not so awkward when the two of you happen to be attending the same events, please?”
“You’re right, I should probably talk to Georgiana, and I will try to do so today. I feel now I probably owe her an apology, too…” Even if she was engaged and did lead me on, it was partially my fault for not enquiring if she was already betrothed…
“I am glad, Walter,” Sylvia said, her expression indicating a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “I know I frequently pester you about duty, but you do know I love you and want you to be happy, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I do, Mother. If you didn’t love me, you would leave me to my own devices, instead of trying to set me right.”
She smiled faintly, dabbed at her eyes one last time, and then prepared to stand. “Well, now the proper thing to do is to get out of this carriage. We have stayed in here for far too long. People might be beginning to worry about us, or gossiping about what we are discussing…”
His lips twitched upward in a slight smile, seeing his mother seemed to be almost back to her normal self. The rather bossy and strict but kindly intentioned, mother he had always known. However, there was nothing wrong with her strict mindset.
Helping her out of the carriage, he gave her his arm as they approached the side entrance of Irvington Manor. To get to the rose garden, where the tea party was being held, they were required to go through the side gate and towards the back of the manor.