related in some other way. I would say siblings, but we look nothing alike, apart from the fact that we are both blond. And the way Walter talked about it…”
“Well, I don’t believe you need to think about it any longer. At least, not just now. Though the excuse is … pitiful, at least you have some answers as to why Walter left.”
She sighed. “Yes. I suppose I do.”
“If I may ask … what were you expecting to hear? What did you think he would say?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Believe me when I say, over the last two years, I have thought over every possible excuse he could make. At least … I thought I had. I must admit such a thing never crossed my mind.”
“Not once?” Adelaide asked almost teasingly.
“No,” she replied honestly and without any confusion.
“And what happened after that? Did he apologize?”
“No, actually, he didn’t … I think we were both too busy absorbing the new information … I asked him where he had heard it, and he replied that his cousin, Felicia, had relayed the information to him. He didn’t know where she heard it. After that, I decided I wanted to leave his presence. He tried to stop me, but I essentially told him to leave me alone.”
“He wanted to talk further, though?”
She huffed. “I believe he had some hope we could … repair our relationship a little. Whether he wants to be friends or not, I don’t care. He cannot possibly realize the gossip I have had to endure while he was living in France.”
They sat side by side for a while in silence, then Adelaide reached over and gave her a long, tight hug. Feeling immeasurably safe and loved, she was almost sad when her aunt finally pulled away.
“Come, I know just what you need to make you feel better,” her aunt told her as she took her hand and led her up the stairs.
“Lucy!”
“Yes, Lady Irvington?” Lucy quickly appeared in response to her name being called.
“I want you to prepare a bath for Georgiana. Infuse it with some of that lavender oil we recently purchased from the perfumery,” she instructed.
As the lady’s maid went to carry out her instructions, Adelaide turned back to face her niece. “There. The lavender should be quite soothing. Try to relax and think of more pleasant things, such as the horses your uncle is no doubt looking at right this minute.”
She smiled and kissed her aunt’s cheek. “I will try to, Aunt! And I will also have Lucy dress me in something more comfortable afterwards.”
“Now, while we wait for your bath to be ready, perhaps you could tell me how you enjoyed the tea party, apart from the matter we shall not further discuss.”
Georgiana had to smile again at Adelaide’s choice of words, but she could not complain. “I thought it was lovely, even though I couldn’t fully enjoy it,” she replied thoughtfully.
“Hmmm …. you know what we should do?”
“I have no idea.”
“We should see when Così Fan Tutte is playing and arrange to go. Even though we have already seen it, we can still enjoy it again.”
“Così Fan Tutte is being performed again? I must have missed hearing about it. But, yes, I would love to go and see it again,” she eagerly replied.
After a short time of reminiscing about that and other operas they had attended in the past, the bath was ready. Lucy helped her undress, and she got in the large tub.
While she soaked up the heat of the water, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander to the events of the day. Little had she thought this morning what would happen at the garden party…
Now she was calmer, she felt a painful ache in her heart. How could he have just left me like that? Could he have really cared for me at all if I were not even worth inquiring about? Does he have any idea how much he hurt me?
Without warning, the pain seemed to strike her all at once, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She had cried so many times about the very same thing, she did not have many tears left to spend on it. Somehow, though, these tears felt different, as though they might be a final release.
Georgiana could only hope it was so. She wanted to put everything behind her and move on with her life. Away from him…
Chapter 16
Walter did not have long to wait before his mother entered the carriage and