The Lady

Chapter 5

Edmund smiled kindly at me. "Rachel, I hope you don't think me bold - but what on earth happened before we walked in?" he asked me quietly.

Swallowing the tears that threatened to spill, I looked up at Edmund and tried to pretend that I wasn't upset by Gabriel.

"Ah, it's nothing Edmund, just your gentleman friend laughing at my expense once more. Shall we go to the carriage now?" I hurriedly asked him.

Taking his arm I began to drag him out of the house, chattering on as if absolutely nothing had just happened.

"Rachel, stop for a moment" Edmund interrupted me before we were within earshot of the waiting carriage. I halted and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, was I talking too much?" I worriedly asked him.

Edmund smiled at me and said, "Rachel, I don't know why you and Gabriel seem to have such animosity towards each other, it does not make sense." He frowned "You are Elizabeth's oldest friend, I know what good people you both are, why can you not see the good in each other?"

"Oh Edmund, I'm so very sorry if I have made you uncomfortable. That was never my intention," I said quietly, "he seems to have taken a distinct dislike to me..." I trailed off, feeling terrible that I had made Edmund upset.

Edmund looked down at me from his height smiling slightly

"I know that if you gave him a chance you would find him to be a true gentleman". Before I could scoff he asked "Now, shall I help you in to the carriage my lady?"

"Thank you Edmund" I said red-faced. I was embarrassed to my core, I know that Edmund was not chastising me but I felt as though I had been reprimanded by a disappointed older brother.

As we walked towards the carriage the footman opened the door and I clasped Edmund's outstretched hand, grateful for the warm contact. Not looking up at Elizabeth and Gabriel for fear that they would see the blush that had spread across my cheeks I hurriedly went to sit down, tripping as I did. Bashing my shoulder against the wall of the carriage I swallowed the moan of pain that I wanted to let out. I glanced up as I righted myself to make sure nobody had noticed my clumsiness, with an internal sigh of relief I realised that Elizabeth and Edmund were too busy staring into each other's eyes to notice my stumble.

As I shot Gabriel a glance I realised that he had an eyebrow raised and a grin on his face like he was trying to hold in laughter. Urgh! That man, why must I seem like a bumbling fool whenever he's around to pay witness to my embarrassment?

Turning away from him I settled down and made myself comfortable in my seat. I looked out the window willing my face to go back to it's normal shade.

As the carriage started to move I closed my eyes and let my body sway with the rocking motion. I had always loved this movement, I know a lot of people feel ill travelling but I was not one of them. This had always had a cocoon effect for me as a child and has set the tone for travel for me as an adult.

When I would travel with my parents, father would always sit across from mother and I. I would lay down as best as I could and rest my head in my mother's lap, never minding about getting either of us rumpled. She would stroke my hair and that movement, the rocking of the carriage and the close quarters of our space would make me feel safe and warm, as if the outside world just didn't exist.

I felt my eyes burning as a single tear escaped my closed eyes. Opening them abruptly I quickly fumbled for a handkerchief without any success. I felt something soft being placed in my hand and looked up to see a sympathetic smile on Gabriel's face. My jaw dropped and I'm sure that I must have looked like the village idiot.