Rachel's Story

Chapter 22

Merry Christmas to you all! (though I believe it might already be belated for most of my readers due to the time difference...)

CHAPTER 22

Rachel’s emotions went through a sort of relay race while reading the letter. They started out as an indulgent impatience with Miranda’s cheerful ramblings, and proceeded on to amusement, surprise, affection invoked by the lady’s thoughtfulness, and finally unadulterated joy at the conclusion. How could one small epistle evoke so many sentiments in her? Every suggestion put a bigger smile on her face than the last. Miranda was really so clever! But of course, the fact resounding most persistently in her head at the end was in the postscript, the information which the bubbly letter-writer had almost forgotten to convey.

Andrew was returning. He was unharmed. He would be back in England. And the best part – she would get to see him soon. Nothing else penetrated her head for some time beyond this realization.

Within a minute she had snatched up a sheet of paper and sat down to write to Lucy about Miranda’s proposal, before composing a reply to the lady in question on the solid chance that her sister will not refuse to host her for three or four days. Rachel could not keep still for a moment, and her pen flew across the paper. Within ten minutes she had accepted Miss de Manley’s gracious offer and had promised to visit her as soon as she could, even though she would be residing with her family as Miranda had so amiably suggested. And she would certainly be attending the ball; how could she refuse when her friend had been so sweetly persuasive about it?

That evening was one of extreme cheerfulness for Rachel, even though she had to go through those awful ‘talks’ with Diana and Alicia about proper maidenly behavior. It went off well enough, since the sisters affected a nice demure acceptance of her wise words and apologized prettily for their lapse in conduct, claiming wiser counsel now that would always steer them in the future. Rachel let them think they had fooled her.

“I know what you are thinking girls; I have been in that age pretty lately, when I thought that I knew best and the adults should be heard but not heeded,” she smirked to herself. She trusted her students to keep a cool head and remember her words when the occasion arose, so she had no qualms to disturb her joyful mood.

This happiness was sorely tried immediately afterwards when she had to attempt to feed Brian something light and nourishing as opposed to the three-course dinner he was demanding. But she managed to survive even that, as always.

                                                             Xxxxx

The coveted letter arrived from London in four days, eagerly extending Rachel an invitation to stay as long as she liked with her family, though it also included a gentle reprimand from her sister about the formality of asking; she should have simply turned up without a thought. Rachel smiled tenderly at this, and walked to the post-office at Denbries herself in order to post the letter to Miranda before the last mail coach of the day could leave. She would have three more days before leaving for London, and hopefully the letter would reach its destination before she herself arrived in the Capital. Then she went back and continued the lessons of the day like always, finishing off all residual topics before her departure so that her students could revise by themselves.

Diana had become extremely fidgety since the day Mr. Ashton visited Carillon Hall with his friend Paul Benetton, and charmed the Herringford family into allowing him to come regularly in the evenings to give the Misses Diana and Alicia some suggestions about musical performance. Now he was in their schoolroom every two days, sitting with the girls and either discussing the intricacies of proper fingering on the pianoforte, or helping Diana compose – and Rachel could do nothing but provide the required chaperoning. She did not like the situation much as Diana and Justin’s partiality for each other was becoming more and more evident by the day.