Chapter 25: Send Me on My Way
There was little to nothing James had left to prepare for with his departure to Portsmouth. The only thing that needed to be smoothed out was his issue with the Magistrate, which Sebastian seemed to be working on. James hated having to wait for the man's answer. After days of waiting, when Sebastian was finally ready to give it, and James was on edge, about as close to bursting as any man could get.
However, when Sebastian arrived with his plan, James wondered if it was worth the wait at all.
"I feel as though the best way to buy you time and out of having to propose to Elizabeth is if someone else proposed to her," Sebastian said as the two of them took a leisurely stroll down the garden path. "A public proposal, a show of undying love. That should buy you enough time."
James tried hard not to laugh in his friend's face. "If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting..."
"I'll propose to Elizabeth Donaldson..."
"And there it is..."
"Publicly, of course," Sebastian continued, as though James had not spoken. "That way it causes a short scandal that should give you enough time to go find Lucy and come back. The Magistrate will be too preoccupied clearing up the mess to worry about acting on his threat."
James opened his mouth in an attempt to reply, but nothing came out. He tried again, and this time he managed to form a proper sentence. "You never showed any interest in Elizabeth before."
"That does not matter, men often admire from a distance without plucking up the courage to say anything," Sebastian replied. "I find her to be a rather lovely and refined young woman, a wife any man would want to have. She comes from a good family, and as far as I know she herself would rather saw her own arm off than have any improper scandal marking her crystal clear ledger. Why wouldn't all the young bachelors in Lanfore be on their knees, vying to have her? Why are there not duels being held in the market square to win her affection? Why is the town crier not singing sonnets personally written by some lovelorn lad in need of her undivided attention? Why—"
"Dear god, make it stop..."
Sebastian shrugged. "You can't tell me it's not a good plan."
"What if she accepts your proposal?" James asked.
"Then, as I said, I will have received a good wife. And do not worry, I will make sure to make it known that you had every intention to propose, but had urgent business elsewhere, and so I took my chance, and she chose the better man."
"The Magistrate will see right through this plan," James groaned. "God, I don't even know how long I will need!"
"I am an excellent actor, fear not. If he sees through it, he won't have any proof," Sebastian waved a blithe hand around. "This way we both win, James. You have your way out and I may or may not have a potential wife."
"But there needs to be proof that I had a legitimate reason to be out of the county, despite the distraction your proposal will cause," James informed him. "But what?"
"A note?"
"Suspicious."
"A house call?"
"Even more suspicious."
"Then spread the word about your urgent business around your house and your associates," Sebastian said. "Spin a tall tale. Let it fester, then take your leave."
"Then you wait a few more days so as not to seem suspicious yourself..."
"Then I propose to Elizabeth, thus causing the distraction!"
"It's rather brilliant..." James murmured, genuinely shocked.
Sebastian nodded with a mischievous grin. "I told you I would figure out a foolproof plan."
James chuckled and nodded stiffly. "That you did, I am only sorry I questioned you."
"It is only natural, though do not continue to wound my vanity by questioning my genius in the future."
"Very well, then can you do one more thing for me?"
Sebastian stopped and turned to look at James. "For a fair price."
"You know I am more than capable of paying whatever it is you want in return," James assured his friend. "Price is not the issue, but I need you to continue to have nightly meetings with a woman named Bertha Denning. I will leave word for her personally to accept you as my proxy."
"For what reason?"
"She is my... Contact within the Magistrate's home," James said. "She keeps me informed on what is going on with him that concerns me and his threats."
Sebastian looked amused. "Taking extra security measures? James Boatwright, I am almost impressed."
"Almost?"
"Oh, you and I both know that it would take the reenactment of The Hanging Gardens of Babylon to even attempt to impress me," Sebastian snorted. "I will handle this Bertha Denning... Although the name sounds awfully familiar."
"Yes, about that," James chewed on his fingernail. "There are a few things that I have to tell you before we get started."
"Intriguing..." Sebastian grinned. "I am all ears."
"You better be," James muttered. "This could take a while..."
XXX
Belmoran Island
Lucy spent the better part of the following few days going to the market once again. Though she had spent a good amount of time there with Leila, she now she wanted to go on her own and see what Belmoran really was about. She made sure to keep a good check on the time, however, as John was going to join her later, which exited her.
For some odd reason, since John's arrival, Lucy had felt light, as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders and most, if not all, of her burdens had been alleviated. The days had come and gone with him sitting with her for long hours, just listening to her and giving her proper insight. That was all Lucy had wanted, but she had not known how much until John arrived.
She knew it should have been rather uncomfortable for her to have to spend time with a man who, for the most part, was her brother but, literally, was not. He had come here like a miracle, and that was all she knew. He understood her when no one else did. He was illegitimate, like her. He knew how it felt. If anything, he was exactly what she needed.
But now that one problem was in the process of being solved, another was slowly festering: Ross. Just because Lucy was capable of accepting her own status as a bastard child now that John was here to help her through it, that didn't mean she was ready to admit it to a stranger, like Ruth Beauchamp. She knew she had to speak to her about it eventually, if she wanted to keep seeing Ross. But she wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to. What if, by telling her the truth, Mrs. Beauchamp would think her far below less than their status? What if, by telling her the truth, Lucy would truly lose Ross forever?
Most of the day, as she moved from stand to stand and watched the ships coming and going from the ports, Lucy thought about this. She pondered on it, considered it, and nearly shed a tear over it. The thought of losing Ross's company hurt her more than it should have. She asked herself constantly what it meant, but she had no clue. She had never felt this way before for any man. She was healing from losing James, her childhood friend, but Ross? For some reason, she couldn't accept that. She wouldn't heal from losing him.
"I always seem to find you at your most melancholy."
Lucy stiffened and turned to see the man himself standing there, and her heart took a grand leap. "Ross! What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He asked. "I see ships come and go from this port every day, and I have seen more than my fair share of this market, and the sea. I've no interest in them enough to venture down here. I came here looking for you."
"Me?" Lucy felt herself backing away, though all she wanted to do was run to him and let him hold her. "Ross, you can't be here."
He shook his head. "Lucy, I know what my mother said to you."
"And she was right to say it," Lucy swallowed to hold back the tears. "Ross, she's trying to protect you, and you have to let her do it."
"No, she was wrong to ask such a thing of you," Ross protested. "You shouldn't be forced into that, Lucy, not after what you have been through."
"I promised you the truth, Ross," Lucy replied. "Let me be until I am ready to tell it. Listen to your mother, let her protect you."
"I do not need protection, Lucy!"
"Ross, I know about Charlotte!" Lucy said it without thinking and immediately regretted it, but she had to continue now that it was out. "Leila told me about the woman you loved a long time ago, and that she left and broke your heart. Your mother does not want that happening to you again, and neither do I."
Ross stood there for a moment, a look of utter shock on his face. Lucy thought—feared—for a moment that she had lost him and he was going to turn and walk away, but he didn't move. And even though that wasn't what he was supposed to do, Lucy felt relieved.
"I loved Charlotte, yes," Ross said finally, his voice steady. "But people take these stories and often blow them out of proportion. I loved her as much as a man could love a woman, but her leaving did not break my heart nearly as much as folk around here say. I healed from it in time, I moved on. She left on scars for me to brood over, and I did. But if you were to leave..." He stepped forward, only to pause when she stepped back, "Lucy, I know you cannot stay here forever... But to have you out of my life entirely simply because my mother denies it? I won't accept that. I can't accept that! If you were to leave of your own accord, then that is different, I would have to accept and, given time, I would try my best. Either way, you have it in your hands to leave deeper cuts in my heart than Charlotte ever did."
"I don't want to hurt you!" Lucy cried. "And I don't want this either. I don't want this cloud hanging over me anymore, especially with you! You've been the light of my life since I met you. You're my hero, my champion... you have done so much for me, more than anyone! I don't want to be separated from you over something as trivial as the truth! I lo—" She paused, shocked so still by what she was going to say that she was rendered speechless.
Ross, however, wasn't having it. "Say it, Lucy. You what?"
"Ross, you have to go," she stepped away from him. "Listen to your mother, please. There can be nothing between us until I am ready to be honest about everything to myself and to you. You deserve that."
"Lucy."
"I'm so sorry, Ross."
"Lucy, I don't care what my mother says, I will fight her on this if I have to!"
"No!" Lucy cried. "Ross, I will figure this out the right way, the honorable way. Don't take shortcuts, not with us."
Ross didn't look like he understood. "Us, Lucy? What do you mean?"
Lucy sucked in a breath. "I can do this. I can tell her the truth if I have to, all of it! Just give me time," she backed away faster. "Please, just let me fix this... Just..."
Unable to say anything more, Lucy turned quickly and walked away, moving faster and faster as she went. She heard Ross calling her, but that only motivated her to quicken her pace to the point where she had her skirts gathered in her hands and she was running.
One foot in front of the other. Move, move... Don't stop, keep going. Clear your head... You have to fix this...
Lucy didn't stop until she reached an alley between a tavern and a butcher's shop. She smelled raw meet and cheap rum, but even that didn't stop her from leaning against the wall to catch her breath. There were tears streaming down her cheeks and she was struggling to breathe, so her breaths came out in short, agonized gasps. Lucy knew she found herself in this particular situation quite often, but what other response was there? She needed to be strong if she wanted to be capable of admitting the truth, and she felt ashamed that she did not yet know how to do that.
Perhaps she could pray. That was what people did when they needed strength, wasn't it? They prayed. But was she the sort to turn to an invisible force to solve her problems? Or had she left that option behind when she ran away from them?
"Lucy?"
She gasped and backed away from the wall, only to feel a flood of relief when she saw John standing there, a look of utter concern on his face.
"John..." She felt her entire body shaking. "Oh, thank God!"
She would have fallen to her knees if John had not run up to her and caught her. She sobbed in his chest for a while, struggling even more to catch her breath.
"What happened?" He asked, stroking her back. "Lucy, what happened?"
"I..." She shook her head and pulled away from her brother. "I love him, John. Please, help me."
"Anything," he assured her. "I'll do anything, Lucy. Just tell me what you want."
For once, Lucy knew more than ever the answer to that question. And with John standing there, she wasn't afraid to give it anymore.
"Help me accept what you did," she said, wiping her tears away. "Help me accept that I am a bastard, and that it's okay."
John said nothing, merely pulled her back into his embrace. Lucy leaned on him and finally managed to breath, slowly at first, but then steadily. When she had calmed down, he finally spoke.
"I will send word to my mother, and tell her that you know," he looked her in the eyes and smiled warmly. "Then we put our heads together and figure this out."
"Thank you," she whispered, smiling back. "Just... Thank you."
"You're my sister, Lucy, you don't have to thank me."
With that, the two of them walked arm-in-arm back to the market.
XXX
London, England
Lydia Quincy stepped out to a rather dreary afternoon, with the sole intention of visiting her mother. After months of considering it, she had finally relented, mainly because she knew that her sister, Lucy, was probably busy settling their father's affairs back in Lanfore, so Lydia wanted to do something as well.
She had not given her father's death much thought ever since his funeral. That had been the last time she had ever set foot in Lanfore, and it was the most surreal feeling in the world watching them put his coffin in the ground. She never thought her father would die, he seemed so invincible, untouchable. Death came for every man, Lydia knew that, but she had thought her father would be exempt from that rule.
Lydia tightened the strings on her new bonnet and glanced up at the sky. It was rather gray, which was normal. Autumn rains came down at their own will, but she had been so lucky to not be caught in them just yet.
Before she could step further down the street, however, Lydia caught sight of a flamboyant carriage coming to a stop several steps down from where she stood. She watched as the door was opened and a young woman was helped out. The first sight of her blonde hair was enough for Lydia to recognize her. That and she had such an incredible knack for noticing and matching faces that sometimes she even scared herself.
"Beatrice!" Lydia strode up to where Beatrice Thornton, Lucy's good friend, stood. "Beatrice!"
The woman frowned up and, when she saw Lydia approaching her, she looked rather apprehensive.
"I haven't seen you in a while," Lydia smiled when she drew closer to her. "When did you return from Lanfore? Is Lucy with you?"
Beatrice paused for a moment, then forced out a frown. "I returned days ago, but the journey tired me, so I've stayed out of society for a while. And as for Lucy," she shook her head, "she decided to stay behind, but I had to return. She sends her regards."
"Wait," Lydia stepped forward when Beatrice turned to walk away, "why did Lucy stay behind? Is everything alright?"
"I don't know," Beatrice replied coolly. "Your sister thought it best to stay behind, and that is all I have to say."
"Excuse me, but our mother is very ill," Lydia protested. "You knew this, and you didn't convince her to come home with you?"
"That wasn't my concern," Beatrice said, her voice still cold. "She wanted to stay and I did not protest. Now, if you'll excuse me?"
This time, she turned and walked away, significantly picking up her pace as she went. Lydia moved to follow, but stopped herself. Perhaps it was simply that Lucy felt she wasn't done with whatever affairs she had to settle and would return soon.
Still, she had a bad feeling about this. Lucy wouldn't abandon their mother, she wasn't that sort of person. She had always been impulsive, but never illogical.
Lydia shook her head slowly and chuckled to herself. Lucy being illogical... Now wasn't that a disturbing thought?
The day she does something out of the blue and irrational is the day that the world as we know it implodes.
Still chuckling, Lydia turned to walk away as well. She was going to visit their mother and tell her everything she had just seen and encountered. At least that would put a smile on her face, for once.
But still, with that cheery thought, Lydia couldn't shake the bad feeling that she wasn't getting the whole story from Beatrice. If it got worse, she knew she would have to confront her.
But would she like what she had to hear?
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Author's note: Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed! Looks like Lucy's sister, Lydia, has finally arrived to the story, what do you guys think will happen now?
Leave a vote and comment, let us know how you liked it! We hope that you enjoy the rest!