“Perhaps you could pose for me,” Edmund said, his eyes flashing. Rose scrunched up her face and was trying to think of a waspish reply when a man approached Edmund.
“Excuse me, Your Grace,” he nodded to Rose as well and offered an apologetic look for interrupting them. Edmund introduced himself and Rose, then asked the man’s name. “I am James Hamilton, Viscount of Finchley. I’d like to discuss Cordovan bonds if it is convenient for you. It will only take a moment,” he said.
Edmund glanced toward Rose.
“Do you mind if I step away for a moment to conduct some business? It will not take long,” he said.
“Of course not,” Rose said, offering a sweet smile. She watched the two men carefully as they engaged in a business discussion and reminded herself that she should have felt relieved that their promenade was interrupted rather than slighted.
However, it was this latter feeling that was more predominant in her mind. She shook the feeling aside and turned to examine another painting, although her thoughts were not consumed by it. Once again, she found herself thinking about Edmund and the life he lived before they met. For his mood to turn so intensely, there must have been a cause, and her natural curiosity was piqued, although she would get no answers this day, and perhaps no other.
Chapter Twelve
“How was the Royal Academy?” Edmund’s grandmother, Agatha, asked. She was always dressed up as though she was going to a social event, although there was nothing on the agenda for the evening. She smiled widely, and her eyes twinkled.
“It was fine, although I found myself underwhelmed by their collection. I believe they should be pulled up for boasting about mediocre paintings.”
“If they told the truth, then they wouldn’t attract many visitors now, would they? It reminds me of a man I once knew. He lived in Hamburg. He told me he was devilishly handsome, very tall, and broad-shouldered. He made himself sound like a titan! Well, when he came over, and of course this was before I met your grandfather, who was never anything but honest with me, I did not recognize him at all.”
Edmund pressed his lips together and masked his irritation at having to listen to another of his grandmother’s interminable stories. She had so many that by this point, he had no idea how much truth there was to any of them. For all he knew, she might have been conjuring them from the depths of her mind.
“He had no chin to speak of, and he wasn’t tall at all. In fact, I could look down my nose at him, and I wasn’t even a woman of great stature then. I certainly am not now. I had to admire his confidence to lie so brazenly, though, especially when he knew the truth would be revealed. He kissed my hand and smiled as though we were destined to be together. Now, he was quite charming and had a good sense of humor, especially for a German, but I could never quite get past that first lie. Anyway… where were we?”
“The Royal Academy.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Well, in truth, it wasn’t for the paintings that you went, was it? There was only one work of art you were concerned with. The lovely Lady Rose,” Agatha said with a wide smile.
Edmund pinched his lips together.
“Indeed, and she was more captivating than anything else,” he replied, maintaining the illusion that he had invested more than money in these promenades.
Agatha’s eyebrows rose, and she smiled widely. “Good! I am glad, Edmund. It will be good for the family to have another wedding, another celebration. A cloud of gloom settled over usfor too long, but with Mary and Charlotte getting married... Oh, you and Lydia will follow soon as well, I am sure. It makes an old woman happy to see her family thriving.”
“I am glad to make you happy, Grandmother, although I cannot promise anything. Lady Rose is a strong-willed woman.”
Agatha wagged a finger in the air. “That will not be any trouble for you. You’ve been surrounded by strong-willed women all your life.”
Her words echoed in Edmund’s mind, and once again he was pulled into a memory, this time of a conversation that took place shortly before his parents died.
“We need to talk about the future, Edmund,” his father said. They were in a drawing room. His father had poured two glasses of brandy. It was the first time Edmund was allowed to share a drink with his father, although he knew what brandy tasted like. He’d stolen a few sips from the liquor cabinet when he was younger and hadn’t liked the taste, but now, when he sipped it, it was more pleasing to his tongue.
“People are always telling me to think of the future. I am sure that Professor Helmsley does not think of anything else. But how am I to focus on the present if I am always thinking of the future?”
His father nodded with a prudent look on his face.
“That is a good point, Edmund. It is always a good idea to focus on the present moment, but one must also keep an eye on the future. You are becoming a man, and soon enough, it will be time for you to make decisions that will shape the rest of your life. You must consider them carefully and never do anything in a rash manner, for that way lies ruin. Think about the kind of man you want to be, the kind of life you want to have.”
“A good life filled with adventure. I want to go exploring and see the world, just like you and Mother,” he puffed out his chest as he said this, and then took another sip of brandy, although it made him cough.
His father smiled.
“And what of your family?”
“They will be fine.”
“Who will look after your sisters?”
“You will,” Edmund said.
