Lydia could not believe that. “What were Mother and Father like with us?” she asked although she thought she knew the answer. Still, she enjoyed speaking about her parents because in a way it kept them alive.
Agatha’s eyes lit up. “Oh, they were never happier than when they were tending to you. They were so proud of you, all three of you. The happiest days of their lives were when you three were born. They doted on you, read to you, sang to you, and played games with you. Frankly, I realized how poor I had been as a mother by their example, but I hope I’ve made up for that as a grandmother.”
“And a great-grandmother,” Charlotte reminded Agatha although Agatha drew back then and waved a hand in the air.
“Oh, don’t say that my sweet Charlotte. That single word ages me another ten years, and I don’t have the years to spare! Why, it only seems like yesterday that I was venturing out, shaking with nerves because I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
“I can’t imagine you being nervous, Grandmother,” Lydia said.
“Well, I was. It may not have lasted for long, of course, because I soon realized where I belonged. But oh yes, those were fine days, fine days indeed. It’s just a shame they can only occur once.” The excitement and joy in her words faded and a wistful look came upon her face.
Lydia could tell that her grandmother was thinking about the paths she had not walked.
“Do you have any regrets, Grandmother?”
“Regrets? No… no, you must never regret anything you do in life,” she said, wagging a finger towards Lydia. “But sometimes you do wonder how things would have turned out had you made a different choice. Back then it didn’t really seem to matter of course. Excitement and adventure were to be had everywhere, and there were so many people. I wonder what happened to them all.”
Lydia thought about the conversation she’d had with Victor’s uncle.
“Grandmother, do you remember a Theodore Valemont from your younger years?” Lydia asked.
“Theodore Valemont? Theodore Valemont…” Agatha lifted her gaze to the ceiling and tapped her finger against her lips in a thoughtful manner. Lydia felt a little bad for Theodore. After all this time, he remembered Agatha, but she did not seem to remember him. For him, meeting her must have been a monumental occasion, but for her, it had been routine, and his face blurred in with other people.
It had been a distant chance as well, for Agatha’s mind was hazy and the years were lost in a mist.
But then she snapped her finger and a smile came upon her face.
“Teddy, yes, oh dear, sweet Teddy,” she said, and a calm smile appeared on her face as radiant as the dawn.
“You remember him?”
“Of course, I remember him,” Agatha said, and the smile faded somewhat as her voice became filled with emotion. She leaned towards Lydia and spoke with more feeling than her usual amused wistfulness. “Why do you ask?”
“I met him for dinner and he mentioned you. He?—”
“He mentioned me?” Agatha gasped, putting her hand against her chest. She seemed surprised at this although from the wayshe spoke it often seemed that she believed her name was on everyone’s lips. “How flattering. How is he doing?”
“He’s well, I believe. He seemed like a nice man. He was exceedingly kind to me.”
“Yes, yes, that’s Teddy all over. Oh, he was a dear.” She sighed again and a helpless look came into her eyes.
“You seem fond of him. He told me that he courted you, but you did not seem interested in him.”
Agatha’s sharp gaze flashed.
“Not interested? Well, I suppose I did end up giving him that impression, but only because it was the only thing I could do. I thought I was being kind to him and to myself. There’s no sense in hoping for what cannot be,” she said.
“To what are you referring?” Lydia asked.
Agatha settled her hands in her lap and adopted the tone she always took when she told a story about the past. While she had a habit of repeating stories to the point where her grandchildren only half-listened to her, Lydia had a feeling that this was a story she had not shared before.
“It was a long time ago now, far longer than I would like to admit. I was the diamond of the Season, and I had many, many suitors. But there was one man who stood above them all—Theodore Valemont.” A sense of awe came into her voice as she spoke his name.
“He was a dashing man,” she continued, “and there was something about his eyes that utterly captivated me. I felt as though I was the luckiest woman alive when he showed interest, and I fell in love almost immediately. Of course, I have always been the type of woman to do these things in a rush, but there was no doubt in my mind that I loved him. He was everything I thought a man should be, and when we spoke, I always got the feeling that he was rather in awe of me.”
“I believe he still is,” Lydia said.
Agatha wore a heartened smile. “That is good to hear. I have thought about him often over the years, even though I’ve tried not to.”
