“The trip will be made even better by your presence, I’m sure. Come, please, I insist. It will be better than you sitting here all the time. I’m sure the distance will be curative.”
“I agree, and as head of the family, I could make it an order,” Charlotte said with a pointed arch of her eyebrow.
“I think Edmund might have something to say about that,” Lydia replied, the flow of tears slowing. Charlotte wiped Lydia’s cheeks in a motherly gesture.
“He has a great many things to say, but even he would be hard pressed to argue the matter, even if the title belongs to him. I have always watched over you, and I will continue to do so. Go to Florence, and come back renewed,” Charlotte said with a wry smile. Lydia breathed deeply. The shuddering emotion stopped flowing through her and she grew calm.
“I’m sorry that you have to see me like this. You must think me such a fool,” she said, abashed.
“Nonsense, we are here to help each other in times of distress. It’s what friends are for,” Rose said.
“And sisters,” Charlotte added. They both hugged Lydia tightly, and she hugged them back, nodding a little.
“Perhaps you are right. Even if I do not feel like traveling at the moment, it would be churlish of me to refuse the counsel of two people whose opinions I hold in such high esteem. Very well, Rose, I shall join you and Edmund although I apologize in advance if my presence does bring a sense of gloom to your happy trip.”
Rose merely laughed as if this wouldn’t be an issue at all.
Lydia closed her eyes. “However, there is one last thing I must do,” she said. It was an idea that had been rolling around in her mind for a while. It too caused her pain, as for a brief moment she and Victor had colluded to bring this situation about, but now, she was having to create it herself.
Charlotte and Rose left the room while Lydia settled at her desk and wrote a letter to Theodore, inviting him to London with the express purpose of seeing Agatha again. To encourage him, she added that Agatha was keen to renew their acquaintance and still thought of him fondly. She hoped this would buoy his mood and give him the courage to ignore the years of absence.
It was a hard thing, to deliver to others what she could not possess herself, but the old adage that misery loves company was not true in Lydia’s case. She wanted her family to be happy, andif she could give Agatha the chance of love in her twilight years, then that was what she would do. It may not be the same as finding love for herself, but it might well be as close as she would ever get.
“I really don’t know why you arranged this, Lydia. I feel like such a fool,” Agatha said, bubbling with nerves. She wore a fine frock and had her hair styled in a classic fashion. Her lips shone like rubies, and it was easy to see how she could have been considered a diamond. Lydia was helping her get ready, picking out jewelry for her to wear.
“You are not a fool, Grandmother. I’m sure it will be wonderful to see Theodore again, especially after what you told me.”
“Yes… yes, but so many years have passed, and I am not the woman I used to be. He has had all this time to remember me, and more often than not, reality cannot match the imagination,” Agatha said.
Lydia mused on these words quietly, knowing that they were true. The way she had imagined love had certainly given her lofty ideals that were perhaps closer to delusions than wishes.
“But the reality is tangible, Grandmother, and I’m sure he will be far happier being in your presence than having it be an ethereal thing. Besides, it is too late to cancel, and it would be rude of you to ignore him after he has come all this way,” Lydia said.
Agatha sighed and primped her hair. She selected two emerald earrings and a matching bracelet, adding these final changes to her outfit. She stood up and smoothed down her dress, turning her hips from side to side.
“Well, what do you think?” Agatha asked.
It was the first time in all her life that Lydia had heard self-doubt in her grandmother’s words. There was something touching about her vulnerability as Lydia understood that deep down Agatha did want a second chance of happiness but feared that too many years had passed.
“You look beautiful. You are still a diamond, Grandmother,” Lydia said earnestly. Agatha took her hands and kissed her on the cheek.
“You are a dear, Lydia. And for what it’s worth… I know you have been struggling with what happened. This was not what you planned for life at all, but sometimes we must go where the tide carries us. In Florence, I want you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
“I want you to live, Lydia. Live without trappings, without hesitation. Live because you have no idea how long you’re going to get. Indulge your instincts and follow your desires. Act without thinking. Be yourself, and be happy. Life is too short to drown in melancholy, even though sometimes it feels entirely natural to do so.”
“I will try,” Lydia replied although she did not mean this as sincerely as she did the previous statement.
They adjourned to the sitting room where they waited for Theodore’s arrival. Agatha kept glancing at the time, glaring at the clock. The ticking minutes were interminable. Agatha paced around, considered changing her dress, and threw her hands in the air. All the time, Lydia remained calm and reassured Agatha that it would all be for the best. It was strange to see her so flustered.
Then, a carriage pulled up.
“He’s here,” Agatha gasped, sounding so surprised, as if he had not been invited. The butler announced Lord Theodore, who strode into the room with a sheepish look on his face. He was dressed in fine clothes, and his hair had been trimmed. When he saw Agatha, a dazed expression came upon his face.
“Theodore, it’s been a while,” Agatha said, clasping her hands together in front of her stomach. Lydia watched them, a smile curling upon her lips.
“It has indeed. And you haven’t changed a bit. You’re just as beautiful as ever,” Theodore said, walking up to her and taking her hands. He squeezed them tightly, and they gazed into each other’s eyes. This reunion had a transformative effect as both of them seemed to grow younger before Lydia’s eyes.
