Page 69 of Holding Onto Love

Vanessa read aloud to Charlotte and Sweet Kate, pleased that Charlotte was peering over her shoulder, picking out words. A knock on her front door interrupted them.

“One moment,” she called, rising. She handed the book to Charlotte. “Save the page.”

She exited the kitchen and went through the parlor to open her door. Lydia stood there, framed against the gray sky and dirt road, an odd expression on her face. She wore a crumpled bonnet, a dusty yellow dress, and her usual weathered boots. But the boots now sported tooled butterflies on the toes.

“Lydia!” She wasn’t expecting a visit. Lydia was generally too busy to walk all this way. “Come in. Have tea with us. Charlotte is here.” She waved her inside and closed the door. Vanessa felt a little embarrassed by the spaciousness, the spare cleanliness of her parlor. She hardly ever used it. It seemed an extravagance when compared to the clutter and crowding of the Compton home and workshop. “What brings you?”

“Charlotte is here?” Lydia frowned and lowered her voice. “I-I have news.”

Vanessa paused, made wary by Lydia’s caution. “News?”

“Mmm-hmmm. About the boots Jon sent to that couple you met in Binnings.”

Bitter had shown her the boots, artfully engraved with lilies. Lady Georgiana was sure to love them.

“What about them?”

“This morning, Sherwood brought over a letter.”

“A letter?” Vanessa’s heart sank. She had thought it safe to allow Jon to send the boots to ‘Lady Georgiana’ at Crumbley House in Cambridge. Georgiana and Reginald would learn only that the bootmakers were in Cartmel, but wouldn’t necessarily conclude that she lived here as well. If they did, she supposed she had to trust that Reginald would say nothing to Jasper. But she certainly never thought Georgiana would write back to the Comptons. “What did it say?”

“Only that the lady was well pleased with her boots.” Lydia’s smile was strange. Strained. “And that her friends were agog. They sent six pounds and two tracings with a request for two more pairs. One customer asked for kingcup. The other could not make up her mind and said any flower would do. Vanessa, six pounds for two pairs of boots!”

Vanessa’s heart swelled. She wished she could embrace Georgiana. She wished she had embraced her.

“Can Bitter make them?” It seemed to her it must be a tremendous amount of work.

“Oh, the others will make them. Bitter will do the decoration—and quicker now he’s not hiding his efforts. Jon is…well, you can imagine. Thank you. Even if this is the most that comes of it, the work could not have come at a better time. It’s only…I’m not sure they should be too hopeful.”

Vanessa nodded. “Yes, I understand. There is no guarantee there will be more.”

She would write to Rose and Effie. Today. But she wouldn’t say anything yet to Lydia. She didn’t want to raise hopes and then dash them. If only Lady Georgiana would parade the boots around London.

She took Lydia’s arm. “Come in. We’ll celebrate. Charlotte brought over a couple of buns, drizzled with honey. Dan’s hives are doing well.”

Lydia resisted. “I won’t interrupt.”

“Nonsense.” Vanessa’s smile faded at the expression on Lydia’s face. Questioning. Concerned. Perhaps even a little irritated.

“Vanessa.” Lydia spoke quietly but there was an underlying hardness to her tone. “The letter was from a Mr. Reginald Taverston.”

Vanessa froze.

Lydia waited, then pressed, “Any relation?”

Vanessa was caught. Caught. “A brother.” She hurried to try to explain. “The meeting was coincidental. But I suppose their kindness was not.”

Oh! How foolish. So anxious to do a good deed, it had made her careless.

“I see.” Lydia’s expression was doubtful. “But you said nothing. I agreed when Jon said if it was happenstance, it was odd you made no mention it. And the corporal said he does not believe in coincidence where Lieutenant Taverston is concerned.”

It could not be any worse.

“You all discussed this?”

“Only to scratch our heads. If Lieutenant Taverston is involved, it seems wisest not to ask too many questions.”

“It is nothing secretive. Good Heavens. How ridiculous.” Vanessa scrambled. “It’s only that the corporal tried to get a small contract from the army and Lieutenant Taverston was unable to help. He wrote to his brother, suggesting that he buy boots and encourage his fellows to do so. But when Mrs. Taverston saw my boots…”