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‘I could re-read a few of my romantic novels,’ Flora offered timidly. ‘Maybe there is something in there not only about how people get engaged and married, but also about how they could avoid it.’
‘Great idea.’ Patsy nodded. ‘And just in case that doesn't work, I’ll go and buy an especially hard and spiky parasol.’
*~*~**~*~*
We discussed our plans for the anti-suffragist meeting and then disbanded not long after. I arrived home late for dinner, but so many flowers from Sir Philip had arrived in my absence that my aunt didn’t even make a sharp comment. She was in heaven. When Ella sprang up after dinner, I was ready and followed like the watchdog I was.
Our Romeo on duty was waiting just beyond the fence, an incandescent smile on his face, his arms held out at his sides as if to catch Ella when she would come rushing towards him. Only when she had crossed about half the distance did he seem to realize that because of the metal barrier in the way, that wouldn’t be quite possible, and he lowered his arms.
His smile didn’t become any less incandescent, though.
‘Ella, my love!’ He breathed, gripping the poles of the fence with both hands.
‘Edmund, my love,’ she breathed back. ‘Finally! I’ve nearly been driven to distraction, waiting all day! Not knowing what will happen and when is pure torture! When will we leave?’
I leant forward as far as I could. This was the question I had come to hear the answer to, the question the answer to which would determine whether I could work on a plan to get rid of Wilkins or whether I would have to take Patsy up on her offer of parasolical violence. My heart started to pound faster in my chest as I stared at Edmund, the man who held my sister’s fate in his hands.
Why wasn’t he saying anything?
Why was he just standing there?
Finally, he took a deep breath and leant forward until his lips were almost at her ear - and whispered something in a low voice I couldn’t hear!
I couldn’t believe it! He had whispered! The whole evening they had conducted their secret affair in the back garden in perfectly audible voices, and now, when it would actually had been useful for something to be audible for a change, that son of a bachelor decided to whisper!
Ella’s eyes went wide.
‘So soon?’
Soon? What does that mean, soon? Tomorrow? The day after?
Or did she have a different conception of ‘soon’? Could it be weeks still? Edmund had said it would take time to procure a marriage license, so it couldn’t just be a few days, could it? But then why had she said 'soon'?
The anxiety tortured me. I wanted to run over to the man who wanted to steal my sister away from her family and shake the truth out of him, but that would kind of have given the game away. So I stayed put and tried to take deep, calming breaths.
‘It’s not really that soon,’ Edmund replied.
Wait? What’s that supposed to mean? Is it soon or isn’t it?
‘I think it’s quite soon,’ Ella said. ‘I have to pack, remember?’
‘Yes, but remember, we will travel light, my love. We have to, in order to get away quickly.’
She bit her lip. ‘You’re right. Yes, if I don't have to pack too much, it’s not that soon. I think I can manage.’
Argh! This is maddening!
‘If I could, I would leave tonight with you,’ Edmund whispered. ‘I’ve done the best I can, but it still will take so long to get a marriage license. I only hope Sir Philip does not make his intentions clear before then. If he does, if all our hopes and dreams are smashed…’
‘Hush!’ Ella raised her slender hand, gently touching his lips with her forefinger and silencing him. ‘Everything will go well. I have no doubt. I trust you, my love.’
His answering smile was melancholic.
‘I only wish I had that much faith in myself.’
‘And do you know the exact time of day when we will leave?’ Ella asked, clearly in an effort to distract him from his dark mood.
I perked up. This was something! Maybe I’d know this much at least! Maybe I could lie in wait every day and make sure they didn’t get away without me noticing!
