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Chapter 2
The following day, Margaret finally had the strength and wherewithal to explain everything to Jane. It was difficult to do, for Margaret wished to banish the whole ordeal from her mind.
“But Lord Darkmoor, of all people?” Jane asked.
“My sentiments exactly.”
“He has quite the reputation.”
As they continued their customary walk through the field, Margaret couldn’t help but share everything she knew about Lord Darkmoor. “The baron is said to detest all women. His late wife, the baroness, lived a sheltered life, and heaven only knows if she was happy.”
“Margaret, perhaps it is best not to overthink it. Maybe the rumors about the baron are only rumors. Someone can’t detest all women.”
“Still, all that I feel is fear. Knowing what he does of Lord Darkmoor, how can my father wish for him to be my betrothed? He’s desperate, Jane. That much is plain.”
As they continued to walk, Jane seemed not to provide enough counsel, for her stoic nature was kept intact, and she thought it best to change the subject. Margaret thought this odd since she was clearly distressed, but she knew that of the two of them, Jane had the most level head on her shoulders.
Just then, a figure appeared off in the distance, riding a horse. Margaret brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. It was rare to find anyone in this field, and she couldn’t help but inquire. “Who do you suppose that is?”
“My word,” Jane replied, bringing her hands to her cheeks. “That’s my brother. John! John!” She waved her hand vigorously and ran towards her brother, who was getting closer and closer. “John!” She called out once more.
Margaret pursued Jane with a smile upon her lips. It was rare to see Jane with such unbounded enthusiasm. Once John Harrington was upon them, Margaret stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping open. Yes, the resemblance was there, except that John was rather tall and athletic, and his eyes were a sparkling blue.
“Jane,” John said, hopping off his horse and embracing his sister. “It has been too long.”
“But whatever brought you here from Cornwall?” Jane asked.
“I ceased my employment at the dock. It had grown tiresome.”
“What shall you do?” Jane asked in surprise.
“I guess I’ll just haunt you for the rest of your days,” John said playfully, giving Jane a gentle box on the shoulder. That was when John’s gaze turned to Margaret, and if she was shocked upon first seeing him, she noted that his face was equally shocked.
Margaret felt her cheeks color. “Hello.”
“Hello,” John replied softly.
“Oh, where is my mind? John, surely you remember Margaret. It has been some years.”
“I remember. But you have… changed,” John said, gazing into Margaret’s eyes.
Margaret cleared her throat. “You’ve changed, as well. I recall when you were a scrawny lad.”
John smiled bashfully. “You wouldn’t believe what working at a dock does. There’s a great deal of labor.”
Margaret had to marvel at all of this. Yes, he was hardly recognizable now. It was as though the boy that she briefly met had now become a grown man, and a big one at that!
***
Margaret Crowley was like nothing John had ever seen before. Yes, he recalled meeting her briefly, but she had utterly transformed in ways that John never imagined possible. Her brown hair glowed in the sunlight, and her piercing green eyes sent shivers down his spine. Yes, Margaret had opened like a bright red rose, and her beauty left him in awe.
“You have changed, Miss Crowley. You seemed a little girl the last time that I met you.”
“Much has changed.” Margaret gazed towards the ground. “And Jane and I have been through much.”
Aside from her beauty, John noted a bit of sadness in her expression. That was not there the last time that he had seen her. Turning his attention to Pelham Downs in the distance, John constricted his brow. Yes, something had changed. The house looked unkept, and the grounds were overgrown. Jane had never spoken of any of this in her letters.
“I, for one, needed the expansive countryside,” John went on. “Cornwall was bringing me to my knees. Not for lack of work, but merely for lack of company.”
