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Chapter 19
A day later, Robert received his summons to return to the house in the mail. George didn’t explain what had transpired between him and Louisa that had made her allow him to return, but he didn’t really care. He had never been so relieved in his life. Being away from the estate, but more importantly, away from Anne, had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do in his life.
They’d been able to exchange letters, and he had been so happy to hear that Anne did not harbour any ill feelings towards him for having had to lie to her, but it simply was not the same as being in the same home as her. That was the kind of joy he wanted to maintain for the rest of his life.
However, a few things needed to be arranged before Robert could fly back to the house. First, he needed to procure a ring. He knew he could only afford a modest one, but that anything would be better than nothing. He took what little savings he had into town and bought the most beautiful ring he could buy. Simple it was, a silver band with one minute gemstone inlaid, but beautiful nonetheless.
Next, he wanted to wait to return to the estate the next evening. This was because it was the night of the children’s recital, and he didn’t want to risk blurting out his truth to them right before they were about to perform. Staying that extra day at the townhouse that his brother owned closer to London was agonizing, but he knew it was the right choice. He was so excited by the prospect of being able to tell his nieces and nephew that he really was their uncle.
After that, Robert made another visit to a property he had been shown the previous day. It was a small but quaint space in a town called Glasforth that he thought might be the perfect place to open his bank. It was far enough away from the estate that he wouldn’t feel as though he was imposing upon George and his family, and yet close enough that he and (hopefully) Anne could come and see them whenever they wished.
The man who was selling the property was very generous, and because they had got along so well, offered it to Robert for a slightly lower price when he came to see it again that day. It was an offer that Robert could not refuse, and so he decided to take the chance and go for it.
However, Robert’s final task proved to be the most difficult. He wanted to get something to take back to George to thank him for all his kindness. At first, he thought about something material – perhaps a new hat or a pair of gloves. Robert wanted to get him more, of course, but that was all that he could afford. His brother deserved the world, but all he could give him was a globe ... if that.
He went from shop to shop, trying to find the right thing for George, but he continuously came up empty-handed. Eventually, he just gave up. There had to be something better that he could do for George, but he knew that if he tried to force it, both he and George would end up empty-handed.
Robert spent that evening and much of the next day finishing up his tasks at the property and preparing for his (hopefully) triumphant return to the estate. When the carriage arrived to take him to his brother’s home, he couldn’t have felt more elated. He was finally going to get to see Anne again, and this time, he would get to be himself.
As the carriage rattled on to its destination, however, Robert became increasingly nervous. Although he and Anne had discussed their being together through letters, he had a feeling that there were still a few things they needed to discuss in person. He just hoped that Anne would not have thought of something that would keep them apart in the meantime.
When they’d been travelling for almost forty-five minutes, the carriage gave a jolt, and Robert was very nearly thrown from his seat. The carriage came to a halt, and Robert opened the door to see what was the matter.
When he looked outside, he saw the worst possible option: one of the wheels had got stuck in a hole and broke. Robert looked to the driver and saw that he was as concerned as he was.
“Blimey,” the older gentleman said, taking off his hat and rubbing what little hair he had left on his head. “That’s rotten luck. I’ve been a driver for nearly fifteen years, and I’ve never had a wheel break on me.”
Robert felt his anxiety about not reaching the house in time for the children’s recital building in him. “You’ve never experienced this before? So you’re not sure what to do?”
The driver shook his head rather pathetically and sighed. “Not a clue. I suppose I could walk back to town and see if we could get some help ... but that would be a grand journey, I’m afraid. Looks like our best option is to go onto the next town and see if we can find a replacement driver and carriage. What do you say to that?”
Robert checked his pocket watch. The time was now five fifteen, and the children’s recital started sharply at seven. He could feel the sweat beginning to accumulate on his brow, so he took his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed it.
“How far away is the next town?” he asked anxiously.
“Oh, I’d say about an hour walk. Not sure how long it would take us to discover another driver willing to take you on, though,” the man said doubtfully.
That’s just the kind of thing I need to hear right now, thank you, Robert thought.
“And how far a walk is it to the Graham estate?” Robert queried.
The driver’s eyes widened. “I’d say somewhere close to ... two hours on foot?”
Robert felt the panic moving from his stomach into his chest, and he began noticing that his breathing became shallower. He had to make it to the recital one way or another. He carefully considered his options: if they were to walk to town and find someone right away, they might be able to make it in time to spare. But if they were delayed in any way, there was no way that Robert could make it in time. He cursed himself for having left this late, but there was nothing more to be done about that now.
He decided that his best option was to walk the rest of the way there. It would be a challenge to cut that extra fifteen minutes off, but if he delayed anymore, there was going to be no way that he could do it. He looked back at his suitcase on the carriage and turned to the driver.
“I’m going to walk. Here, take this …” he put a few extra pounds in the man’s hand, “and make sure that my things make it to the estate at some point. Wish I could explain more, but thanks very much.”
With that, Robert took off down the road.
“It’ll get there; I’ll make sure of it!” the driver called after him.
Robert was relieved to hear that, but the truth was he didn’t really care much. He just had to make it back to the estate in time; everything else was an added bonus.
He ran as fast as he could for about the first five minutes until he had to stop and catch his breath by walking. When he felt as though he could continue, he broke into a run once more and continued this pattern until he reached what he figured was the halfway point in his journey. He stopped for just a minute, put his hands on his knees, and allowed himself to fully catch his breath.
What am I doing? I’m going to arrive at the estate in such disarray that I doubt anyone will even recognize me! And I’m cursing myself for choosing to wear my nicest clothes for the carriage ride; I should have known to wait until I got to the estate to change!
