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Chapter Sixteen
Mr. Hughes was waiting for Helen when she arrived at the corner of Birdcage Walk and Horse Guards Road. Helping her down from the carriage, he thanked her for meeting him at the location he had requested.
Just east of them, on the Thames, stood the Palace of Westminster, where Parliament was housed, and not far from there, Westminster Abbey. Nicholas and Pen had already taken her by those sights, but she wouldn’t object to another chance to marvel at the architecture.
“Thank you for offering to show me your favorite parts of London,” she said with a smile. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”
Mr. Hughes offered his arm, then to her surprise and delight, he guided her into the greenery of a nearby park rather than toward the landmarks. “This is St James’s Park. I haven’t visited for some time, but I thought you might enjoy it.”
They walked until they came upon a lake surrounded by verdant flora. It was a beautiful day, suggesting an auspicious start to springtime, and the water reflected the blue sky above. The lake was alive with waterfowl, and though this venue was less fashionable to people of rank than Kensington Gardens, plenty of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen strolled in their finery. Ducks, geese, and swans paddled near the shoreline, including on the distant side of the lake, where Buckingham Palace loomed in all its columned, neoclassical glory.
Helen paused to look all around. “What a glorious spot! I’m still not accustomed to London and its size. This greenery ismostwelcome and feels like an escape from town. At the same time, seeing the palace there, we’re left in no doubt as to where we are!”
With a gratified smile, he nodded. “This place can bring solace to anyone, I believe, but especially those far from home. Do you miss Boston?”
She managed not to laugh, then wondered if instead the question should bring tears to her eyes. Ultimately, she shrugged and answered honestly. “No. I don’t. It’s where I’m from, but…it’s not home, not anymore.”
“You won’t be returning?”
“No.WhereI’ll go, I’m not yet certain. Somewhere for a fresh start. I have time to decide.”
“You seem to be settling in here admirably, but it can’t be easy.”
“I didn’t expect it to be. Of course, I didn’t expect to stay in London at all!” Helen glanced at Mr. Hughes, who appeared as understanding and lacking in judgment as he had been so far in their acquaintance. She decided to confide further. “In truth, yes, there are…adjustments to being in England. But I welcome the changes for the most part. It’s easier being here than it was in Boston as a widow.”
“Oh, the vagaries of life! Some changes bring challenges, others are nothing short of blessings. I hope London is more of the latter for you. I don’t recall my own sea journeys with great fondness. Do you?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then London may be just the thing. Who knows? Perhapsthisis where you’re meant to be.”
A frisson of awareness ran through her at his words. It was lunacy to consider the idea of staying in England, wasn’t it? Yet, so far, she had felt more at home, more welcome, in this strange land than she had in Massachusetts. It wasn’t the place so much as the people around her.
The way she felt around them. About…him.
Thinking of Nicholas was enough to remind her why she needed to be more careful. “London has been kind to me so far, Mr. Hughes. But I must take care not to…not grow too attached.”
He stopped and looked at her with a sad air. “What is life, if not for forming attachments?”
The sentiment called out to her.But remember what attachments have done for you!She straightened her shoulders.“Until my brother returns, I have to make do here. But it hardly seems wise to grow overly fond of…London. Not when I’m leaving by year’s end.”
“You don’t think you would fit in here?”
I don’t think I’d fit in any place!
As if reading her thoughts, Mr. Hughes smiled kindly. “After becoming acquainted with so many American traders in Canton, especially Elijah, I’m well versed in what your countrymen’s complaints are about us. I even agree with some. We English can be downright inhospitable to foreign ways and make it difficult for anyone who’s…different. But all it could take to remain here—towantto—is to meet someone who makes it home.”
Another swell of emotion rose at his words, and Nicholas’s face appeared before her eyes again.Stop thinking about him!
Helen focused instead on how bittersweet Mr. Hughes’s tone was. Elijah had shared that the man had been widowed in the last year. Even if Helen hadn’t known, she could have guessed that sorrow had touched him recently. Though ever kind and polite, every so often, grief surrounded him.
“Did your wife enjoy St James’s Park?” she guessed gently.
Mr. Hughes’s eyes widened, but the combination of amusement and surprise in his expression reassured her that her question had not offended or hurt him.
“Didn’t your brother explain how I became so obliged to him?”
She frowned. “Was it your time together at the Factories?” Not manufacturing facilities, the Factories were the offices, warehouses, and quarters in Canton to which foreigners were restricted by Chinese imperial edict. “According to Elijah, the years far from home and in cramped quarters meant men left China as one of two things. The best of friends. Or the worst of enemies.”
