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“Nothing at all?” Mrs. Ridley pressed.
With a frown on his brow, Mr. Ridley removed the piece of paper from his waistcoat pocket and reviewed it again. He looked up and asked in a hesitant voice, “Would you be interested in going on a carriage ride with me tomorrow?” It was evident by his expression that he was waiting for her to reject him.
Madalene felt compassion towards him, and she didn’t have the heart to turn him down.
“A carriage ride sounds like a splendid idea,” she responded.
Relief washed over Mr. Ridley’s features. “I shall come by tomorrow afternoon to retrieve you.”
Abruptly, Mrs. Ridley rose from her seat. “If you will excuse us, we will be on our way,” she declared. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with us.”
“Of course, it was my pleasure,” Madalene replied.
After Mrs. Ridley and her son left the drawing room, Mrs. Foster shook her head. “That poor man was so nervous around you that he was reading notes from a piece of paper.”
“You noticed that, as well?”
“I did,” Mrs. Foster said. “I found it rather sweet.”
Madalene walked over to the window and watched as Mrs. Ridley and Mr. Ridley stepped into their carriage. “Mr. Ridley is a nice enough man, but I have no interest in matrimony at this time.”
Her companion came to stand next to her. “I’m relieved to hear that, because you are still much too young to marry.”
“I daresay that is not true,” Madalene replied. “I am twenty-one.”
Mrs. Foster grinned. “That is quite young, my dear,” she commented. “Marriage is a lifelong commitment, and the decision should not be taken lightly.”
“What if I decide not to marry?”
With a half-shrug, Mrs. Foster remarked, “Then that is your decision. But I would hope that is not the case.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because falling in love is one of the greatest feelings in the world, and it will consume you, body and soul.”
Madalene gave her companion an amused look. “I see that you have been reading Pride and Prejudice again.”
“I have not,” Mrs. Foster replied. “I just remember what it felt like the first time I saw my husband from across the room. Our eyes met, and I knew that my life had changed forever.”
“Not everyone finds a love match.”
Mrs. Foster bobbed her head. “That doesn’t mean you should ever stop looking.”
“I tire of men and their flowery words,” Madalene stated. “I have yet to find a gentleman who will speak his mind freely around me.”
“Give it time,” Mrs. Foster encouraged.
Madalene smiled. “That could be a problem, because one of my greatest flaws is that I lack patience.”
“That you do,” Mrs. Foster agreed. “You have been that way since you were a little child.”
“My mother constantly chided me for making rash decisions, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.”
Mrs. Foster offered her a sad smile, her voice full of compassion. “Your mother was a good woman.”
“That she was,” Madalene agreed. “Speaking of which, we need to travel to London to tour the orphanage. We haven’t been back since it was first opened.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, especially since I wouldn’t mind doing a little shopping while we are in Town.”
