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Whereas Ella…
Ella made him want to try, even if it wasn’t comfortable or natural. Ella made him want to surprise her if only to see her eyes widen and that smile of hers that always did something to his chest, making it tight, and ache with emotions he barely recognized.
Around her, he barely recognized himself.
He wondered now what she thought of the sweater. Was it the right size? Would she like it? He hoped so. His only regret was that he hadn’t been there this morning to see her eyes and smile.
*
Ella woke upto a nagging restless feeling. Boxing Day was a national holiday, and everyone would be gathering in the drawing room or library to spend more time together, but Ella felt trapped, and longed to do something… go somewhere… explore.
After lunch, she joined her sister who was planning to watch a holiday movie in the library with the aunts while Uncle Frederick and Alec were in Alec’s study playing a game of chess. The movie, a romantic comedy set in England, was filled with a cast of superstar actors, but it was too sweet and charming for Ella’s mood.
The last thing she wanted to watch was a half dozen people fall in love while she was trying to come to grips with how much she was missing Baird. After the movie ended, Aunt Emma and Dorothy went to put a tea tray together since Mrs. Johnson had the day off, and Ella sat down next to Cara on the leather couch. “I’m going crazy,” she said lowly.
“I can tell,” Cara answered, putting her arm around Ella’s shoulders and drawing her close. “What can I do? How can I help?”
“Would you hate me if I wanted to go away for a few days?”
Cara turned a little to look Ella in the face. “You want to leave?”
“I was thinking about our earlier conversation and your suggestion that maybe I should take the train to Bath, just for the day. What do you think if I go this week?”
“I think it’s a great idea. You’d love to see the Jane Austen museum, but why don’t you stay for a night or two? Take one of those city tours, or a walking tour, because there is a lot to see.”
“I don’t want to abandon you though, Cara.”
“You’re not. I’ve got Alec here and I’d love for you to immerse yourself in the world of Jane.”
Ella nodded, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. She was excited to go explore Bath, and see all the places Jane wrote about in her books. “I’d be back way before New Year’s Eve,” she said.
“Do you know where you’d stay?”
“I don’t. I’ll look online this evening. I’m not sure if Alec has a part of town he thinks I should stay in. I won’t have a car so obviously I’ll be walking everywhere.”
“Bath is a very walkable city, and if you stayed in the City Center, you’d easily be able to see everything. You’d also have time to do some shopping, have tea at the museum or in the café at the Assembly Rooms—”
“Or tea at both places.”
“Even better.” Cara smiled fondly at her sister. “I wish I could go with you.
“Next time,” Ella assured her. “We’ll take the twins—”
“Or leave them with Alec and we’ll sneak away.”
Alec entered the library just then. “What plans are you making that don’t include me?”
Cara extended her arm to him, and he crossed the room and took her hand.
“Ella wants to go to Bath tomorrow,” Cara explained. “I was lamenting I couldn’t go, and we’ve agreed next time we’ll make it a girls’ trip. But I couldn’t leave you.
“I wasn’t worried,” Alec said, lifting Cara’s hand to his mouth and pressing a kiss to her palm before sitting down on the arm of the leather couch. “What advice have you given her?”
“I said she should talk to you.” Cara smiled at Alec, her expression absolutely adoring. “You’d be able to advise her far better than me, although I do think she’d want to stay in Bath’s City Center, don’t you think?”
“Yes. You’ll also want the eight twenty train in the morning,” Alec said, turning to Ella. “That should get you the best connection and you’ll arrive in Bath around one. I’ll run you down the Bakewell station after breakfast.”
“That would be wonderful,” Ella said. “I’m looking forward to this.”
