“And that takes us back to what Colin saying earlier, well-bred, well-to-do, well-mannered, and all the rest.”
I, too, know all of this, of course. I just needed to hear it from them again. The social conventions that govern us remain as rigid and unchanging as ever.
“Pardon me, old boy. But is something on your mind? You don’t seem at all satisfied with these answers.”
Anthony looked at his two dearest friends. He was sure that even if he told them about his feelings toward Miss Meyer, they would simply repeat the same thing that his own brain had been telling him—namely, that he was being a self-indulgent fool who needed to refocus on putting the estate first.
But Anthony decided he would let them in on this matter. After all, if not them, then who else could Anthony turn to? So he cleared his throat, “Truth be told, Kenny, Cole, I haven’t been myself these last few weeks. About three weeks ago—”
A knock at the door interrupted them. It was Fletcher and Mr. Hawkins, who had come to inform Anthony that Cecilia’s new pony had arrived and that Anthony was most welcome to inspect it before having it presented to Cecilia.
Standing up from his desk, Anthony told his friends, “We shall continue our discussion of this matter later.”
* * *
“Go on, Lady Cecilia. Don’t be scared. See? Hawkins is restraining it, so you’re perfectly safe,” yelled Kenneth into the paddock.
Anthony smiled as he watched Cecilia step closer to the pony. She had jumped with joy when she was presented with it, but once Hawkins brought up her need to learn how to mount the creature, she fell silent and afraid.
Presently, many of the grounds staff, Miss Meyer, Fletcher, Anthony, Kenneth, and Colin watched as Hawkins gave Cecilia her very first riding lesson inside the gated paddock.
With Hawkins’ connections and expertise, Anthony was able to acquire Orville, one of the most coveted ponies within a three-hundred-mile radius. The price was indeed quite steep, but Hawkins repeatedly reassured Anthony that it would be well worth it for Lady Cecilia’s sake.
“Very good, Lady Cecilia. Very good, indeed. Now if you could please step onto the footstool that I have placed for you. That’s it, very good. No, no, don’t worry. He won’t move.”
Apprehensively, Cecilia looked at Anthony as Hawkins explained where and how to sit. Anthony tried to give her his best reassuring smile, “It’s quite all right, Cecilia. Besides, you wanted a pony, didn’t you? This is all part of owning one.”
“You can do it, Lady Cecilia. Look, Daisy’s cheering for you!”
Anthony smiled at Miss Meyer’s attempts to calm Cecilia down. She was certainly far better at it than he was. He shook his head as Miss Meyer moved the kitten’s front leg as though it was waving to Cecilia.
I had told Cecilia to leave her cat in the house. But as ever, she insists on carrying it everywhere she goes. The creature will forget how to walk at this rate, what with Cecilia carrying it all the time.
As Anthony wondered at Miss Meyer’s capacity to humor Cecilia and her willingness to carry Daisy around on her behalf whenever Cecilia’s arms got tired, Colin tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Our earlier conversation about the right woman for you, it was really about you wanting to talk about Miss Meyer, wasn’t it?”
* * *
Kenneth, Miss Meyer, and Cecilia were playing with all of the kittens some distance away, while Anthony bounced his leg up and down as he sat with Colin at the garden table.
“All right, I believe they’re out of earshot now, Tony. Plus, they won’t be able to hear us over their own squealing and giggling. Would you care to explain what’s going on?”
So Anthony started from the beginning, or at least what he considered to be the beginning, “Do you remember the first time that all five of us were sitting at this very garden table and…”
He spared no details as he carefully recounted the conversations they had—in Cecilia’s presence—over luncheon or whilst out in the garden. And, of course, the night in the garden. All of this had led to the development of Anthony’s warm feelings toward Miss Meyer.
“And the more I get to know her and listen to her, the more I realize that we have a lot in common. She wants to travel, Colin. Not for the sake of pretending to be cultured or simply for social connections like some people we know.”
“But just like me, she is genuinely interested in exploring the world and what it has to offer. What is more, we can talk about anything, even the most trivial or impractical things. She listens, you know, and without passing judgment.”
Anthony concluded this long and winding ramble by taking a sip of his orange juice. He watched Colin process all of this information. Kenneth would have started his own ramble by now, but Colin wasn’t like that. Colin liked to carefully consider his words before saying anything.
At last, Colin broke his silence.
“I guess my first question is, does Miss Meyer reciprocate your feelings?”
Anthony rubbed the back of his neck.
“I honestly don’t know. She does seem to enjoy speaking with me. But I have made no indication to her about my feelings at this time.”
