A spark of intrigue flickered in Leonard’s eyes as he listened to her suggestions. “I’ve heard of vintners experimenting with similar techniques,” he mused. “It might be worth a try. I hate wasting products. We could sell it as a new flavor. Sally Blackmore, you might be a vintner in the making.”
She chuckled at this and maneuvered herself a little closer to him. “Perhaps I am better suited to be a wine tester.”
This elicited a genuine laugh from him that rocked his body beside her - and the sound was like a balm to Sally’s soul. The old Leonard, the one Kenneth always so admired, the one Joanna spoke of in such high tones, the one she’d glimpsed first at her own family library and yesterday at theirs - he was in there somewhere. And she was determined to extract him from whatever dark forces were holding him captive.
CHAPTER15
Sally
“Shall we walk a little more?” Leonard asked once he’d recovered from the unexpected laughter. Delighted to hear his suggestion, Sally nodded.
“I would love to. These gardens are so lovely, much larger than the one at Everbright. Although I shall not tell my mother this since she would be rather envious. She is very proud of her garden,” she said, speaking with ease now that the ice was broken between them.
“My mother truly adored these grounds,” Leonard remarked, a wistful smile gracing his lips. “She always said there was something magical about the way the rays danced through the trees.” He looked up, the sunlight bathing his face and Sally smiled as she watched him. His hair glistened and she spotted a reddish hue in the stubble on his chin. His Adam’s apple stood prominently and when he took a breath she saw his chest rising, noting how broad it was for the first time. He was a truly handsome man. Sometimes, he drove her so mad she forgot such details. “She was always a little envious of your mother’s green thumb,” he added suddenly, turning to her.
“She was? I did not know they were friendly.”
“They were not. She’d always look at your garden when we drove by and mumble under her breath about the way your mother could grow gerbera, I assume it is difficult since it always troubled her.”
Sally grinned. “Mother always gripes about her gerbera, so I think you are right. I must confess, I know nothing about flowers. I cannot keep a houseplant alive for anything.”
His lips curled up. “Neither can I. Mother? She could bring anything back to life, no matter how wilted.”
Sally nodded, absorbing his words with genuine interest. “She must have been quite a remarkable woman.”
Leonard’s expression softened, a hint of sadness lingering in his eyes. “She was. We were close, in our own way. But I’ll admit, I didn’t always understand her. I wish I had appreciated her more when she was alive. Now that she’s gone it’s all too late.”
Sally reached out, her hand brushing against his arm in a gesture of comfort. “It’s not always easy to see things from another’s perspective, especially when it’s someone we love. I’m sure you know the many secrets my father kept from us,” She said. She didn’t want to talk about her father but she felt she had to find a way to relate to Leonard, to make him not feel alone.
“I know. Lord Carlisle kept a great many secrets. I dare say, they piled up on him until he crumbled under their weight.” He glanced at her. “I understand you were very close to him.”
“I was. I am … not as close as before. When one’s father is found to have not only cheated on one’s mother, but also to have defined a charity and attempted to marry one sister’s off to a man because it was a financial stroke of genius, one must reassess relations,” she said and shrugged. “But I love him. And he is trying his best.”
He offered her a grateful smile, his gaze drifting towards the distant horizon. “You’re right. He approached me not long ago about a bill benefiting the sailors returning from the war unable to work. A relief law, of sorts. I am meant to meet with him about it.”
“He mentioned it. Lord Worcester and Lord Barring are helping him,” she said, mentioning two of their family friends.
“Good. It is a worthy law, and he needs help from those who have influence and time to devote to the cause. I do not, unfortunately. But I had a mind to visit him soon.” His head snapped around and he raised his hands. “After our honeymoon is over, of course. You could accompany me and see your mother and Rosy. I am sure she will wish to see you, it must be difficult for a mother to part with her children.”
“Well, given our parting is her doing, I cannot say I am that eager to see her,’ Sally replied. He watched and took a deep breath before pressing on.
“When was the last time you spoke to her? I mean, I know you saw her at the wedding two days ago, but a true conversation,” Leonard asked, turning his attention back to Sally.
Sally hesitated, her gaze falling to the ground as she confessed, “Our conversations lately have been mostly about the wedding... nothing too meaningful. I cannot recall the last time we spoke about anything not entirely superficial.”
“But you used to?”
“Yes, we did. We were very close, especially after Joanna left. Rosy can be a silly girl and I think sometimes Mother is lonely and so was I without Joanna. So, it was natural to become closer. I used to admire her strength and her resolve, especially after I found out about my father’s affair,” Sally admitted. She hadn’t said these things to anyone other than Joanna and oddly enough, it felt natural.
Leonard’s expression softened with understanding. “It’s not too late to mend things, Sally. Do not wait too long, otherwise the gap between the two might become too deep to bridge. And when she is gone, it will be too late – believe me.”
Internally, Sally wrestled with conflicting feelings of resentment and longing for a renewed deep connection with her mother. As she pondered his words, she noted that he only spoke of his mother in such longing tones, yet not his father. Why was that? She recalled always hearing about the Duke of Chester and his son, who were as close as a father and son could be – why did he not speak of him? Or was it simply because the topic hadn’t come up?
But no… they had spoken of Sally’s father … She dismissed the thought for now as the focus was on their mothers. Besides, Leonard’s vulnerability touched her, indeed, it ignited a flicker of hope that perhaps it wasn’t too late to bridge the gap between them. They had more in common than she’d thought, and she loved this lighter, caring side of him.
“Perhaps I will accompany you,” she said. “It will play to our story, won’t it?
“It will,” he said but then stopped in his tracks. “Perhaps we could stop here for a spell? Sit under the tree over yonder?” He pointed to an elm tree that loomed large over the lake, it’s branches stretched out like arms looking to grasp something unseen in the air.
