"And she is going to him?"
"Going from him rather, Fairfax,"Sedgeworthsaid. "I thought perhaps he had decided he did not want her."
Fairfax jumped to his feet. "They have left already?" he asked. "Has she gone, Sedge?"
"Almost half an hour ago," his friend replied.
"Oh God!"Fairfax said. "I shall need my horse, Sedge.And a coat from my room.And they will need to know in the kitchen that I shall not be home for luncheon. The Darts will have to know that I will not be here for a while." He was pacing agitatedly from desk to door and back again, his hand to his brow. "Will she have me, Sedge? Do you think she will have me?"
"I think perhaps you had better ask Jane that," his friend said, some amusement creeping into his voice.
"I have," Fairfax said. "I have asked her. And she said no."
"What?" saidSedgeworth."Jane said no? Are you quite sure?"
" 'No,' does not sound anything like 'yes,' Sedge. She said no. And then she said yes to you."
"You mean you made her an offer before I did?"Sedgeworthsaid, incredulous. "And she refused you, Fairfax?"
"Will she have me now?" Fairfaxsaid,his pacing increasing in speed. "Is there any chance that she has had a change of heart? Oh God, I cannot live without her, Sedge. And last night I had the audacity to stand there in her bedchamber and order her to leave my house."
Sedgeworthstared. "Look, old friend," he said after a pause. "You go upstairs and fetch your coat. And mine too, if you please. I shall see to having our horses saddled and sent around."
"You are coming too?" Fairfax asked, frowning. "Will you not find the meeting awkward under the circumstances, Sedge?"
"Someone will need to take Miss Jamieson out of the way while you have your talk with Jane,"Sedgeworthsaid.
"You would do that for me?" Fairfax said. "Entertain the beautifulninnyhammer? You are a true friend, Sedge. Can we overtake them within the hour, do you think?"
"Not if you keep pacing the library floor, my friend," saidSedgeworth.
Fairfax sat down suddenly and stared guiltily at his friend. "I am being dreadfully selfish again," he said. "What about you, Sedge? What does her loss mean to you? And how will you feel if I immediately go chasing after her?"
"Strangely, I would be pleased,"Sedgeworthsaid. "I love you both, Fairfax, and you belong together. And I do not love her in the way you do. I can continue loving her in my way after she is married to you. Get out of here now, will you?"
Fairfax, descending the stairs two at a time, two coats over his arm, stopped suddenly and took the stairs two at a time back up again. He made his way quickly to the nursery. He was just in time. Amy stood all ready for the outdoors. Mrs. Cartwright, also clad in bonnet and shawl, was in the process of tying the ribbons of Claire's bonnet beneath her chin.
He hurried across to his daughters and knelt in front of them. The nurse retreated to the other side of the room. "Listen," he said. "I am going riding with Uncle Joe. What would you say if I brought Aunt Jane back with me?"
"Aunt Janecomeback?" Claire asked, her eyes lighting up.
"But she has gone away, Papa," Amy said. "She said she could never come back."
Fairfax took her by the arms. "I am going after her," he said. "I cannot promise that I can persuade her to come back. But I am going to try. Do you want her to come back, poppet?"
"But she will go away again," Amy said.
"Aunt Jane go away 'morrow?" Claire asked.
"I am going to ask Aunt Jane to stay for always," Fairfax said carefully. "I am going to ask her to marry me."
"She is going to be my mama?" Amy asked.
"Yes, if she will agree," Fairfax said.
"Aunt Janebemy mama too?" Claire asked.
Fairfax tousled her curls with one gentle hand. "Would you like that, Claire?" he asked.
