Cora’s pursed lips said more than her silence.
“Did you have an understanding?”
Cora sighed and turned back to meet Lydia’s eyes. “Very nearly. In fact, that is why I delayed leaving Fardover until the autumn. I did so hope … I quite expected a visit and a…”
“An offer?”
“Yes. Mr. Granger was quite attentive for several months; we got to know each other well, and I became very fond of him.”
“And if he had made an offer, would he have found favor in your answer?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Cora’s eyes were suddenly bright, and she laughed. “How could I not agree? Not only was Mr. Granger blessed with good looks and the means to support us, a jollier gentleman I have never encountered. Our conversations were as much levity as anything else.” She sighed in a wistful manner. “His estate was some distance, and his excuses for coming all the way to Fardover were … well, excuses. At our last meeting, he expressed a desire to speak to my brother.” Cora shook her head and glanced down at her tightly clasped hands. “It would be hard to mistake that meaning. And yet it seems I did, for that was the last I saw of him.”
“Perhaps he was delayed and does not know you are no longer at your brother’s house.”
“I thought the same at first, and as much as Suzanne and I did not get along, I was fairly certain that she would give Mr. Granger my direction when he finally did call. I was disappointed to leave Fardover without hearing from him, but I did not become overly concerned until a month ago. By then, I thought I should not count on my sister-in-law’s benevolence and undertook my own means of contacting him. As I could not write Mr. Granger directly, I wrote to his sister, Gloria, instead.”
“I’m trying to put a face to the name. A quiet girl with her nose always in a book—reddish curly hair.”
“No, indeed. Chocolate-brown hair—like her brother—and her nose was always in the air.”
“Oh. Surely not. You cannot mean Gilded Gloria, the one who put a spider in Miss Jury’s pillow.”
“Yes, one and the same. More dissimilar siblings you will never find.”
“I should hope so.”
Lifting her eyes, Cora sighed again. “I sent her a chatty letter and asked after her family … mentioned her brother, casually, of course. I received my reply a few weeks ago.”
“And?”
“Mr. Granger is engaged to Tatum Brownlow, Gloria’s closest and dearest friend in the whole world.” Cora’s tone dripped with caustic honey. “It was settled at Christmas,” she added.
“Oh, Cora, I am so sorry.”
“If it had hurt less, I would have been able to share this with you sooner. But I was quite taken with the idea of being Mrs. Granger. And now, I must toss away my foolish dreams and expectations. Yes, foolish, foolish dreams.”
Silence returned to the carriage, but this time it was companionable. Cora looked relieved, as if by imparting the reason for her melancholy she had eased it somewhat, and Lydia now understood that the true source of her friend’s distress had nothing to do with her residency at Roseberry.
The quiet accompanied them for another mile or so before Lydia voiced a possibility.
“Cora, as I recall, Gloria Granger was known for her prevarication. It is possible that she was cutting shams when she wrote of Mr. Granger’s engagement.”
“To what end? There is no need for her to lie.”
There might be if Gloria guessed the purpose of Cora’s letter and was less than pleased with her brother’s association with a lady of no means. But this might be a little too honest an opinion.
“Did she need a reason to splash ink on Venetia Winworth’s favorite gown? Or accuse the gardener of lechery?”
“We were schoolgirls then, Lydia. I’m sure Miss Granger is no longer the careless girl she once was.”
“It’s nice to think that adulthood has tapped us all on the head equally, Cora. But while some of us have undoubtedly matured, not all the girls will be so affected. Some characters need a little more time to ripen. And we are only talking about last year. Not a decade or two.”
“All right, if we suppose Gloria was not telling the truth, why has Mr. Granger not sought me out?”
“He can hardly do so if he does not know where you are.”
“But Suzanne would have—”
“Would she? Suzanne has not been blessed with a genial nature.”
“Then my brother—”
“He is often from home several hours at a time. Visiting the tenants and the like.”
“Yes, avoiding Suzanne.”
“Exactly.”
“So there is a possibility that it is not true … that Mr. Granger is not engaged and … well, doing everything that he can to find me.”
Not overly attached to romance, Lydia found this statement a little too emotional for the situation, but she refrained from saying so. After all, the man only had to visit the minister to ask for Cora’s direction … or the grocer. Any number of village people near Fardover could have supplied the information—but Lydia would not allow common sense to wipe away the bright grin on Cora’s face.
“I think we will have to be direct in an indirect way.” Lydia threw her hand down to maintain her balance as the coach negotiated a rather sharp curve.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Let us write Miss Melvina and ask her if the rumor is true. Her school is near enough to the parish of Fullerton that gossip about the Grangers will have traveled to her.… And you know how she loves to share tittle-tattle.”
“Oh, Lydia, that is an excellent idea.”
Lydia nodded, barely aware that she was approving her own words. Her mind was occupied with other thoughts. It had skipped away from the fictitious engagement—as she was certain it would prove to be—and landed on the next hurdle. How could they contact Mr. Granger without upsetting propriety, and then, how could Cora ease back into his society, where the courtship could begin anew?
As they approached the outskirts of Bath, Lydia was reminded of Mr. Newton. She couldn’t help but put the two together. Might she not prevail upon Mr. Newton to facilitate a meeting? It might require a little subterfuge, but Lydia was fairly certain he would be pleased to offer assistance. It was a reasonable expectation.… And Mr. Newton was a reasonable sort of gentleman—reasonable and interesting, with engaging eyes, a winning smile, and a character that drew one closer.… Yes, indeed, she was quite certain he would help.
Lydia turned her grin to the window.
Chapter 7
In which a person is tossed and a person is trussed