Chapter Four

A week had gone by since Laurie had left Nice for London. He hoped Amy wasn’t cross at him for leaving without a proper farewell. He’d stood in the lobby of her hotel for a full fifteen minutes, debating whether he should go up and see her.

But something had stopped him. She had been blunt and honest with him. There was nothing unusual in this, as he and Amy had always been good friends. Yet he felt as if something had shifted. She had admonished him sharply, which was unusual for her. It was Jo who had always tried to improve his character. Though he often took Jo’s advice to heart, Amy’s reproof had roused him in a way that Jo’s mothering never had.

“Theodore? We have arrived, my boy.”

Laurie looked up at the worried face of his grandfather. The carriage had indeed stopped, and the livered servant was holding the door open for them. Rather than make yet another excuse for his inattentiveness, he nodded and hopped out of the vehicle.

They walked up the steps of the very fashionable townhome and wrapped lightly on the door. It opened a moment later. They were greeted by the butler, who escorted them at once to the parlor, where an elderly couple was taking tea. The pair stood as he and Grandfather entered.

“My dear James!” the lady said. She was strikingly elegant, with silver hair and a pleasant smile. She took Grandfather’s hands in hers and gazed at him with open affection. “I’m delighted you could visit today.”

“Mrs. Darcy, you know I could never decline an invitation from you and Darcy.”

At this, she laughed. It was a musical sound that made Laurie smile despite his melancholy.

“Darcy.” Grandfather shook the hand of the tall, imposing man standing next to Mrs. Darcy.

“Good to see you, Laurence.”

“May I present my grandson, Theodore Laurence? Theodore, this is Mr. and Mrs. Darcy of Derbyshire. They are old friends of mine.”

Laurie gave them an elegant bow. “I am very pleased to meet you at last, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Your grandson and I have been friends since our school days.”

“Ah yes!” Mrs. Darcy said. “Fitz was heartbroken when you moved to America.”

Laurie tried to smile, but it was difficult. He had moved to America when his father died. It was long ago but still felt painful to remember. He had lost so much at a young age.

Then he had come to live with Grandfather and met Jo. That first winter, he had been so very lonely, and Jo was liveliness itself. Was it any wonder he had fallen for her?

“Theodore? Do you attend?” Grandfather’s tone was gentle, but it brought Laurie out of his reverie with a start.

“Forgive me, Mrs. Darcy. I became lost in thoughts of the past.”

“It is no matter, Theodore.”

“Please, call me Laurie. Most everyone else does.”

“Except me, of course,” Grandfather said with a gruff laugh.

“Please, do be seated.” She gestured to the seats near the fire. “I was simply asking about your travels, Laurie.”

“I have just come from Nice, ma’am.”

“Ah! We were there many years ago. A few years after we were married. Do you remember, dear?” Mrs. Darcy turned toward her husband, who stood next to the fireplace.

“I do. I remember your fondness for the ruins.”

The comment reminded Laurie of Amy standing among the peacocks in her blue dress. What a pretty picture she had been!

“Theodore roams much more than I do.” Grandfather took the tea that Mrs. Darcy offered him. “I find I grow weary of travel.”

Laurie considered him for a moment. It had never occurred to him that perhaps his grandfather was tired of being abroad. “Do you wish to return to Concord, Grandfather?”

“Not at all! Oh, I miss our country, to be sure, but with such good friends as these about, I am perfectly content.” He raised his teacup in a sort of salute at Mr. Darcy, who returned the gesture with a small smile before turning back to Laurie.

“How long do you plan on staying here in London, young man?”

Again, the image of Amy appeared in his mind. He could easily imagine her look of disappointment if he left Grandfather too soon. “For a while, I imagine. I plan to pursue my music more diligently while I am here. Don’t you think it is time that I made a start, Grandfather?”

The old gentleman looked at him rather seriously, and then his sharp eyes softened. “I do believe visiting Amy has done you good, dear boy.”

Laurie felt his face heat at these words and hoped his embarrassment was not too noticeable. “She gives as good advice as ever.”

Mrs. Darcy’s eyes glanced between them both, and Laurie hastily gulped his tea. It scalded his mouth, but he manfully swallowed it anyway.

“And who is this Amy, may I ask?” She arched a brow at him in expectation.

It was Grandfather who answered. “Miss Amy March of Concord. The March family lives quite close to us. Amy is the youngest of four daughters.” He slid a worried look toward Laurie, who made sure to keep his features neutral. Grandfather always fretted about him these days.

Mrs. Darcy gave an understanding smile. “I come from a family of five sisters, you know.”

“Five daughters! Your father must have had quite the time of it,” Grandfather said.

Laurie thought that something of a shadow passed over Mrs. Darcy’s features, but she answered lightly, “He did, indeed.”

From near the fireplace, Mr. Darcy spoke. “Our Fitz plans to visit us soon, Mr. Laurence. You must come and stay with us while he does.”

It took Laurie a moment to realize that Mr. Darcy was speaking to him and not his grandfather. “Oh, you are too kind, sir.”

“What a wonderful idea, Darcy!” Grandfather beamed at their hosts.

“He shall be here in two weeks’ time. Will that be convenient for you, dear?” Mrs. Darcy had such a comfortable, motherly way of speaking to him. He decided he liked her immensely.

“That shall be more than convenient, thank you, Mrs. Darcy.”

So it was decided that Laurie would come and stay with the Darcys during Fitz’s visit.

***

In the carriage on the way home, Grandfather asked Laurie his opinion of their host.

“Mr. Darcy?” Laurie thought for a moment. “He is a very private person, isn’t he?”

“He is indeed. Quiet and particular, but a man of probity.”

Laurie smiled at his grandfather’s obvious affection for Mr. Darcy. “When did you first meet him?”

A nostalgic smile spread over the old gentleman’s face. “Oh, so many years ago. I was here on holiday after just graduating from university, and I was introduced to Mr. Darcy. He was a young man from a very wealthy family, and all the mamas of eligible daughters had their eye on him. He hated the attention.”

Laurie laughed. “I am sure he did. And then he met Mrs. Darcy and lived happily ever after?”

The smile faded from Grandfather’s lips. “Sadly, no. His father passed away, leaving Darcy as head of the household at only twenty-three years of age. He has a sister named Georgiana. She was just a child when their father died. They had each other, but it was a heavy burden for a young man to bear.”

“Yes. I understand only too well.” Laurie looked out the window, picturing his own father as he lay dying. He had been taken from Laurie too soon. It was a heartache that followed him everywhere.

“After a time, he did meet Mrs. Darcy—Miss Bennet then.”

“And then they lived happily ever after?”

“Well…it is not my story to tell. You should ask them.” Grandfather had a distinctive twinkle in his eye. The clock on the mantel chimed the hour, and he pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. “Can you be ready in an hour?”

“You may depend upon it.” Laurie rose and made his way upstairs to dress for an evening with Grandfather and his friends. The Darcys really were charming people. Of course, Laurie was more comfortable with Fitz but was unsurprised that his friend’s grandparents exuded the same warmth and generosity he had known as a boy when staying with Fitz’s parents.

“Do you really plan to pursue your music while you are here?”

“I do. I have lazed about long enough. I mean to have a serious go at the opera I have been thinking of for all these months. It is time to decide if there is talent or genius here, as Amy has done.”

Her name had escaped his lips quite unexpectedly. Why did he feel so at odds whenever he thought of her? It wasn’t as if they were anything different from what they had always been. Dear friends—almost family, really.

“And what has Amy concluded? Is it talent or genius?”

“Talent. She has laid aside her great ambitions—regarding art, at least.” He recalled their conversation about Fred Vaughn, and the nettled feeling returned.

“I see. Well, I shall always believe her the best artist of my acquaintance.”

His loyalty touched Laurie, and he gave his grandfather a genuine smile. “I think I may follow her example.”

“What do you mean?”

“I shall have a go at my music. If there is no genius to be found, I shall come to you and learn the business. What do you think?”

For a moment his grandfather just blinked at him. When he spoke, his voice was a little hoarse. “I think that's an excellent idea, my dear boy. An excellent idea.”

***

If there was one thing that Amy hated about being in Europe, it was the long delay between writing a letter and receiving a response. She had penned a missive to her mother weeks ago confessing that, though she did not love Fred, she expected him to propose and planned to accept him. Today, at last, she had received a reply.

Marmee’s letter encouraged Amy to follow her heart but advised her to think long and hard about accepting a proposal from a man she did not love. Remember, my dear child, marriage without love may lead to an empty kind of life. It is not something that I wish for you. I am certain you will make the best choice for you, my dear. And you have my blessing, whichever path you choose.

It had been a rather unsatisfactory response. Although, Amy had to admit to herself, she wasn’t sure what she had hoped to hear. She knew her mother could not encourage her to marry without affection.

Yet how could she marry for love? Marmee did not know all the particulars of Amy’s heart. No one did.

She sat at the little writing desk now, pen in hand, considering how exactly to reply, when the maid entered and announced Mr. Fred Vaughn had come to call. Her aunt was feeling rather poorly again, and Flo was in bed with a headache, so only Amy was at home to receive him.

As he came in, elegant in his suit, warm in his greeting, she felt her heart break a little. She was fond of Fred Vaughn. What she had written to her mother was true; he was amiable, kind, and could offer her a life of comfort.

But she could not love him.

“Miss Amy March, I cannot believe it has been over six weeks since I have seen you!”

She stood to greet him, and he took both her hands in his. “I am so glad you are back, Fred. Please sit. Would you like some tea?”

Fred was English, and Amy always called for tea when he came to call. Returning to her seat, she found him gazing at her.

A slight flutter of panic rose in her breast, but she repressed it and gave him a welcoming smile. “How was your trip to Vevay?”

“Very good, except for your absence,” he said, his English accent as charming as it had been all those years ago when they had met in Concord.

She could find no response to these words, her usual flirtatious response feeling like poison in her mouth. “You missed Laurie,” she said finally.

“Today? He was here?”

“No, no. He left over a week ago.” She could not keep the sadness out of her voice and was not unconscious of the pinched look Fred wore at the mention of Laurie’s name.

“Ah. Well, that is a shame. I am sure you miss him.” His tone sounded resigned.

“I do.”

Fred looked at her seriously for a moment, his eyes holding a sadness that pierced her heart. When he spoke, his voice was rather low. “And did you miss me as much as you miss him?

Amy was startled at this direct question. She was accustomed to his very British, restrained way of speaking that always lacked the blunt manners of her American friends.

“I…of course I missed you, too, Fred!” She could hear the waver in her voice.

Fred gave a little nod. “You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”

Amy gasped. “I am not sure what you mean, Mr. Vaughn.”

He sighed. “I saw it the moment I met you, all those years ago. At Camp Laurence—do you remember? We all rowed our boats out to the little island and had a picnic. You spent most of your time with my sister. But when we were all together, you couldn’t keep your eyes off Laurie.”

“We were children, Fred,” Amy replied, her voice shaking.

They sat there for a moment, the silence growing.

Finally, Fred leaned forward and took Amy’s hand in his. He gave it a little squeeze, holding her gaze. “My dear Amy, I have an affection for you that runs deep, and you cannot imagine how it hurts me to say this. But I think we should stop here.”

“Stop?” Amy’s mind was buzzing.

“I can see that you cannot love me, Amy. I will think of you fondly, always. And I wish you all the happiness in the world.”

He dropped her hand and stood abruptly, his eyes full of pain. She stood also, thinking of everything all at once. She should stop him—should tell him that she would grow to love him—but found that she could not. He had seen what no one else had.

Impulsively, she reached for his hand once more and whispered, “I’m sorry, Fred. I tried.”

“I know.” He looked at her with a small, sad smile on his face. “Goodbye, my dear.”

And then he was gone. Amy was left alone in the parlor, trying to understand what had just happened.

Fred Vaughn, of all people, had recognized her feelings for Laurie. No one else had ever spoken to her about it. No one else had ever seen that her affection for Laurie was much more than that of a friend.

Flo walked in a moment later and found, to her surprise, Amy sitting alone upon the settee in tears.