Chapter 53

Polly tossed the dough and stared round-eyed at the lady.

"My goodness!!! Are you sure about it? How do you know?"

"I attend the party every year, and his family is always invited."

"Go bring her, then! You don't need to compensate. Take her with you as long as you want!"

"My idea is brilliant, isn't it? But we must keep it a secret. I'm afraid she will refuse to go if she knows she will meet him there."

"Agree." Polly nodded.

"Godspeed. Don't come back empty-handed."

"Of course, I bet my plan will work," the lady said confidently.

"Or I'll compensate you, twice. No, make it three times. Pour me some more tea, Polly. These biscuits are really good."

"Agree! Though I'd prefer you to win."

Polly got up to fill the cup.

"Looking forward to hear the good news."

***

"Are you happy, darling? Beautiful, isn't it? We're going to stay one night in the next town before continuing our journey tomorrow."

Ava heard the lady saying when she was marveling at the breathtaking scenery whirling past the window. She turned to the lady.

"I'm so excited my lady, I didn't travel often. It's just awesome. Thank you for taking me with you, and for all your generosity..."

She looked down at the chantilly-laced dress and the gloves she was wearing. At first, she refused to wear that dress and accessories. However, the lady brought her as a companion and the dress was way too luxurious for an upper servant. Good Lord, she even wore a hat! A fashionable bonnet. It wasn't like it supposed to be. A lady's companion usually wore a simple proper dress in dull color, because they were meant to be unseen. With this expensive dress and accessories, she would rather look like the lady's daughter or relatives, but the lady had insisted that Ava should wear all the fine dresses she bought her.

"Nonsense." The lady said when Ava tried to convince the lady to let her wear her old dress.

"What would people think if my companion wears a shabby old dress? They would think I'm not concerned about my employee's well being."

The first time she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't believe her eyes. It had been too long since the last time she looked like this, she had almost forgotten it.

"That's more like you." Polly said shortly, and then "Good luck."

"For what?" she asked. She would only play a role as a lady's companion, after all.

"Well, your noble fairy godmother has turned you into a princess. Maybe you'll meet the prince soon after."

"That's silly." She rolled her eyes.

Polly shrugged.

"We'll never know."

Strange, Ava thought. Polly had never been so positive or optimistic. Soon she focused back on the view outside the window. The carriage was running past the seaside down below. She had never seen the ocean from above. What a spectacular sight. The surface of the water gleaming under the sun, revealed a magnificent shade of blue, a very beautiful blue just like... She tore her gaze from the view and rested her back against the plump seat in an uneasy feeling.

Almost every little thing reminded her of him. She couldn't stop herself from continuously thinking about him the past few weeks. Looking back at it, she had been thinking about him since the night he saved her life, but not in the way she did now. At first she only thought about him as her unexpected rescuer. Then without her being conscious about it, something had changed, slowly then suddenly all at once. She couldn't remember exactly when she stopped thinking about Magnus, when she stopped counting days until they met again...

She had to admit that she had a serious crush on him. Any girl would do, she thought. He was a devastatingly attractive man. She didn't need to overthink it or feel guilty about it. Besides, her silly youthful crush would only lead nowhere. But still, she couldn't stem the guilt and restlessness that gripped her.

The carriage rolled down to a narrow path with a row of cottage across the seaside, they were at the frontier of the transit town now.

"We're almost arrived, dear. Look, that's our overnight stay."

Lady Byrne opened the window beside her. Ava looked at a charming country building made of bricks. Lady Byrne had told her about the place. Magnolia Inn, the finest staycation in the small town. The inn located at a sidewalk in front of the ocean. The road settled about two feet higher above the stony beach. Ava could hardly contain her excitement. She had never visited a place quite like this. The road was beautiful in its simplicity and the cool breeze brought the sweet scent of the sea. The sound of the ocean, the comforting rhythm of ebb and flow, she couldn't remember she had ever had a better vacation. Even the glamorous city of London didn't enthrall her like this. Soon after they checked in and had a little refreshments, Lady Byrne told her.

"I'm going to take a nap, dear. Go ahead if you want to go sightseeing."

She thanked the lady and hurried downstairs. She couldn't wait to wander about downtown. There were only three hours left before dinner and she wanted to make the most of it.

*****

"That useless wastrel..." Lord Carlton grumbled in the corner of the carriage.

"Once he comes back, I swear I will have him whipped."

"If you ever lay a finger on my son, Carlton," Lady Cecily tilted her chin up as he glared at her husband.

"By God, I swear I will make you suffer."

Lord Carlton expelled something like a hiss from between his clenched teeth and twitched his mouth shut while his wife turned her head and looked straight to the front. A frosty silence filled the air afterward.

In the opposite seat, Ashton watched the rolling countryside through the window as their carriage got near to their overnight stay. Just half an hour ago, his cousin had escaped from their journey to Granby, to attend Lord Waldorf annual house party. Every year their family came to the party. This year would be more special because the Wyndhams joined them to the party. Lady Waldorf was Selene's aunt from her father's side.

Though every year Magnus consistently showed reluctance to make the journey, it was the first time he fled away in the middle of it. They had stopped by a little inn because Aunt Cecily had an urgent need for the restroom, and in a split second, Magnus had already disappeared from their sight. Later the footman claimed to see him buying a horse from a man in the street and before the footman could stop him, he had already ridden away, leaving his trunk behind. Now that their staycation had come into view, Uncle Carlton better found a good excuse for the Wyndhams about the sudden disappearance of his son.

Ashton was staring absentmindedly at the row of cottages made of bricks when a sight outside the window suddenly knocked the breath out of him. In a distance, a woman with midnight-black hair and pearly skin walking down the street.

Good Lord! He was hallucinating. He started to lose his sanity. He sat upright and peered through the clear window, narrowing his eyes. It couldn't be her. The woman dressed in exquisite gown, not some somber-colored peasant clothes. But the woman looked a great deal like her. Impossible. Were his eyes deceiving him? He must be mistaken, he must be imagining things, like a man lost in the desert, he had seen an illusion of an oasis. Had he been missing her that bad? God knew she was the last thing on his mind before he fell asleep at night and the first thing on his mind when he woke up in the morning. The woman got near with every step and when she was walking past his carriage, he was transfixed. It was her indeed, undoubtedly.

An irrational joy pervaded his entire being, only to be followed by questioning thoughts afterward. What was she doing here? Just two days ago they had accidentally met in the church and she gave him her lucky charm.

Was she just visiting this town? For what purpose? A sudden thought occurred to him. Was she moving to this town? Or was she in the middle of the journey to another town and she was just transitting here?

The thoughts of her leaving his town for good unsettled him. There was a chance, she was a runaway. Probably she got informed that her father or her betrothed had noted her location.

The carriage slowed to a smooth stop, and Freddy opened the door immediately. He watched Aunt Cecily and Uncle  Carlton climbing down the carriage first, waiting in growing impatience. The Wyndham's carriage halted behind them. He made a short, polite excuse to Uncle Carlton and Selene's family, implying that he needed to buy something at a local store. That might seem a bit weird and improper, but the only thing that mattered for him now was that he couldn't let her go and disappear without a trace. He couldn't let her pass him by.