“Yes!” Lenore exclaimed. “I’ll never forget the day. We had just arrived home from church, and usually I needed to eat right away or the pregnancy would give me an upset stomach. But this time all I could think about was my sin. James knelt with me in the library, and I confessed my sin before God. I asked for His cleansing and healing hand in my heart, and then I vowed my life to His Son, Jesus.” Lenore smiled again. “I can’t say that I’ve never gone back on my promise, but He always forgives me when I fail Him. By the time Robert was born, I was as committed to raising him to love Christ as James was.”
Anne smiled at her husband, who was looking very pleased.
“I’m glad you told your story, Mother. It’s been a while since I’ve heard it.”
Lenore shook her head. “I was very stubborn and full of pride for a time, but God broke through.” This said, Lenore reached over and touched Anne’s arm. “Tell me your story, Anne.”
Not leaving out any detail, Anne filled her in. Weston enjoyed hearing it again, remaining quiet so his mother could catch all the details.
“And your father, Anne?” They were at Berwick now, walking to the front door, and Lenore had slipped her arm into Anne’s. “Did he never make a commitment?”
“Not that I know of. He was always willing to have my mother read to us from the Bible, but he never yearned for God or studied the Word on his own. Such a lack of interest has never given me much hope.”
“We will pray, Anne,” Lenore told her sincerely. “If God can break through my stubborn heart, I know He can reach your father, no matter his present emotional state.”
Anne nodded, asking God to help her believe this. Her father did have moments when he was lucid, and her God was a saving God. Anne knew she needed to remember this more often.
The days passed swiftly. The threesome had shopped a bit more, visited gardens, and had a thorough tour of Norwood Place, but now, in just two days’ time, Weston and Anne would be leaving London. For this reason Lenore felt a small sense of urgency as she looked for her son. He had been in the garden with Anne, but Anne now picked flowers alone, and Weston was not to be found. She couldn’t ask her new daughter where he was—that might rouse her interest—but she was most determined to find him.
“Well, Mother,” Weston said calmly, having come up behind her in the hallway. “You look as though you’ve lost something.”
“Robert,” she said on a laugh, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Weston frowned. “You knew I was in the garden with Anne.”
His mother took his arm and urged him toward the privacy of her room.
“I can’t ask you about this in front of Anne.”
Weston went along, fairly certain he knew her topic. The subject had passed through his mind on several occasions, but he’d still not seen to it.
“Have you spoken to Anne about Jenny?” Lenore asked the moment they were behind closed doors.
“No.”
His mother’s look was pointed.
“When did you plan to take care of this?”
“Today. I’ll do it today.”
“Good. Let me know how it turns out.”
“I will. And thank you, Mother, for seeing to it.”
Weston wasted no more time. He moved back to the garden, but Anne was not there. Not many minutes or inquiries later, he found her arranging flowers in the dining room.
“Very nice,” Weston complimented when he saw her arrangement. “You should do flowers for Brown Manor.”
Anne’s hand came to her mouth, her eyes dancing with merriment, and Weston knew he’d misstepped. Floral arrangements were probably all over Brown Manor, and he’d never noticed.
“I think I’ll go back out, come in, and try this again.”
“No, don’t,” Anne said, taking his arm. “I didn’t expect you to notice. It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, I shall notice when we arrive home; I can assure you of that. But that’s not why I came in. Can you arrange flowers and listen at the same time, or shall we take a seat?”
“How serious is it?”
“It’s not serious at all.”
“Then I’ll keep working.”
“You can take Jenny back to Brown Manor with you when we leave.”
Anne immediately stopped working and turned to her husband in surprise.
“Uproot her? Take her out of London? She’s not going to agree to that. We’ve gotten on very well, but I can’t expect that of her, Weston.”
“Jenny used to live in Collingbourne. It was some years ago, but she still has friends there. Mother hired her with the express intention of having her as your maid, not just here but at home. You need a personal maid, but I didn’t think you were comfortable finding one on your own.” Weston paused when he noticed that Anne no longer looked surprised, but neither was she responding. “You do like Jenny?”
“Very much.”
“Then it’s all settled.”
Anne continued to stare at him. “Why didn’t you think I could choose someone on my own?”
Weston shrugged a bit, starting to feel ill at ease with how he’d handled the situation. “I don’t know. I assumed you wouldn’t be all that comfortable with the matter and, well, you didn’t take care of it, so I asked Mother to help out.”
“We were married for two weeks and then left for London,” Anne calmly pointed out. “When was I supposed to do this?”
Had Weston been able to find any words just then, he would have told her she had a very good point. As it was, he stood quietly, measuring his wife’s mood and working on his own response.
“And if I might also inquire, we never did speak of your statement concerning Louisa’s brother-in-law. Were we going to cover that?”
It took less than a heartbeat for Anne to see she’d taken him completely off guard. She was debating whether to speak up again when Mansfield entered. He was looking for Weston.
“Excuse me, sir.”
“Yes, Mansfield.” Weston turned to him with far too much enthusiasm.
“A gentleman is here about the work on the conservatory. I thought it might be urgent.”
“Thank you, Mansfield. I shall be right along.” Weston turned back to Anne. “I hope you’ll excuse me.”
Anne couldn’t stop her smile. “For needing to leave, yes, but not for looking so relieved about it.”
Weston’s own grin peeked through. “I will admit that I am, but we will speak of these things. It may not be possible before we leave, but the ride home should surely afford a time. If not, we’ll speak of them once we get back.”
Anne nodded in swift agreement, somewhat relieved herself.
Glad to be ending on a good note, Weston bent and kissed her cheek. He also gave her hand a squeeze before turning to follow Mansfield.
“You’re certain, Jenny?” Anne pressed the young maid one more time. “It’s not as if the situation were irreversible, but I don’t want you to feel pressure.”
“Thank you, Mrs Weston, but Mr Weston’s mother explained it all to me. And I’m sure.”
Feeling comfortable enough to ask such questions, Anne studied the maid’s eyes in order to assess her true feelings.
“I’m glad you’re coming with us, Jenny. You are aware that we leave in the morning?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll have all your things ready.”
“And yours,” Anne reminded her, smiling a little.
Jenny smiled and bowed with respect before leaving Anne alone for the night. Anne climbed into bed, but she didn’t sleep for some time. Never had so many changes come upon her in so little time. It was as if she’d stepped into someone else’s life. She found herself a bit shaken by it all.
When she did drop off to sleep, it was not with a peaceful heart. She felt anxious about the future, and then felt anxious about being anxious. Not at any time before she slept did she begin to think well about her situation. And in the morning she would start a two-day ride home without enough rest.
&nb
sp; “It was such a lovely time,” Lenore told Anne, tears standing in her eyes. “You must come and see me again.”
“We certainly will, and I hope you will come to Brown Manor very soon.”
“I’ll plan on it.”
The older woman stared at her new daughter for several heartbeats.
“Did I tell you how thankful I am for you? Did I tell you how precious you are to me, how swiftly you walked into my heart?”
Anne hugged the older woman.
“I was most eager to meet you,” Anne admitted, close to Lenore’s ear.
“Why was that?”
“I wanted to know the woman who could raise such a special son.”
Lenore didn’t try to stop her tears. She hugged Anne all the tighter before releasing her with a teary smile.
Weston was next. His mother hugged him warmly and told him of her love. He thanked her for the wonderful time and repeated his wife’s invitation to visit soon.
By the time the newlyweds climbed into the coach to leave, they were both a little emotionally spent but very content with the way things had gone.
With a wave from the window and a word to the coachman, the carriage left Berwick for Collingbourne. The day felt as if it could grow warm, but right now they were comfortable. Husband and wife sat across from each other, each with his own thoughts. Anne thought back to all the lovely things they’d done and what a delightful person Lenore Weston turned out to be. She thanked God for saving Weston’s parents so he could know Christ in his own life.
Sitting catercorner from her, Weston’s mind was on the various subjects that had come up with Anne during their two-week visit. He shook his head a little at how often conversations were started and not finished. Had they been small matters, he might have dismissed it, but they weren’t. And if he was going to have success in his marriage and truly know his wife, he needed to think of a way to communicate his heart.
For a time Anne didn’t notice Weston’s intense mood. She was quiet, taking in the countryside once they’d passed out of the city. Only when she turned and found Weston watching her did her mind move in the same direction his had. Anne waited to see if he was ready to talk. It didn’t take long for her to learn that he was.
“I made the most awful blunder when I asked you about Francis Cavendish,” Weston began quietly. “I made it sound as though it was your doing when I was the one with the problem. I somehow thought that our marriage made you off-limits in other men’s minds, but of course it doesn’t. I found myself wondering what I would do if some other chap came along and you fell in love with him. Cavendish’s attention to you raised all sorts of demons in my mind.”
“So you don’t believe I took my vows to you seriously?”
“Yes, I do, but just as you worried that I might regret not marrying for love, I felt fear that you would be stuck with me while in love with someone else.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Anne said sincerely, realizing it must have been hard to admit this to her. “I think it’s fair to assume that I would have to be looking and interested in giving away my heart for that to happen, and I can tell you that I’m doing no such thing. I am committed to this marriage and to you, and I plan to stay that way.”
Weston acknowledged this with a slight bow of his head, very thankful that she had understood.
Anne wondered if now was a good time to mention the decision about Jenny, but Weston beat her to it.
“Are you truly pleased that Jenny is coming back as your personal maid, or did Mother and I pressure you into it?”
“I’m very pleased, but I’m still not sure why you handled the matter through your mother. You’ve come to me on other issues. If you had wanted me to acquire a maid right away, why did you not take the matter up with me?”
“I should have. I think I was being protective of you.”
“In what way?”
“I didn’t know how accustomed you were to dealing with such issues. It might have been years since you’d had any servants in your home, let alone interviewing and selecting a personal maid. I wanted that for you but wasn’t sure if I should expect you to take care of it.”
Anne nodded but didn’t comment.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m only asking myself the same questions. Would I have been comfortable finding a maid on my own? I’m not sure.”
“But you would have enjoyed trying?”
“Possibly.” Anne was still thoughtful. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Well, in the future I shall work on coming directly to you.”
“Just work on it, not do it?” There was a slight tease in her voice.
Weston gave a small shake of his head. “I would be a fool to promise you anything, since my first inclination is to protect you.”
“I’m tougher than I look,” Anne told him and then watched as Weston’s gaze grew intense.
“I won’t ever see you as tough, and you may save your breath telling me not to be protective of you. That will never happen.”
Anne didn’t know how to respond. His eyes seemed to be telling her things, things she wasn’t ready to hear. Feeling flustered, she tried to calm her restless hands by folding them in her lap. When she looked back up, Weston’s gaze had softened.
The moment was over but not forgotten. Anne fell asleep a short time later, and when she woke, she found that Weston had moved to her seat so she could sleep against his chest. She fell back to sleep, thinking that having his arms holding her was one of the loveliest things she’d ever known.
Brown Manor
Anne was surprised at how much she had missed Brown Manor. It hadn’t been her home for very long, but it felt wonderful to return, as though she’d been away for much longer than two weeks.
The staff was on hand to greet the returning couple, and Anne’s smile for them was most genuine.
“Welcome home, Mrs Weston,” Cook greeted her.
“Thank you, Cook. Has all been well?”
“Yes, ma’am. Very well.”
“I’m glad.”
They spoke for a moment about the menu, and then Anne went to her room to freshen up, Jenny on her heels. At one point she turned to find the younger woman gawking at her surroundings and smiled in memory of her own first response to Brown Manor.
“I’ll let you put everything away, Jenny, so you can become acquainted with where things go.”
“Yes, Mrs Weston. Are there certain clothes you want set out for dinner?”
“You may pick something nice, Jenny, but don’t spend too much time. You can always finish tomorrow. Go soon and see to your own room and belongings.”
Jenny did set things out for Anne and saw to some other needs, but she did as her mistress bid and soon went to settle her own belongings. Anne had no hesitancy about dressing herself for dinner—she had done it often enough—but with all of her lovely new things to look at and enjoy, she dawdled long past the time she needed.
For this reason, Weston found Anne in her underclothing when he innocently joined her from the adjoining door.
“Oh, Weston!” she froze.
He did the same.
“I’m not dressed,” Anne stated the obvious.
“I see that,” Weston said, his voice so comical that Anne felt laughter coming on even as she blushed.
Weston looked in no hurry to avert his gaze, and Anne refused to act like a schoolgirl trying to cover too many parts with only two hands.
“I need to get my robe,” she said at last.
“All right,” Weston said, his hands going behind his back and seeming quite content with the view.
Anne wanted to laugh again.
“Will you turn around?”
“If I must,” Weston said with a smile and turned away from her.
Anne went directly to the bed and scooped up her new robe. She slipped it on and belted it into place, repeatedly checking the front for gaps before looking up at her husband’s back. What she saw caused her
mouth to open a little.
Weston was directly in front of the mirror he’d purchased for her at Benwick’s and had calmly witnessed her the entire time.
Weston turned slowly, his eyes catching Anne’s, his gaze clearly intimate. His words, though softly spoken, were not of an intimate nature at all.
“I was coming to escort you to dinner, but I can see you need more time. Shall I wait in the hall?”
“Yes, please.”
Weston allowed his gaze to touch her a moment more, nodded his head, and exited to the hall. Anne flew from her robe and into her dress. Jenny had already fixed her hair, but Anne fixed a few spots that suffered from dressing in a hurry before joining her husband.
A strange and exciting feeling had spiraled through her before he left the room, and for that reason she didn’t meet his gaze as he escorted her to the dining room. When she did look at him, his eyes were normal. Indeed, Anne found him to be his old self for the rest of the evening.
Weston climbed into his own bed, more than ready to be there, but with Anne heavy on his mind. He was ready for changes in this marriage—much sooner than he’d anticipated—but ready nonetheless.
Sore from two days in the carriage, he took a few minutes to settle on the pillow, but as soon as he was comfortable, he began to pray.
Thank You, Lord God, for Your provision and Your great love. Thank You for the wife You’ve given me. Please help me, Father. Help me to be the kind of husband Anne could love. My heart is already so involved, but I sense that she is holding back. Help me to lead us to this next step without causing fear or guilt. Help Anne to trust me to be the man she needs.
Sleep was crowding in fast, but Weston had one more plea: He asked God for patience. He was tired of being alone in his bed and having Anne in the next room, but it had to be God’s timing, not his. He might never win his wife’s heart if he ran ahead of his God.
“I’m going to go see my father this morning,” Anne told Weston over the breakfast table the next day.
“I rather thought you might. Did you want me to join you?”
“I think I’ll go on my own, but thank you.”
“Why don’t you invite your father to dinner? We can send a coach.”