Chapter 16
Four days later, Fifi walked arm in arm with Rory from the churchyard. A small group of mourners followed. Jerrold her butler, Porter the footman, Pritchard her mother's nurse had all attended.
The wind picked up her veil and she tugged it down over her chin. She was tired, weary of conflict and sapped by her mother's sudden death. Never had she thought such a disaster would befall her mother. But never had she thought many disasters could occur.
At the end of the lane, she stopped to thank the vicar. "I am grateful for your words today."
The clergyman had praised her mother, but Fifi knew it was his duty. He had known her mother only briefly, only summarily. He was young—Fifi's age, she thought—and had been assigned here only a year ago. He had called upon them and Fifi had introduced him to her mother, but then had quickly ushered him from her presence. A few minutes were enough to illustrate her mother's poor grasp on reality.
"I know you leave Bath to go with Lord Charlton." He nodded at Rory. "It's been a trying time."
The past few days had been one more nightmare to add to her many others. Her mother's accident. Her death. The physician's declaration of her passing. And the coroner, his inquest, the final determination, never in doubt, that her death was truly an accident.
"Should you need me," offered the vicar, "at any time, write. I will happily come to you."
"Thank you. I will remember your kindness to me in this."
"I wish you great happiness in your marriage." They had told him how they had planned to wed. Rory had shown him the license. "I urge you not to wait. This has been a tragic time for you and what society says must be done to honor the dead is not often what one should do for one's own sake."
She gave him a small smile. "I think you are very wise."
"You, Lady Fiona, are the only one in Bath who thinks that."
"People are often wrong, sir. I know it first hand."
Rory expressed his own thanks and led her to his coach. At the door, she stood and bid her servants goodbye. "You have been wonderful to me. Take your time to pack and clean the house. You have the list of what items belong to me by right of purchase. If you have questions on anything, do not hesitate to write to me for clarification. When you are finished, Jerrold, write to me to settle any final issues. I will return to lock the doors."
"We both will," Rory added. "And then we will welcome you to Charlton Manor."
Jerrold, who would retire on Rory's estate, beamed at that. "We are eager to come, my lord. We’re pleased to see Lady Fiona start afresh.”
They bid each other farewell and Rory handed Fifi up into the cab. Beside her, he arranged a lap rug about her and put his arm around her. She watched the churchyard recede into the distance.
Rory put two fingers to her chin and turned her to look up at him. “We go to a new life, far from these memories.”
“We make a new life,” she sighed into his tight embrace.
He blessed her forehead with a kiss. “New memories.”
