The vicar and his wife were a genial couple who agreed with everyone on every topic, a fact that made meaningful conversation with them virtually impossible. But Clarissa did not doubt that their kindliness was a great comfort to their parishioners. Her parents adored them. Captain Jakes told Clarissa that he had been very happy living in the neighborhood for so long, but that he and his wife were experiencing a growing longing in their old age to be closer to the sea again. When their lease expired next year, they intended to move to Plymouth if they could find a suitable house there. Miss Jennings was also eager to make the move, he added, and his sister-in-law nodded and explained that she and her sister had both been born and raised in Plymouth.
“When I retired,” the captain said, “I thought I would never want to see either a ship or the sea ever again, and Mrs. Jakes felt the same way.”
“I most certainly did,” his wife said. “But one changes one’s mind as one grows old, Lady Stratton. One starts to long for home.”
“For the smell of the sea,” the captain said.
“And even of fish,” Mrs. Jakes said, and they both laughed.
“And for the company of old friends,” the sister added.
“I must ask you, Lady Stratton,” Philip Taylor said when Clarissa spoke with him and his wife. “Do you know my uncle?”
“Matthew Taylor?” she said. “Yes. He is a carpenter and lives in Boscombe, just a stone’s throw from Ravenswood. He and I are virtually the same age. We grew up as friends and neighbors here.”
“Yes,” Philip said. “That is what Papa says. I wish we knew him, especially as he lives relatively close. I believe he must be…interesting.”
“But you know that Papa-in-Law says you should stay away from him, Phil,” his wife said gently. “He says Mr. Matthew Taylor would not welcome your acquaintance.”
“How would Papa know that?” Philip asked. “He has not seen my uncle—his brother—for what must be thirty years or more. I was little more than a baby when he left. I do not even remember him. Should grudges be borne forever? And by people of our generation who had nothing to do with whatever happened to cause the estrangement? But I do apologize, Lady Stratton. I really ought not to have raised the issue with you at all, let alone gone on like this. As you may have inferred, it is a bit of a sensitive one in our family.”
Clarissa smiled at the couple and looked up at Adelaide Taylor, Philip’s mother, who was coming to join them.
“It is always a joy, Lady Stratton,” she said, “to see that Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield have retained such good health into their seventies. They have always been excellent neighbors. We are very fortunate.”
“I believe the feeling is mutual,” Clarissa said.
“Mr. George Greenfield married in London last year?” Adelaide said, making a question of it as though she did not know for sure. “I hope he is both well and happy.”
“Yes, thank you,” Clarissa said. “He married one of my closest friends, and it appears to be a perfect match. Your younger son and your daughter are no longer at home with you?”
Anthony, their second son, Mrs. Taylor explained, was a juniorsolicitor with a prestigious London firm, and was doing very well and expected promotion before the end of the year. Mabel, their daughter, had married a prosperous landowner from no farther than twelve miles away and had presented her husband with two healthy children, one girl and one boy, both of whom were adorable.
“Though I am quite sure you would say exactly the same of your grandchildren, Lady Stratton,” she said.
“But of course,” Clarissa said. “Grandchildren are a special breed.” She included Reginald in her remark as he came up to stand beside his wife.
“They are indeed,” he said. “We do not have the disciplining of them, only the loving of them.”
His words took Clarissa a bit by surprise.
The conversation became more general after that as they all moved to the dining room for a sumptuous banquet of a tea and the opening of birthday gifts. Clarissa was the first to leave afterward, at her parents’ insistence, since she had a long journey home.
It had been a thoroughly pleasant visit, she decided when she and Millicent were a few miles upon their way. However, her thoughts had not, after all, been diverted from Matthew. What would he do if Captain and Mrs. Jakes did indeed leave his home next year in order to return to Plymouth? Lease it to someone else? Go and live there himself? The latter seemed unlikely. He appeared happy with his simple life and his small, slightly shabby rooms above the smithy.
And what were Matthew’s thoughts about his brother and his nephews and niece? She had not asked him. She had the impression, though, that he had had nothing to do with them since he left home. Reginald’s elder son and his wife had seemed to confirm that impression today. But Philip Taylor wanted to know his uncle.Would it ever happen? Would Reginald allow it? And would Matthew rebuff any attempt Philip made to meet him anyway, even though the younger man had had nothing to do with the estrangement and could not even consciously remember his uncle?
Had the estrangement been the best thing for the brothers, Reginald and Matthew? Did it remain a good thing? Times and people changed.
But oh dear, this was absolutely none of her business, Clarissa decided, trying to take her thoughts in another direction. She had never interfered in Matthew’s troubled family life. She was not about to start now.
But thoughts were stubborn, unruly things, and hers eventually brought her right back to that kiss. To the wild happiness and exuberance of the whole afternoon outing, in fact, when she had felt almost like a girl again. Or at least like an adult without a care in the world, untrammeled by status, in particular the title of dowager. How she hated that word.
She pondered yet again the wisdom of pursuing their friendship. She thought of the final slope of the hill, which she had tried to descend at a sedate walk but had ended up hurtling down, shrieking and laughing—right into Matthew’s arms. She thought of what had followed.
Perhaps she ought to send word to him, canceling their plans for Tuesday.
But she knew she would not do it. It was possible that the nature of their friendship was one of the things she needed to explore if she was to learn what she had set out to learn about herself during these months alone.
