His and Diana’s estate property was a lovely, serene place. Though Meridith had visited Holdenstall before, she’d nevertaken the time to appreciate the peace and tranquility, and the quaintness of the century-old stone cottage and matching horse barns and other sheds. The idyllic setting of the buildings, creek, lawn, flower beds, and mature trees could very well be a painting or even a drawing in a picture book. With their long blond hair flying in their wake and the air filled with laugher, Nita and Meg enhanced the fairy-tale setting.
Meridith let her eyes wander off the children. Her gaze stalled at the barn, and though she should look away, she didn’t. Instead, she watched as Walter and Diana shared a kiss near the corner of the barn, eyes lingering on the way Walter gave Diana’s backside a loving slap when she began walking away.
Diana laughed and pivoted about, shaking a finger at him.
Walter reached out and grasped Diana’s hand, then pulled her back towards him for yet another kiss.
With a heaviness in her heart, Meridith turned away. Although Diana insisted that she shouldn’t, Meridith felt guilty for being the reason that had kept Diana and Walter apart for so long.
She also felt a deep longing inside her, knowing that she indeed wanted a husband. A loving marriage and children. Just like the one Diana had, the ones all her siblings had found, including Peter and Alena. How could Meridithnothave wanted what she’d seen every day? How could they not have wanted that for her, too?
They had. Peter had even tried to give it to her. He’d gone about it all wrong, as even he himself had said, but he’d tried.
It just wasn’t meant to be.
There wasn’t a day that went past where she didn’t think about Drake. She knew it was foolish to dream that he could ever love her, ever want to share his life with her. Not only foolish, but unfair. She couldn’t expect him to change his life for her.
People had already done that for her, and she’d been too blind to see it. Too selfish to recognize it. She couldn’t do that again. Not to anyone, but especially not to him.
Diana arrived at the rock and Meridith scooted over, making room for her sister to sit down beside her.
‘They haven’t convinced you to join them in the water yet?’ Diana asked, looking at the girls.
‘Not yet,’ Meridith replied, taking note of the bright smile on her sister’s face. ‘You’re very happy here. All of you.’
‘We are, because we are all together. We are happy when we are at the London house, too, when Walter is able to be with us. That’s where the happiness comes from. All of us being together. No matter where it is.’
Meridith nodded, imagining that was true.
‘Feeling a bit melancholy again today?’ Diana asked.
Meridith sighed. ‘A little. I’m sure it will pass.’
‘I’m not,’ Diana said. ‘There are few people we meet in life who are perfect. Who do everything right. Who we trust and love. Those are the same people we can’t forget. Won’t forget. Not ever. I know that is how you feel about Drake. I saw it the night of the Montgomery ball.’
Meridith shook her head, but then wanted to know. ‘You did? Truly?’
Diana leaned closer so their shoulders bumped. ‘Yes, you had stars in your eyes when you were dancing with him. And he didn’t take his eyes off you all night.’
That all might be true, but it didn’t matter, and Meridith let out a sigh.
‘You did look adorable in that dress,’ Diana said.
‘I looked like a rosebush.’
‘You did not, but that dress did look better without the bustle. I’d told Janine that the bustle was too large when she had you try the gown on during the fitting, but you know her and fashion.’
‘I do,’ Meridith replied. Then, as a tiny bout of happiness flared up inside her, she said, ‘Would you like to know how I got rid of the bustle?’
‘Got rid of?’
Meridith nodded. ‘Yes. I had it on when I left the house, but could barely walk. So Drake loaned me his knife and I cut off the bustle while in his coach.’
‘You didn’t!’
Regretting her decision to share the secret, Meridith said, ‘That’s probably something I shouldn’t have told you. But Drake was a gentleman about it. He kept his eyes closed the entire time.’
‘It most certainly is something you should have told me, and now you have to tell me everything. How on earth did you do that in a coach? Was it moving?’
