Star Crossed

Part 2

Mary felt quite odd leaving her mother and two sisters behind, travelling across the country with her father and brother. She kissed and hugged them all goodbye, and stroked both the kittens. It was not a fine day, but Mr Adams assured them he could not smell rain, so they departed after breakfast, driving through Huntingford to drop off some books at the library.

Mr Adams was trying to convince Frank to join the military.

"It is very rewarding, son," he was saying. "You will not regret it, and you will thank me for it one day."

"How would you know? You were never in the military. Besides, you know I want to go into law."

Mr Adams sighed and Frank looked out the window. Mary was reading, but it became too difficult to see the words because of all the bumping, so she looked out the window too.

They stopped for lunch in a large town, leaving the carriage at the couch house where the horses were fed and rested. They had lunch at the inn.

"When we arrive in Kent, we must buy you a ball gown, Mary," said Mr Adams.

"A ball gown!" She exclaimed. She had never owned a ball gown.

"Yes, for the Bentleys are hosting a magnificent ball on the third night of our stay, and I would love my daughter to be the most beautiful young lady there."

"A ball, oh my," she said.

Frank seemed put out by this news. "Oh, I hate balls. I want to dance with the pretty girls, but I never remember the dances and so I have to stand by talking to old men while everyone else dances."

"It is to be very grand," Mr Adams said. "Ephraim has been award the Army Gold Medal, and the ball is in his honour."

"The Army Gold Medal?" Frank asked. "How old is Ephraim?"

"He is but twenty-four!" Mr Adams laughed. "But now you see what can become of a man when he is diligent in his studies and in his service to his country."

Frank rolled his eyes.

The journey from Hertfordshire to Kent took three long days. Mary thought they would never arrive. Kent was so different from the last time she'd visited in the dead of winter. The countryside was green and yellow, the sky was perfectly blue. They rolled along in the carriage, their backs and legs sore from the journey. Frank napped, his head resting against the back of his seat, and Mr Adams seemed deep in thought, his eyebrows pushed together. Mary tried crochet, but could not manage it, and so she had a nap too.

As the carriage rolled up the drive to Bentley House, Mary's heart leapt about inside. Not only was it one of the most beautiful buildings she'd ever seen, it was also her second most favourite place in the world, other than the garden back home. The house was a storage space, filled to the brim with happy memories, mostly of all the deliciously mischievous things she and Margaret would get up to, but also the beautiful moments like reading poetry in the guest bedroom, dressing up in beautiful clothes, picking fresh flowers in the garden, feeding the ducks in the pond, and wandering dreamily through Lady Bentley's rose garden.

The footman helped Mary out of the carriage, but she barely had time to take back her hand before Margaret's arms clamped around her and crushed her as hard as she could.

"Mary, it's so wonderful to see you! Thank heavens you are here. I was hoping you would come. You look so pretty. How are you?"

"I am well, and you? You look so well!"

"Oh, I am so happy now that you are here," she said sweetly, then saw Mr Adams and Frank. "How do you do, Mr Adams? How do you do, Frank?"

"How do you do, Miss Bentley," replied Mr Adams. "You look well."