An American Promise (Book 2)

Chapter 29

"If I get married, I want to be very married."

― Audrey Hepburn

Fredrick left his bed the next day with his arm heavily bandaged and a strict promise to Emilia, Max and his mother that he would never hurt himself again, no matter how bad he fet.

Max was satisfied enough with that and besides, he had his mother's hectic joy about the engagement to deal with. She insisted that they married in America by the end of the month. She argued that Lady Turner would have opportunity to see her grandchildren and perhaps even Samuel marry and Emilia, still feeling a tad bit guilty about taking both her sons away, agreed.

They had booked a passage on a ship bound for England which left from America on the tenth of September. Emilia had written a very excited, and tearful, letter to her mother and preparations were in full swing with Max's mother taking it all upon herself to organize it. Emilia offered many times to help but Max stopped her, saying that his mother enjoyed it and besides, when would she have another chance to do this?

Instead Emilia, despite Mrs. Lewis' protests, helped Lizzie the shopgirl, in the shop. She enjoyed the work and found Lizzie was pleasant enough company with her pretty, Southern accent and sweet demeanour.

Everything was going smoothly and it seemed things would continue that way. Indeed, there was no reason for it not to. Everyone was in high good humour and looking forward to the wedding and departure. Even Fredrick had come out of his savage gloom and was helping in anyway he could.

The one slight problem was, surprisingly, Nellie O'Malley. Emilia had her room at Mrs. Webb's back and every chance Nellie got it seemed, she would make snide remarks about Emilia or Max. It seems she hadn't forgiven Emilia for her warning about her Henry Collins. Emilia had seen the latter and almost laughed aloud; the two Henrys were as different in appearance and Emilia and Nellie herself. Nellie's betrothed was a thin black haired man with small, rather beady eyes. He was attractive in his own way, not classically handsome as the other Henry but he seemed nice enough and Emilia was happy for Nellie.

Until he broke off the engagement to Nellie.

And go reengaged to someone else, some heiress from New York.

Perhaps Nellie was jealous of Emilia and understandably bitter about her own failed engagement for she never missed an opportunity to goad her. Emilia, understanding that she must be upset, tried to brush the insults off as gracefully as she could.

One morning however, Fredrick came to the boarding house to take Emilia along with him to the dressmaker's where his mother would be waiting for them. As soon as he peered into the dining room Nellie was ready.

"Have you changed your mind again, Emilia?" She asked. Her voice couldn't have been sweeter if you dipped it in honey and covered it in sugar, though her eyes were malicious.

"Oh no," Emilia laughed, standing up. "That seems to be Henry Collin's job," she smiled, just as sweetly back at Nellie who flushed bright scarlet and leapt to her feet, quivering.

"Henry may have changed his mind but at least I don't fling myself between him and his brother like some common hussy," Nellie's eyes blazed fury and Emilia blazed right back at her.

Nellie, being almost a head taller that Emilia, dwarfed her and she saw that she could use this to her advantage for she looked down her nose at Emilia with a mixture of disdain and poorly concealed rage. Emilia was equal to that however and she smiled wickedly at the other girl.