The Folly (4 page)

Chapter
4

Elizabeth
had just arrived from visiting Mrs. Bolton and her daughters
,
when
she heard
the
unmistakable
sound of
carriage wheels on the gravel drive
.  Surely, Henry was not back yet.  It was a long trip to London
,
and he
’
d only left a few days before.  She wasn’t expecting him back for several days at least. 
Elizabeth
waited in the
drawing
room while Graves, the butler
,
opened the door to the new arrival.  She heard an exclamation of surprise
, followed by
the sound of male voices talking quietly.  Unable to stand the curiosity much longer, Elizabeth emerged from the
drawing
room with all the dignity she could muster.  It wouldn’t do to look like a
curious
little girl. 

The man
talking to the butler
turned at the sound of her footsteps.  He was tall and broad
-
shouldered with
thick,
dark hair
just brushing his collar
,
and expressive dark eyes. 
He wore a dark
-
blue jacket, decorated with gold braid and facing colors on the collar, his white breeches tucked into
dusty Hessian
boots and his
Tarleton
under his arm. 
He bowed to Elizabeth formally before speaking.

“Captain Jeremy Flynn at your
service
,
Ma’am
.  You must be my stepmother.” 
He looked very amused by this notion and
Elizabeth
found that she was flustered and annoyed. 
She
’
d quite forgotten about
Captain Flynn
.  He was Sir Henry’s son
from
his first marriage, but her husband never mentioned him at all and Elizabeth had never met him or even seen a likeness.  This was a surprise indeed.

“Welcome, Captain Flynn.  Sir Henry will be very upset at not having been here to greet you.”

“No doubt,” the
c
aptain said
,
sounding as if he doubted it very much.  “I hope I didn
’
t come at a bad time.  I was hoping to stay for a while.”  Graves looked to Elizabeth for confirmation
,
and she gave him a nod.

“Graves, please put the
c
aptain in the blue bedroom.  It has a lovely view, but I
’
m sure you already know that.  You must have grown up in this house
, Captain
.”

“I have not been back
for
some time.  Sadly, I wasn’t even able to attend my mother’s funeral.  I will enjoy re
acquainting
myself with the house and grounds.
  If you have no objection, I would like to stay in my old room.
”  Elizabeth suddenly realized that Jeremy Flynn was the heir to the estate and the baronetcy.  Why was Sir Henry so eager to have a son when he already had one
?
  Maybe he simply wanted more children since Jeremy appeared to be close to thirty. 

Elizabeth
actually entertained the idea that her husband might long for fatherhood
for its own sake, but she quickly dismissed the thought
.
  Henry
never displayed any fondness for children
,
and sh
e always assumed he wanted a son and heir to carry on the title and
inherit
the estate. 
She
supposed
he feared that his only son might be killed in the fighting
,
and wanted a spare just in case. 
It made her feel a little better knowing that the pressure was off.

“Captain, you must be tired from your journey
and would like to rest.
  Supper is at
seven
.  I would be very happy for you to join me.” 

“Thank you,
Ma’am
. 
I would be honored to join you
.”  With that he followed Graves up the stairs to his room
,
leaving Elizabeth to look after them. 
  

Chapter
5

Jeremy Flynn stretched out naked on the bed, enjoying the feel of clean linen next to his hot skin.  He
’
d spent the past ten years sleeping wherever the army chose to quarter him
,
and more often than not
,
it was a narrow cot in a tent with linen that had seen better days and could use a wash.  He hadn’t had a proper bath
for
some time either
,
and being able to soak in hot water perfumed with some kind of fragrant oil had been heaven.  He had been nervous about this homecoming, but so far it had exceeded his expectations.  Of course, he hadn’t seen his father yet, but the new
l
ady of the manor was not at all what he expected.  She was gracious
,
charming and very beautiful
, not to mention young
.  What induced
her
to marry his father he’d never know, but she didn
’
t seem resentful at all about him showing up.  He assumed that the new wife would want her own son to inherit the title and the estate and expected a much chillier reception. 

Sir Henry would be home in a few days
,
and that would be the true test of how things stood.  He had bought Jeremy a commission in the army when he turned eighteen, telling him it was his duty as an Englishman to defend the interests
of the Realm
,
and he would not be pleased that Jeremy had resigned his commission immediately after Waterloo.  His fighting days were done
,
and now he had to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.  He never truly expected to survive this long, so the question of the future
had
not
been
uppermost
in his mind.  Now the war was over
,
and he was a free man
at last
.  He supposed this might be a good time to think of marriage and a family of his own. 
It would be nice to share his life with someone who hopefully felt some affection for him.

Thinking of family turned his thoughts to his mother.  He never got a chance to say goodbye to her before she died, but he had received her last letter, dispatched to him by diplomatic pouch.  She
’
d pulled some strings to make sure he got it
,
and he knew why as soon as he read it.  He realized with great regret that he never knew his mother
all
.  Lady Mariah Flynn had not confided in her son
,
and he had been sent off to school at the
age of seven
,
only to be sent to fight as soon as he
finished Eton at eighteen
. 

His parents didn
’
t want him around
,
and once he read his mother’s letter
;
he finally understood why. 
Would his father want him here now
,
or would he send him off again to live his life elsewhere?  Only time would tell.  For the moment, he would enjoy staying in his childhood home
,
and tomorrow he would go visit his mother’s grave and pay his respects to the woman who had
sacrificed
a lot more for him than he ever imagined.

Chapter
6

Elizabeth waited until the footman set up
the
easel in her favorite spot
,
and began to lay out her watercolors and brushes.  She
’
d painted this view many times, but she never tired of it.  She loved the calm waters of the lake, mirroring the sky overhead and surrounded by reeds that swayed gently in the breeze, their fuzzy brown heads attracting butterflies and insects. 

Her favorite part was the marble folly on the opposite side of the lake.  Her husband had it built for his first wife
,
and it resembled a miniature Greek temple
with
four
Corinthian
columns
that
held up the round dome, their whiteness enhanced by the vivid green of the vines
encircling
them
,
making the place look
slightly
wild and magical.  She could just make out the statue of Aphrodite through the gap in the columns, her haughty face and naked breasts forever perfect and frozen in marble. 

The June morning was
gorgeous
;
t
he sky an
uninterrupted
vista of azure
,
and the lake a blue oval reflecting the majesty of the
heavens above
. 
Elizabeth
turned her face to the sun, allowing its rays to warm her face for just a moment. 
Ladies weren’t supposed to ever expose themselves to the sun, keeping their
complexions
white and pallid
.
Elizabeth
sighed as she retreated back into the shadow of her straw bonnet
, wishing she could take it off altogether
. 
She was glad she came out early since the day promised to be hot
,
and she was already perspiring in her thin gown of sprigged muslin. 
She mixed several shades of blue until she finally
matched
the exact color of the sky and began to paint.  She didn’t think herself particularly good, but it gave her something to do
,
and she found some satisfaction in creating a picture where only white paper had been before. 

Elizabeth wondered where Captain Flynn was this morning.  He
’
d been at
Flynn Manor
for a few days now, but she rarely saw him.  He joined her at meals, but seemed to spend the rest of his time on his own.  The
c
aptain was polite and charming when dining with her, but she noticed that his eyes turned awfully
sad when no one was looking
,
and he seemed melancholy and listless.  She supposed it must be hard to adjust to civilian life after spending so many years in the
military
.  He didn’t seem very eager to see his father
, making
Elizabeth
wonder what their relationship had been before he left. 

She couldn’t see any traces of her husband in Jeremy
,
and assumed
he
favored his mother in looks.  There had been a portrait of
Mariah
Flynn
hanging in the
drawing
room, but Sir Henry had it removed to one of the bedrooms after they were wed
, assuming his new bride would not want
to have a portrait of his former wife always looking down on her, but she didn’t mind.  The poor woman was dead
,
and it might be nice for her son to have a reminder of his mother. 

Elizabeth’s thoughts were
interrupted
by the sight of Captain Flynn striding toward her across the lawn.  He looked a lot less intimidating in his civilian clothes
, making him appear
younger than she originally thought. 

“Good morning, Lady Elizabeth.  Beautiful day.”

“Good morning, Captain.  It is
,
indeed.  Are you out for a walk?”

“I was going down to the sea and saw you painting out here.  May I see?”  Elizabeth nodded, feeling suddenly self-conscious.  Henry never asked to see what she painted
,
and she kept all her drawings locked in a desk drawer, away from prying eyes. 

“You
’
re very talented.  Do you ever work in oils or just watercolors?”

“Just watercolors.  Oils are so messy.  I really like this view.  I must have painted it a dozen times,” replied Elizabeth shyly. 

“I can see why.  There is something romantic and melancholy about that folly, isn’t there?  It’s a place made for secrets and assignations.”  Elizabeth looked up at the
c
aptain to see if he was teasing her.  A smile played about his lips
,
and she couldn’t help smiling back, a little sadly.

“If any romantic assignations
take
place at our folly, I
am not
privy to them. 
No one
ever comes here, but me.”

“My mother used to love the place.  She came here frequently when I was a boy.  If I needed to fin
d
her, I usually check
ed
the folly first.  She liked to read poetry there.”
 
Jeremy tore his gaze away from the marble temple and turned back to Elizabeth. 

“Can I convince you to walk down to the sea
or would you rather continue with your painting
?”  Elizabeth loved the sea, but she never went walking there.  Walking alone on the pebbly beach made her feel small and alone and she found herself avoiding the place, preferring to stay on the estate grounds. 

“Thank you.  I
’
d love to walk down to the sea
with you
,
Captain
.” 
Elizabeth
put away her paints and adjusted her bonnet, taking the
c
aptain’s arm.  “Shall we?”

“On one condition,
” he
smiled down at her surprised face.  “You will kindly refrain from calling me
“
Captain
”
.  I know it might be considered improper by some, but since you are my stepmother, I think it
would not
be beyond the bounds of propriety if you just called me Jeremy.”

“I don’t think your father would approve,” protested Elizabeth.

“No, I don’t suppose he would, but then
you leave me
no choice but to call you
“
Stepmama
.
”
  He looked down at her with mock seriousness and Elizabeth stifled a giggle.  The idea of him calling her “
Stepmama
” was ridiculous, especially since he was at least a decade older than her, so she was forced to relent.

“All right, Jeremy, but I must refer to you as Captain Flynn in front of others.  Do we have a deal?”

“Indeed we do
,” he replied with an impish grin
.  Shall we walk?”
He gave her his arm and she took it shyly
, not looking up at him.

Elizabeth and Jeremy walked
across
the sloping lawn toward the path that led down to the beach.  The air was slightly
cooler here and Elizabeth could hear the waves crashing against the shore below
,
and the
mournful cries of
seagulls
circling
overhead
.  She loved the briny smell of the sea and took a deep breath, filling her lungs
,
suddenly happy. 

It had been a long time since she
’d come
here
,
and she enjoyed the solid feel of Jeremy’s arm as she held on to him going down the steep
, overgrown
path. 
She kept her eyes on her feet, afraid to trip
on
the gnarled roots that hid among the bracken, ready to trip her at any moment. 
When th
ey finally reached the bottom
,
Jeremy let go of her arm as Elizabeth walked towards the shore, stopping just short of the rolling waves. 
She longed to take off her shoes and run into the water.  It would be so wonderful to feel the surf washing over her feet, cooling and pure. 

Elizabeth
looked
up
in surprise as Jeremy pulled off his boots and began to roll up his trousers.  “I dare you,” he said with a grin.  “Come on,
S
tepmama
.” 

Elizabeth looked around, but there was no one in sight
,
and what if the
re
were
?
  She kicked off her slippers
and turned away from Jeremy to
remove
her silk stockings, which she rolled carefully and laid on the ground next to her shoes. 
Elizabeth
lifted the skirt of her muslin
frock
, walking gingerly toward the water’s edge. 
As t
he cool water swirled around her ankles
,
she closed her eyes in bliss, wishing she could go in further.  
Elizabeth
kirtled up her skirt and walked with Jeremy along the beach,
occasionally
stopping to pick up a shell or a nice, round stone. 
Looking over the water sparkling in the June sunshine, it was difficult to tell where the sea ended and the sky began.  The vista was an endless expanse of blue sky and shimmering sea, with only the outline of a distant ship visible in the distance
to
mar
the perfection of the scene
.  
Elizabeth
looked up at Jeremy to find him staring out over the sea lost in thought.

“Jeremy, I know it’s none of my business, but you seem so sad.”  She wanted him
to confide in her
,
and she looked up at him wanting him to know that she wasn’t just prying.  She
genuinely
wanted to help.

“I suppose I am
a little melancholy
, but it’s not a fit conversation for a lady.”
  He picked up a luminous, pink shell and held it out to her.

“I
’
m not
a lady.  I
’
m your s
tepmother.”  He laughed at that, showing the adorable dimples that she hadn’t noticed until that moment. 

“All right, Mama.  I suppose I feel a little lost.  I
’
ve been part of one institution or another since I was
seven
years old.  First, I was away at
school
,
then I spent ten years in the army.  It’s a lonely life, but there is structure and
camaraderie
of sorts.  For the first time in my life
,
I am not being told what to do or where to go
,
and it feels strange.”  He shrugged and threw a
pebble
into the foaming sea.

“Did you have many friends in the army?”

“
The a
rmy isn
’
t a place to make friends. 
I came in as an officer
at eighteen
,
and had to command men who were twice my age.  I couldn’t afford to be friendly with them for fear of losing my authority. 
It wasn’t
easy for them to be ordered about by an inexperienced teenager.  I did befriend a few other officers, but during a time of war
,
you must remain detached.  Friends have a tendency to die and you either become numb to it or go mad with grief. 

Most of the men I had become close to are no longer with us.  They died fighting for a cause most of them didn’t even care about.  It’s all about who sits on the throne of what country and who benefits from it.  It’s not something the common man worries about.  They just take the King’s shilling to support their
families;
they don’t always realize they will be dying a gruesome death on a foreign battlefield
;
denied even the comfort of knowing that they will have a grave that their family can visit to mourn their passing
.  Now there are hundreds of thousands of widows and fatherless children who
’
ll not be comforted by the thought that the Bourbon Monarchy has been restored to the throne of France.  The king of France will not feed or clothe the families of the people who fought and lost their lives to put him back in power.”  Jeremy looked bitter as he hurled another stone into the waves, turning back to Elizabeth.