Obadiah's Angel
Chapter 4
Meeting An Angel
By
Becky
Obadiah arrived at the coach station and promptly bought a ticket to Acton. Searching the schedule posted on a board next to the ticket window, Obadiah noted they were to leave at one p.m.
Perching on one of the benches, he noticed the others seated around him. He nodded at two women and a man across from him them when they looked his way as he sat down. 'So,' he thought, 'these are to be my traveling companions.'
He took notice of the younger woman observing that she resembled the woman beside her. 'Mother and daughter,' he concluded, looking away quickly when the older woman frowned at him.
The gentleman seated to his left, he observed, was reading the London Times and not paying any particular attention to the things going on around him.
Obadiah looked back toward the women then and saw that they were looking out the window at the hawkers across the street. Taking his time, he garnered a look at the daughter. He noticed she had long, blonde hair, which was braided and hung in loops at the back of her head. A small hat was perched on the left side, with the back resting on top of the braids. She wore a pale blue dress with a high waist and sleeves that came to just above her elbow. He also noted that she carried a small beaded handbag, and a lace handkerchief was pushed partway into her left hand glove. To Obadiah, she looked to be in her late teens to early twenties.
Turning away from the window, she looked at Obadiah and blushed prettily. She noticed he'd been studying her for some time and was smiling in her direction. Looking away quickly, she turned toward the older lady and began to speak in hushed tones that Obadiah couldn't quite make out.
Taking out his pocket watch, he noted the time and the fact that the coach should be leaving in ten minutes.
Obadiah watched as the driver checked the wheels of the coach, the reins, and each horse. Satisfied as to the soundness of the coach, the driver motioned for the station master to make the announcement that they should board the coach.
Rising from the bench, he gathered his bag and made his way to the door. Opening it, he stepped aside as the young woman and her mother made to leave. As they passed, Obadiah tipped his hat and smiled once again. An older man sauntered past Obadiah and said, "Thank you."
Stepping out into the sunlight, Obadiah handed his bag to the driver and boarded the coach. Taking his seat next to the man, he found himself seated across from the young woman. She smiled at him and he noticed she blushed when he smiled back.
Obadiah removed his hat and placed it in his lap, for more reasons than to be polite. He reasoned that he must get himself under control, or this was going to be one long, uncomfortable ride. Thinking quickly, he decided a review of the Beatitudes was in order and closed his eyes to the sight of the woman across from him.
He thought about what he was experiencing. This was all so new to him. 'I never felt this way about Mrs. Bold,' he thought as he opened his eyes. When he looked at the young woman, something in his heart told him, she may be the one.
As the coach pulled away, they settled into an atmosphere of friendly curiosity. The man seated next to Obadiah gazed out the window and sighed. The two women talked amongst themselves and glanced in his direction from time to time. Obadiah decided to take the initiative. Wanting to know at least the girl's name, he spoke up. "I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Obadiah Slope."
The man next to him turned away from the window, and said, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Timothy Buchanan."
Obadiah extended his hand, and shook Timothy's firmly.
The older woman looked at Obadiah, saying "I'm Dorthea Rhys, and this is my daughter, Angelique."
Obadiah nodded to each in turn and gave them a slight smile.
Mrs. Rhys then asked, "How far will you be going, Mr. Slope?"
"I'm on my way to Acton. I'm the new pastor for the parish," he replied.
"Reverend Slope, is it then?" Mrs. Rhys said and, for the first time, gave him a genuine, friendly smile.
"Yes, ma'am, it's Reverend Slope," Obadiah said.
Angelique looked from her mother to Obadiah and back as they continued to talk. She listened as her mother asked more questions of this enthralling man, noting how much his profession suited him. 'His voice alone could hold a robber captive,' she thought.
As the coach slowed down to avoid hitting a large pothole, Angelique was roused from her musings; when her mother asked her a question, she did not hear the first time. "I'm sorry, Mother, what did you say?" she inquired.
Mrs. Rhys looked at her. " Would you like to tell Reverend Slope about our journey to Ashford?"
Obadiah looked in her direction then and noticed her bright green eyes.
He smiled at her, and Angelique said, "We went to my cousin Elizabeth's wedding. She married the school master of Ashford."
Mrs. Rhys watched the exchange with great regard, taking note of the fact that this man seemed interested in her daughter, and she could see that Angelique was quite enamored by the young reverend. Her nervous gesture of twining her hands together in her lap gave Mrs. Rhys all the proof she needed, for she knew Angelique only did that when she was deeply interested in something or someone.
'Yes,' she thought, 'this is not a passing thing; this just might be a match made in heaven.' Mrs. Rhys gazed out the window at the passing countryside, lost in thought. Angelique and Obadiah continued to chat, laughing now and then at something funny the other would say. Listening to the easy banter between the two lulled the older woman into a light sleep.
The journey along the road was smooth, until they reached the outskirts of Fulham. Here the road became rutted and potholed, and the coach swayed, lurching back and forth when the wheels encountered them. One particular spot caused the coach to dip suddenly, and Angelique was thrown off balance, falling forward into Obadiah's arms. Blushing furiously, she righted herself with Obadiah's help. Sitting back against the seat, she noticed he, too, was blushing.
Obadiah noticed the faint scent of lavender as Angelique was thrown into his arms by the sudden lurching of the coach. Surprised by his good fortune of having the young girl fall into his arms, a blush crept up from his collar, and he smiled, when he noticed, she too was blushing.
Mrs. Rhys was startled out of her sleep when the coach dipped into the pothole. Timothy Buchanan caught the window frame and held on. "I must say, this is one of the worst roads I've ever traveled," he remarked with a slight chuckle. The others agreed and laughed.
The coach pulled into Hammersmith some five hours later. The sun was beginning to dip slowly into twilight, and the lamplighters were beginning to go from post to post, lighting the street lamps one by one.
Angelique and Mrs. Rhys were helped from the coach by Obadiah. As the driver handed the bags down, he called, "Oi, sir, will you be staying here tonight or traveling on to Acton?"
Obadiah answered, "No. I will be going on to Acton, thank you." Turning back to Angelique and her mother, he tipped his hat and said, "It was a most enjoyable ride, despite the potholes." They laughed, as Obadiah turned back to the coach door and climbed aboard.
Angelique called out goodbye, waving as the coach drove away. Obadiah looked back toward the two women, until the darkness obscured his vision. He turned and sat straight in the seat, thinking about his assignment, and that his presence might be in Acton, but his heart was in Hammersmith.