AN: This chapter is dedicated to the guest, who identified themselves as Earl Grey- thank you for your wonderful review, and by flattering me immensely by saying I wrote similar to Austen. Whomever you are, you are surely a wonderful person and you have my thanks.
I had been in London for a few weeks, and I had yet to see the colonel. I guided Ayden through the crowded streets of London when he suddenly said, "Aunt Kiley, there is a man staring at you across the street." He pointed in the direction of said man, and I all but lurched to a stop. There he was, at first I believed the colonel to be a figment of my desperate imagination, but here he was with a smile growing on his features as he approached. My hand fell limp in Ayden's and the other came up to wave to Colonel Brandon.
"Miss Jensen," he greeted me, slightly breathless, "It is so good to see you, I did not know you were in London."
"I am here visiting my eldest sister for a time," I replied, and blushed when the colonel reached out to take my hand to brush his lips across my knuckles.
"Shall I escort you and your nephew home, and then might I ask you to join for a walk?"
"That would be lovely, sir, thank you," I answered him, and smiled at him once more. I took his offered arm and with my nephew's hand securely in my other, we returned to my sister's house.
Ayden bound up the stairs and said over his shoulder, "I will tell my mum where you are and whom you are with."
Colonel Brandon wordlessly guided us to a park, and to my embarrassment- he caught me staring at him. "Miss Jensen, are you all right?"
"Yes, sir," I replied, a vibrant blush consuming my cheeks, "Allow me to be honest and say that you were sorely missed." I felt his hand squeeze my arm gently, and I peeked up at him from beneath my lashes. "Sir, why is it that you have been in London for such a long time, when you told me previously that you are not fond of town?" I inquired, neither accusing nor overly inquisitive in my tone.
A sigh fell from his lips, and he urged me to take a seat on a nearby vacant bench. "Miss Jensen, what I am about to inform you of, I do in utmost confidence," he began. He took a deep, cleansing breath, and then continued, "As you probably already know from Mrs. Jennings of my dealings of love when I was young; when I found Eliza dying in the poorhouse, I promised her that I would care for her natural daughter, whom is also named Eliza. I admit, I was too lax with her, and as a result, she ran away. I searched for months, and when I was prepared to accept the reality that I would never hear from her again, I received word from her- on the day of the picnic. The note was from Eliza telling me that she was with child, and the man, whom she had run off with, had abandoned her. The man was none other than-"
"Oh my sweet Ophelia," I gasped in mortification, "It is Willoughby, isn't it?" I finished behind the hand that had flown over my lips. "That poor girl, where is she now?" I asked intently.
"She and the child are currently in my home in London, but she will shortly be going to the country to complete the rest of her confinement."
"Oh, Colonel, do not be so harsh on her- allow her to stay with you at Delaford!' I argued, "Surely Eliza has realised her mistakes- do not make her be forced into solitude...especially with an infant to boot."
"Miss Jensen, your compassion knows no bounds. Perhaps, if you consent, you could become acquainted with Eliza, so that she will have a companion to call upon when she returns to Delaford once she and the child are strong enough to travel."
A blinding smile consumed my face, and I exclaimed softly, "Colonel, I would be delighted to meet your ward! Bless you, you tenderhearted man." I brushed a strand of flyaway hair that had fallen into my face in my excitement. "Would it be possible if I were to meet Eliza today?" I inquired hesitantly.
The colonel was silent for a moment, or more, until he finally replied, "Very well, if you would please follow me, Miss Jensen." He once more guided me through London until we reached what I surmised to be our destination. Colonel Brandon held the door open for me, and immediately upon crossing the threshold I was met with the shrill sound of a baby's cry.
"Christopher, I don't know what to do- she won't stop-" Eliza ceased her somewhat frantic approach when she realised the colonel was not alone. She looked at me with frightened eyes; she must have thought that I would be amongst the many that deemed her undesirable due to the fact that she had a child out of wedlock.
"May I?" I asked softly, coming up to her with a smile. She said nothing, only continued to stare at me with wide eyes, and frantically looked to the colonel. I slowly lifted the wailing infant out her arms and into mine. "Hello, little one," I cooed softly, and nestled the baby into me. "Sh, sh, everything is all right, there's nothing to fret yourself over, a naoidhean bhig," I murmured soothingly when the little girl began to cry once more. Her cries softened to whimpers, and soon they dissipated entirely; Eliza beheld me with barely contained awe.
"How did you do that?" she asked when her daughter promptly fell asleep in my arms.
"She can sense when you are upset, and that makes her all the more upset and fearful. Also, I have plenty of experience with newborns," I mused wryly and smiled down at the slumbering infant in my arms. I looked up and noticed the dark rings under Eliza's eyes, so I gently suggested, "Why don't you go up and rest, I can take of the baby for a time?"
"Thank you, Miss," Eliza sighed with evident relief, and vanished upstairs. I went into what I assumed was the drawing room and took a seat in the rocking chair tucked away in a corner. I smiled down at the little baby nestled into my bosom, and all the while, I could feel the colonel's eyes upon me.
I slowly rocked back and forth with my eyes fixed on the sleeping infant in my arms. "Hush now, little one, be still and dream of soaring over the highest cloud or swimming in the deepest sea," I whispered as I bent my head to kiss her brow when she fussed.
"You take to children well, Miss Jensen," Colonel Brandon finally said, his eyes still watching me.
"I admit that I am quite besotted with the lot of them," I mused faintly, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the colonel approaching the two of us. He came up behind me and brushed away my hair so that he could see the babe in my arms. "She's perfect, isn't she?"
"Indeed."
I slowly ran my hand through the short, albeit surprisingly thick, baby hair and smiled when the baby in my arms opened her eyes slowly. She blinked up at me owlishly and observed me with inquisitive brown eyes, and I instinctively drew the babe closer. The baby obviously was still tired, but all she did was stare up at me with her beautiful brown eyes. I softly cleared my throat and began to sing, "Lullaby, lullaby, my little one. Lullaby, my child so dear; thy precious life has just begun, and I hold thee near. Lullaby, lullaby, my little one. Lullaby, my child so dear." As I finished, her eyes fluttered shut; I carefully rose from the rocking chair and looked to the colonel. "Where is Eliza's room?" I whispered.
Colonel Brandon wrapped an arm about my waist, which caused me to blush, and then guided me to the first bedrooms upstairs on the right. I came up to Eliza's bed and gently placed her daughter in her arms, careful not wake either of them. Colonel Brandon and I left Eliza's room, and returned to the drawing room. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for Eliza and the child," he murmured.
I ran my hand through my hair, silently chiding myself that I could not manage an updo that would hold throughout the day. "It was my pleasure, I assure you," I relied. We looked at one another in silence, all the while- I could only once again wish that I possessed the beauty that Marianne had to have been the extremely blessed one to have captured the colonel's affection. "Sir, are you going to be in attendance at the ball this evening?"
"It is a possibility, depending on if Eliza will be all right with the child on her own."
"I do hope that you will be able to do so, your company will be most welcome," I replied with a blushing smile.
"Well then, I shall try to the utmost of my ability not to be a disappointment, Miss Jensen," he mused with a slight smile. "What are your plans for New Year's Eve?" he inquired.
"I am not certain, most likely whatever my mother and eldest sister have planned for my birthday-"
"-I did not know that you were born on New Year's Eve, Miss Jensen," he interjected, somehow remaining polite.
"Yes, Colonel, we will be celebrating my nineteenth birthday this Friday." I finished, explaining, "I hate to cut our time short, but my sister insisted before I left that should anything arise, I would return in time for supper."
"Well, then by all means allow me to escort you home," the colonel replied with a smile. Again, his arm wrapped around my waist in an intimate gesture of leading me to the door; as we did so, I tried to hide the blush that was growing in intensity.
"Thank you for the wonderful visit, Colonel, I feared I would not see you whilst in London," I finally managed to say; no longer able to bear the silence that was languidly suffocating me.
"Please, if you ever possess the desire, call upon either Eliza or myself," he said, and smiled down at me. Soon, far too soon, we arrived at the landing of my sister's home. "Farewell, Miss Jensen. I hope we will see each other soon," he breathed over the back of my hand as he placed a kiss on my knuckles.
"Good bye, Colonel Brandon," I said breathlessly in turn, and smiled brightly at him. I paused in my ascension of the stairs to watch him leave; after a few steps, he too paused and turned to look at me- at the realisation that I was caught; I waved demurely and smiled before I ducked into the house. I fell against the door gently as it closed, and let out a content, albeit plaintive sigh.
"Shall I write to Mama and have her inform Father to expect Colonel Brandon to be calling upon him to ask for his permission and blessing to court his youngest?" my sister's voice cut through my reverie, and she appeared with a pleased smirk on her face.
"Your assumptions are highly unlikely, M-Marci," I stammered in weak retort, and undid my hair from the style that was currently coming undone all the more than before. My heavy tendrils uncoiled and fanned out to the small of my back; I walked up to her and quietly asked, "Will you style my hair for the party this evening?"
"Of course, little sister, come along there is much to be done," Marci replied, and with an insistent tug on my hand, led me up the stairs.