Brougham Park

Chapter 4

It's a shame to stay indoors when the weather is wonderfully fine. A stroll in the woods or a walk to town would be extremely refreshing. Samantha thought so too. She decided that she shall walk over to Milton Manor. There she could find her close friend Miss Celia. Samantha and Celia had been friends for many years. They both know each other very well. Celia is the sister of Charles Carter. The family has just come back from their long holiday in Bath since Mr. Carter feels that his gout is not bothering him much any longer.

Samantha is so glad to see Celia again. It felt like an eternity. As soon as she reached the Manor, Celia, who saw her coming from her window, quickly ran to welcome her dear friend. They embraced each other lovingly. Samantha then proposed that they shall take a walk to Lockwood Village as the weather is lovely. They bid goodbye to Mrs. Carter who had arrived at the door. Soon they were on the lane that leads to the pretty little village.

"So tell me, Samantha, how have you been occupying yourself in my absence?"

"Oh, Celia! What else could I have done? I was always with my books of course. And not to forget that I read and reread William's letters."

"I knew you were always with your books. But I meant to ask if you had been trying to make new friends or have you been walking to the village regularly."

"I did not make any new friends, to be sure. You know that you are my only friend. Besides, I did not really walk out to the village as much as I would when you are around. You do know that I do not like being around people. But I did walk around the garden and in the woods by my house. I did not miss my daily dose of exercise. The weather has not been very kind to me since you left. It has gotten a little warmer in the past week. But I did walk to the village once last week to send some things to my aunt. Oh yes! I did go to meet our tenants and resolve any issues that they have several times."

"I'm glad that William has left you with some responsibilities. But I expected much more from you. It's good that you read a lot. But I'm worried that when you isolate yourself so much, you will start missing out on reality. Everyone needs friends. Relationships are worth cherishing. You should widen your circle of friends. You can't expect to always be within the same group of people every time. New acquaintances can expose you to a wide range of new things that you would not experience unless you widen out."

"Alright, alright. Enough with the lecture. Tell me about Bath."

"Samantha, do keep in mind everything I just told you. But as for Bath, it's a delightful place. Though it's not as wonderful as London would be around this time of the year, it does offer good amusement. I have had the privilege of attending concerts, operas, and theatres. Also, we were invited to balls and evening parties. Oh Samantha, it was delightful. We both should go to Bath someday," Celia squealed with excitement.

"I sure would love to visit Bath," Samantha replied.

"It has helped my father in dealing with his gout. It's quite better right now. And the people who occupy Bath are quite charming. They are all so friendly and pleasant. The people there are very much different from those in our town. They have all come in different shapes and sizes and they all have varying backgrounds too and yet they are all well-mannered and civil. I'm proud to say that I have actually made quite a number of acquaintances myself. And yes! I forgot to mention that I met a distant cousin of my family, Mr. Patrick Crew. Quite a character he is. He has been very helpful throughout our stay in Bath. He has grown quite attached to us all."

Samantha smiled at her friend's enthusiasm about Bath.

"Well enough about Bath. Any news from William?" Celia asked.

"Yes! We just received a letter from William this morning. He is coming back in two weeks. I can't wait for him to be home. He said a great deal about all the parties and balls he went to. And he also mentioned a certain young woman. He seems to be in love with her. He has been courting her for a few weeks now but he hasn't proposed to her yet. He might ask Father first before he proposes. She seems like a nice creature according to William's account. But I have yet to find out more about her."