Some days later Lady F. visited them. Roxanne received her hospitably, she and Louis conversed long about their mutual past, however Louis declined Lady F.'s invitation to the dinner, which she was displeased about it.
Roxanne could not silence her perturbance in seeing the familiarity between her and Louis and that evening she discussed it with him, "You have assured you would have never disrespect me...", she said to him,
"When did I do it?",
"Every time you converse with Lady F. you do it and the way you talk to her",
"Are you jealous of Lady F.?",
"She is different from me",
"And what of it? There had never been anything between me and Lady F. aside fellowship",
"You know I am trying to treat your acquaintances kindly, as my own fellows. But if it was me to have such a familiarity with a gentleman, would you not be upset about it?",
"For me, you are making problems that don't exist", Louis said.
Roxanne meant not to be intrusive with him nor tell him whoever to talk to or not, but she had to be honest with him.
Realizing Roxanne was troubled given his fellowship with Lady F., Louis decided to make amend. One day when they were having tea in the garden, Roxanne asked him: "When can we return to Wellington?",
"As soon as possible",
"I miss my father",
"And this is not the only cause of your melancholy. ...If my fellowship with Lady F. upsets you, I will not see her again", Roxanne felt relieved to hear it, "And I will take you home", Louis added, "Thank you for understanding", she said to him, "I am sorry if I did not give you enough attention lately", Louis said.
That evening, after spending the night together, Roxanne and Louis agreed to leave on the first ship to New Zealand.
Two weeks later they were traveling to Wellington.
Lord Swan was pleased to see Roxanne and his grandchildren again and to see how they had grown in the meantime. He was also satisfied to see Roxanne and Louis getting along and her character mitigated by her new role as wife and mother; on one occasion Roxanne commented with him: "Louis, with his good will, has deserved my reverence".
Withal Louis agreed to retire to private life, as Roxanne had desired.
Without seeing Roxanne in Society any longer people soon found other matters to talk about.
Roxanne and Louis found other ways to have some distraction and they did not miss High Society.
THE END.
YOU ARE READING
Burning diamond
General FictionSet in New Zealand, in 1897. Roxanne Swan is the adoptive daughter of the Earl Swan, rebel and wild, she has no intention to get married and frights away all her suitors. But the father imposes her to chose a betrothed, so she addresses her attentio...
