Carmella 'Ella' Camden, a curious and intelligent young woman, dreams of finding love and companionship. Despite her beauty and wit, she constantly feels overlooked by noble men during her social seasons, who only seem interested in her friends and...
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The night air was thick with moisture as Jeremy's carriage navigated the darkness. Raindrops splattered against the windows, creating a melancholic rhythm. The looming silhouette of his family estate emerged through the mist, surrounded by the lush greenery that characterised the landscape.
As the carriage neared the entrance, Jeremy wasted no time. In a swift motion, he left the shelter of his carriage and hastened through the grand entrance of the estate. Rainwater clung to his coat, rendering him chilled and damp. The flickering glow of candlelight within the house beckoned, promising solace and warmth.
Upon entering, Jeremy's immediate concern was to dispel the dampness that clung to him. He swiftly moved towards the hearth, where a meager fire flickered in the grate. The cold seeping into his bones urged him to stoke the flames, creating a more substantial blaze that could offer respite from the wet chill.
In the midst of warming himself, the entrance to the room swung open. The creak of the door caught his attention, and he turned to face it. "Jeremy? You are here?!" exclaimed a voice filled with a mix of surprise and delight.
In the candlelit chamber, Helen entered, clutching an unlit candle stand with delicate grace.
"Indeed, it is I, Mother," Jeremy uttered, his countenance marked by a quizzical arch of the brow. "Were you poised to wield the candle stand in an assault against me?"
"What am I to do? No letter announced the return of my dear son after so prolonged an absence. Whom else could I anticipate breaching my abode?" his mother lamented, vexed by her son's unannounced arrival.
Apologies fell from Jeremy's lips, "Forgive me, Mother, for I sought to bestow upon you a surprise."
"Consider me thoroughly surprised! I can hardly fathom your presence here," his mother declared, enfolding him in an embrace.
A declaration lingered in Jeremy's voice, "I bear news of import, Mother."
"Pray, what news, my dear?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"I have resolved to forsake perpetual travel, choosing instead a permanence in this residence. I will stand by your side and that of Gabriel," Jeremy conveyed, broaching a topic of consequence. "Speaking of Gabriel, is he present? If I were an intruder, where is Gabriel?" Suspicion tinged Jeremy's words, intimating the possible absence of his brother from the familial estate.
"He is likely at the gentlemen's club. I've expressed my distaste for such haunts, but, in any case, I am overjoyed to learn of your prolonged stay. Perhaps you can set him aright where my words fail," his mother sighed with resignation. "Jeremy, you must change out of these damp garments, lest you fall ill."
"I am aware of that, Mother, but retire for the night. It's too late for you to be wakeful; we can converse further on the morrow," Jeremy gently urged, guiding his mother toward rest.
