The Abandoned Lady

Chapter 19

Amelia quickly stepped out of Warrington House with her gear: pencil, paint, paintbrushes, a stool, a canvas and its stand. She needed to refresh her mind. It was early in the morning, and the morning chill made her shiver. The red flame like sun was going to be rising in a bit and she didn't want to miss that view from her special place. She wanted to capture the picture in her art. No-one except Harry and Mary knew her passion and even talent in painting. It was amazing to think that many houses in London held her own art especially the landscape pictures and the the profound fortune she had made was shocking. Amazing that people would pay such prices for her work. However, no one knew it was all carefully crafted by her. She quickly walked to the place, which was a slanted land underneath an Orchard tree by the slow river which was at the edge of the land. This place a reminder- a reminder that Amelia was an independent, transformed self. This was her perfect place to render herself back when she was forgetting herself.

Today she wanted to forgetevery blasted thing and just dissolve herself into her painting. It wasn't fair that one moment Oscar stared at her with such...passion and the next he said something that really irritated her. It was as if his mouth and eyes were separate; enemies to one another. However, his mouth... did have the same bewitching power as his smouldering brown eyes. His words were to blame. Why was he leaving her dangling? Humph. She should just engage herself in this hobby day in and out and forget her hopes of ever falling in love with him or- him with her.

The thought brought her back to the night in the garden, where he had wanted to seek her out, more correctly seek the shadow out in which she had felt to embarrassed and ashamed to show herself. But that wasn't the case now. Maybe it was time to show herself in front of the ton. After all she was different to the person she had been 5 years ago. No, she couldn't. What if the outcome was to be the same as all those years ago? what if they still didn't accept her? First impressions, last impression. Yes, it would probably be best to stay as she was. It was safer.

Oscar couldn't sleep and got out of bed. It was dawn. He quickly dressed in his riding attire and went down to the kitchen and grabbed a basket of food. He would probably spend a day roaming around his lands, something he hadn't properly done, as he had gotten distracted with Amelia on his previous attempt. Also, it was a time to try and sort out hid head and his mind about a certain someone. He like Amelia a lot, but just wasn't sure of how to go about it. Oscar had no doubt that he wanted to bed her, but she seemed too distant and unwilling. But the kiss left him doubting his doubts.

All of a sudden his eyes caught a distant figure in the distant near the edge of the slanted hill. Who was it? Oscar quietly got off his horse and tied it on to a branch and started to pace forward. He reached a tree and saw that it was Amelia-painting! Why was she painting at this time of day? Oscar frowned the style of the painting seemed obviously similar to the ones inside the house. Huh? So, Amelia was the artist behind it. By God, they were prolifically breath-taking. He watched her as she was absorbed in her art.

Oscar quickly went back to his horse to get the basket of food. Thank goodness he had. He was hungry and Amelia would most probably be too. As he walked back, he wanted to approach her but couldn't. Oscar put the basket down and leaned against the tree, his arms folded, watching her, her swift movements and her sudden pausing. After a while, Oscar's stomach rumbled. He needed to eat, and it seemed that Amelia had stopped. She was so close to the edge of the land. Oh no! Oscar said to himself. This couldn't be happening. A sneeze was tingling his nose. He held his nose so that he didn't sneeze. But even that wasn't working.

Amelia suddenly jumped as she had a roar of sneeze behind her. She turned which caused her canvas to tilt, but before she could catch the canvas, it had fallen into the river below.

'No' Amelia gritted her teeth as she watched her painting flow away.

She turned around to face Oscar, fuming with rage. Today's skyline had been something she had waited for ages, it had been different from the other usual times.