Grandeur

Chapter Thirteen

Meet me tonight at the greenhouse, 9 PM. I'll have news for you.

- HS

Edith was waiting patiently with Thomas back at our carriage. Everyone else from the service had long since retired back home to begin visiting hours.

"Is everything alright?" Aunt Edith asked once I joined her again.

I couldn't keep the wide grin off my face. I could have been struck down by God and dragged by demons to Hell. I would have been perfectly content. I don't even fully know what it was that changed. I still couldn't tell Henry the truth about what had happened to me in Europe, but maybe that didn't matter. if he didn't know, then perhaps I could pretend it didn't happen and try to move on with my life. Maybe, in the back of my mind, I only needed Elizabeth's blessing.

"Everything is perfect," I replied, taking Thomas's hand as he helped me into the carriage.

Aunt Edith's eyes were burning a hole on the side of me the whole ride back to 17 Gramercy. I didn't mind – I was finally fully happy. After all these years, Henry's love never wavered. And now that I knew that with a certainty, we could finally live the life we were always meant to live. As man and wife. Out of New York.

I had completely forgotten about Grayson Hayes at the church until the carriage pulled up to Gramercy and I saw him entering just ahead of us.

"Mr. Hayes, it's so good to see you," Aunt Edith said, carefully stepping out of the carriage with the help of Thomas. Despite her wittiness, I had to remind myself that she was still quite old.

Ethel was holding the door open and Grayson spun around. He was halfway inside when Aunt Edith had stopped him. The sight of him made my blood boil – half in embarrassment, half in annoyance. I dreaded that this visit was going to be him confessing his love for me. Penelope had decided it would be fun to have Grayson flirt with me on the trip to Florida, but she hadn't counted on the fact that he indeed did fall in love with me. Of course, I didn't love him at all but he and I had sex and Henry saw us, which eventually drove Henry to enlist in the army.

I got out of the carriage after Aunt Edith and tried to glare at Grayson so fiercely that he would go away. But that didn't happen.

Grayson plastered on a large smile. "Miss Holland," he said, dipping his head. Then he turned to look at me and said, "Miss Diana. I was wondering, if you're feeling better, if you would like to join me for a walk in the park. It is a beautiful day."

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Aunt Edith mused. "I'm sure Diana would enjoy a nice walk. She's been cooped up in her room for so long. I'm sure some fresh air will do her good."

I clenched my jaw to prevent myself from lashing out and causing a scene on the street. I had no choice now, thanks to Aunt Edith, but to go on this terrible walk that I'm sure would feel entirely too long.

"I would love to," I said tensely.

Grayson bounded down the brown stone steps to me where he took my hand and slung it into the crook of his arm. I held my arm tensely so it barely touched him. He began guiding me away from my home and toward Gramercy Park.

It was much, much smaller than Central Park but Mother maintained that Gramercy was far superior because only those with homes in Gramercy were allowed inside, whereas Central Park was open to the public. Grayson led me into this small park where women were slowly strolling with little carriages holding their infants and men walked along side them. I let my mind wander, imagining Henry and I walking through Hyde Park in London, joined by our own children.