A Season for Honour

Chapter 10

Over the next few days, Octavia did not sleep well, and consequently, she was exhausted. The day after she had had that confrontation with Tillie, she had met with the footman, Tom, and had spoken to him about the letter he had received from his cousin in London. However, the conversation that she thought would put her mind at rest did nothing to quell her fears. She left her meeting with Tom convinced that there was indeed an element of truth behind the rumours. She had been so concerned about what she had discovered about Captain Fallbrook, that she had been to see Freddie the next day. She had hoped that Freddie would be able to alleviate her fears and put her mind at rest.

Freddie had listened to her and had tried to allay her fears. He had told her that his aunt, a leader of the ton and a stickler for propriety, would never have recommended Fallbrook to him if there had been even a whisper of a scandal attached to his name. But Freddie had not completely dismissed her fears and had told her that he would contact a friend of his in London, who would be able to investigate the matter further. Octavia had left Freddie still feeling a little uneasy, but there was nothing she could do until he had received news from his contacts in London, and she knew that any correspondence could take several weeks.

There was another reason why Octavia could not sleep. There was also the matter of the kiss, and why it had affected her so profoundly. In the gallery, when he had had his arms around her, she had felt a strong emotional attachment to him. However, as much as she tried, she could not put the kiss, or the feelings it evoked within her to one side. They seemed to be always present, gnawing relentlessly at her conscience. In the early hours of the morning, she had felt a deep longing for his arms to envelop her again. She had wanted his lips to touch hers, and she yearned to lose herself in the intense passion that their embrace would bring.

But in the cold light of morning, she knew that her own needs and desires must be suppressed. She must discover what type of man Captain Fallbrook really was, and whether or not he could be trusted to teach her son. She also knew that it would be highly inappropriate for her to have an intimate relationship with her son's tutor. If anyone found out, and surely they would, her family would be subjected to all kinds of malicious gossip. Consequently, during the following days after their kiss, she avoided his company. However, other pressing events vanquished her own concerns, and they were soon forgotten.

Late one night, nearly a week after the kiss, when Octavia was in her bedchamber preparing to go to bed, Freddie arrived unexpectedly at Northleigh. When Andrews had informed his mistress of his unexpected arrival, Octavia had known by the late hour, that whatever had brought him here, must be serious. She dressed in one of her old muslin day dresses and then ran down the stairs to the drawing-room to meet with him.

'Octavia,' he had said as soon as she had entered the room, 'please could you come immediately to Evesham. Katie is calling for you.'

'Yes, of course,' she replied, 'is she well.' She knew from just looking at Freddie, whose face was ashen, that all was not well. She began to feel an ache in the pit of her stomach, as her concern for Katie grew.

'She is in labour,' he managed to say in a shaky voice.

'But that is good news,' Octavia said encouragingly, 'she was expecting to give birth any day now. Has Dr Roberts and the midwife been called out to attend her?'

'Yes,' Freddie said, 'but... she is in pain and has been drifting in and out of consciousness.'

'Do not worry yourself, Freddie,' she said calmly resting her hand gently on his arm, 'Dr Roberts and Mrs Worth are experienced in these matters.'