A Season for Honour

Chapter 24

The day after the drive in the park with Alex, Octavia moved, along with Olivia, to Holloway House. It had been a relief for her to leave Sommerville House and give Katie and Freddie the time to talk privately about their marriage. On the day that Octavia had confronted Freddie, they had begun to discuss the terrible mistakes that they had made over the past eighteen months. And, they had both come to the conclusion that their marriage was indeed worth saving.

Olivia had been overjoyed to move to the home of her new best friend; and, the two girls, who had already formed a close friendship, soon became inseparable. Olivia had been very lonely since her brother had left for school. And, Lady Sophia, with her sense of fun and a propensity for making mischief, was just what she needed. In a few short weeks, she had transformed from a shy awkward girl, who would not say boo to a goose, into a fun loving young lady, who was gaining confidence by the day. Olivia was nearly twelve years old, and her body had begun to show the signs of her transformation into a woman. Octavia knew that she would soon start her courses and she would no longer be a child. Just like her mother, she was changing, and Octavia was proud of her daughter.

The first fortnight she had spent at Holloway House passed quickly in a whirl of social engagements. The season had begun in earnest, and every hostess was vying for their moment of glory. During these two weeks, Octavia quickly learnt that a small hastily organised soiree, was, in fact, a large, lavish party attended by most of the ton. She also discovered that an intimate dinner party for "a few close friends," was actually a sumptuous feast that had been arranged to showcase the skills of the chef and to emphasise the generosity of the hostess. It seemed that everyone wanted to outdo each other so that the following morning their function would be the talk of the town.

Octavia also discovered that living at Holloway House allowed her to see Alex almost every day. Although he did not live there himself, due to his job as the duke's secretary, he was there most days. Even though their encounters had been brief and she rarely saw him at any social functions she had attended, he had been true to his word. He had begun to court her. Each morning he left her a small gift on the table in the hallway. She looked forward to discovering what he had left her, and her heart quickened when she descended the stairs each morning. She treasured each of his gifts. They were more precious to her than all the Kendall jewels.

She looked back on the afternoon she had spent driving with him in Hyde Park with bittersweet memories. She had enjoyed spending time in his company and had been especially touched by his concern for her. Even though he had nothing to apologise for, he had felt the need to ask her for her forgiveness. She had tried to tell him that there was nothing to forgive, but she thought that she had not explained herself well. He had not only helped Charles in the few weeks he was at Northleigh; he had taught her something that night in the library. And, it was a lesson that had transformed her life and had ultimately brought her to London.

She remembered their conversation in the library and the John Donne quotation, "no man is an island, entire of itself." Since the death of Lord Kendall, she had shut herself away from the world. She had become a recluse because she was too afraid to talk to her neighbours and venture outside the gates of Northleigh to meet anyone except for Katie and Freddie. However, that night in the library, she had come to realise that she must leave the confines of the house, if not for her own sake, but for the sake of her children. If they had not kissed and shared that moment of intimacy, she doubted that their conversation would have taken place. Consequently, that defining moment would never have happened, and she would still be in Yorkshire imprisoned by the past.

Unfortunately, the idyllic afternoon had been ruined by the appearance of her brother, Fabian. Her memories of the aftermath of that meeting were hazy. She remembered that Alex had not brought her back to Sommerville House, instead, he had taken her to Flora. She had remained with Flora and her friend Miss de Havilland until she had felt well enough to return to Sommerville House. She had not seen Fabian since that afternoon in the park, but she was continually looking over her shoulder in case he was there. Occasionally, she convinced herself that she had caught a glimpse of him, lurking in the shadows, watching her. But, whenever she looked a little more closely, the shadow was gone, and she was not too sure whether he was really there, or that her imagination was playing tricks on her.