"Oh what have you done milady?" Edna undid my dirty hair.

"I got caught in the rain," I responded smiling.

"Well I reckon you do not want to get sick again like the last time?" Mary scolded me.

"Some rainstorms come to destroy but there is is rain which brings life to withered souls," Mrs. Hall talked while Edna and Mary took care of me.

"I will go make her some tea," Mary thought Mrs. Hall and I irresponsible.

"Thank you Mary," I said as she went out in a hurry to make the tea for when I was done with the bath.

"Does this have anything to do with who I suspect?" Edna asked.

"Yes and you may speak openly Mrs. Hall knows," I told Edna who loosened her posture at once.

"Good so tell us why you such glee and merriment?" Edna put on a robe so I could take bath.

"Mr. Howard forgave me, he said he did not wish to lose my friendship and even asked me for forgiveness on the matter of William and he said he shall seek to restore him to me, can you believe it?"

"No I cannot imagine him ever saying such things," Edna tried to but laughed with me.

"At last he has found his manners and a decent way to behave himself with you," Mrs. Hall made her mind known that this was not as impressive as we thought.

"I believe I might have earned some of our friendship back and I know it may not be regained in one moment but I have hope that he will see me for me, not as Cynthia has painted me and not out of his prejudice formed by Lydia's betrayal."

"And if the master does not he is a fool, like I said before you deserve someone like my young master Joseph and if Mr. Howard doss not rise up to the occasion to be who you deserve then you must not accept him," Mrs. Hall's opinion rarely changed.

"I understand, which is why you have the permission to lock me in my chambers if I decide to commit another grand error in judgment," I relinquished my power to choose alone.

"You need not give it for I see now I am the only one who can stop you all from choosing the worst possible option, I know now what I must do.

"Mrs. Hall what are you planning to do?"

"Nothing for you to worry about."

"Mrs. Hall," I complained.

"Miss Edna help her stay away from Cynthia and Mr. Howard if need be."

"Yes Mrs. Hall," Edna agreed.

"Good let me go make preparations then, I will see you two at dinner."

"Yes," I said and we were left curiously clueless about Mrs. Hall's plans.

"What did she mean by preparations?"

"I do not know and I shall not try to understand Mrs. Hall, her secrets are hers to keep, the only thing left to do is trust her."

"Well then although you must stay away from the Earl as Mrs. Hall asked there can be no harm in making you as irresistible as ever to him to make Cynthia green with envy and have the Earl look at none other than you."

"Certainly there couldn't be any," I agreed thinking back to the wet curls upon Mr. Howard's face asking me for forgiveness this was definitely love the kind where one lost sight of what it was the other had to be forgiven for, was it for not knowing himself? For believing the best in me only to be let down time and time again? For trying to be careful with his own heart? Under the rain my eyes could see his mistakes and why they had been made but then I was also sure for the rest of my mortal life the highest, and deepest love I could ever be lucky enough to feel would be for him, for nothing on God's green earth had ever compared to this sentiment that instead of diminishing only grew with the passing of years.

At dinner time I began to tease Cynthia the way Mrs. Hall and I had spoken of, to make sure she showed her true colors to Mr. Howard.

"You know I was wondering why your engagement was never announced in the papers Lady Cynthia," I asked as she sat across two seats down from me.

"Well the Earl is a very private man, and I agree with him," she was put off by my question and Joseph joined in to help.

"But do you not think you ought to try in convince my father otherwise? After all if he is to be with you for the rest of his life why not tell everyone? Why not show off his brand new bride? I mean it is only fair after you both have waited for so many, many, many years," Joseph pushed her and Cynthia went red in the face.

"I... He... I will talk to him," Cynthia changed her mind and we knew that once she insisted on this with Mr. Howard he would not take it kindly to exposing himself as a spectacle to society so I smiled at Joseph who gave me a satisfied smile.

"And when will you marry the earl? I have not even heard the preparations are being made," I tried harder to take off her mask.

"We agreed for the beginning of winter, here at Stanley Hall, in the local church."

"But the local church is so small, it will barely fit anyone you would like to invite, probably only immediate family," I remarked and she stopped eating her food feeling berated.

"What? He did not tell me that," Cynthia spoke.

"Well I guess you never visited the local parish or you would have known, you know they are very welcoming of anyone from Stanley Hall," I pointed out the flaw in her disdain of the locals of Bridgeston.

"Yes I know."

"Oh really so who did you meet when you visited there?"

Cynthia was silenced at last, of course she had not bothered to go into town, she had always preferred to be in the strict company of a certain breeding and except most people had exiled her bad manners which was why Martha and I were the only options for friends that she had when we met. Joseph could barely keep a straight face as she was caught it was obvious we both thought Cynthia was less than the ideal candidate for his father so she turned to talk to Mr. Henry as if to make me jealous not realizing I wanted nothing more than for the both of them to get together and forget about the rest of us.

After dinner Joseph insisted that I sang and when I did Cynthia kept talking to Mr. Howard as if to stop him from looking at me but all he did was shake his head at her and once the song was over they excused themselves as it seemed he had lost his temper with her badgering.

"So you do not like to see them together?" I asked Joseph.

"Of course not, have you seen the way she takes advantage of his goodness, I have put myself against it but he says he is tired of being alone in Stanley Hall. At least when I proposed to the wrong lady I had the decency to ask someone as kind and gracious as you but Cynthia and her constant tearful demands drive me mad. And to think on her as my stepmother? Even Lilly dislikes her and I have never known Lilly to be one to be bothered by someone unless they were truly crooked which is why I will not take the job the Duke offered."

To balance the imperfections of Mr. Howard was impossible yet the people closest to him had nothing but good words to describe him, it was the farthest ones who got the image wrong and it settled my heart to know I was not the only one who counted him righteous.

"The Duke offered you a job?"

"Yes but Lilly believes they will use me for my title and does not want us to be at the disposal of men with too much power," Joseph talked freely and one could tell he had greatly matured since the wedding.

"She is probably right, about everything," I agreed and he poured some more wine for me.

"They say great minds think alike, I have no doubt you and Lilly are one in the same, cheers?"

"Cheers."

"To the marriage of true minds?" He asked and I nodded.

"And true hearts, may no impediment come against," I added and Joseph smiled for it was the same thing I once wished for him and it had come to pass.

"Shall everyone please head into the study?" Mr. Bert came out and asked everyone to be escorted into the other room.

One by one the guests entered the room where a great deal of paintings stood covered while Cynthia soon hung off Mr. Howard's arm as if everything was fine.

"So what do you expect? Genius or madness?" Mr. Henry asked holding on to my arm.

"What is the difference?" I stepped away from Henry knowing someone like him could never see what I saw, or what Mr. Howard saw, because insecurity could never recognize genius in any other human, it could not be humbled, it would not be humbled at the sight of anything more than itself, Cynthia really was perfect for him and I stood anticipating what wonderful part of Mr. Howard would be revealed tonight and soon to the greater London society.

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No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.