Love Comes in Three

Chapter Twenty-Three "Faith's Note"

            The next morning I awoke to find that I still had the violets cupped in my hand. I brought the soft petals to my nose to breathe in their sweet smell, completely lost in my thoughts to realize that my bedmate was not there. It wasn't until Patience's disturbed knocking made me stash the flowers in my nightstand, "Come in," I called.

            "Did she tell you anything?" were the first words out of Patience's mouth.

            "Did who tell me anything?"

            "Faith!" she bellowed as she ran to the wardrobe and opened the doors, "She's gone. She left in the night, Margaret!" I stumbled out of bed and looked around the room. Nothing had changed since I went to bed last night. "If you know something, you must tell me!" Patience gave me a little shake, "Did she tell you anything?"

            "I'm sorry, Patience, but I have not seen Faith since before tea yesterday."

            "Oh my," she started trembling, "what am I going to do?"

            "Please sit," I said moving her to the chair, "let me get dressed and then we will see Lord Edgehill. I am sure he will be able to help us find her."

            "Oh, we cannot tell them that she's run off," Patience gripped the arms of the chair, "what if she brings scandal? It could ruin your chances . . . "

            "Good Lord, Patience, she's your sister!" I shrieked, "Faith would not run off with good cause and I am certain that it will not be scandalous." I quickly changed into a morning dress, "Now if you do not notify Lord and Lady Edgehill, then I will." She sat there shaking and thinking so I left quickly to find Lord Edgehill.

            "Wait, Margaret!" she called after me but I was already nearing the bottom of the stairs.

            "What is all of this bellowing?" Lady Edgehill demanded as rushed to the stairs, Lord Edgehill was following her with a muffin between his teeth as he pulled on a jacket.

            "Miss Stanhope is missing," I said between breaths, "I have not seen her since before tea yesterday and her sister cannot find her either."

            "She is not missing," Lady Edgehill spoke deliberately, "she did leave, but she is not missing."

            Soon after that Patience was coming down the stairs, "You know where my sister is?"

            "Last evening she came to us," she gestured to herself and Lord Edgehill, "and requested the use of a carriage as well as a lady's maid."

            "Whatever for?" Patience panted as she followed the Edgehills into the dining room.

            "She explained that she needed to get to her brother as soon as possible. That it was a matter of great importance," she explained resuming her meal.

            I thought to myself of the last words I had shared with Faith and then I recalled when Lady Edgehill said that she and Patience had gone off to talk, "Excuse me," I breathed and ran up to my room. I ran as fast as I could, I nearly fell when I got to my nightstand. When I opened it I saw the bunch of violets next to Percival's handkerchief, and a letter.

Forgive me, Margaret. But I cannot stand by and let Patience do this to you as well as Percival. I am leaving tonight with a chaperone to find him. I have taken the cameo as well as your letter to your brother. I will send it as soon as I am able. I intend to return to the Edgehills with Percival. I pray that it will not be too late.

Your friend,

Faith

            I was trembling as I read her words, "Faith," I breathed as a winded Patience broke my doorway.

            "What? What is it?" she gasped as she fell into the chair at my dressing table.

            "You . . . " I barely managed to whisper, "She's left because of you, Patience." I stood and thrust the letter into her hands.

            "How dare you!"

            "How dare I?" my voice sounded odd to my ears, "What have I done to warrant anything that you have inflicted upon me, Patience? I have never done a thing to cross you . . . "

            "Don't lie to me," she stood up and let the letter drop, "I know you far more than you think!" she was angrily pacing, "You put on a lovely show of being the young and naive beauty, but within you beats the heart of shark!"

            I was flabbergasted, "What are you going on about?"

            "My brother," she stifled a sniffle, "you went after him the moment he stepped over the threshold."

            "Patience, I . . . "

            "You used your wiles to ensnare him! Don't deny it!" her eyes were full of rage as she glared at me, "You even got him to give you a cameo! Just like our father had given to our mother . . . and then if it was not enough to have him at your mercy while he free from his orders, you made him believe that he wanted to marry you!"

            My legs were not able to keep me standing and I dropped to the bed, "Patience, I have no idea what you're saying . . . yes, he gave me the cameo . . . but . . . we have no attachment."

            She stood tall and blinked many times trying to clear the tears that were forming, "I made sure there was no attachment."

            My stomach plummeted, "How?" I could hardly look at her but I had to know. "Tell me, how."

            "I intercepted a letter," she swallowed loudly, "by keeping it from you I hoped that he would come to his senses and return to duty."

            "I would not keep him from his commission," I breathed feeling the sting of tears on my cheek.

            "But I had to be sure," she dared try to regain her dignity by straightening up and lifting her chin, "if he did not get a reply he could only assume that you do not care for him and go back to the Royal Navy."

            "But Patience," I cried, "I do care for him . . . I do," I wept freely.

            "It does not matter now," she said lowly, "I am sure that he has taken new orders and you are to marry Thomas Edgehill." She straightened out her dress and used the tissues on my dressing table to clean her face.

            "Why? Why do you hate me so, Patience?" I sobbed as I stretched across the bed.

            "I do not hate you, Margaret," she sighed, "I just love my brother more." She closed the door behind her and I heard her speak with someone telling them that I was not well and should be confined to my room for the day. The only person I saw from then on was Clara as she would come to check on me and bring me my meals. I spent the morning and a good part of the afternoon crying and looking out the window whenever I heard a carriage. No carriage stopped here and I stayed in my room trying to make sense of what Patience told me.