or Sarah. She led the Earl along paths that even he had forgotten from his youth.
She became his eyes, describing the giant elms and oaks and the changing colours of their leaves. She described the mist on the highest mountain crags and the shapes of clouds.
One day they found themselves beside the moat.
Falteringly, Jacina described the sun glinting on the water and on the snowy plumes of the swans. She could not bring herself to ask the Earl whether he remembered the bonnet bobbing along on the moat's surface all those years ago.
The Earl noticed the tremor in her voice.
"What is here that you do not wish to describe to me?" he asked.
"N-nothing, my Lord," cried Jacina.
"You must not hide anything unpleasant from me," the Earl said. "Do you see the carcase of some animal or the feathers of a bird? Is there evidence of poaching?"
"There is not, my Lord."
"Then what is it that is so affects you?" the Earl persisted.
Jacina hung her head. "It is just – I see – something – from the past.'
"Something from the past?"
"On the moat."
The Earl looked bemused. "What is it?"
"A – b-bonnet, my Lord."
'There,' thought Jacina. 'It is out. Now he can laugh at me for remembering it so clearly all these years.'
The Earl did not laugh, though a faint smile touched his lips.
"A bonnet?" he repeated. "A bonnet with a blue ribbon that trailed in the water behind it? A very bestbonnet?"
Jacina gasped. "You – remember – my Lord?"
"I remember the incident and the spirited little girl," said the Earl. "What a fool I am for not remembering her name, or that she was the doctor's daughter! Please forgive me. So much has happened in the years since to erase even the most pleasant memory."
He paused and then reached for her. Taking her gently by the shoulders he turned her to him as if he was able to look at her face. His eyes, blind though they were, seemed to burn into hers. She found herself lowering her gaze.
"Now my mind can put a face to your voice," he murmured.
"I am much – changed – my Lord," said Jacina.
"What?" laughed the Earl. "You do not still have green eyes and golden hair with a hint of red?"
"I – I do, my Lord. But I was a child then. I am a-a woman now."
The Earl dropped his hands from her shoulders as suddenly as if they had been scalded.
"Of course," he said. "You are a woman now. Come, let us turn back."
The swans amid the reeds watched as Jacina led the Earl away.
*
The weather changed the very next morning. The horses bringing Jacina to the castle splashed through great puddles. Jarrold rushed out with an umbrella to hold over her as she ascended the castle steps.
The newspaper that morning reported an outbreak of cholera in the city of Edinburgh. The Earl was troubled. His own parents had died of typhoid when he was a boy and he had since witnessed the ravages of such diseases in India.
"We have not been exposed to either typhoid or cholera here at Ruvensford within my memory," Jacina told him.
"Long may it remain so," declared the Earl.
He asked Jacina about the local families, those who were tenants on his land. Jacina knew many of them from accompanying her father on his rounds. She described their lives and their troubles to the Earl. He was struck by her compassion for those less fortunate than herself.
The Earl gradually began to confide more and more in Jacina.
He never talked about his experience of the mutiny, but he described other aspects of his life in India. She enjoyed hearing about the landscape and the customs of the people.
"The men are dark and handsome," he said. "The women wear bright colours and are like exotic birds."
Jacina felt a pang of jealousy. The Earl had admired the beauty of those women in a way that he would never, could never, admire Jacina.
She wondered about the English women attached to the regiment.
As if he read her thoughts, the Earl continued.
"Mostly we mixed only with the wives and daughters
and sisters of the regiment. They
She became his eyes, describing the giant elms and oaks and the changing colours of their leaves. She described the mist on the highest mountain crags and the shapes of clouds.
One day they found themselves beside the moat.
Falteringly, Jacina described the sun glinting on the water and on the snowy plumes of the swans. She could not bring herself to ask the Earl whether he remembered the bonnet bobbing along on the moat's surface all those years ago.
The Earl noticed the tremor in her voice.
"What is here that you do not wish to describe to me?" he asked.
"N-nothing, my Lord," cried Jacina.
"You must not hide anything unpleasant from me," the Earl said. "Do you see the carcase of some animal or the feathers of a bird? Is there evidence of poaching?"
"There is not, my Lord."
"Then what is it that is so affects you?" the Earl persisted.
Jacina hung her head. "It is just – I see – something – from the past.'
"Something from the past?"
"On the moat."
The Earl looked bemused. "What is it?"
"A – b-bonnet, my Lord."
'There,' thought Jacina. 'It is out. Now he can laugh at me for remembering it so clearly all these years.'
The Earl did not laugh, though a faint smile touched his lips.
"A bonnet?" he repeated. "A bonnet with a blue ribbon that trailed in the water behind it? A very bestbonnet?"
Jacina gasped. "You – remember – my Lord?"
"I remember the incident and the spirited little girl," said the Earl. "What a fool I am for not remembering her name, or that she was the doctor's daughter! Please forgive me. So much has happened in the years since to erase even the most pleasant memory."
He paused and then reached for her. Taking her gently by the shoulders he turned her to him as if he was able to look at her face. His eyes, blind though they were, seemed to burn into hers. She found herself lowering her gaze.
"Now my mind can put a face to your voice," he murmured.
"I am much – changed – my Lord," said Jacina.
"What?" laughed the Earl. "You do not still have green eyes and golden hair with a hint of red?"
"I – I do, my Lord. But I was a child then. I am a-a woman now."
The Earl dropped his hands from her shoulders as suddenly as if they had been scalded.
"Of course," he said. "You are a woman now. Come, let us turn back."
The swans amid the reeds watched as Jacina led the Earl away.
*
The weather changed the very next morning. The horses bringing Jacina to the castle splashed through great puddles. Jarrold rushed out with an umbrella to hold over her as she ascended the castle steps.
The newspaper that morning reported an outbreak of cholera in the city of Edinburgh. The Earl was troubled. His own parents had died of typhoid when he was a boy and he had since witnessed the ravages of such diseases in India.
"We have not been exposed to either typhoid or cholera here at Ruvensford within my memory," Jacina told him.
"Long may it remain so," declared the Earl.
He asked Jacina about the local families, those who were tenants on his land. Jacina knew many of them from accompanying her father on his rounds. She described their lives and their troubles to the Earl. He was struck by her compassion for those less fortunate than herself.
The Earl gradually began to confide more and more in Jacina.
He never talked about his experience of the mutiny, but he described other aspects of his life in India. She enjoyed hearing about the landscape and the customs of the people.
"The men are dark and handsome," he said. "The women wear bright colours and are like exotic birds."
Jacina felt a pang of jealousy. The Earl had admired the beauty of those women in a way that he would never, could never, admire Jacina.
She wondered about the English women attached to the regiment.
As if he read her thoughts, the Earl continued.
"Mostly we mixed only with the wives and daughters
and sisters of the regiment. They
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