Chapter 11. Divine Glimpse
“Father… please let me go with Lady Georgiana to London! Please, may I? Oh may I… Papa dear? I do promise I shall be very good and very helpful!” Selina pleaded and giggled with joy at the idea of going shopping in London as she danced around his chair in the downstairs sitting room.
Even he was laughing, seeing her dance around the room in excitement. How seldom it was that he saw her laugh! How could he deny her an extra shopping excursion? She would only pout at the ocean if he didn’t give in.
“Are you certain Lady Georgiana has granted you permission to upset her visit to her sister by inserting yourself into her private reunion with her family?” He asked sternly. No more laughing. He must get to the bottom of this.
“Oh Papa! Really… how you do go on as if I have not had a long talk with Lady Georgiana upon this very matter! Yes, I am quite certain! I would like to have some new dresses Father,” she said, pausing in front of the chair, her hands clasped in hope, practically holding her breath between sentences. “I will be on my very best manners throughout the duration of the entire journey.”
“I can’t understand why you didn’t mention your desire to refurbish your wardrobe when we were just there a few months ago. You won’t pout if she doesn’t give into your every whim and wish?” He demanded to know. Girls were so fickle. Perhaps if she had a mother I wouldn’t constantly be in the dark about what’s going through that head of hers.
“Oh no, Father! I won’t pout!” She promised.
“Well, I’ll have to speak with her privately to see if this is an imposition to have you along on a personal family visit. I can’t be sure she is telling you what you want to hear to win your affection or if she is genuinely willing to bring along an extra charge.”
“All right Father, but I’m certain she shall say yes,” Lady Selina said, with as much hope shining through sparkling eyes as with her joyful voice.
“Just the same, I shall decide if you are to accompany her, regardless of the answer I receive from the governess.”
“Yes, Papa,” she said, leaning down to kiss him on one cheek.
“Run along now! I want to read this book in peace and I’m hiding in here from Maddie Muffin. She’s it you know.”
“Why is that?”
“We’re playing ‘hide and seek,’” he said, holding a finger up to his lips to silence her.
“Ahhh!” she whispered, clasping her arms behind her back. “All right then, I will be on my merry way. And I’m not a charge, Papa. I’m a grown woman now, a fine lady, with impeccable manners. I shan’t tell a soul that you’re hiding in here…
“Impeccable pouting ability you mean… now out, out with you… or they’ll find me in here and then I won’t get to read my book in peace. I’ll be on a mission of finding them if they find me!” He nodded, shooing her away towards the door and out of the room with a motion of his hands and an amused smile. He was thinking how very grown up she did seem to him, and that all ladies seemed to have impeccable pouting ability. He hadn’t seen her this happy about anything in a very long time.
As Selina slid out of the door and out into the great foyer with the three story ceiling and grand staircase, Madalene popped out from the direction of the conservatory. “Is Papa in there?” she asked.
“Looking for Papa? In there?” Pointing to the door she closed behind her and shaking her head, “No, I haven’t seen him, but you might want to look upstairs.” Selina said in a voice loud enough that Father could hear her.
“Oh, all right… see you later Selina!” Madalene bounded up the stairs, nearly bounding directly into Molly and Laura as they each carried a tea tray down to the kitchen house.
Father was shaking his head and chuckling; finally, a moment of peace to read his book.
On Sunday, it was decided they would ride by open carriage to attend the parish service. Lord Edwards, Madalene and Lady Margaret sat on a seat together facing Lady Georgiana, Edmund and Selina on the other. Once they filed into the church, they took up an entire pew near the front row, where the Earl’s family always sat. The church had a vaulted ceiling, a balcony, stained glass windows, stone walls and floor tiles, mahogany pews and trim throughout. Lord Edwards waited at the end of the pew in the middle of the aisle until his entire household was seated, Georgiana filing in last wearing her peach gown and a peach trimmed poke bonnet, and then he seated himself beside her. She could barely breathe for being so close to him during the service. It seemed her heart was beating so loudly that everyone could hear it. It wasn’t until Madalene leaned her blond curls and linen bonnet against her arm that she began to relax against the adoration of the child beside her.
They sang three hymns and collected an offering. Somewhere between the first and second hymn, she thought she saw Lady Selina take notice from the far end of the pew as she looked over her shoulder at someone coming in the church. Georgiana glanced over her shoulder quickly and saw the beautiful Lady Juliana enter the church with mother and father, taking a seat in the middle on the other side of the aisle. Whatever your will is Father, I am your servant.
The sermon rather amazed her as the vicar stood up behind a beautiful pulpit polished to a fine sheen and expounded details and conclusions from the book of Ruth. As he spoke of the Moabitess woman who had followed her mother-in-law back to her homeland in Israel, her hands began to tremble. She had to clasp them tightly in her lap as the vicar went on to describe how Ruth followed the instruction of her mother-in-law and after having lain at the feet of Boaz, married him, eventually becoming an ancestor of Jesus, Savior of the world.
What must be going through Lord Edwards mind? She dare not look him in the eye. Was this the way the Lord was answering her prayer of confirming to her what was about to happen in her own life? Had she not asked God to reveal to her what His plan was?
The effect of the sermon was not lost on Nathaniel Brook Edwards the Third. As the vicar described how the wealthy Boaz had dutifully provided for Ruth, allowing her to glean in his fields, his heart stirred deeply within as he considered how stark the parallels were from the story of Ruth to the situation of the Ladies Colton in the care and grace of his own benevolence. The parallels were uncanny. Surely this was no coincidence. This was God himself speaking to him. This was providence indeed! Was he indeed to marry Lady Georgiana? Could she hear his heart beating and see the sweat trickle from his brow? He wished he could loosen the layers of the white cravat at his throat with the folds cascading down the front of his long, dark coat. He dare not look in the direction of the lady seated to his right nor meet her eyes with his own.
They were standing now, and Lady Georgiana was holding a sleepy Madalene on her hips, her weary head resting on her shoulder. How it reminded him of his Abigail. How very long it had been since he had enjoyed the pleasure of a family, complete in every way. The least he could do was hold the hymnal open for Georgiana as he knew how heavy Madalene could be after falling asleep. Several of the former governesses in his employ might have harshly shaken the child out of her sleep and reprimanded her. Not Lady Georgiana; she swayed gently and held the child as a mother would.
Though it might have been well known to her and though he knew it had been circulating Anglican churches since 1775, the Earl held the hymnal open for her to Augustus Toplady’s “Rock of Ages.”
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure.
2. Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
3. Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace;
 
; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
4. While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown, And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.¹
As the benediction prayer was bestowed upon the congregation he saw no way to avoid the introduction of Lady Juliana to the Ladies Colton. He also wondered at himself for thinking of how he might avoid or delay the meeting.
The benediction had finished and Lady Juliana and her parents caught the Edwards family procession in the middle of the aisle as they progressed to exit the service. He tried to appear normal and paused to make the necessary introductions.
“Lady Juliana, Lord Barrington, Lady Amber Barrington,” he nodded warmly and in as friendly a tone as he thought might prevent the ladies from starting out on the wrong foot, “if I may introduce to you our new governess and companion for the children, the Ladies Colton. Lord Barrington is the Viscount of Rosewood Manor.”
“Ah yes, you did mention they were settling in!” Lady Juliana Barrington said above the throng of church-goers emptying into the middle aisle as she clasped her hands into the crook of the Earl’s elbow. “How lovely it is to finally meet you both!”
“Yes, yes, we are pleased to meet you both. Welcome to our community!” Lord Barrington said heartily, his top hat in his hand.
Lady Margaret was fanning herself with her lace fan but she lowered it and nodded warmly, “‘Tis a pleasure to meet each of you.” Georgiana nodded slightly being careful not to disturb Madalene.
Juliana whispered something to the Earl who bent down to hear her speak before the Ladies Colton could recover from a nodding hello and take up the conversation that ensued with the elder Barringtons. The
¹ https://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/EarlyEnglishHymns.html
From La Vista Church of Christ website, “Studies in Hymns, The Young Person’s Guide to the Hymnbook”
Earl straightened up again and looking at Edmund, “Help Lady Georgiana and Lady Margaret to the carriage, Edmund. I’ll just be a moment.”
“Yes, Father.”
There was no further opportunity to speak to Juliana as Nathaniel quickly turned toward the door and the families all followed, Juliana still hooked to his arm, rather forwardly.
“We are looking forward to the trip to the seaside with our two families,” Amber, Lady Barrington, said to Margaret, Lady Colton.
“We are as well, though I’m afraid Lady Georgiana will be in London,” Margaret, Lady Colton, replied as she lowered her black veil and grasping her cane firmly with one hand, raised her gown a few inches from the ground with her other hand to make it down the church steps. Georgiana was aware of Edmund lingering close behind her mother-in-law to watch her footing.
“Such a shame to miss the ocean…” Amber, Lady Barrington said. Turning to the vicar with her husband, “A fine sermon and one of my favorite books in the Bible…” Then as they descended the steps she looked over her shoulder and tossed a greeting out, “how are you this fine morn’ Lady Selina?”
“Fine, thank you,” Selina replied as she tilted her chin and proudly followed the ladies and Edmund down the church steps. She was not overly friendly toward Juliana and so she said nothing to encourage further conversation with the Barringtons, though they were neighbors. Lady Barrington did not seem to notice.
As they made their way out of the door, chatting with Lord Barrington and Amber, Lady Barrington, about the good weather and the sermon, Madalene was growing heavy in Georgiana’s arms. It was all she could do to make it to the carriage.
As they drew near the carriage, the Earl had managed to slip away from Lady Juliana in time to take Madalene into his arms to offer Georgiana the relief he knew she needed and assist his family into the carriage. Their eyes met and he could tell by her gentle smile that she was thankful and understanding of his predicament. Assistance from a footman in full livery was also readily available and before she knew it, they were all settled in the carriage. Madalene had stirred when her father had transferred her to his own shoulder and then burrowed deeper into his arms. The Earl signaled the driver and the carriage pulled away without a backwards glance to the supper of stew and buttermilk biscuits Mrs. Sarah Foster had prepared for them back at Wellbrook Hall. Today was her day off and she would have prepared it lovingly the night before. The kitchen maid, Jenny, would see to it that the stew and biscuits was warmed properly. The Earl was careful to be sure each servant on staff enjoyed a day and a half day off; most had Sundays to enjoy, so the household would run with a slim staff for the day. Most of the servants attended Sunday services with the Earl and his family, walking into the village separately. If weather was poor, the Earl often gave them use of one or more of the wagons to ride into the village but as they did on that particular day, most preferred to walk and enjoy the scenery of the countryside.
After supper, Lady Margaret and the children retired to take customary Sunday afternoon naps. As Simon cleared the table, Nathaniel leaned forward and said to Georgiana, “Would you care to take a turn in the garden with me? I’d like to thank you for your gracious invitation to allow Selina to accompany you to London. She’s never had anyone take a strong interest in looking after the needs of her wardrobe other than Briggs since her mother passed on to heaven.”
“Certainly, I would be delighted. Fresh air sounds wonderful on a beautiful day such as this,” she replied, her eyes brightening at the suggestion of a walk in the garden.
He kept his pace in the garden slower to match hers. When they had walked a little further into the garden, following the brick paths, he began his discourse carefully on the subject of his concern. “Are you quite certain she won’t be a nuisance to your plans? Please do tell me the truth. It’s not too late for me to insist that she does not abandon what may be the only family respite we may have for some time to come.”
“It is no trouble, my Lord. I am delighted to have company on my journey! Somehow, it makes me less apprehensive and more adventurous.”
“Well, then, if you are sure…’
“I thought it would actually help her. She is nearly ready to be presented at court… perhaps we can accomplish some of the shopping we will need to do to prepare her for her coming out ball as well as attend to the needs I have.” This is my chance to prepare as fine a trousseau as possible…
“I would be forever indebted to you,” he said, his hands clasped behind his back as they walked.
“That is a suitable arrangement then indeed.” She remarked. By allowing her to go to London, he was rescuing her from two weeks spent with Lady Juliana in a most uncomfortable situation. She would finally be able to visit her sister and he had just agreed to give her an opportunity to bond with Selina. Not to mention, she needed to apply faith by acting upon her belief that the Lord would eventually give her a whole new life. She would not have to sit on the shelf and become a relic of antiquity in the prime of her youth. By purchasing a trousseau, she was definitely acting upon her faith. She had just read in her Bible a number of verses about faith in the past few weeks… faith without works is dead. And the just shall live by faith… Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… and that other verse… it is impossible to please the Lord without faith. Did the Earl have any idea just how much of a rescue this was to her?
There he was, laughing again with her. How was it she could make him laugh so often and feel as if his heart was floating on a cloud? She had such a comfortable, easy manner. He did so like her forthrightness.
“Spare no expense,” he commanded, stopping in the middle of the garden. “Whatever you need, and whatever she needs, I will cover the cost. I will give you a letter to present to any proprietor so that any items you purchase will be put in my name on my account.”
“But…” She had planned to use s
ome of her stipend…
“No, you must understand.” He placed both of his hands on her slim shoulders, gently; just enough to have her full attention and look at her squarely. “I insist. You do not know how it grieves me that I am not able to do for her the things her mother would have done. There is no amount that can repay you for doing this for her, for me.”
“It is my pleasure, my Lord.” She was trembling a little, beginning to understand the importance of this to the man before her, the loving and considerate father before her. Briefly, she wondered if her own father and mother would have been like this toward her if the smallpox had not claimed their lives so early. She could only do her best with regard to Selina and trust the rest to the Lord.
The rest of the day passed comfortably and uneventfully with the exception of what Lady Georgiana wrote in her diary before bed:
“I’m certain I caught the Earl looking at me throughout the evening, as though he were studying me with a great intensity, the likes of which I cannot recall except for distant memories of my beloved Benjamin doing the same. The sermon today, as with any great moment in which we feel strongly that we are being led through a divine encounter with our Lord… surely must have given us both great pause for thought and seems to demand a response.”
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Psalm 68:19, Authorized King James Version