When The Rain Falls

Chapter Fourteen

Even though Mrs Marlow would not be serving turbot — a blessing in disguise — supper was still an arduous affair. Father had only had dealings with Mr Marlow, so his conversational skills were latching and it did not take long for Mother to run out of topics. They spoke of the weather, changing fashions, interior design, and even which fruits and vegetables were in season. I drifted in and out of the conversation and even Alice had gone glassy-eyes as the conversation stalled. At least supper with the Seabrooks tended to be a little more thrilling.

Soon, the supper table fell silent. All I could hear was the clinking of cutlery and the sound of my heartbeat in my ears. The situation could not have been more awkward. I knew that if Mr Marlow or Lily were still around, the supper-time conversation would have always been lively. If there was one thing Mr Marlow despised, it was a lull or pause in the conversation. Lily had always been the same.

Under the table, someone gave me a sharp kick to the leg. I looked up at Alice, knowing that she was the culprit, as she had been prone to kicking me when I had long since stopped paying attention. She nudged her head towards Mrs Marlow, who looked at me with a slight raise of her eyebrow. If she had spoken to me, I had not heard a word of it.

"I'm sorry, Mrs Marlow, I must have been daydreaming. What did you say?"

"What are the next steps in your education, Master Nathaniel? I understand that you have been privately tutored at home for most of your life."

"My plan is to attend Cambridge and to study law, when I am ready, of course."

"Law? That is quite the career plan." Mrs Marlow raised an eyebrow and sent a brief glance to Clara.

"Nathaniel has always been one for ambitious plans," Father said. "I hope for him to take over from me once the time comes."

"I do not doubt that he will, Mr Thorpe, but it is nice that the boy has his own prospects in life." Mrs Marlow took a sip from her wine and turned to Alice, who had been lucky to avoid any and all parts of the conversations. "And you, Miss Alice? You are nearing an appropriate age to start looking for suitors, are you not?"

Alice choked on her wine. "Yes, Mrs Marlow, but we are yet to make any plans regarding eligibility."

"Clara is of an appropriate age now, but it is rather hard to find suitable men for her to court. I had planned to form a respectable partnership when she was younger, much like you did with Master Nathaniel and my Lily. Our two families uniting would have done my girls the world of good. My darling Lily would have made such a wonderful match for your Nathaniel, though I am sure any girl would, as he is such a charming young man."

Across the table, Mother and Father exchanged looks. Alice caught my eye and the two of us tried not to show any sort of reaction to the strange comment presented by Mrs Marlow. The plan, according to Father, had always been to unite Lily and me in marriage once we reached the appropriate age. There had never been a formal agreement, and it had only been discussed with the occasional conversation. We were only children when it was discussed, with no real possibility of it ever happening.

Not just that, but Father had warned both Alice and me from mentioning Lily for fear of upsetting Mrs Marlow, but she did not appear the least bit affected. I couldn't help but wonder if there was another motive for her comment. The arrangement had always been planned for me and Lily, but Clara was the same age as Lily and it would make sense for the agreement to go ahead with her instead. I wasn't sure if I liked the idea. At least Lily and I knew each other; I didn't know Clara from Eve.

No one quite knew how to respond to Mrs Marlow's comments and the table fell silent once again. In the silence, my thoughts returned to Rebecca and how she might have been fairing at home. We had been gone for several hours and I could see the sun disappearing through the window. My plan had been to check in on her before bed, but if the supper went on for too long, I would not make it back in time. Alice said she usually went to bed early although she never slept the night.