“Does your brother ever talks about me, Melody?”
“Sometimes,” lied Miss Fellows.
“He has been so cold to me lately. And when he pays a visit, he spends almost all time talking to George.”
“He is very attached to your brother, Georgia,” Melody tried to justify Ralph. “George is older than he is, so he is more interesting to Ralph, and he can be himself with George.”
“And what do you think about my brother, my friend?” playfully asked Miss Melshem.
“I think of him as your brother,” answered Melody.
“Ah, yes, I remember! Your heart is already taken. But why won’t you tell me who he is?”
“It is too complicated,” confessed Miss Fellows.
“Does he reject you?”
“You can say that too. I have not told him about my feelings though.”
“Why?” Georgia was surprised.
“The thing is that…”
At that moment, Ralph Fellows appeared near the bench where the girls were sitting and greeted Miss Melshem by kissing her hand.
“I am glad to see you, Georgia,” he let fall casually.
“And I you, Mr. Fellows.”
“Your brother is well, I hope?”
“He is,” the guest gave a short answer.
“I am glad to hear it.”
There was a pause, which Melody Fellows had to break, leaving her friend until dinner.
She wandered in the garden for some time and then turned and walked towards the house. Her father was standing at the door sending a servant on some errands. He did not notice his daughter watching him. Suddenly somebody called her name. George Melshem was standing at the gate.
“Good evening, Miss Fellows.”
“Evening, Mr. Melshem,” replied Melody. “My brother is talking with your sister in the bower.”
“I know that my mother and Georgia are visiting you.”
“Ralph mentioned you too today.”
George said nothing in response, just looked at the treetops.
“Please, come in!” offered Miss Fellows. “The countess and your sister are staying for dinner.”
“I think, I’d rather not. I need to see that the smith changes the horseshoes of my father’s horse.”
“Well, then. I dare not delay you, Viscount.”
The young people said goodbye, and Melody came back to the house. On the doorstep, she met with her mother and Countess Melshem. They were discussing something loudly and laughing.
“I have just talked with Mr. Melshem, but he did not wish to stay for dinner, on account of some urgent business in the stables.”
“Yes, he and his father are venturous riders,” confirmed the countess. “Where did you see him?”
“A t the entrance to our estate, near the gate.”
“That is strange. He had not told me that he was going for a walk. Well, let us have dinner!”
And all three ladies laughed. Rebecca’s friend had never been particularly modest, even when she was young.
Chapter II
During the dinner, the hosts and their guests were at ease. However, the Fellowses’ daughter and son did not utter a word, nodding in agreement now and then.
Georgia Melshem stole a glance at the object of her girlish dreams and could not understand why Ralph Fellows slighted her company.
“Master Fellows,” she addressed him, “if you intend to continue ignoring me, I think I will stop visiting Bradby!”
Countess Melshem looked at her daughter with displeasure.
“Forgive me, Miss Melshem,” Ralph said. “From now on I will be more attentive to you.”
“You did not do anything wrong, my dear boy!” Georgia’s mother intervened. “It is just that my daughter is too impatient. Now tell me someone, what are these wonderful meat rolls in the sauce?”
“Those are lamb meatballs in truffle sauce, Countess!” the master of the household said. “They were my idea!”
“Father likes to invent recipes and surprise our guests with delicacies,” commented Melody. “He’s a talented head of the family!”
“Miss Fellows praises her father at every opportunity,” the countess laughed.
“She is right to do so!” Mr. Fellows supported his daughter. “In our family, however strange it may seem, Ralph is closer to his mother and Melody is to me.”
“It is absolutely natural, my dear.” his wife stepped in. “It is the case in many families.”
When the dinner was over after a great amount of pleas and threats Ralph agreed to see the countess and Miss Melshem off to Melshem Hall. A closed gig had been readied, and the coachman happily seated the guests into the salon. Ralph accompanied the ladies on his horse.
After the guests’ departure, Rebecca Fellows went up to her room and decided to go to bed early. Mr. Fellows kissed his wife good night, as he intended to read in the library. Walking out of the bedroom, he bumped into his wife’s maid, who took a step back, looking somewhat strange.
“Is everything all right, Megan?” asked the master.
“Yes, it is, “answered the maid, looking down.
Henry Fellows looked at the servant in surprise, but did not ask any more questions, just told her to put out the lamp as soon as Mrs. Fellows fell asleep.
On the following day, the whole family decided to take a walk and do some shopping in Matlock, so from the early morning the servants had been busy, getting the stroller ready by their masters’ outing after breakfast.
Just before the departure, George Melshem appeared. He stopped near the couple and asked permission to invite Melody to the picnic.
“But I have prepared to go down town with my mother and father!” protested Miss Fellows.
“That is all right, dear,” responded Rebecca. “You can accept our neighbor’s invitation, and we will buy whatever you ask.”
“You give your permission, but Father will not.”
“Why wouldn’t I, my dear?” asked Mr. Fellows.
“But Father!”
“Melody, the viscount rode here specially for you, to say the least! And we shall go to Matlock again at the end of the month.”
“Do you object my company, Miss Fellows?” wondered Mr. Melshem.
“Not at all! I apologize if I have made you think so,” said Melody. “Of course, I will gladly accompany you and Miss Melshem to the picnic.”
The neighbor did not specify that there would be the two of them and the servant on the picnic.
“Georgia is late,” mentioned Miss Fellows, descending from her horse.
“To be honest, she is not going to join us,” admitted George Melshem.
“Why not?”
“You see, I wanted to speak with you alone.”
Melody looked away in embarrassment.
“You shouldn’t have,” she said.
“I shouldn’t have what?”
“Deprived