The Folly by Irina Shapiro Page A

just barely make out the outline of the folly on the shore of the rain-swollen lake.  It had been raining non-stop for several days, causing Henry to take to his bed with a cold after he got soaked coming home from the village on horseback.   The house was quiet as a tomb , and Elizabeth looked around in dismay , desperate for something to occupy her time.  She had tried reading, but found herself unable to concentrate , and the thought of needlepoint made her kick her work basket in frustration. 
    Elizabeth turned away from the window as she heard footsteps echoing on the parquet floor.  It could only be Jeremy, since Henry was abed and she tried not to look too eager as he walked into the room. 
    “Good morning, Elizabeth.  I hear Father is still unwell.”  Jeremy leaned against the cold fireplace, giving Elizabeth a lazy smile. 
    “I checked on him this morning and he seems to be feeling better.  He ’ s still upset with me, I ’ m afraid.”  Henry did not take kindly to Elizabeth refusing to return to London with Rosamunde.  Normally, she would have jumped at the chance, but the thought of leaving Jeremy held her back.  Leaving Jeremy and Henry alone together for any length of time was sure to drive Jeremy away , and the thought of losing him made Elizabeth’s stomach clench with anxiety.  “I must admit, this weather makes me feel very melancholy.” 
    “You remind me of my mother.  She hated rainy days.  She would just wander from room to room.  Sometimes, when she was particularly sad, she would tell me stories of her life in London before she met Father, but he didn’t like that.  She was a famous actress, you know.  That was my father’s shameful secret – - he married for love.  As you might imagine, the ladies of the parish didn ’ t welcome her with open arms when my father brought her here.  It was quite the scandal.”  Jeremy smiled, amused my Elizabeth’s surprise.  “He never told you, did he?  Actually, my family has a very scandalous past, which I ’ m sure my father never mentioned.” 
    Elizabeth settled herself on a fainting couch across from Jeremy.  Henry never told her anything of his first wife , and she knew very little of the family she married into.  Other than Rosamunde, there were no relatives.  There was a distant cousin somewhere in Yorkshire, but Henry never mentioned him either.  “I love a juicy scandal.  Tell me more , dear Captain, ” she said saucily, smiling up at him.
    “All right, but don’t tell Father,” Jeremy answered, grinning .  “When I was a boy, I used to sneak down to the kitchen on rainy days after I was done with my lessons.  We had a different cook then.  Her name was Mrs. Reynolds and her family has lived in these parts for centuries.  She must have been in her mid-forties, but she seemed quite old to me at the time.  She was a kind woman , and never asked me to leave or complained to my tutor.  I would sit down at the table with a hot bun and a glass of milk , and she would tell me stories while she went about her work.  She told me things that I would never have learned otherwise, like the fact that my mother had been an actress.  It was only after I confronted Mother that she admitted to the truth.  Father forbade her to tell me.”
    “I can’t imagine why,” said Elizabeth with mock innocence .  She wondered what Henry’s reaction would be if she asked him about his late wife’s past.  “Were there other scandals?” 
    “Oh, yes , but I ’ m not sure I should divulge them all at once.”  Elizabeth knew he was teasing her and refused to give up.  “Since I have married into this scandalous family, I think I have a right to know about the skeletons in the cupboard .   If you don’t tell me, I ’ ll just have to find out for myself.”
    Jeremy pretended to look exasperated, but then settled down on a sofa across from her, ready to tell her the story.  “ I ’ m not sure if you are aware,