Page 24 of What Change Entails

“They ought to try harder.”

Mr. Gardiner grinned from beside his wife and folded his newspaper. “I confess I have never before encountered a young lady at war with the sky.”

Lydia crossed her arms. “The sky began it.”

Elizabeth turned one page with maddening calm.

Lydia narrowed her eyes. For two weeks she had maintained what she considered a highly dignified resentment. She spoke to Elizabeth when required by politeness and ignored her whenever possible. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was entirely capable of surviving such treatment.

It was deeply unsatisfactory.

The carriage lurched over a rut in the road. Lydia grabbed the strap above the window with a squeak while Mr. Gardiner steadied the basket at his feet before it overturned.

“Wretched road,” Lydia muttered.

“It improves nearer the town,” Mrs. Gardiner replied.

“You have said that since breakfast.”

Her aunt was unaffected by the petulance. “And I remain optimistic despite your efforts.”

Lydia huffed and leaned her head against the carriage wall.

Outside, the countryside rolled past in damp green stretches interrupted by hedgerows, grazing sheep, and occasional cottages that all appeared occupied by people with very little interest in assemblies. Hertfordshire had already begun to feel far away. The accents changed from town to town. The roads climbed more often. Even the air smelled different whenever they descended from the carriage at posting inns—cooler somehow, touched with rain and distant fields.

Lydia had intended to hate every moment of the journey.

This had proven difficult almost instantly.

The inns were amusing. People stared. Once, on the second evening, a young gentleman had bowed to her in the supper room and nearly upset his wine while attempting to continue staring afterward. Another innkeeper’s son had offered to carry her trunk and blushed so violently when she thanked him that Kitty would certainly have laughed herself ill.

Lydia had not mentioned either occurrence to Elizabeth. Some victories must remain private. Still, Brighton would have been better.

“There are no officers anywhere north of Hertfordshire,” she declared mournfully.

Mr. Gardiner peered through the carriage window, searching the landscape for evidence. “That is alarming news. We must inform the army.”

Mrs. Gardiner’s mouth twitched.

Lydia ignored them both. “I have not seen one proper regiment since we departed.”

“You saw three officers outside the inn at Leicester,” Elizabeth replied without looking up from her book.

“They hardly count.”

Elizabeth lowered the book slightly. “Because they did not admire you sufficiently?”

Lydia sat upright. “One did admire me.”

“He asked whether the seat beside the fire was occupied.”

Elizabeth frowned.

“That was the beginning of admiration.”

Mr. Gardiner coughed into his hand to disguise a laugh.

Elizabeth resumed her reading serenely.