Victorian, Romance and Jane Austen

Splendor In The Grass

Written for fun for: The Victorian Writing Contest.

Isabella Wentworth sat outside drinking her tea. She was wearing black because her husband had died. She looked out over the meadows with the sheep eating grass. Beautiful flowers grew everywhere. Did she feel sorrow? No. Her husband Vinton Wentworth had cheated on her during their four years of marriage. Their marriage was an arranged one. She had tried to love him. He was drinking and gambling. Luckily, there was still plenty of money for her to live comfortably. She loved their big house that looked like a castle. She had her servants and she was good to them. The servants looked happy because Vinton had died. He was rude to them. He had slapped Isabella a couple of times. Vinton was killed by a man that he had cheated in business but it really had to do with gambling. He was with his latest Mistress and she, too had been killed. She was trying to protect Vinton. Isabella's parents were sorry that they had made her marry him.

Just then her maid Lavina told Isabella that she had a guest.

"I will receive guests." Isabella sighed and put down her tea. She was shocked when her old lover Quentin Ashington walked over to her. He took her hand and kissed it. He grabbed her and hugged her. This was the man that she had wanted to marry but he didn't have the title of Noble like Vinton. He didn't have a title at all. He wasn't part of the ton. He made a descent living at being a lawyer. Recently, he had an uncle who was a duke who had died and left him a big amount of money. She cried in his arms.

"I have missed you, my Darling. I love you still. I always have and always will. I am not sorry that Vinton is dead. You may not know this but the woman he was with, was my wife Minerva. I tried to love her and give her everything but she had affairs with men of the ton. I can't say that I am sorry that my wife is dead and that your husband is, too. They deserved their fate. We are both free. Can we be together now? " He smoothed back Isabella's long blonde hair.

Isabella was speechless. Quentin was more handsome then ever. She looked into his blue eyes that she had always loved and she felt faint. She sat down in her chair and took a deep breath.

"Oh, Quentin, I had a miserable marriage with Vinton. I never forget you. I tried to love him. I truly did. He didn't love me. He never made love to me. Only you got that honor. I cherished every moment of those memories of us making love in the grass these past few years. Vinton ignored me and was never home much. I am not sorry that he died. I know it is too soon but I want to be with you, too. People talk about me and what Vinton did but I will have you and that what is important. I love you, too. I am so glad that you are here."

Quentin and Isabella kissed. They were married and were happy. Talk finally died down and everyone accepted Quentin and he became the richest lawyer around. Isabella felt no guilt because she wasn't the one at fault in her and her first husband's marriage. Splendor in the grass? Yes. Isabella and Quentin had that and more.