Will You Love Me in September

Hessenfield is in trouble too. By gad, Clarissa, you were in the very heart of it up there.”

"Thank God she got away," said Damaris.

I longed to know what had happened to Dickon. I must find out. I was anxious about my uncle Hessenfield. I had grown fond of him.

Lance arrived. He said he had come to see me. He spent a long time talking to Uncle Carl, but it was Lance himself who broke the news to me.

He asked me to walk in the gardens with him. It was warmish for February and he remarked that there was a sniff of spring in the air.

I soon discovered why he had come. "Clarissa," he said, "this is going to be sad for you, but I think you should know.”

I whispered, "It's Dickon ... isn't it?”

"He's here ... in London.”

I caught my breath. "Can I ... ?”

He shook his head. "He's one of the prisoners. He was taken with his uncle. There's no hope for them. They'll all be condemned as traitors.”

"But he is only young and ...”

"He was old enough to fight against the King's troops.”

I caught his arm and looked up at him pleadingly. "Something can be done ... something must be done. Remember, he saved my life-”

"I do remember that. If I could do anything, I would. But they are doomed, all of them. People cannot commit treason against the King and be allowed to escape punishment.”

"Dickon is different.”

"I know Dickon is different for you, Clarissa. But not to His Majesty's judges. I wondered whether to tell you that this is about to happen ... or to have said nothing.”

"No, no. I want to know what happens to him. Lance, could you take me to him?”

"That is quite impossible.”

"Could you not do something?”

Lance bit his lip as though considering, and my hopes rose.

"Lance," I cried, "you could do something. I know you could. You can do it-if anyone could.”

"You have too high an opinion of my powers. There is nothing I can do. Your uncle Carl is in a high position in the army ...”

"I will ask him," I cried. "And he is here now.”

"Don't let him think ...”

"What do you mean?”

"It would be a good idea if you gave the impression that you wanted to save this young man's life because he probably saved yours. If there was anything that your uncle Carl would call 'romantic nonsense' he would be less inclined to save Dickon.

The last thing Carl or any of your family would want is an alliance with a disgraced Jacobite family. Perhaps it would be better if I spoke to him.”

"No, no. I want to be there.”

''Very well," said Lance, "but be careful.”

Uncle Carl listened thoughtfully.

You see, Uncle," I said, keeping a curb on my emotions, "he ,, my life. I feel for that reason we ought to do something for "It's true, of course," Lance added his voice to mine. "Is there anything you could do?”

"I should not think so for one moment," replied my uncle.

"But," persisted Lance, "it is worth a try.”

"I should have to go to London.”

"I'll come with you," said Lance.

I loved Lance in that moment. He had made my cause his. He understood how I felt and he was on my side. I felt optimistic because of his support.

"We could leave tomorrow. They're getting a fair trial.”

"A word from you might make a difference. After all, there is his youth.”

"I doubt that will be considered," said Uncle Carl. "Anyone who is old enough to fight is old enough to pay the penalty for treason to the King.”

"Well, we can try," said Lance.

I could see that Uncle Carl thought it was a lost cause, and although Dickon had saved me he was not eager to make the journey to London for his sake. But Lance persuaded him. There was something good and kind about Lance. I had seen it when he spoke up for the coach people who were about to be denied their dinner. He could put himself in other people's places and see from their points of view. It was a rare gift, and most people who had it were too selfish to do anything about it.

The next morning Lance and Uncle Carl left for London. I wished that I could have gone with them, but Lance said they would be quicker without me, and they must get there before the trial started.

I want to forget the days which followed. They were some of the most wretched I had known up to that time.

I was desperately afraid, for I had gathered from Lance's attitude that there was very little hope. I waited every day for news. I could not eat; I could not sleep; and Damaris was worried about me.

"My dear Clarissa," she said, "you must not fret so. It's true he saved you, but he must have gone back to fight with them.”

"He believed it was right," I cried. "Don't you know what it means to believe in something!”

There was no comfort anywhere, and for a whole week I fretted.

"You'll be ill if you go on like this," said Damaris.

At last Lance came alone for Uncle Carl was kept hard at work in London. I knew as soon as I saw Lance's face that all was not well.

"Lance ... Lance ..." I cried, flinging myself into his arms. He held me tightly for some seconds. Then I wrenched myself free and looked full at him.

"Tell me," I begged. "Tell me the truth.”

"He is not to be executed. We managed to avert that.”