Caleb looked up. His friend was impressed by his wife – he’d never paused to consider what his best friend’s opinion of her was. In secret, they had light-heartedly jested about Lady Lucinda Fairfax’s lack of personality and what a shame it was that she was so pretty; how it was a form of trickery and Albert had once sworn he could not allow Caleb to marry a woman so dull.
‘She is not dull, is she?’ Caleb managed a smile.
‘As far from dull as it is possible to reach!’ Albert laughed, catching on to their shared joke.
Caleb finished his glass of brandy and placed his hands on his thighs, making to leave.
‘Thank you for your words of wisdom, Albert – truly. They moved me and struck certain authenticity. I appreciate you, dear friend.’ Caleb went to stand.
‘You are shaking,’ Albert observed. ‘Here, let me pour you another…’
‘No,’ Caleb declined. ‘I have a life to figure out – I’ll need a clear head.’
Albert’s eyes smiled with approval.
‘I have a love worth fighting for, do I not?’ Caleb asked, puffing out his chest.
‘You certainly do, good man! You certainly do!’
As Caleb jogged down the steps of the Dutton town-house front steps, the cool, fresh night air beckoned to him with new possibilities. He gazed down the deserted London thoroughfare, where the glow of the moon reflected upon the damp, shadowy cobblestones, hinting at the prospect of opportunity. Hannah had been so brave – now it was his turn.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Caleb sat rigidly at the head of the table as the staff set about pouring coffee and serving pastries. He glared at his mother across the breakfast table and she avoided his eye.
‘Thank you,’ Caleb addressed the staff. ‘Leave us, please.’
He waited until the last person had scurried out the door before holding aloft the scandal sheet; his jaw clenched and his fingers tightening around the paper.
‘Have you seen this?’ Caleb demanded of his mother, his anger barely repressed.
Anne raised an eyebrow disinterestedly and Emmeline looked worriedly between the two of them.
‘You are the Dowager Duchess. It is your duty to uphold our family name and to honour our social status. In your determined, misguided attempt at petty revenge, you have ruined us!’ Caleb accused.
Caleb held up the scandal sheet, showing the lurid headlineDisgraced Duchess of Montwood poses as Male Artist.
‘You do not seem to realise that you cannot disgrace Hannah without disparagingus all?’
Anne’s mouth dropped open at this accusation, as though she had never considered the fact that she was hurting her own family. Her face paled and her usual composure cracked as the reality of her actions dawned on her. Anne’s eyes darted between the paper and her son's face, rendered speechless for the first time.
Caleb slammed the paper down onto the breakfast table, making his mother and sister jump.
‘This would never have happened if you could just have accepted Hannah into this family! Father chose her as my wife, I trusted his judgment, have taken her in and welcomed her into our home and you have made her life difficult at every turn!’
Nobody touched their breakfast. Anne’s mouth was turned downwards as her son reprimanded her and Emmeline watched wide-eyed as her brother said all the things Emmeline herself knew to be true but would never dare articulate.
‘This scandal is all down to you, mother!’ Caleb stood decisively from his seat and strode toward the door.
‘Wh-where are you going?’ Anne’s voice quavered.
Caleb turned, his eyes blazing at her.
‘To fetch my wife and make things right!’ He turned to exit and the door closed behind him with a decisive click, leaving Anne and Emmeline sitting in stunned silence.
*
Across town, Hannah sat at the window of Sophia’s family’s town-house, tracing the headlines of the scandal sheets that were scattered around her. She had read them all but revisited them, torturing herself as every word assaulted her. The societal judgment bore down on her, threatening to crush her soul – she knew it was unhealthy to indulge in punishing herself but had no inclination to stop.
