“And the government wants us in India sooner rather than later. They have moved up our departure date from the fourth of June to the seventh of May.”
A stark numbness flowed over Mary. “But that’s less than two weeks.”
Kit nodded. “Yes.”
“But the amendment runs out on the tenth. There will not be enough time for the banns to be read. You will not be here for my marriage? If he even wants to go through with it. What happens if he does not and you are not here?”
Kit focused on his plate. Beth cleared her throat. “We thought we could help Lord Thaddeus obtain a special license from the archbishop. So you could marry sooner. But there is something el—”
The numbness shattered as something fiery burned deep within Mary. “That is, if he still wants to marry me after he finds out about all the lies we have told the world. And ourselves.” She set aside her serviette and stood, her ire aimed at Kit. “If he defaults, are we going back to that place to sell me to the next highest bidder? Better yet, why do you not just send Mina and me back to Kirkstone and leave me alone so I can rot there? That does seem to be what you are best at.”
Mary strode out of the room, tears burning her eyes as she headed up the stairs. Kit bellowed her name, but she ignored the call, slamming the door to her bedchamber. Inside, Raleighstood at the door of her dressing room, holding a gown draped over one arm and a pair of day boots in the other hand. Two chambermaids in the room jerked around. One had been in the process of making the bed; the other stoking the fire against the chill of the spring morning.
“Oh, bloody hell!” Mary turned to flee to another part of the house... only to smack hard into her brother’s broad frame. She stepped back, glaring at him. “Can you not let me cry in peace?”
“No. I need you to listen.”
The firmness in Kit’s deep voice had an annoyingly calming effect on Mary, and she looked away from him, closing her eyes. “What?”
Kit reached around her and closed the bedchamber door, then took her hand and led her to the other side of the hall. “We are not abandoning you. The special license would allow you to marry sooner, but if Lord Thaddeus lets the agreement go awry, we are not returning to the Lyon’s Den for the next highest bidder, as you put it. We want you to go with us.”
She stared at him, not quite believing his words. “Go with you. To India.”
He nodded. “It would make sense. We are already taking the three chil—”
Mary felt her stomach drop away. “Mina? You’re taking Mina? To India? You want me to marry and stay here but let you take my child to India? You cannot do that!”
Kit’s eyes narrowed. “Mary. Listen to me. To the world, she isourchild. We cannot take the others and leave her. It would only fuel the rumors about you.”
“I do not care about that! Why not leave them all here? People, aristocrats, go to India all the time and not take their children. It’s a sweltering, dangerous, filthy place!”
“It is not—”
Tears blurred Mary’s vision and clogged her voice. “You cannot take her. Please do not do this.”
“Mary—”
“You cannot!” She turned and fled up the back stairs. On the fourth floor, she pushed through the door of the nursery without knocking, startling Nanny and Mattie, who sat at a low table, sharing breakfast morsels. Mary crossed the room and scooped Mina, who had begun to stir, into her arms, holding the child close, rocking her, as tears flowed down her cheeks.
Kit entered the nursery and Nanny stood, wide-eyed. Kit gestured for her to sit as Mattie fled to his side, tugging on his sleeve. “Kit!”
“Your Grace!” hissed Nanny, trying to correct the child.
Mary could not help but smile through her tears. The seven-year-old girl, whom they had all met only a year ago, had been raised on the streets of London and Manchester, and she had never developed the proper respect—as dictated by Society—for her brother. Mattie had overheard Beth call him Kit, and he had been Kit ever since.
He stroked Mattie’s hair. “Good morning, Mattie.”
“What’s wrong with Mary?”
“She just missed all of you.”
“But she just saw us last night. We were supposed to be asleep, but I was just pretending. She came in to pet Mina.”
Kit looked up at Mary, eyebrows arched. She nodded and swallowed some of the phlegm clogging her throat. “I missed her. I had to see her.” Her lips trembled and the tears flowed again. “You cannot take her. I will not allow it.”
Nanny made an odd choking noise, and Kit glared at Mary. “Mary—”
“No.” Mary took a deep breath. “I cannot do this anymore. I cannot keep lying to everyone. It was not how I was raised, Kit. Not by Father. Not even by Mother. And certainly not byyou.” She looked at Nanny. “Mina is mine. The duke and duchess wish to protect me, but I cannot let them anymore. Whatever happens. I was a fool, and I paid the price.” She faced Kit again. “And I will take the consequences. But you cannot take my child.”
