Emma gestured towards a footman. “Please bring Miss Bentley two cups of chocolate.”
“Two?” Charles asked.
Emma nodded. “I promised her loads of chocolate if she came down.”
“That’s a fair deal,” Charles said, amused.
A footman brought the two cups of chocolate and placed them in front of Ellie. She immediately reached for one and took a long sip.
Harriet watched her, compassion in her eyes. “Now that you have had your chocolate, are you ready to discuss what happened yesterday?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Quite frankly, no.”
Ellie sighed. “I assumed that was the case.”
“It wasn’t so long ago that I was in the same place you are,” Harriet revealed.
“How is that possible?”
Harriet wiped the sides of her mouth with her napkin. “I came from landed gentry, and my Adam came from high Society. We met at a ball when I was in town for the Season, and it was love at first sight, at least for me.” She smiled. “We formed an attachment, but his parents were not pleased with the match.”
Ellie put her cup back on the saucer. “Why were they not pleased?”
“They considered me a country bumpkin and tried to convince Adam to end things with me,” Harriet shared. “His mother started spreading vicious lies about me, and the gossips reveled in my misery.”
“That’s awful,” Ellie stated as she picked up her piece of toast.
“Rather than divide us, it caused Adam and I to grow closer, and we wed after the banns were posted,” Harriet said. “His parents refused to attend our wedding and didn’t acknowledge me as their daughter-in-law for many years.”
Charles spoke up. “My grandfather and grandmother weren’t a part of our childhood until we were much older.”
Harriet gave her son a smile. “Whereas Adam’s parents focused on resentment, we focused on what we had been given and were grateful for all we had.” She turned her attention back towards Ellie. “I knew I couldn’t let those gossips win, so I pretended that their words had no effect on me.”
“How did you do that?” Ellie asked.
“I held my head up high and didn’t pay them any heed,” Harriet said. “After a while, when they realized that they wouldn’t receive any response from me, they moved on to another poor soul.”
Ellie brushed the crumbs off her hands. “I’m not sure if I am strong enough to ignore them.”
“You are,” Emma encouraged.
Harriet nodded in approval. “I have been thinking, and I believe it will be best if we attack this scandal head on.”
Lord Bideford lowered the paper in his hand. “How exactly will we accomplish that?”
“We all will go to Gunter’s Tea Shop today and get some delicious ice,” Harriet announced with a bright smile on her face.
“How will that help the situation?” Lord Bideford asked.
“We will present a united front to the rest of the members of Society,” Harriet explained as she reached for her teacup, “to inform them that we support Miss Bentley, wholly and unequivocally.”
“I shall have to pass,” Lord Bideford replied, bringing the newspaper back up. “I’m afraid I am much too busy today.”
“But you must go,” Harriet said.
Lord Bideford folded the paper and set it on the table. “Pray tell, why would it matter if I go along?”
