“My older sister, Ruth, was very much like you,” her mother shared. “She was stubborn, clever, and never made any attempt to fit in with the other girls in Society. But my father indulged her uniqueness from a young age.”
“Why have we never heard about Aunt Ruth before?” Marjorie asked.
Tears came to her mother’s eyes. “Because it is much too painful to talk about,” she murmured. “Instead of a life in Society, Ruth ran off and married a groom.”
Henrietta’s eyes grew wide. “She married a groom?”
Her mother bobbed her head. “My parents were furious and disowned her,” she revealed. “We weren’t even allowed to utter her name in their presence.”
“What became of her?” Marjorie asked.
“She died during childbirth,” her mother responded. “When Owen showed up to tell my father about her death, he wouldn’t even allow him to step foot in the house.”
“That is terrible,” Marjorie whispered.
“My father refused to pay for the burial cost, and my sister was buried in a pauper’s grave,” her mother said, wiping at the tears in her eyes. “I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to her.”
Henrietta rose from her seat and embraced her mother. “I am sorry about Ruth,” she said, leaning back. “But you must understand that I am not your sister.”
Her mother’s red-stained eyes stared back at her. “You and she are so similar,” she remarked. “I just fear for your future.”
“I don’t know what my future will hold, but I know that it does not include Mr. Drew,” Henrietta stated.
“Is he so awful?” her mother asked.
“No, but I want something different out of my life.”
“Which is?”
Henrietta smiled as she stepped back. “I am not entirely sure right now, but you must trust me that I will do right by you.”
Her mother didn’t look fully convinced, but she thankfully didn’t argue with her. Instead, she said, “If you don’t want to marry Mr. Drew, then I will accept that.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“We still need to discuss what to do about this unfortunate Lord Charles situation, but that will have to wait until tomorrow,” her mother said. “The men will be joining us soon.”
13
DAWN HAD YETto break when Henrietta awoke to the sound of her bedchamber door opening. Keeping her back to the door, she assumed it was a maid coming to start a fire in the hearth. She closed her eyes and hoped that she would fall back to sleep quickly. She’d been having the most delightful dream about Charles.
To her surprise, she felt the mattress dip as someone sat down next to her.
“Henrietta,” Mr. Drew said in a hushed voice, “are you awake?”
She sat up and tugged the sheets to her chin. “Whatever are you doing in my bedchamber?” she demanded as her eyes roamed his haggard appearance. He was dressed in only a white shirt and dark trousers, and his hair was terribly disheveled.
“I needed to speak to you.”
“Do you know what would happen if you were caught in here, especially in your state of undress?” she asked.
He nodded. “I do, but it is important.”
“What is so important that you risk both of our reputations to be here?”
He met her gaze, his expression uncertain. “I have come to realize that I care for you.”
Her eyes went wide. “That is impossible.”
