Mr. Simpkin simply smiled. “We are married, my dear. We can have a lifetime to get to know one another.”
Charlotte sat down next to Delphine and reached for her hand. “I know this comes as a shock to you, but you wanted to marry Mr. Simpkin. You told me as much.”
“I did?” Delphine asked. Why did that sound so far-fetched to her?
Her friend bobbed her head. “You called upon me afteryou visited your solicitor’s office and told me that you were eloping with him.”
“If what you are saying is true, why didn’t we post the banns and get married at our local parish?” Delphine asked.
Charlotte tightened her hold on Delphine’s hand. “You didn’t want to marry in the same chapel your mother attended.”
Delphine had to admit that her friend did have a point. The chapel did hold unpleasant memories for her since her mother had insisted on going there until the end.
A young, blonde maid stepped into the room with a tea service in her hand. She placed it on the table in front of Delphine. “Would you care for me to pour, my lady?” she asked.
Delphine didn’t respond but instead stared at the teapot. None of this made any sense. Why couldn’t she remember marrying Mr. Simpkin or the circumstances leading up to it? Her mind was blank. But none of this explained how she ended up in the woodlands.
Bringing her gaze up, she addressed Mr. Simpkin. “How did I end up in the woodlands?”
Mr. Simpkin grew somber. “On the way back from Gretna Green, the carriage had an accident and we were both thrown out. When I came to, we couldn’t find you and we feared you were lost to us. To me.”
Delphine had enough of this. She couldn’t take it anymore. The life that she knew was over and she just wanted to be alone.
Rising, she put a hand to her forehead. “Excuse me, but I find this to be a little overwhelming,” she said. “I need a moment alone.”
Without waiting for their responses, she rushed out of the room, hoping this was just a terrible nightmare that she would awake from soon enough.
Chapter Thirteen
Bennett watched Delphine as she fled from the room and he resisted the urge to follow after her. To comfort her. But it wasn’t his place. Not anymore. She was a married woman.
As his eyes remained fixated on the empty doorway, he heard Miss Eden say, “Excuse me. I will go see to Delphine.”
Miss Eden hurried out of the room, leaving him alone with Mr. Simpkin. Which is the last place he wanted to be.
Mr. Simpkin cleared his throat. “I want to thank you for taking such good care of my wife.”
My wife.
Those words cut him deeply.
Bennett turned his head to meet Mr. Simpkin’s gaze. “How was it again that you came to lose Lady Dunrobin?” he asked, his words curt.
Mr. Simpkin gave him an apologetic look. “There was a carriage accident and we were all rather disoriented.”
“Disoriented enough to leave your wife to die in the woodlands?” Now his words were accusatory.
“We looked for her?—”
“Not hard enough, if you ask me.”
Mr. Simpkin stiffened. “I didn’t ask you, my lord,” he said. “Once my wife has collected herself, we will be on our way.”
Bennett knew it wasn’t his place to keep Delphine here, but he wasn’t ready to say goodbye either. He didn’t trust Mr. Simpkin and he needed time to see if anything could be done to help Delphine.
“You might wish to speak to Lady Dunrobin, considering my mother is holding a soiree in her honor tomorrow evening,” Bennett said.
Mr. Simpkin looked displeased by what he had just revealed. “I shall speak to her at once. I do not wish to offend Lady Dallington, especially since she has bestowed such kindness upon my wife.”
