“Does Mr. Simpkin have a marriage license?” Winston asked.
Bennett nodded. “He does.”
Winston grew thoughtful. The only sound echoing through the room was the steady ticking of the mantel clock. “The good news is that marriages in Scotland can be voided but only for a few reasons, such as insanity, adultery or abandonment. Perhaps we can argue to the Court that Delphine doesn’t remember entering into the marriage.”
“Do you think that would work?” Elodie asked.
“If Delphine wishes to go down this path, it is not an easy one. It will be expensive and could take years to get her marriage voided,” Winston said. “And there is no guarantee that the Court will side with her.”
“But there is a chance?” Bennett asked.
Winston tipped his head. “It is possible, considering Delphine is a countess in her own right. She does wield some influence.”
Bennett rose from the bed and clasped his hands together. “I shall go tell Delphine at once!” he exclaimed. “She will be overjoyed to hear this.”
Putting his hand up, Winston asked, “Are you sure this is whatshewants, and not just you?”
“Of course she would want this,” Bennett asserted. “She doesn’t want to be married to Mr. Simpkin. Not that I blame her. He is not a man to be trusted.”
“She said this to you?” Winston asked.
Bennett shifted uncomfortably in his stance under his brother’s critical eye. “Not in so many words, but I know Delphine. Mr. Simpkin could never make her happy.”
Winston pressed his lips together before asking, “And you could?”
“This isn’t about me!” he exclaimed. “A man showed up here claiming to be Delphine’s husband. A man who is entirely below her station.”
Winston rose from his seat. “All right, but you must be pragmatic about this,” he said. “Just because Delphine doesn’t remember getting married, that doesn’t mean she didn’t do so of her own free will.”
“Why would she marry that blackguard?” Bennett asked.
“How do you know he is a blackguard?” Winston countered.
Bennett scoffed. “He left Delphine in the woodlands to die,” he said, his voice rising. “What kind of man does that to his wife?”
Elodie bobbed her head in agreement. “I agree with Bennett.”
“Regardless, he didn’t do anything criminal,” Winston said. “Carriage accidents happen all the time and people die as a result of it.”
Bennett felt his anger start to rise. How could Winston justify Mr. Simpkin’s cowardly behavior?
Winston must have sensed the tension in the room because he gave Bennett a knowing look. “You are letting your emotions get ahead of you.”
“My emotions have nothing to do with this,” Bennett grumbled.
His brother was not easily fooled. “Just promise me that you aren’t going to go off half-cocked until we attempt to resolve this amicably.”
Bennett knew he needed to be rational about this, but he found he didn’t want to be. He was angry. Hurt. The thoughtof Delphine being married to anyone but him was excruciatingly painful.
What if they couldn’t void the marriage? Could he stand by and let Delphine be miserable for the remainder of her days? Did he even have a choice?
Elodie’s voice came from next to him. “Do not give up hope.”
“You didn’t see Delphine’s face when she looked at the marriage license. She looked defeated,” Bennett said. “I know she doesn’t love him.”
“Marriage isn’t always about love,” Winston attempted. “Many people in her position use it to elevate their status in Society.”
“And there is the rub! Mr. Simpkin is just a landowner, and Delphine is a countess. This marriage did nothing to elevate her status,” Bennett stated.
