“Absolutely not!” Delphine declared, her eyes darting towards Bennett. “Mr. Simpkin claims that it was my father’s intention that we were to wed, but I don’t know if that is true. He would have never wanted me to marry someone so far below my station.”
A solemn look came to Winston’s expression. “We could argue that you never consented to the marriage, thus making it void. But that is assuming there were no witnesses that would argue against that fact.”
“Would that work?” Delphine asked.
Winston dropped his hands to his sides. “It might, but it will take some time for the Court to hear your case. Until then, you will remain a married woman and Mr. Simpkin will have control over your business. But not your estate. That is entailed and it remains with the title.” He paused. “At least, I assume it is entailed?”
Delphine nodded. “It is entailed, as with all my properties, and will be passed to my heir, male or female.”
“That is good,” Winston said, relief evident in his voice.
Bennett watched as Delphine’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly. He could tell that she was trying to be strong, knowing how fiercely independent she was. Yet, he could only imagine the unbearable weight she was feeling. He wanted to offer comfort, to reach out to her, but propriety held him back.
Elodie spoke up. “Can Delphine remain here with us while you go argue her case in front of the judge?”
“That is assuming Mr. Simpkin allows it,” Winston replied. “He stands to lose a great deal if this marriage is voided.”
“He loses nothing! It was all mine to begin with,” Delphine asserted.
Winston bobbed his head. “Yes, but it would go a long way if you could get Mr. Simpkin to cooperate with us. If we have his support to void the marriage, it will be uncontested, and the Court will no doubt rule in your favor.”
Delphine grew quiet. “Why can’t I remember any of this?” she asked, frustration evident in her voice.
“You must be patient with yourself,” Bennett encouraged. “It will come back to you.”
Shifting her gaze towards him, Delphine inquired, “What if it doesn’t? I will always be left wondering what truly happened.”
“I would advise you to take one day at a time and take comfort in knowing that truth always has a way of revealing itself,” Bennett replied.
Winston interjected, “Bennett is right, and that is something I rarely say. Our first step is for Delphine to talk to Mr. Simpkin and see where he stands.”
“And if he doesn’t go along with the dissolution of our marriage?” Delphine asked.
“Then we fight,” Winston responded firmly. “I have also taken the liberty of sending our fastest rider to Gretna Green to see if he discovers anything that might be in our favor.”
Bennett could see the worry in Delphine’s expression and it tugged at his heartstrings. He wanted to say something that might offer her the least bit of comfort. “It will be all right,” he assured her.
“How?” Delphine asked. “I thought I had been so carefulbut I did something intolerably stupid. And I don’t even remember doing it.”
He went to take a step closer to her but stopped himself. “I promise that we will figure this out… together.”
Delphine’s eyes grew sad. “Please,” she murmured, her voice tinged with vulnerability, “don’t make promises that you can’t keep.”
As she spun on her heel and hurried out of the kitchen, ascending the servants’ stairs, Bennett watched helplessly. He knew she was right. Despite his desire to assist her, there were some things beyond his control. And that frustrated him to no end. He wanted to fix this. Heneededto fix this.
Winston placed a hand on Bennett’s shoulder. “We will find a way to help Delphine. I promise you that.”
“What if we can’t?” Bennett asked, letting the doubt creep back in. Now that Delphine wasn’t here, he didn’t have to pretend to be strong. “What if the judge doesn’t rule in her favor and she is stuck in an unwanted marriage?”
His brother withdrew his hand. “There is always that chance, but you are overlooking one crucial detail.”
“Which is?”
Winston smirked. “I am a very competent barrister and I have yet to lose a case.”
Elodie walked over to the counter and retrieved a biscuit off a plate. “I forgot to tell Delphine that I asked the cook to leave out some biscuits for us.”
“I think biscuits were the least of her concerns,” Bennett remarked.
