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“I find all of this fascinating, setting aside the bird of paradise part, of course,” Susan said. “Becoming Ruby Chadwick protected Lavinia while also creating a career for herself. Very resourceful, if you were to ask me. Clever.”
“I shudder when you speak of such things as careers, Susan,” Mama said. “It seems so . . . I cannot find the right word.”
“Exciting?” Susan offered. “Challenging?Inspiring?”
“Unladylikewas more what I was looking for.”
“Back to the issue at hand,” Father said. “Rather than hosting Lucas’s betrothed and her cousins and friend these past few days, we have taken a band of actors into our midst.”
“One of whom wears breeches,” Mama said.
“Two if you include Mr. Drake,” Susan added with a wink.
“You are not taking this seriously enough, Susan,” Mama scolded.“Breeches on a woman—the very idea is shocking. The neighbors would be scandalized if they were to find out.”
“I can’t see why, Mama,” Susan said. “Women have the same appendages as men—arms, legs, and so forth. Why a woman can’t don a pair of breeches and be considered modest defies logic. The legs are entirely encased in sturdy fabric. Now, bare a woman’s bosom in the latest fashion—”
“Oh dear.” Mama’s hands flew to cover Rebecca’s ears.
“Enough, Susan. We must return to the point. It’s getting late,” Father said. “We still have a problem to resolve here. Miss Fernley and her friends have lied to us the entire time they have accepted our hospitality, and regardless of what anyone thinks, our neighbors will not look kindly upon this if it were to reach their ears. We have the family name to uphold. We are pillars of the community. As personable as they have all been, we have a duty to think the ramifications through thoroughly before we can proceed. Miss Weston’s recent illness only complicates this further.”
“If I may say something,” Isobel said, speaking for the first time. “For reasons of my own, which are no secret to anyone, I was concerned when Lucas arrived with a bride in tow. Concerned and protective. Thomas and I felt a heavy burden of guilt when Lucas enlisted, you see. I have observed Lavinia closely, and I find her to be clever and kind and even genuine, which, of course, seems an odd thing to say at this particular moment in time. But I see how she looks at Lucas—when she thinks no one is looking. So I, for one, am inclined to forgive who or what she was before she arrived at Alderwood. If she loves Lucas and will make him happy, she has my blessing.”
“I echo the words of my wife,” Thomas said.
“Thank you, Isobel, Thomas. That means a great deal to me,” Lucas said. “You will recall, Father, that it wasIwho announced we were betrothed. I hadn’t said anything to Lavinia beforehand—devil take it, I’d barely had the thought spring to mind before I’d blurted it out. To allow me to save face here at home, Lavinia and her friends followed my lead—even though they’d left their acting lives behind them in London. I take full responsibility for the deception.
“I do not know who Ruby Chadwick is. I never met her. But I do know Lavinia Fernley. I know her very well, in fact. I have seen her devotion and her courage and her strength. She is truly the most beautiful woman I have ever met, for she is beautiful inside and out. I have also discovered that I love her.” He’d never voiced the words aloud, hadn’t even spoken them to Lavinia yet, and here he’d blurted them out to his entire family. What a blundering fool he was! And yet they’d felt delicious rolling off his tongue. “I love her,” he repeated. “But she intends to leave Alderwood tomorrow with Hannah to spare us the scandal and humiliation should her past follow her here again. I do not want her to leave.”
“But what is to be done?” Mama asked. “She is who she is, Lucas. Can a leopard change its spots?”
“No, Mama, a leopard cannot, as we learn from the book of Jeremiah,” Isaac replied. “But Miss Fernley and her friends are not leopards; they are people. And people can change, can they not? Or else there is no hope for any of us.”
“Lavinia is determined to make a new life for herself and the others at Primrose Farm—”
“A daunting task for anyone, considering what we brothers observed when we visited the place,” James said. “But for a young woman such as Miss Fernley? It will take a great deal of fortitude for her to be successful, especially with that entourage of hers.”
“I wish to help her,” Lucas said. “I wish to marry her and make a life with her at Primrose Farm. The problem of her past has a simple solution, but only if all of you are willing to support it. With the permanent disappearance of the actress Ruby Chadwick, any concerns regarding actresses or breeches or scandal can disappear along with her. Lavinia is free to be Lavinia now. I hope you will all be willing to accept her as such and help me convince her to make our betrothal one in truth.”
He looked around the room, from sibling to sibling to his parents, trying to read their expressions as they pondered his words. Having their support was essential if he was to convince Lavinia to marry him. If his family still had misgivings about her, there was no hope to be had.
It was Clara who spoke first. “Oh, Lucas,” she said, a lone tear rolling down her face. “How moving your words are! Of course we will support you—and Lavinia too. And here I am, crying again.”
“Come, love, let me take you upstairs,” Isaac said. “You and our growing babe have had enough excitement for one day and need to rest. I am in agreement with Clara, Lucas. You have our support.”
“I may have to speak to her privately about the breeches first,” Mama said. “But you have my support as well. I have found myself rather attached to the girl. When I first saw her, I thought she would be intolerable to be around with those looks of hers. But she is kind, as Isobel remarked upon, and not proud at all.”
“Thank you, Mama,” Lucas said. “After the earl’s visit tonight, I fear it will not be easy to convince her. I need you all on my side if I am going to succeed in this.” He needed to go to her tonight, right now, to assure himself that she was all right after the confrontation with Cosgrove. “In fact, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to go to her now.”
“Whatever I can do to help, Lucas, you have only to ask,” Simon said.
“What of you, then, Father? What is your opinion on the matter?” Lucas asked.
His father was silent for a moment, studying Lucas, before he finally spoke. “It has been my observation that Miss Fernley has been a gracious and well-mannered guest while staying at Alderwood. I also found this evening to be especially enlightening. If her handling of the Earl of Cosgrove is any indication, she is a young lady of courage and conviction. And I daresay her friends are no more peculiar than old Brumby and his wife down in the village. You have my blessing.”
“Thank you, Father,” Lucas said.
“It appears we are all in accord, Lucas,” Father said. “We are at your service—but I fear the real convincing will have to come from you.”
“I agree, Father, and thank you. Thank you all.” Lucas excused himself and took the stairs two at a time to reach Lavinia as quickly as he could.
