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Chapter Thirty-Two
Daphne entered before Jenny had the chance to open the letter, enveloping her in a hug as soon as she saw her. “You look dreadful.”
“Is it that obvious?” Jenny asked, her mood brightening at the sight of her dearest friend.
"I had to come immediately after receiving the note," Daphne said. "It had me really worr—" her mouth dropped as she took in her surroundings for the first time. "My word! Is this—"
"Yes,” Jenny answered. She had told Daphne about her husband's wedding present but never got around to showing her. "I should have given you a tour earlier. Forgive me. I was too occupied with preparations for the ball and—"
"Oh, Jenny, you do not need to explain yourself!" Daphne took both of her hands. "I completely understand and this place is magnificent. I feel like I am in a research chamber at some university."
Jenny smiled but then her emotions welled up again. Daphne pulled her into the circle of her arms again. “Nicholas will be fine. Don’t worry,” she comforted her.
“Is it wrong to want my marriage to be perfect?” she asked when she pulled away.
“What else will you fight for if you do not fight for your marriage, Jenny?” That allowed her to open up to Daphne about last night's events.
“He only left because he was called away, Jenny,” Daphne reassured her, squeezing her hand. “You will see when he returns. I think he is ready for your marriage to be real. That change you saw in him might be real.”
“That is reassuring. Thank you, Daph.”
“Always, Jenny.” Then Daphne sighed. “I wish I could stay longer but I have to go home and prepare for tonight’s ball.”
When Jenny went to see her friend out, they came across the dowager in the vestibule personally overseeing the transfer of painting equipment to one of the drawing rooms.
"We will try the turquoise salon next if I do not find a suitable spot in there," she ordered. Something between a sigh and a whimper escaped a beleaguered-looking maid and the dowager’s eyes narrowed in the girl's direction. Jenny sensed the servants had been at this with her for some time now.
Her attention shifted from the servants when she saw Jenny and Daphne. Her gaze sharpened when she looked at Daphne. “What a pleasure to see you here, Daphne. I did not see you at the ball last night.”
The dowager’s pleasantness toward Daphne and the oddness of it was not missed by Jenny, and even Daphne did not seem to fall for it. If anything, she put up her defenses and squared her shoulders.
“How is your father?” the dowager asked. It sounded as though the dowager was concerned about him.
“He is well, Your Grace. You did see him at the ball last night, did you not?”
“Certainly, I did.” She looked Daphne over again before she sighed. “Poor child. I am glad to see that you are handling the news quite well, Miss Bexley."
"News?" Daphne asked, a puzzled frown coming to settle on her features. "What news, Your Grace?"
Jenny’s stomach turned. Daphne was still unaware of the new scandal her father had found himself embroiled in. And before Jenny could stop her, the dowager stepped close to Daphne and spoke in a very low voice. “It is fortunate that thetonis yet to know who the girl with child is. Do you know who she is, Miss Bexley?”
Daphne blanched, her eyes darting from the dowager to Jenny, confused. “I—I don’t understand, Your Grace.”
“Oh, you do not know?” The dowager closed a hand over her mouth. Jenny glared daggers at her. She knew the woman had done that on purpose, although to what end, she was uncertain.
"Do not fret, my dear,” she said, “Jennifer and I will see to it that your season continues on without issue. Never mind the news going about that the Viscount of Down had gotten a genteel woman with child.”
Jenny had never seen her friend look ghostly white. “That is enough, Your Grace,” she said to the dowager who ignored her entirely.
"And of course there is Mr. Brighton, as well. I am sure he would be only too happy to help," she finished, her keen eyes gauging Daphne's reaction all the while.
Daphne collected herself immediately and looked squarely at the dowager. “If my father had anything of such nature going on, he would tell me. Be assured, Your Grace, that I am not in the habit of believing what I hear from people.” She was handling the situation well and Jenny was proud of her. “One should never trust baseless rumors from people they hardly know.”
Daphne took her leave with this pronouncement, but despite her expert handling of the situation, Jenny had perceived her pain. She knew her very well and knew how sensitive she was to her father’s scandals. “What did you have to gain from that?” Jenny confronted the dowager in the drawing room after Daphne’s departure.
“I don’t believe I grasp your meaning.”
“Daphne did not know about the scandal. Why did you say the things you did?”
