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It would mean that Crispin could court Mary—which she believed that he wanted to do. Charlotte, having been in a relationship with this man for over a year and already being engaged to him, would likely soon be married.
But all of this remained unspoken as Mary and Charlotte were too afraid to speak aloud what they thought was going to happen. They simply had to smile and be patient, wondering if Mary’s father had truly gone forward in giving them everything they could ever hope for.
“And what of my mother?” Charlotte asked, her tone sober. She looked down, clearly anxious as to what the answer might be.
“Your mother has done something quite ugly and distasteful. Although I have committed to our marriage and I have no intention of living under the scrutiny of society and bringing that to an end, I also wish to ensure that no such thing ever happens again. Your mother cannot be allowed to live without consequences for such heinous actions,” he said.
“What do you intend to do to her?” Charlotte asked.
“There is very little that can be done without sending our whole family into the drama of the society pages. Therefore, I have arranged for her to be taken abroad for a time. I know that it is often what is done for young ladies who have gotten themselves into some sort of trouble. I think it will do your mother good to be away from English society for a spell,” he said.
“But my mother is obsessed with society. I cannot imagine her doing much abroad, other than seeking out English parties and finding those troublesome young women about whom she can gossip,” Charlotte pointed out.
“I am sure that she will find the British who are also traveling, but there are many who travel for other reasons as well and I do not wish for it to appear as though she is being punished. But, just as a young lady abroad might need a governess as a chaperone, your mother will be traveling with a companion.
I have arranged for my sister to go along with her. She was widowed three years ago and has no children. But she is a bold woman—she will not allow your mother to run off without reason,” he said.
Mary was stunned by how quickly her father had arranged all of this, but she was also quite impressed. It was clear that he had given it a lot of thought and that he knew what he had to do. Lady Rachel would not be allowed to do anything without his sister present, and it would drive her mad.
But at least they would have a season away from one another. Mary could see how that would do her father and Lady Rachel much good.
“Now, as I am sure you are both aware, there are a great many things to be handled moving forward. My wife is going to be on a sort of retreat as—well, I shouldn’t like to call it this, but as a punishment. Meanwhile, the two of you will move forward in what you have been kept from. You will have the freedom and happiness that was taken from you,” he said.
“As for myself, I do believe that I require reflection as well. It is clear to me now that I was a fool. I spent s
o much time choosing to look away from what was happening before my very eyes and for that, I must apologise. I found it difficult to accept responsibility for how things were run in the home. I thought the best solution was that I run in the other direction and avoid your needs at all costs. I humbly ask your forgiveness.”
Mary looked at her father for a long moment, trying to discern what he had just said. Was it possible? Did he truly raise that he had been a fool? Was he finally seeing that he ought to have been looking after them all along?
It certainly seemed as much. For the first time in a very long time, Mary understood that her father was just a man. He had made many mistakes, but that did not make him a bad man. It only meant that he could not see the right path and he did not know how to be a father.
While her mother had been alive, he was always more involved, but after finding Lady Rachel, he was largely absent. This was simply another sign to Mary that his absence had been the result of his own discomfort and nothing more.
And now, he was putting things right.
Mary’s father sighed and placed a hand on his full belly, having clearly been satisfied by the grand breakfast they had that morning as they did every other.
“I do hope that you are both content with the decisions that I have made. While I cannot promise to be the most ideal father, I do wish to improve and grow. As a part of that, I hope you are both aware that I will listen whenever there is a problem which you should like to address. I am here for the both of you, in all things,” he added.
“Thank you, Father. I am most grateful that you are taking such steps to ensure that we are happy and that we have the life we so desire. And what more is ahead for you? What will you do during this season without your wife present?” Mary asked.
He smiled calmly and sighed again. “I shall focus on my work. I also intend to take time for reflection. In the past, I believed that reflection was the action of a weaker man, but I know now that it is something which I must do if I am to make better decisions in the future. Therefore, I intend to focus my energies on what I will do for the both of you and for my wife upon her return.”
“I think that is a very good thing,” Mary said.
“I concur,” Charlotte echoed. “If we had all taken such time, I doubt anything would have gone this far. I would not have lied about Mary and my mother would not have twisted our intentions so desperately. There are many things which could have been done better and it is my hope that I do better moving forward as well,” Charlotte said.
To Mary, it seemed like a dream. She couldn’t believe that all of this was happening, but despite the good news, she was eager to get up and move. She wanted to go upstairs and finish reading the book.
Because the following day, she would see him again. Lord Crispin Dunaway, Duke of Hanbrooke, would be awaiting her. She could picture him now, tall and brave on his horse, waiting to speak with her.
And that was the greatest excitement to which she clung.
