Chapter Eleven #2
Suddenly, her fingers found his, lacing through them. The gesture brought comfort to him. A warmth rushed through him, filling the emptiness which had lived inside him for so long. They began walking again, slowly, and he continued his story.
“The conditions at the madhouse were deplorable. Mama was a ghost of herself. I took her home to Redfield and nursed her back to health that summer. I did not want to return to school, but she encouraged me to do so. It took several more months for her to fully recover her health. Several years before she regained her confidence.”
“You would never know by looking at her that she had suffered so greatly.”
“Mama has an inner strength, unlike anyone I have ever known. It is because of her that I do the work. Saving as many women as I can.”
“How do you go about doing so?” Lady Verina asked.
He explained how he retained Larkin, a Bow Street Runner, who did much of the investigating.
“As a duchess, Mama speaks with everyone in Polite Society. She also listens to the gossip. The rumors. If she finds that a lady has suddenly gone missing from her family, we put Larkin on it. Sometimes, it is a younger woman, such as Miss Brandon. Her father wished to marry her off to a man who was decades older than she was. Miss Brandon has a fine mind. She was known as a bluestocking. She was not going to go quietly into this marriage, and so her father left her in an asylum.”
“She seems very fragile.”
“She is,” he agreed. “These places quickly break a person’s spirit.”
“Miss Brandon is so young. Barely older than I am.” Lady Verina shuddered. “I cannot imagine being placed in one.”
“Some women we have helped are much older. They are wives who have not pleased their husbands in some way. Sisters who have displeased their brothers. Young ladies who threaten the balance of a family’s social connections.
Even though Parliament passed several acts late last century regarding the procedure for a person being placed inside a madhouse, it is still far too easy for a man to commit a female relative to one, especially the private houses. ”
“How are you able to help them?” she asked. “You have no connection to these women. Why would they release them into your care?”
“I have found almost everything in life boils down to greed, my lady. Oftentimes, I pay a large sum to the man who is running the asylum. Those who are committed receive no visitors. As long as I am willing to pay more than the lady’s relative who put her there, they will keep their mouths closed.
Of course, I cannot convince these men in charge of a facility to let me bring every inmate back with me.
We only take a handful of ladies each year and bring them to Dove Hall.
Some live in the cottages you just saw. They are the ones who either wish for a very quiet life, or they cannot handle creating another life out in the world.
Miss Ross is the former, while Miss Brandon is the latter. ”
“I assume these women remain at Dove Hall while they are making this transition.”
“That is usually the case. Miss Brandon was extremely upset. The conditions in the asylum affected her more than most. That is why Mama and I brought her home to Redfield.”
“And you gifted her with the kitten so that she would have something to care for. Something which needed her.”
Matthew nodded. “You are astute, Lady Verina. Giving her the kitten gives her something to live for. It gives her control, something stripped away in an asylum.”
He cleared his throat. “We have had a few success stories. While these women can no longer return to the lives they once led, some have changed their names and gone on to be productive members of society. A handful have become governesses and one a lady’s companion.
One is now a milliner in York, while another is a seamstress.
Miss Vines, who was with Miss Ross, remains in one of our cottages and sews new gowns for all those we bring to Dove Hall. ”
“My admiration for you has grown ten-fold, Your Grace,” Lady Verina said solemnly. “You are no shallow, haughty duke. You are providing a service to others.”
“It is never enough,” he said, his voice full of anguish. “Yes, I tend to my tenants and other ducal responsibilities, but I can never give enough to these women.”
She squeezed his hand, and for the first time, Matthew thought of continuing his work with someone other than Mama by his side.
“It is very important that you do not speak of this to anyone else, my lady.”
“Not even Hugo and Tia?”
“No,” he said solemnly. “Much as I would like to share what I do with them, I cannot chance word getting out regarding what I do. I fear if it did that it would be more difficult to bring those women back to Dove Hall.”
“I like that you named it Dove Hall,” she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Doves are a sign of peace. Here is a place where they can regain their equilibrium and find tranquility.”
“They are,” he agreed. “If you research ancient history and mythology, doves also are signs of hope, renewal, and transformation. Even love.” He paused. “You now have heard about my work.”
“Why did you trust me?” she pressed. “You have not told your very dearest friend in the world, yet you deem me trustworthy enough to keep this great secret.”
“I sense a deep empathy within you, my lady. While you will never experience what these women have gone through, I believe you respect not only what I am doing—but also the women themselves.”
“I most certainly do,” she said vehemently. “You are a champion, Your Grace, and these women should not be judged by the horrors which have befallen them. You have found your life’s work, inspired by your mother’s unfortunate circumstances.”
“While you might have a question for Mama, feel free to ask it—but do not, under any circumstances, bring up her time in the asylum. It has taken her years to cast aside her experiences. The times she goes with me to liberate a woman, she has nightmares for days afterward.”
“I will never speak of this to her, Your Grace. That is my solemn promise.”
Matthew saw the compassion in her eyes. “Thank you for being so understanding. For being empathetic with Miss Brandon last night. She came to us and remained in a precarious state of mind at Dove Hall. That is why we brought her to Redfield, to keep a close eye on her as she began to heal. Neither of us can tell how strong she will grow to be.”
“Again, you have placed her with someone who can serve as a companion to her. I think it wise, as well as giving her the responsibility of caring for Patches.”
He pulled his hand from hers, far too comfortable having held it for so long.
“Let us go now and see Dove Hall itself.”
As they continued toward the house, Matthew wondered what Lady Verina’s opinion of him was now.