Chapter Thirteen
“Listen to me.” Lady Fortesque stared at her granddaughter, Marie, a ferocious frown marring her features. “It was against my better judgment at first, but I think you should at least hear your sister out,” she urged.
Marie shook her head, glancing around her as if looking for the quickest escape route before returning her stare to her grandmother. “I must leave immediately. If Fenwick knew… he would never let me out of his sight again.”
Lisbeth let her gaze drop to her lap. She should have prepared herself for such a reaction.
She had let blind optimism rule her heart tonight.
It was a foolish mistake. She understood Marie’s concerns.
Her baby sister did not wish to displease her new husband.
Lisbeth could not fault her for that. Still, there was an ache within her.
It had been there since their estrangement began but now it threatened to consume her in a flood of pain and sorrow.
“Pish posh. Fenwick will do no such thing.” Lady Fortesque pulled her granddaughter farther into the box. “Greet your sister as you should.”
Marie whirled around, confusion written clearly on her face. “As I should? And how is that, Grandmother? With open arms? After everything we went through because of her?”
“Do you not think I have pondered the matter thoroughly? If I did not think it right, I would not have organized this meeting,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
“Fenwick will forbid me to ever leave the house again,” Marie said in a hushed voice. She peeked over her shoulder at Lisbeth, worry and confusion etched on her face.
“Thank you for trying, Grandmother,” Lisbeth said, standing up. “I will leave. I do not wish to be responsible for any unhappiness between Marie and her husband.”
Her sister turned a tear-stained face towards her. “I’m sorry, Beth, but I can’t.”
Lisbeth felt like casting up her accounts.
“I will not entertain this business again when you change your mind!” Lady Fortesque warned.
Marie turned away from Lisbeth to face her older relative. “She murdered her husband, Grandmamma,” she said in a whisper.
“Do you really believe that, Marie?” Lisbeth asked, in a voice that sounded strangled and off-pitch. Her emotions were starting to overtake her. She desperately tried to rein them in but the lump in her throat grew even larger.
“How could I believe otherwise? It was all over the papers. We couldn’t leave the house. It was months before we could even hold our heads up in society. It was horrible!”
Lisbeth took a tentative step towards Marie. “You know me! I am your sister. Do you really believe I could do such a thing?” Lisbeth implored, although she hardly knew why she was bothering. “I am innocent—surely you know that in your heart.”
Marie focused on Lisbeth, her lip quivering just like it used to when she was upset as a young child.
“I thought I knew you once, but I don’t know you, not anymore.
You changed after you married him.” Marie wiped at her eyes.
“After Mother died, you promised you would never leave me. But you left me, Beth. You left me…”
She had promised, but how to explain to Marie, who had been only a child when she had married Nathaniel, that it had not been her choice.
Nathaniel had kept her prisoner in the house and forbidden contact with her family.
If any of them had seen the bruises he had inflicted, the weight she had lost, the fear in her eyes, would they have come to her defense?
“I have already grieved for my sister.” Marie’s voice cracked on a sob. “I will not do so again.”
In that instant, she knew. Her sister did still love her.
Lisbeth swallowed past the lump in her throat.
Knowing this did not make the situation any easier.
She felt the agony in Marie’s voice. Nathaniel had taken so much from her, but he could not take away the love Lisbeth felt in her heart.
Her love for her family had always been there.
Even if she felt they had not loved her back.
Lady Fortesque took Marie by her shoulders and shook her gently.
“You must listen to me. I had heard rumors that Blackhurst was a club-fisted fool, and I let her marry him anyway. He was an earl with a good family and a sizable income. I didn’t know he would make your sister’s life a misery.
” She looked past Marie to Lisbeth. “I can do nothing to rectify what I have done, except to bring you two back together.”
Lisbeth felt her legs go weak. She felt Bellamy’s steadying hands at her waist and drew strength from his support.
“Hold fast,” he murmured in her ear. The soft, deep timbre of his voice was calming. He would not let her fall. She knew this instinctively. He had proven himself dependable in this respect, even if she had not always appreciated it, as she did now.
“Lisbeth did the best she could under the circumstances,” Lady Fortesque said.
“I understand that now, and so should you. Marriage is not all champagne and roses, as you well know, young lady. I believe now that Lisbeth is innocent, and I would not say this without having done a lot of soul searching these past weeks. Having said that, I cannot be sorry Blackhurst is dead. He deserved what he got, whoever it was that did the deed.”
Marie watched her grandmother with her mouth open. Clearly, she had not expected this confession. Neither did Lisbeth. Lady Fortesque walked away from Marie and was now standing in front of Lisbeth.
Lisbeth looked up, eyes filled to overflowing. Her grandmother took Lisbeth’s hands in hers. Studied her for a moment. Gave Lisbeth an odd, sad sort of smile.
“Can you forgive an old fool? I know now that we should have rallied around you, we who knew you best. I did what I thought I had to for the family at the time, but that meant sacrificing you. I regret my actions more than you can ever know. Forgive me.” Lady Fortesque bowed her head and waited.
Lisbeth’s whole body was shaking with emotions she knew not how to control.
She felt Bellamy’s hand on her shoulder, warm and secure.
She wanted to turn and bury her face in his chest and let him comfort her but there was still her sister staring at her like she could not quite believe this was happening.
Lisbeth couldn’t believe it, either, but she wanted this so badly. Badly enough to forgive everything?
“Yes,” Lisbeth said. “Yes, I forgive you, Grandmamma.”
Marie was flushed, her eyes glassy with unshed tears and no doubt confusion and anger. “What can I do? You ask too much.” Marie said. “Defy my husband or go with my heart? He will not like the scandal.”
“I will speak to Fenwick. He will see reason, even if he does not like it,” Lady Fortesque replied.
Oh, to have her grandmother’s confidence that everyone would do as she wished. However, Marie’s plea gave Lisbeth hope that her sister was not completely opposed to reconciliation. That fear of displeasing her husband, more than anything, was holding her back.
“Do you really think he will listen?” Marie said now, looking between both her grandmother and Lisbeth. Lady Fortesque nodded. Marie bit down on her lower lip, hope flaring in her eyes as she took a step towards Lisbeth.
“Beth, I have dreamed of you so many times. Of bumping into you in the street or in a shop, anything just to see you. Even if I could not talk to you, just to see your face again was all I wanted for so long. On my wedding day I pretended you were there.”
“It was my wish as well,” Lisbeth said. “And I was there on your wedding day, outside in my carriage. I would never have missed your special day.”
Marie released a sob and flew into Lisbeth’s arms.
Lisbeth held her for a long time. Her heart was beating so fast she felt faint, but she didn’t care because she was so happy.
“I’ve been such a coward. I’m so sorry, Beth, so very sorry…”
“Shh, my darling. It wasn’t your fault. You were too young to understand. I will never leave you again. I promise.”
Oliver had watched the scene before him unfold in a great deal of discomfort.
He did not belong here. He walked out of the box as soon as he could and finally felt his breath return.
Two disturbing interludes in as many days had given him palpitations.
All these family reunions were well and good for Lisbeth, even if they were dramatically over-emotional.
He was happy for her, but it brought home to him the sad fact there would be no family reunions for him and that he had limited time with the one family member he had left.
He had never felt more alone than at this very moment.
He closed his eyes and tried to picture his brother’s face, to no avail.
He rubbed at his chest, at the familiar ache there whenever he thought of Henry.
He’d lost his family; he knew how abandonment felt.
But he had abandoned Henry, too. He had run away to war because he couldn’t stand being in the way with nothing to do.
He should have stayed, helped Henry, learned from his brother, and taken some responsibility.
Instead, he had left everything to his brother to deal with.
Now he knew how hard it must have been for him.
Lady Fortesque stuck her head out of the curtains and eyed him. “It is quite safe to return now, Bellamy.”
He turned towards her and saw that she was smiling. It looked slightly peculiar on her, probably because her face was unaccustomed to the act. For Heaven’s sake, this smiling thing was beginning to be a habit for Lisbeth and her relations.
“Are you sure? Because I am not sure I can handle any more tears.”
“Honestly, I was beginning to think Marie addled. I am not used to being questioned.”
“Young ladies can afford to be addled in circumstances such as this. Don’t you think?”
“Quite. And old ladies, too. There is hope for you yet, Bellamy. Come. The lights are going down.” She waved him inside.