Chapter Eleven #2
Margaret put her head in her hands. “I know. It’s why I’m here. I couldn’t bear it any longer.”
Sibyl had a nasty retort on her tongue. She wanted to rail and rage at Margaret. Lord knew she deserved it.
But how could she? The young woman had no idea the suffering she had caused. “You made me question myself, Miss Watson. I was wondering if I deserved all the condescension I’d received.”
“No, not at all. You were completely innocent. Your only mistake was getting everything that Kate wanted. I’m sorry for the part I played. I know this won’t remedy things, but I thought I was helping a friend.”
Sibyl crossed her arms over her chest. “Did she really need your help? Miss Harvey’s caused enough trouble on own.” She paused. “I think a real friend wouldn’t ask you to do such things. To cause hurt to another person. I’ve never done anything to hurt Kate.”
“That just made it worse. The nicer you seemed, the more Mr. Heyter became interested and the greater Kate’s ire grew.” Margaret shrugged. “If there were ever a way I could make up for it, I would. I’m sorry.”
Sibyl let out a soft sigh. “I’ve even been afraid to go outside, for fear of what people might say.” She shook her head. “Enough. Thank you for telling me, Miss Watson. I appreciate your honesty, but forgive me if it’s a little late.”
Margaret raised her head, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
“And where is Miss Harvey now? Causing more trouble?”
“I don’t know. She’s still in town, but…
her father was ever so mad. It’s one thing to get a demand for a retraction, but from the sounds of it, other newspapers are poking fun at his column and taking him to task for printing that gossip.
His reputation is suffering, so no doubt, he won’t be happy.
Kate will get an earful, all right.” She sniffed.
“She might even choose to end our friendship.”
“Good,” Sibyl snapped. “I mean about her getting an earful from her father. I am sorry if your relationship ends because of her actions.” But in truth, that was the least Kate had earned after all these horrid lies and gossip she had spread.
Margaret’s eyes were glassy. She looked as if she’d been struck. She nodded, repeated her apologies, and made her way out.
Sibyl leaned back against the sofa cushions with a loud noise of exasperation. Of all the horrible things, why did it have to have been Margaret who turned on her? First Isobel, now this. Maybe Isobel was right, and she really didn’t have any friends at all.
There was another knock at the door.
Sibyl groaned. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. I don’t want to have any more callers. Truly. Who is it now?”
A footman introduced George Percy, who said, “Good afternoon. I could always come back if this is a bad time.”
Sibyl smiled. “No, please. Do come in. I’m sorry. It’s just been ever so trying lately.”
Mr. Percy bowed. “I’m not surprised. After all you’ve been through…”
“Yes.” Sibyl curtsied and beckoned him to join her in the parlor. “You’ve read the papers?”
“Oh, yes. Wouldn’t miss it. A beauty one day, cursed the next by gossips, only to be resurrected and claimed a beauty again by a famous singer and the London papers…
You’re the most exciting person this town has seen in the past three days.
I’d say you’re like the Lord’s son, except that would be sacrilegious. ” He grinned.
“Oh, Mr. Percy, I do like your humor,” Sibyl said with a laugh. It was the first time she’d smiled in days, much less laughed. “I could use something to laugh about right now.”
“Yes, so I gather. That was Miss Watson leaving as I walked by, but she looked close to tears. You didn’t hurt her feelings? Rejected her from tea for not complimenting your dress?” He winked.
“No, nothing like that. And as if I would, anyway.” She smiled at him again. The man’s humor was infectious. “She admitted that she helped start the rumors about me.”
Mr. Percy breathed in and shook his head. “That would explain it. She’s a nice young woman, but I thought she had more sense than that. Oh well.”
She cocked her head at him. “To what do I owe the nature of your visit? Have you come to comfort me with jokes?”
He laughed. “No. Allow me to be blunt, but my friend is in pain. I wanted to ask why you’re refusing to see Mr. Heyter.”
Sibyl’s mouth dropped open. “Me? I’m not refusing. He told me he doesn’t wish to see me anymore.”
Mr. Percy’s eyes widened. “You’re sure?”
“I have the letter upstairs.” Sibyl had committed those senseless words to memory. She hadn’t meant to. But it was the last she’d heard from him, and his words had struck her like a dagger to the heart. “Shall I get it?”
“Please.”
She picked up her skirts and dashed up the narrow staircase to her room on the first floor.
She felt flighty, like a bird. She picked up the horrid letter and returned downstairs.
Sibyl didn’t know why, but her blood pounded in her veins, as if the letter she held between her fingers were very important.
She handed the letter to him and sat back down. He started reading immediately, his eyes wide.
“You see? He said—”
“This isn’t his handwriting.”
“What?” She rocked back on the sofa seat. Sibyl grabbed a sofa cushion and held it to her chest. “You mean…”
“He didn’t write this. The handwriting is all wrong.”
She gave a little shake of the head. “I wouldn’t know his handwriting.
But there’s a glaring spelling mistake, too.
I did notice the word ‘puerile’ written as ‘purile,’ something I couldn’t picture a fellow reader like Mr. Heyter getting wrong.
We read, we write, we fall in love with words and the stories they tell.
But I figured in the heat of the moment… ” She shrugged.
“No. Mr. Heyter is fastidious when it comes to letter writing. His correspondence is always impeccable. I’d expect no less from a man who reads as much as he does.” Mr. Percy glanced at her and lowered the letter. “I have a sneaking suspicion this is from a third party.”
Sibyl gripped the sofa cushion tighter. “You speak of Miss Harvey?”
“I do. If she and Miss Watson were already involved in schemes to ruin your good name…”
Sibyl lowered the sofa cushion and set it back in its proper place. Her hand trembled. “Of course. She didn’t mention a letter like this, however, just to starting rumors about me. So then Miss Harvey must have acted alone.”
Mr. Percy frowned. “Mr. Heyter received a similar letter, purporting to be from you. Telling him you had no wish to see him. That you had many fine parties and suitors to take up your time.”
“But that’s a lie. There have been no suitors, and thanks to that newspaper article, any party invitations that were forthcoming have stopped.
While that may change in the coming days thanks to today’s papers, I am still in no different circumstances than before, except that now people know my name.
And its infamy.” Sibyl looked away. “And I’d never turn down an invitation from him. Ever.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Mr. Percy said with some relief. “Some sorry fools will believe the gossip, there’s no denying that. But the other newspapers and the singer, the countess, have come to your defense. She’s his aunt, you know. Mr. Heyter’s.”
“Yes, I did get the sense they had a close connection. But he seemed scornful of it.”
“It’s because of the family history. Once she became famous, she attracted a certain amount of attention and notoriety, but unlike others, she didn’t seem to mind whether the attention was good or bad, as long as the public eye was fixed upon her.
She’s changed her tune now, but there was damage to the Heyter family reputation initially, and they disavowed all connection with her, so she changed her name.
She’s a countess now, so not everyone would know they are related.
But… I daresay it’s shaped Neville’s perception of people who want fame. ”
Sibyl nodded. “I wish he’d told me himself.”
“Was I wrong to tell you? I know it is his secret, but…”
“No, it’s fine. I rather think I understand him better now.”
“What will you do?” Mr. Percy asked. “Miss Harvey’s once again tried to separate you. I’m just sorry she almost succeeded.”
She frowned intensely and looked away from Mr. Percy. Sibyl was so sick of her life being entangled by other people’s schemes. She wanted to have a say for herself and make her own decisions in life. Starting with Mr. Heyter.
Sibyl pounded her fist on her knee. “There’s only one thing to do.”
“What’s that?” Mr. Percy asked.
“Prove Miss Harvey wrong. Can you pass on a message for me?”
“I am at your service, Miss Clifton.” Mr. Percy grinned.
“Me too,” Lucy said, peeking in from the hallway. “Are you going to challenge her to a duel?”
“Not quite. I am going to go shopping for a book,” Sibyl said.
The door creaked open as Sibyl walked into the bookshop.
Her boots striking the wooden floors seemed uncommonly loud, and she smoothed down her green skirts.
She wore a plain, ordinary beige walking coat and a tan bonnet with a green ribbon in an attempt to match her dress.
That day she wore her favorite color, a deep forest green.
Ever since she’d been little, she’d wished she had green eyes.
Instead, her eyes were gray, like the bright skies in November before it rained.
She looked down the aisles, but the only people there were other readers. Sibyl looked around. Mr. Percy had hinted she should go, so she had. She’d slipped away and taken her sister with her as a companion, though Lucy was already bored.
“He’s not here,” Lucy said.
“He’ll come,” Sibyl said.
Lucy let out a great sigh and went to the nearest window display. At least there was something to tempt her there.
Sibyl walked around the stacks of books but still found nothing. She let out a little sigh. Maybe he wasn’t coming, after all. She spent ten minutes idly browsing the books on the shelves but hardly saw the titles. Her mind was spinning.