Chapter 10 #2
I looked up, surprised. "These are quite... direct."
"We find directness helpful," Mrs. Fairfax said with a slight smile. "Particularly Rule Three."
"Don't fall in love again," I read aloud. "That seems rather absolute."
"It's meant to be," Mrs. Ashforth said. "Love clouds judgment in ways that can be dangerous for women in our position."
"But surely love can also bring happiness?"
"It can," Lady Joanna agreed. "But happiness isn't the only consideration. We've all seen women who remarried for love, only to discover that their new husbands had very different ideas about how their lives should be conducted."
"Or who found themselves trapped in situations they couldn't escape because they'd surrendered their legal and financial independence," Mrs. Thornfield added.
"Rule Three isn't about avoiding companionship," Mrs. Fairfax explained.
"It's about maintaining clear judgment when evaluating potential relationships.
Love has a way of making us overlook warning signs, excuse concerning behavior, and prioritize emotional connection over practical considerations. "
I studied the paper again. "And you all follow these rules?"
"We try," Miss Hartwell said with a rueful laugh. "Some more successfully than others."
"Sophie has had... challenges with Rule Three," Mrs. Ashforth said fondly.
"I have a weakness for poets," Miss Hartwell admitted. "They say such lovely things that one tends to forget they rarely mean them."
"The point," Lady Joanna said gently, "is not perfection, but awareness. These rules remind us to think as well as feel, to consider consequences as well as desires."
"And if one were to... struggle with Rule Three?" I asked, thinking of the way my pulse quickened when Mr. Brooks smiled, the pleasure I found in his company, the growing awareness that my feelings toward him were becoming decidedly unprofessional.
"We support each other," Mrs. Fairfax said simply. "We remind each other why independence matters, why clear judgment is crucial, why protecting what we've gained is worth the sacrifice of what we might want."
Lady Joanna smiled. “It is important to note, however, that many of us do in fact fall in love and remarry. The purpose of rule three isn’t necessarily to avoid love.
It is to not marry solely out of love, to protect yourself, to write a contract that protects you.
Fall in love all you want, but don’t move forward basing your decisions solely on love. ”
I nodded. “I think that’s valuable.”
"And sometimes," Mrs. Thornfield added, "we provide refuge when the temptation becomes too great to resist while remaining in proximity to its source."
I looked around the cozy room. "Refuge?"
"Lavender Cottage serves many purposes," Lady Joanna explained. "Meeting place, sanctuary, temporary residence for members who need time and space to think clearly."
"Members have stayed here?"
"Oh yes," Mrs. Ashforth said. "I spent a month here last spring when my brother-in-law became too insistent about his plans for my future."
"And I took residence for several weeks when Lord Fairfax's nephew began calling with alarming frequency," Mrs. Fairfax added.
"The cottage is always available," Lady Joanna said warmly, "should any member find herself in need of perspective or distance."
I folded the paper carefully and tucked it into my reticule. The weight of it seemed oddly comforting—a reminder that I was not alone, that other women faced similar choices and challenges.
"I'm honored by your invitation to join you," I said.
"Are you certain?" Mrs. Thornton asked gently. "Membership isn't something to be entered into lightly. We take our obligations to each other seriously."
"What sort of obligations?"
"Honesty," Miss Hartwell said promptly. "No pretending everything is fine when it isn't."
"Mutual support," added Mrs. Ashforth. "Being available when a member needs advice or assistance."
"Discretion," said Mrs. Fairfax. "What's shared in this room stays in this room."
"And accountability," Lady Joanna finished. "Helping each other remember why our independence matters, even when—especially when—we're tempted to forget."
I thought of Victoria and Georgiana, already planning my social reintroduction and dropping hints about eligible gentlemen. I thought of Mr. Brooks, whose company I enjoyed far more than was wise. I thought of the future stretching ahead of me, full of choices I would have to make alone.
"Yes," I said firmly. "I'm certain."
The smile that spread across Lady Joanna's face was warm and welcoming. "Then welcome to the Secret Society of Young Widows, Mrs. Tynsdale. We meet monthly, always here, always at two o'clock on the second Thursday."
"And," Mrs. Fairfax added with a grin, "we're always available for emergency consultations should the need arise."
"Emergency consultations?"
"Trust us," Miss Hartwell said with a laugh. "Living independently as a young widow presents all sorts of unexpected challenges. It's remarkably helpful to have friends who understand exactly what you're facing."
As I walked back to Wyndham Hall later that afternoon, the folded paper in my reticule seemed to pulse with significance. I had joined something—a sisterhood of sorts, built around shared experience and mutual protection.
Rule Three echoed in my mind: Don't fall in love again.
It seemed like sound advice, practical and sensible. I could certainly see the wisdom in maintaining clear judgment, in protecting the independence I was only just beginning to understand and value.
The fact that my thoughts immediately turned to Mr. Brooks, and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, was surely nothing more than a natural response to having spent time with an agreeable man.
After all, appreciating someone's company was hardly the same as falling in love.
Wasn’t it?