Chapter 16 #3
“I hope it survives this,” she sighed. “She was highly offended, you see. It is one thing to be told that the man you desire as a husband has no wish to marry, and quite another to be told that he just had no wish to marry you. I had hoped that she could control herself for one dinner, and then she would have months to accept your marriage, but Her Royal Highness decided to give her a moment to have her say and asked how we had met our husbands. Araminta accused her of stealing away her beau, making it sound as if you were on the verge of proposing before you had abandoned her for another and claimed that she must have forced you in some way, through compromise or using her arts and allurements to seduce you away from her. And she called her a snake, and several other things which I dare not repeat.”
“And how did Lady Lingley respond to such unprovoked attacks?” Lingley asked, nostrils flared, as he fought to contain his anger.
“She was magnificent,” the woman declared in awe.
“I have never seen someone with such self-possession. Only through her eyes did she react, allowing them to grow cold, and with the precision of a knife cut, she lifted the cup of tea, which she had just prepared to my liking, and took a sip without breaking eye contact or even blinking. She then set aside the tea with such softness that you could tell that she must have been holding back a retort of devastating proportions and rose to her feet. Araminta had been silenced by the tea, but the single quiet ‘hmmm’ she expressed spoke greater than all the shouts of an attacking army; then, instead of a rebuttal, she gave us the cut direct and had us removed from the house!” She shook her head in a sort of admiration and perturbation at the memory.
“I told my sister that she had ruined herself for certain. She begged Mr. Wilson to return her to England forthwith, and he declared that she would not leave their estate until she had learned some manners and had given up chasing his best friend, who did not want her in the first place. I am sure that she is still in tears. My hope is that she may learn to appreciate what she has.”
“Thank you for being so forthcoming.” Lingley rose, bringing them both to their feet as well.
“I will write to you and let you know what she decides. I tell you now, if she is determined to cut the acquaintance, I will do so without a second thought. She is everything to me, and I live to serve and protect her. She is the love of my life, and it shames me that it was those I call friends who snuck beneath my defenses. I never thought that it would be those closest to me who would attempt to harm her, and nothing and no one will do so again. I will say only, may God grant you safe travels.”
They both bid him farewell and left the room, leaving him at the window where he watched as they reentered their carriage. He smelled her lavender water before he heard her approach.
“They are leaving?” Mary asked, stepping up beside him and glancing out the window.
“Yes. I thought it best that they be on their way, as I did not wish you to feel forced to forgive them.”
“Forgive them? But what about last night? I am sure they came to complain of my despicable behavior…”
He guffawed loudly, slapping his leg as he fought to regain control. “Oh, May,” he choked. “You do not even know! You felt that you had erred, but that is not what they saw!”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you not understand? You put them firmly and devastatingly in their place. Then you scorched the ground and salted the ashes, yes, but none of it reflected badly on yourself. You were under attack! She called you magnificent, you know. She thought that your reactions were deliberate and unambiguous. She is under the impression that they mortally offended you and you chose to cut them instead of responding.”
“oh.”
“And were you? Mortally offended, I mean?”
“Not really. I was surprised, certainly, but I knew that you would not act the way she had described and also that I had done nought of what she accused. Honestly, I feel a bit flattered that she saw me as another beautiful woman who had gotten what she had wanted for herself, rather than boring, plain Mary-Hannah who was of no consequence at all. I am just angry at myself for stumbling so badly, for it was completely accidental, I assure you, which is not acceptable. Had we had even one other couple in attendance, my leaving and removing them from the house could have harmed your reputation. I will work more in my practice with Madame le Duchesse.”
“Mary, you are perfect. I love you, desperately.” The words surprised him, as they had burst fully formed from his heart without thought or acknowledgment.
“You love me?” Her eyes were as saucers.
“You promised to trust me, remember.”
“I do! I do trust you!” she replied earnestly. “I love you as well. I think that I always have.”
She found herself suddenly weightless as he swept her into his arms and spun her about before plopping her onto his lap upon the sofa. His kiss was fevered and all-consuming, and it was some time before they left the little sitting room to repair their attire.