The First Proposal - Chasity Bowlin Page 0,19
Daphne said.
“She’s an independent sort. Likes her widowhood,” Lady Habersham replied. “And has already moved on to even greener pastures… a duke.”
“Oh,” Daphne said. “Oh, my! Well, one can hardly blame her then. Connected or not, he doesn’t even have a title!”
“It’s a pity that he’d stoop to using your sister so badly,” Lady Habersham offered with a shake of her head. “You don’t think he’s behaved improperly with her, do you?”
Daphne let out a soft sob as she brought her handkerchief up to her face. Smiling behind the embroidered square, she continued to sob softly in what she hoped was a convincing fashion.
Lady Habersham leaned forward and patted her other hand. “There, there, my dear. Nothing your sister has done will be seen as a reflection on you. Clearly, you are a moral and upright woman trying to save someone who is determined to rush headlong into ruin.”
“Indeed, Lady Habersham, I fear you are quite right. I’ve encouraged Persephone to be circumspect in her actions. But she spent so long in the country with only my father to guide her that I fear she is almost… well, a bit feral. She doesn’t understand the ways of society, nor does she understand the consequences of her actions. I fear she’s been meeting with him in secret… our gardens share a common wall, you know? It would be terribly easy for her to slip away, and with six children, I cannot possibly watch her all the time.”
“Six children?” Lady Habersham gasped. “Good heavens, Mrs. Fennelworth, your husband is a demanding and monstrous man.”
“He is, indeed, madame. And my intent in bringing my sister here was to offer her guidance, to perhaps find her a suitable husband who was a clerk or a vicar. But she’ll have none of it. She means to play fast and loose with both her virtue and her reputation and there is naught I can do to stop her.”
Mrs. Habersham clucked her tongue in false sympathy. “Yes, my dear, I do understand your pain. It is so hard to watch loved ones make terrible mistakes that way… There will be dire consequences.”
“I’m sure. We’ve been invited to attend the ball Lady Holland is throwing on Saturday night. It was very bold of him considering how improper he has been with Persephone to invite the whole family.”
Lady Habersham’s eyes lit up once more. “Did he, now? That is very interesting as I have had it from someone else attending that Lady Sheffield will be there as a guest.”
“We should decline,” Daphne said.
Lady Habersham quickly shook her head. “Oh, no. My dear, you must go. If you do not, well… people will assume the worst—that he has already left your sister with child and she is in hiding.”
It didn’t matter that they’d only met a day ago, rumors didn’t have to be based in truth. All Daphne needed was for Persephone to be so ruined she could never leave her and that Algernon Dunne would want nothing more to do with her. “Oh, drat! I fear you are correct.”
“It will be very humiliating when he is seen fawning all over Lady Sheffield in front of her… or worse, fawning over your sister whenever in Lady Sheffield’s sight. You don’t think he’d go so far as to propose?”
“I certainly hope not,” Daphne said. “I don’t think poor Persephone could bear the pain of being rejected by a betrothed… and I think, regardless of what Lady Sheffield does with the duke who is now on her string, he cannot really mean to marry my aging spinster of a sister. Can he?”
Lady Habersham shook her head. “I think not. More fool she. Pity… Now enough about your sister, for the moment. My dear, you must get your husband a mistress. Any more children would just be… unseemly.”
Daphne smiled. “It certainly would.” In truth, she hadn’t wanted the six she had.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Algernon was in the garden once more. He was also freezing. The weather had turned unexpectedly but he was hoping that Persephone might emerge from the house for an evening turn and he could persuade her to share in a secret tryst with him. To that end, he’d taken the liberty of creating a small picnic for them, complete with blankets in light of the cooler weather, in the hopes of luring her over. As yet, she had not emerged from the house and he was growing concerned. He’d noted some weeks ago that it was her habit to escape there after