Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

“ T he important thing is that we get ahead of this,” Lord Ramsbury was saying. “If we can do that, we might come out the other side not looking the worse for it.”

“I have already started writing letters,” Lady Ramsbury stated, “to everyone I know.”

“Saying?”

“What do you think?” she said, sounding almost insulted that he would even ask. “That His Grace was the one who erred—I did not say so specifically, but I have implied that he was abusive. Verbally, for we do not want to suggest anything violent.”

“Good idea, dear,”

“And that Hannah was the one who demanded a divorce,” Lady Ramsbury said rightly. “It will look better if she took action and sought a way out. Better that than the alternative.”

“Yes, yes.” Lord Ramsbury nodded his agreement. “We must mold the narrative to our favor, ensuring that Hannah’s name is not damaged. That will make it easier come next Season, when it is time for her to be courted once more.”

“My thoughts exactly. No gentleman is going to want her if he thinks she is a problem. But if we prove that His Grace is the problem, it will go a long way.”

“Wonderful.” Lord Ramsbury took his wife’s hand. “And who are you writing to, exactly? My thinking is that we need to be strategic. If you simply write to every person you know, it will look desperate and disorganized. But to the right people…” He chuckled. “Let the words spread on their own, rather than forcing them down everyone’s throat.”

“No, no,” Lady Ramsbury argued. “We must tell everyone. We cannot risk His Grace getting the upper hand.”

“Letitia, tactfulness is what will see us through.”

“Force, dear, is the only way.”

“A subtle hand.”

“A firm one.”

“But His Grace?—”

“Better hope he does not try and stop me, or else there will be hell to pay!”

Lord Ramsbury chuckled. “I am glad you are on my side.”

“I know, dear. Something His Grace is about to learn the hard way.”

Hannah sat there listening to her parents talk about her as if she was not there. They spoke about her, not to her, happy to scheme and surmise and plan as if it were their own lives they were speaking about. And while Hannah might have wanted to interject and ask them not to do anything foolish or harsh or too outwardly aggressive, she had long since reached the point of not caring.

They were sitting in the dining room, about to have an early supper. Her father was sitting at the head of the table, her mother on his right, and Hannah on his left. She was certain she could rise from the table, walk away, and she wouldn’t be noticed.

She’d felt invisible these last few days, barely seen or noticed or acknowledged. At first, she thought that her parents were simply giving her space to grieve because when she had turned up on their doorstep four days ago, such was her pitiful, sodden state that all she wanted was to be left alone.

Now, however, having passed the point of true grieving, she was beginning to see the truth. As upset as she was about what had happened, her parents were ropeable. Not with her, thankfully. Rather, it was Frederick who bore the brunt of their wrath, for it was not just her name that was threatened with slander and ruin, but their own!

And so they schemed and plotted and spoke about ways to ‘get ahead’ of this calamity without once asking Hannah what she thought. They didn’t care what she thought. From the beginning, her marriage had been as much about them as it was about her, and now she was starting to see it.

“First thing tomorrow morning,” her mother continued proudly, “I will send them out.”

“Good,” Lord Ramsbury said, smiling at his wife. “That is a start. His Grace thinks he can do this to us…” He scoffed. “We shall see about that!”

The way Hannah’s stomach churned at that spoke to how much she cared for Frederick. She did not hate him. She did not begrudge him. Truly, she blamed herself as much as she did him, knowing that if things had been just a little different, it would never have come to this.

For five days now, she had wondered if it was worth going back. Again! She vacillate between yes and no, debating with herself, trying to decide what to do. And again and again, she wanted to believe that she could be with him and not wish to start a family. She wanted nothing more! She loved Frederick, she did, but that was a deal breaker.

Still…

“Please,” she said quietly, looking down at the table. “Please don’t.”

“Excuse me?” Her father blinked. “Please don’t what?”

“Send out those letters. Or do anything. There is no need…” Still she spoke softly, unable to meet her father’s eyes.

“Of course, there is! After what he did to you! The man is a monster, and he will pay!”

“He is not…”

“Hannah, dear,” her mother sighed. “I know this is hard, but we do not blame you. You must know that we are here for you, and all we want to do is help. This will do just that.”

Hannah’s stomach turned. Guilt. Depression. Sadness. Even worse, they were also speaking of her meeting someone else in the future, something that she had no desire for. Something that she knew she could not stop because once again, she was at the mercy of her parents and their needs.

About to speak and ask them again to desist, one of the manor’s many butlers suddenly strode into the dining room.

“M’Lord, M’Lady!” he said as he approached the table. “I am sorry to disturb you, but there is someone here to see you.”

“What? Now?!” Lord Ramsbury snapped. “At this hour?!”

“He says that it is urgent. I tried to send him away, but he refused!”

Hannah’s heart leapt in her throat. Could it be? Surely not. She spun in her chair and looked toward the foyer, fully expecting the Duke to storm into the room. And if he did just that… she was not sure what she would do. She wanted to believe that she would tell him the same thing she did the last time they spoke, but with how she felt, she was not so certain…

“A Lord William Campbell, M’Lord. He is waiting in the foyer.”

“Campbell!” Lord Ramsbury barked, his eyes going wide as he looked at his wife. “His Grace’s brother!”

“What does he want?”

Hannah’s heart began to race. Frederick’s brother was here? But what for? She could not imagine Frederick sending Lord William of his own accord, which told her that her brother-in-law was here in secret. Possibly to beg her to come back… maybe.

Was there a chance that Frederick was so heartbroken over what had happened that this was a last-ditch effort to see her return? And would it make a difference?

“Isn’t it obvious?” her mother said rightly. “He wishes to make sure that we do not do anything rash—likely to beg us to keep this all under wraps. Good luck!”

Lord Ramsbury’s nose twitched. “Send the man in, Harrington. We shall deal with him ourselves.”

He took his wife’s hand, and the two sat up straight, their eyes fixed on the door as they waited. And Hannah, doing her best not to get her hopes up, ignoring the way her heart thundered in her chest, did the same.

Oh, she wanted to believe that if Lord William was here to beg her to go back to Frederick, she would turn him away. Only… could she do it? Was she strong enough?

“Lord Ramsbury!” Lord William called as he strode into the dining room.

Hannah gasped when she saw him, for he was the spitting image of his older brother. Not as big in size, nowhere near as imposing. But his face was similar, enough that Hannah could not help but stare.

“Lady Ramsbury, I am so sorry to disturb you like this.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Lord Ramsbury barked.

“Your Grace.” Lord William turned and looked at Hannah with a soft smile, a tinge of sadness in his eyes… which was quickly gone as his expression suddenly turned serious. “I am sorry to come, but I had little choice.”

“W-what is it?” Hannah asked, doing what she could to keep the hope out of her voice.

“It is Amelia,” he said. “She is missing.”

Hannah’s eyes went wide. “What? Missing? How?”

Without thinking, she jumped to her feet, as if she meant to bolt out of the room.

“We do not know,” Lord William said quickly. “She ran away, it seems. We thought she could not have gone far, which led us to search the estate. But it was when he got as far as the surrounding forest that Frederick had a thought.”

“H-he did?”

Her heart was racing. Part fear. Part worry. Part elation that Frederick’s thoughts had led Lord William here.

“That she might have come to you,” Lord William admitted. “He knows how much Amelia loves you—and with the way she has been acting these last few days, it only lends credence to his theory.”

“The way she has been…” Her voice caught in her throat. “Acting? How has she been acting?”

He gave her a knowing smile. “She has been upset, Your Grace. Like Frederick, she has been miserable.”

“Really?” Again, hope in her voice.

“She was not happy to hear of what happened, and Frederick thinks she might have come here as a form of protest. He is searching the neighboring estates as we speak, but he asked that I come here immediately.”

Despite her worry, Hannah could not help but feel a strange sense of elation at Lord William’s words. Even pride. Oh, she had known how close she and Amelia had grown these last two weeks, but to think that the little girl was that upset with her leaving, and to think that even Frederick might have assumed that she had run all the way here just to see her. It was… it was… it was enough that Hannah could not help but smile.

She was not the little girl’s mother, and yet she felt a sudden kinship that she had never expected. A bond that she had seen between her sisters and their children, that desire to protect and love that all mothers must feel.

Hannah wanted children of her own, but was it possible that Amelia, the little girl who she had grown so close with, might be enough? And had Hannah been too selfish to see that as a possibility?

“Is she here?” Lord William asked desperately. “Have you seen her?”

“She is not here,” Lord Ramsbury said. “And you can tell His Grace that perhaps he should take better care of his children, that is if he was not so busy ruining?—”

“Father!” Hannah snapped at him. “Will you be quiet?!”

“Hannah!” her mother gasped. “Do not speak to your father like that!”

Hannah ignored her as she turned to Lord William, her mind racing as she tried to think what to do. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“Only a few hours ago,” Lord William explained. “She was sent to the back garden on her own and has not been seen since!”

“And you said you searched the estate?”

“As far as the forest.”

“The forest…” Hannah frowned as she considered… as she pictured the little girl and what she knew of her… as she came to realize the likelihood of where she was. “Find Frederick,” she said immediately.

“And tell him what?”

Hannah might have smiled if she wasn’t so worried. For although she now knew where Amelia likely was, that didn’t make the situation any better. If anything, it only made it worse. Amelia was in danger, and if there was any chance of saving her, Hannah would need to hurry.