“He is beautiful,” Clara said.
Diana looked tired but delighted. Hensley smiled at his wife. “You did a wonderful job, Diana.”
Her sister smiled at Hensley. For a moment Clara felt a pang of jealousy at their ease with each other. She pushed it away, truly wanting her sister to have all the happiness in the world.
“What will you name him?” she asked.
Diana looked at Hensley, questioningly. “Robert?”
Hensley looked at his son and then beamed at Diana. “A strong name for a strong boy just like his mother.”
He leaned over and took her hand while he held their son in the crook of his other arm. Diana blushed at the compliment. “Thank you,” she said.
“If you will excuse me, I think I should return home,” Clara said, feeling out of place as she watched them.
Diana frowned at her. “Please stay. It is so late. I imagine Mother and perhaps Father and Henry will be by tomorrow morning. Also, we sent your driver and guard to bed already. There is no need to wake them.”
Hensley nodded. “Yes, I would prefer you stay as well, Clara. I can’t imagine you returning home so late.”
Clara smiled, bemused by her sister and her husband. It would be no different from returning home from a ball. Still, she didn’t protest. There was nothing at home for her. She hadn’t seen Sam in days and wasn’t sure when she would. The thought of him spending time with Addie flashed in her mind, and her heart ached, but she pushed it away. She would not fixate on things she couldn’t change.
Diana held her hands out to Hensley, and he placed Robert in her arms. “Hensley, can you please see that someone gets Clara settled into a room?”
Clara followed him out. He turned and looked at her, befuddled. “I have a son.”
She laughed and said, “That you do.”
He laughed and his body shook with mirth. Clara smiled at him. “I am so happy for you and Diana.”
He wiggled his eyebrows and said, “Who would have thought we would be this happy when we first met?”
Clara flushed at his insinuation.
“Come now, we know each other well enough we can be honest. I am no catch,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, you are wrong, Hensley. Diana couldn’t ask for more than you. Perhaps you were not what she expected, but she is completely devoted to you and now baby Robert. Don’t ever doubt that.”
He patted his ample stomach, pondering her statement, and said quietly, “She is my better half.”
“She would say you are hers.”
He blushed. “I would dare say that Mr. Kincaide seems quite devoted.”
It was Clara’s turn to flush. Was her husband? As if sensing her thoughts Hensley said, “At least that is what I see.”
“Perhaps,” she said.
Hensley, oblivious to her turmoil, walked along happy as could be with life, Clara following behind him.
He left her at the door of a guest room. Clara sat down on the bed, exhaustion finally seeping into her body. She was so happy she was able to be with Diana during the birth. She placed her hand on her stomach wondering if someday she would be blessed with her own child. She hoped so. Her mind went back to Sam. She didn’t understand how they had reached a point at which they were barely speaking to one another. She sighed. Sleep was what she needed, not hours pondering her husband.
The next morning, Clara opened her eyes to see the sun peeking out from the curtains of her room. A maid was placing food, along with the scandal sheets, on a small table. Clara smiled amused. Her sister did love reading them. She imagined the staff assumed she did to. In truth, she was reading them lately just as much as her sister.
Clara thanked the maid on her way out and made her way to the little table. She opened the paper and read over the normal gossip from balls and outings. Her eyes stopped on one section, and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
A common scoundrel and a highly respected lord quarreled over a mistress that neither can seem to forget. Interestingly enough they both have connections to an icy lady. It appears they are both looking to escape the cold.The scoundrel dared to place his hands on the lord showing his true character.
She read it again. Her heart felt shattered. Sam said there were no mistresses. Was this the mistress that the papers wrote about in Liverpool? First Addie and now this. Perhaps she had thought too much of their time together. Her hands shook as she drank her tea, pondering what she should do, if anything.
