And of course her father had spent much of that time lecturing her about what she needed to do to keep her next husband happy. He even had a list of men he thought would be appropriate.
She shouldn’t have been surprised. None of the men on that list were as old as her husband had been, but they were all almost as old as her father. Now that Abigail had a measure of independence, thanks in large part to her husband’s heir, she would never again let her father dictate her life choices.
When her father didn’t press the matter beyond presenting her with that list, she suspected his illness must be more serious than he wanted everyone to know. She thought he’d let the subject of a future marriage drop.
Then her brother had informed her that Father was making arrangements to have Lord Gravenhurst visit, with an eye toward seeing a marriage contract with the twice-widowed baron signed before his death. Her brother had advised Abigail to leave for London as soon as possible.
She’d intended to wait until the start of the next season before rejoining society, but with the knowledge that her father was still trying to control her, she felt no guilt about saying her goodbyes and departing. Honestly, she wouldn’t be surprised if the man was just pretending to be ill in an attempt to get his own way. She only hoped her brother wasn’t experiencing similar attempts to force him into a marriage of their father’s choosing.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Amelia said.
Abigail smiled her thanks and murmured something about how her brother had remained behind to oversee the estate while their father was ill.
Amelia blew out a breath. “Well, since you’re not going to mention it… My husband told me about your upcoming wedding to Lord Cranston.”
Abigail met her gaze, half expecting to find censure there. Instead, she saw only curiosity. “It was most unexpected… Did he tell you the reason for his proposal?”
Amelia nodded. “Yes. He told my husband that he could share the information with me. But John told me little beyond the fact that Cranston is your daughter’s father.”
Abigail let out a soft sigh. “That’s something of a relief. I was afraid he would try to hide it. If for no other reason than to spare my daughter the gossip that is sure to arise.”
Amelia shook her head. “Lord Cranston is a good man even if he is something of a rake.”
Abigail moved past that last comment. It bothered her more than a little to think about the very real possibility that her future husband might take a mistress, or at the very least continue with his affairs.
“They have the same eyes. Anyone who sees the two of them together will guess that he is her real father.”
“How is your daughter—Gemma, is it not?—dealing with the news of your marriage?”
“Honestly?” She let out a soft chuckle. “She’s over the moon with excitement.”
Amelia smiled. “I know that Lord Cranston has much experience charming the fairer sex, but I never imagined it would be so easy for him to win over a child. So he is good with her?”
“He is incredible.” Her throat clogged and tears sprang to her eyes. She had to take a deep breath to steady herself before she could continue. “I feel so much guilt about keeping the two of them apart for all this time.”
Amelia’s gaze softened. “Did you know you were with child when you agreed to marry your husband?”
She couldn’t help but feel another twinge of guilt. “Of course not. My father made it impossible for me to consider Cranston’s suit.” She blew out a breath. “We’d planned to elope, but my father saw to it that I would never do that. Still, if I’d known, I would have taken the risk and fled with him to Scotland even if it would have led to our ruin.” She leaned forward and grasped Amelia’s hand. “You must believe me. I never would have fallen in line with Father’s plans if I’d known I was already carrying Gideon’s child.”
Amelia squeezed her hand in reassurance. “For what it’s worth, I believe you. But I’m not the person you need to convince.”
Abigail clenched her hands together in her lap. “I’m not sure that’s even possible. I have no proof of my father’s schemes, and whatever I say would be seen as a feeble attempt to excuse my actions—one he won’t believe. I’ve already told him that I was left with no choice, but I don’t think he believed me. In the absence of concrete evidence to the contrary…” She shook her head. “I think it best if we just look forward and make the most of our lives together now.”
Her friend was silent for a moment. Then she said, “Lord Cranston doesn’t believe in love. But unless I’m mistaken, I think you do. And that you’re in love with him.”
“I never stopped loving him. And yes, I know I caused him a great deal of pain. This whole situation with Gemma only makes it that much worse. I don’t expect him to forgive me for the past.” She shook her head to clear it of her maudlin thoughts. “Please tell me that you and your husband will be there for the wedding.”
“Of course. I’m only sad that Mary won’t be there as well.”
“Lady Ashford is on her wedding trip, and unlike my marriage, hers is a love match. It would only make her sad to see our hastily done-up affair.”
“Well, I do have a confession to make.”
Abigail wondered at the sly grin on the marchioness’s face.
“Mary was the first, and now that you’re the second, I can say that I seem to have developed a habit of taking my friends dress shopping. I do believe that it’s turning out to be one of my most favorite traditions.”
Abigail shook her head in confusion. “That’s hardly a confession since I already knew we were going to visit Madame Argent. I will admit that I’m excited to see the inside of her shop. She was out of my price range when I first arrived in town. She still is, but perhaps I’ll find something I can afford to purchase.”
