"My advice is that whatever it is, give it time. Wessberg is a very quiet gentleman, and I often guess what his thoughts might be. I know he cares, and I am learning to be patient with him."
Natalie smiled, but despite the words of reassurance, the shadow of unease remained, hovering above her.
Ten days passed without word from Jasper, and it gave Natalie the dreadful certainty that he regretted their time and that he no longer wanted her. She filled her days with sewing, and when night came, her sleep was fitful.
Her dreams were only of Jasper, and while some delighted her, most plunged her into a pool of fear and apprehension. She was especially lost because of the love she had for him.
She walked into the drawing room this morning to the sight of George and Hannah’s grim faces. She was about to ask them what happened when George held out a sheet. Her heart racing, she accepted it and discovered it was The Londoner.
This stretched her nerves further, and she began to read:
We know the reason Lady Natalie Reeves never married all these years. It was not her lack of dowry, and although she is pretty enough to be wed without one, the truth is far more sinister than any of us could have imagined. Ten years ago, when Lady Natalie was only nineteen, she was ruined by a gentleman.
Her father, the late Earl of Clifford, did not confront the gentleman. He was too old and drunk to care, and many gentlemen of the ton became aware of this. Now, we cannot tell how this news remained hidden all these years, but the gentlemen knew of the lady’s taint and sought to keep away.
Trembling, she read the news over again, unable to believe the lies in it. One thing stood certain, though, and it was the fact that those lies had Oliver's name all over them. She would know the Earl's horrid words wherever she saw or heard them. This was doubtless his vile creation.
"Ecklehill! That bastard!" George's fist came down upon the table in front of him as Natalie lowered the sheet. His suspicions mirrored hers, it would seem.
Oliver is finally following through with his threats,Natalie thought miserably. She did not want to think of what he might have in store for them next, because he seemed relentless in his quest to destroy them. Ten years later, and he was as destructive as the first day.
"What do we do now?" Hannah asked, her eyes shimmering with shedded tears.
Before George could put in a word, Natalie began to apologize for everything. "This is all my fault," she said, tears burning at the back of her eyes.
"Don't you say that," George and Hannah chorused before Hannah stood and wrapped her arms around her. George rose, too, and took one of her hands. Their tenderness and understanding forced the tears that Natalie had been keeping a tight hold on.
The butler interrupted them with the announcement of a caller. She wondered who it was, and thought it might be someone who had come to gather more gossip about her now that her name was smeared over every news sheet in town.
Then the butler said, “The Honorable Lady Phoebe Dawson.”
She was relieved to hear that but it was fleeting as worry settled within her. She thought of the prospect of Phoebe reading the news and coming to cut ties with her.
“Show her in, please,” George said, and a moment later, Phoebe walked into the drawing room.
She smiled at all of them, and after a pleasant exchange of greetings, George and Hannah left them alone. Phoebe did not mention the scandal, nor did she regard Natalie any differently.
"How have you been, my dear?" she asked Natalie, surprising her.
“I…I am well,” she lied, wearing a false smile.
Phoebe glanced down at her hands, and the corners of her mouth turned downward. “I wish I could tell you the same, dear.” She raised her eyes to Natalie. “I am worried about him, my Jasper.”
Phoebe was not here because of the gossip, and certainly not to cut ties with her either, but the mention of Jasper wrung Natalie’s heart. For the life of her, she could not understand the reason for his silence. She had sent him a note over the past days, but no reply had come.
"I do not know what happened between you two, but whatever it is, do not give it triumph over your heart, Natalie," Phoebe said gently. "He cares for you... More than you realize." She smiled at Natalie.
Does he really?Natalie thought as she sucked in her lips. Phoebe’s words should reassure her but they both confused and tore at her. Why was Jasper miserable when he was the one who decided to stop seeing her? Was he keeping her away because of the fate he feared he would suffer at thirty-five?
"Doubt is the heart's greatest enemy, you see," Phoebe said as though she had read Natalie's thoughts right then. She placed a warm hand over Natalie’s. "I read The Londoner this morning." There was no disappointment or judgment in both her tone and demeanor, but Natalie’s stomach still sank. "I want you to know that I do not believe a word of those lies. Society's cruelty knows no bounds, and I know from experience that the instant they find something better, they will forget."
Natalie managed a smile. “Thank you for your kindness, Phoebe.” She dreaded the question she was about to ask but she needed to know. "Has he read the paper?"
She would have no chance in Jasper's eyes, much less his heart, if he saw the sheet. He would remember the incident from ten years ago, her foolishness, and its insignificance to him. And like he did before, he would bury the past weeks they had shared without an ounce of sentiment. Natalie would once again be a forgotten memory with less meaning than a passing breeze.
Some of these thoughts were her doubts and fears, but she felt everything deeply regardless.
Phoebe gave a relieving answer. "No, he has not. I had all the sheets that were delivered to the manor this morning burned. I doubt he would see it because he has locked himself up in his study and wants no communication with the world."
