She didn’t evenlikequarrels! She was always the first one to smooth over a minor disagreement with a kind word or a joke. How had she managed to arrive at an impasse with two of the people she cared about most?
Given that Della was too cowardly to venture into Jane’s house and risk a scolding from the elder Mrs. Williams, she would have liked to deal with Lord Ashton first. Whether to apologize to him or demand that he apologize to her, she couldn’t say. If only Peter would simply decide of his own accord that he was passionately in love with Miss Greenwood, it might have made matters a good deal easier for everyone. But only two days after their argument at the dinner party, a letter arrived that dashed all her hopes of setting things right.
Dear Miss Danby,
As we agreed, in light of my current situation I regret to say that I won’t be able to call on your family again. I remain available to answer your questions by correspondence if you need my assistance. You may send me your latest chapters and I should be happy to read them.
—Ashton
“He doesn’t even say if he’s still cross with me!” Della exclaimed, crumpling the useless note into a ball in her fist. He must be, if he’d decided not to come back. His hearing was today, and he hadn’t even told her what happened.
“Hmm?” Annabelle looked up from her book.
“Nothing,” Della muttered. “Never mind.”
Della wished that Ashton were before her, so she might gauge his feelings on the matter. How could he send such an empty letter? Swallowing a frustrated noise, she went upstairs to her writing desk and pulled out her stationery. It took her several tries, but she finally arrived on a conciliatory paragraph.
Lord Ashton,
You cannot expect me to say goodbye to you this way, when our last meeting ended on such a disagreeable note. Please come by the house, or I shall be forced to visit yours. I’m sorry for what I said to you after supper. I can’t explain here, but I truly did have a good reason to suggest the match. I don’t see why Peter should be unhappy, but I wouldn’t like to be the source of his troubles if you’re right. I expect we might never agree. I only hope you won’t let those be our parting words to one another.
—D.
There. That was the best she could do to mend things for the moment. Now it would be for Ashton to decide whether to accept her olive branch. After considerable thought, she added:
P.S. Thank you again for all your help. I am attaching my draft chapter on charitable endeavors if you have time to look it over, but the entry on Guy’s Hospital isn’t complete yet so just ignore that one. I’m trying to persuade Annabelle to go and view a surgery for me to verify the facts, as I’m far too cowardly to do it.
She packed up everything into a large envelope, sealed it with wax, and gave her footman instructions for its delivery. This business attended to, she had nothing left to do but go and face Jane.
Della greeted the maid with a smile when she opened the door. “I’m here to see Mrs. Williams. Er, theyoungerMrs. Williams, that is.”
Why did I say that?The woman saw her often enough to know whom she was here to call on, but Della was so nervous that she hadn’t been able to stop the words from spilling out.
“Is…the elder Mrs. Williams at home, by any chance?” she added as she was led into the pale-green sitting room.
“No, miss,” the maid, Molly, replied. She had a perfect servant’s voice—carefully scrubbed of any opinion on the chaos that must undoubtedly have ruled this house over the past few days. “She’s out at the moment. I’ll tell my mistress you’re here.”
Della heaved an enormous breath of relief at this news. Now she needn’t jump at every creaking floorboard, certain that a mother’s vengeance was coming for her.
When Jane came in, she offered Della a sad smile and sat on the divan beside her.
“How is everything?” Della asked. She had no idea which problem to address first, so she would let Jane pick for her.
“The club is doing well,” her friend replied earnestly. “There was some talk, of course, but it seems that most of the women who’veheard about the fuss with Hannah place the blame on the individuals involved rather than the establishment.”
A mixed blessing, if their gain was her downfall. “And Hannah?”
“I hardly know what to tell you.” Jane massaged her temple, appearing fatigued. “She’s insisting that she’s in love with Mr. Corbyn and won’t accept anyone else for a husband, which is anobviouslie seeing as she barely knows the man. Her mother is desperately trying to foist her off on an elderly baronet who’s too disconnected from the ton gossip to have heard of her indiscretion, and none of us can talk her out of it. They’ve been fighting like cats and dogs, and of course poor Eli is caught in the middle.”
“Can’t you send them back to Devon?” It would be the easiest solution for everyone.
Jane heaved a great sigh. “Mrs. Williams won’t allow it. Hannah’s already snubbed every potential suitor she knows there. Besides, itishelpful to have her here to watch Gloria in the evenings so we can attend Bishop’s, and Hannah has been learning how to help me with the bookkeeping.”
“I beg your pardon?” Surely Della had misheard her. “You mean to tell me that Hannah is allowed to come back to the club after what she did?”
“Not during opening hours,” Jane replied swiftly. “Just in the mornings to help take care of some of the work we don’t have time to get to.”
“But she kissed a midshipman in front of everyone! She’s the reason there was a scandal in the first place.”
