Esther and Frances both chuckled at that.
“Do not worry, Harriet. I believe out of the three of us, you are the most capable of holding your own in front of Mother,” Frances said.
“Yes, but I think I preferred it much better when I wasn’t the sole focus of her attention…”
Frances and Esther exchanged a look, surprised.
“Am I seeing this correctly?” Esther asked. “Are you… scared of Mother?”
Harriet shot her a glare. “I would not say scared. But concerned? Yes. I believe she will soon force me into a marriage that I do not want, just because the man fits the ideal image of what she wants in a son-in-law.”
“I believe you deserve more credit than you are giving yourself, Harriet,” Frances stated softly. “She will not force anything on you.”
“But it is just me in the manor now,” Harriet continued. “I scarcely have anyone to vent to about her antics either.”
Frances reached out and touched her sister’s hand. “You can always write to me.”
Something changed in Harriet’s expression, and she straightened up immediately.“I am sorry, Frances. I did not mean to come across as overbearing and put all my troubles on you. You seem quite tired, as is.”
Frances rubbed her temples. “It’s nothing too drastic. Just that we have not been able to find a governess for the children yet, so my responsibilities are double.”
“Has the Duke been taking care of you?” Harriet asked pointedly.
Frances racked her brain for a response. Christopher was pleasant towards her, and they exchanged conversation at the food table mostly. But he had not really gone out of his way to pamper her.
Somehow, though, she felt as though it would be unwise to admit that in front of her sisters.
“He takes care of me whenever he can.” Frances smiled, her expression tired.
“He ought to,” Harriet pressed. “You are his wife.”
Esther gave her a sympathetic look. “You need to take care of yourself too, Frances. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from anyone, should you need it.”
“I will,” Frances promised, feeling the warmth of their support. “Thank you both for being here. It means more than you know.”
The sisters continued to chat, and by the time they left, Frances felt ready to end the day, even though it was only evening.
But she knew she had to spend some time with the twins first, no matter how tired she was.
* * *
Christopher was happy to meet up with Phillip at the gentlemen’s club that evening.
“Marriage has made you a changed man,” Phillip commented once he saw his friend walk over to him. “I scarcely get to see you anymore.”
Christopher shrugged. “I am here now. So let us not lament on time that has passed.”
“Amen to that.”
The two men settled into conversation over a glass of brandy. Most of Christopher’s evenings before the children came into his life looked like this.
Now, he scarcely had the time to go out and mingle with other people. He had a long list of things to do. Finding a governess, of course, was the first thing on the list. It was a change for him, and he was careful not to complain about it.
“How is it going for you, so far?” Phillip asked after a while. “Getting married and all. You are a sly one. All this time, you gave me no indication that the woman you chose to marry was my wife’s sister.”
Phillip nudged his friend, and Christopher simply took a sip out of his drink in response.
“Well… it all happened quite fast. I did not know what to tell you.”
