Perhaps she was what she needed all along.
On the other side, Simon had been standing just outside the door during her conversation with Agnes. He had come to check on the nursemaid’s arrival, intending to make sure thateverything was going smoothly. But when he had heard Harriet’s voice, something had made him pause.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the moment he heard Harriet mention Cathy, he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to walk away.
What he ended up discovering, however, had changed everything for him.
He had known that Harriet was upset with him for leaving, but he hadn’t realized just how deeply his actions had hurt her. Hearing her admit that she had hated him for abandoning her was like a punch to the gut — a realization that he had failed her in a way he hadn’t fully understood.
But what struck him even more was her confession that she had wanted him around. She had wanted to make the marriage work, despite the circumstances that had brought them together.
She wanted us to live like a real husband and wife?
Simon was good at reading people, and he had never gotten any semblance of that from her. Which only must mean that Harriet was an expert at hiding her true feelings.
What else has she hidden away inside her?
The curiosity bubbled inside him, and he once again pressed his ear to door to excavate more information. But as he did, he stumbled a bit.
“Did you hear that?”
That was his cue to leave. Simon turned to his heel, quickly dashing away before anyone knew the wiser.
But as he made his departure, he felt a mixture of guilt and regret. He had thought that by staying away, he was giving Harriet the freedom she desired. But in doing so, he had only made her feel more isolated, more alone.
CHAPTER 18
“Your Grace, your brother has arrived to see you,” the butler informed Simon that evening.
“Tobias is here?” Simon bolted out his chair. “Is he by himself?”
The butler shook his head. “No, Your Grace. A lady has accompanied him.”
“Have him seated immediately. I shall be downstairs in a moment.”
Simon felt a rush of adrenaline. He had not expected his brother to reemerge with answers this quickly. This was terrific — absolutely terrific and he had to go see for himself at once.
But Simon reminded himself that getting excited now would be too premature. If anything, he should steel himself for the inevitable frustration that always accompanied their interactions. Tobias had never been one to do thingsstraightforwardly, and Simon had a sinking feeling that this visit was no exception.
When Simon finally entered the drawing room, he caught the pair in the midst of a heated discussion. But upon noticing his entry, they quickly shut up.
“Brother of mine,” Tobias greeted, standing up, “I am happy to have caught you at an hour where you were free to see me.”
Simon nodded, his eyes moving to the woman whom he had brought with him. “You have brought a friend?”
“Ah, yes,” Tobias nodded, his tone overly familiar as he gestured toward the woman. “Allow me to introduce Miss Martha Cumberbatch.”
Simon’s gaze flicked from Tobias to the woman and back again, his expression unreadable. He offered a brief nod of acknowledgment to the lady but otherwise remained silent, waiting for Tobias to explain the purpose of this unexpected visit.
Tobias, ever the performer, grinned as he continued, “Martha is the mother of Catherine. I’ve brought her here so that everything can be settled once and for all.”
For a moment, there was silence. The statement hung in the air, laden with implications that Simon didn’t believe for a second.
His eyes narrowed as he studied the woman more closely. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her posture stiff, her eyes darting nervously between the two brothers.
Something does not add up.
Simon remained silent for a moment longer, his gaze locked on Tobias. Finally, he spoke, his tone measured. “Is that so?”
