“What about the mother? Do you know who she is?”
Harriet’s mind was reeling. All this time — Simon knew? Or at least, he had a hunch? And he did not think it important to let her know?
“It could have been any one of the maids or women he’s dallied with. But I suspect that whoever she is, she wasn’t able to care for Catherine and thought that leaving her with us would give her a better life.”
Harriet’s tears began to well up in her eyes, though she quickly tried to blink them away as to not cause a scene.
If this was true, then what did it mean for Catherine’s future? She could see the disdain on Simon’s face for his brother. Did he feel the same disdain for Catherine?
The thought itself was enough to suffocate her, and leave her gasping for air.
“Simon… she’s just a baby. She didn’t ask for any of this.”
Simon’s jaw tightened, “I know that, Harriet. But Catherine is not my responsibility. She’s his, and he needs to face the consequences of his actions.”
Harriet could hardly believe a word of what he was saying.
“But she’s here now, Simon. She’s with us. We can’t just turn our backs on her because of what Tobias did.”
“I’m not suggesting we turn our backs on her, but…” He hesitated, the words sticking in his throat.
“But what?” Harriet pressed.
“It’s hard… it’s hard not to see Tobias’s actions every time I look at her.”
Harriet could tell that the admission was a difficult one for him. In normal situations, she would have tried to console him over it.
But right now, she felt a deep rage. A rage and a sadness — at how unfair this whole thing was for Catherine. The only person who was the most vulnerable to all of this.
She looked back at Simon, conflicted as to what she should feel about this situation.
And then, the music came to a stop.
“Why are you so quiet?” Simon asked as he led her out the dance floor. “You said that you wished for me to be honest with you, and I was.”
Harriet clicked her tongue together, suddenly uninterested in everything that was going on around her.
“I wish to go home, Simon.”
Well, that certainly hadn’t gone as intended.
The carriage ride back to the estate was a silent one, the tension between Simon and Harriet palpable. Simon kept his eyes forward, hands clasped in his lap, while Harriet stared out of the window.
The conversation at the ball weighed heavily on him — he had never intended to reveal so much, but the words had spilledout. And now, as they rode in silence, he could feel the anger radiating off her in waves.
He didn’t know what to say, or even if he should say anything. Harriet had been right, of course. Catherine was not to blame for Tobias’s actions, and it wasn’t fair to treat her as though she were. But even as he acknowledged this, there was a part of him that still struggled with the resentment he felt toward his brother, resentment that had now bled into his marriage, affecting everything between him and Harriet.
When they finally arrived home, Simon stepped out of the carriage and turned to offer Harriet his hand.
She did not take it, and instead hurried over the steps to make her way inside.
So this is how she’s going to be….
Once they were both inside, Harriet began to walk toward the stairs, but Simon couldn’t let her go like this.
“Harriet,” he called, his voice low but firm.
She stopped, her hand resting on the banister as she turned to look at him. Then, she narrowed her eyes at him.
