Folding her hands in front of her, she held her head high and waited.
‘Why would you do such a thing?’ Temperance burst out, clearly unable to keep silent any longer.
‘Indeed, I think that’s something we would all like to know,’ added Grace stiffly.
Patience swallowed and looked to her father. Augustus Shackleford sighed, clearly wishing himself anywhere but in the room. ‘If you have an explanation for your deplorable behaviour Patience Shackleford, I suggest you get to it,’ was his only pained comment at length.
Patience felt the first stirrings of anger. Truly, she had not wished to upset her family, but what choice had she had other than going meekly down the aisle simply to keep them happy?
‘You would not listen,’ she whispered.
‘Oh, do speak up Patience,’ Temperance snapped, throwing her hands in the air.
‘I said you wouldn’tlisten,’ Patience suddenly shouted. ‘Not one of you listened, even though you knew I didn’t want this. Ineverwanted this.’
‘So, what would you have had us do,’ shouted Temperance in return. ‘Simply leave you roaming the countryside occupied with goodness knows what?’
‘Yes. That’s exactly what you should have done,’ Patience cried, unable to hold back the tears any longer. ‘I washappy. Why couldn’t you see that, Tempy? You of all people should have understood.’ She put up her hand to scrub the water from her eyes.
Temperance opened her mouth again but could suddenly think of nothing to say. The truth was, shedidunderstand. She’d just allowed herself to forget.
‘Would you like to sit down Patience? You are not on trial.’ The Duke’s voice was composed and effectively cut through the maelstrom of emotions. Biting her lip, Patience sat down, fighting to get herself under control, but it was useless. She felt as if a dam had burst inside her, and the tears just wouldn’t stop.
‘Oh Patience,’ both her sisters said together. Rising up as one, they hurried over to their distraught sibling and crouched down, one on either side. ‘Please don’t cry,’ whispered Temperance, putting her arm around Patience’s quivering shoulder.
‘We do understand, truly we do,’ murmured Grace, wiping the tears from her sister’s face.
Slowly, Patience’s sobs turned to sniffles until she took a deep shuddering breath. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she stammered. ‘I didn’t want to create a scandal.’ She looked up at each of her sisters who she had no doubts loved her dearly. ‘I’m not like you,’ she said quietly. ‘I could never be the chatelaine of one of the oldest dukedoms in England or have the self-confidence to go out and make thetonlove me - so much so that I suddenly become all the crack.’ She shook her head, and taking Grace’s proffered kerchief, blew her nose.
‘Frankly, she is best kept as far away from Society as possible,’ her father interrupted gruffly. ‘Patience had the right of it…’ He paused and sighed, ‘And in truth, so did I. But neither of us had the bottle to stand up and say so.’
Planting a soft kiss on her sister’s forehead, Grace climbed wearily to her feet and looked over at her husband. ‘What are we to do?’ she murmured returning to her chair. To her relief, Nicholas simply smiled, took her hand and raised it to his lips. Blinking, Grace fought the urge to cry tears of relief. Somehow Nicholas and Adam would rescue the situation.
Temperance briefly rested her forehead against her sister’s, then regained her feet. Regret would not change their position. Somehow, they had to find a way to lessen the consequences.
Returning to her seat, she looked over at Adam, not sure what she expected to see. However, his eyes contained nothing but love and sympathy, and she, like Grace, wondered whatever she had done to deserve such devotion.
If only Patience could experience such adoration. Despite her sister’s avowal that she did not wish to wed, Temperance remained convinced that somewhere, somehow there was a man who would simply love her as she was and give her the freedom she so craved.
‘What do you wish to do Patience?’ Adam questioned gently as soon as his sister-in-law had regained her composure.
Patience looked up. ‘It’s clear that I do not belong in this world,’ she declared in a small voice. ‘I would very much like to return home.’ She looked at each of her family in turn before continuing. ‘It’s my sincere hope that in my absence, the scandal will quickly blow over. Nobody knows me. My tongue is really my only memorable attribute, and since I have only attended one ball, I’m persuaded I will be quickly forgotten.’
Nicholas nodded. ‘I concur. We will present a united front this evening at the May Ball, though I believe Patience’s attendance would simply fuel the gossip. I take it you have no wish to go out with a bang?’ he added drily to his sister-in-law.
Patience shook her head with a shudder.
‘I will remain with my daughter,’ Reverend Shackleford commented piously.
‘Will not Agnes object, Father?’ Grace enquired.
‘She’s taken to her bed,’ the Reverend declared. ‘She brought a bottle of Fothergel’s Chymical Nervous Cordial Drops with her. In my experience, she’ll likely wake up around Tuesday.’
Patience felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She would finally get her wish to disappear into comfortable obscurity –aftershe had aided the Marquess in regaining his family diamond, naturally. She firmly put aside the knowledge that should this heist go wrong, there would be more than her reputation at stake.
Nothing will go amiss, she avowed to herself as she made her way back to her bedchamber, and in two days’ time she would be on her way back to Blackmore.
As she shut the door, her thoughts lingered on the Marquess. Their friendship was something she would treasure for the rest of her life, but truly it was better it ended here. To watch him court and wed another would simply be too painful. Frowning, she seated herself at the window. Why her stomach should clench at the thought of him leg-shackled, she had no idea. Undoubtedly, she’d been influenced by the romantic notions of her sisters.
