“Second,” the dowager continued, lifting another finger, “you are discounting the number of people moving within society who already support you and will speak on your behalf. Your friends the Earl and Countess of Geffen, the new Earl of Weston, members of Parliament from well-respected and titled families, and myself. You forget that I was a duchess for just over twenty years, and I wield quite the influence over many wives in theton. If I spread word of my acceptance of you, they will fall in line. I’m sorry I did not state my support sooner so that you could think of this solution yourself,” she finished with a smile.
Speechless, Grace looked at Aunt Hester as she wiped her cheeks. Finally, she asked, “Do you really think it could work?”
“I do.” The dowager spoke with complete confidence. “Now will you please go and put my dear nephew out of his misery and assure him that you are staying and that you love him?”
Grace burst into laughter, all the tension of the past several days flooding out of her as a new path forward emerged. She was on the edge of hysteria as she swung between mirthful laughter and relieved sobs. She knew it would not be easy, but if Henry was willing to stay in the fight and if they had Aunt Hester on their side, Grace finally believed they would be able to create a place for themselves in polite society and enact the kinds of change they both desired. “I have to go and find Henry,” she said.
“I whole heartedly agree, but let’s make you a little more presentable first, don’t you think?” Aunt Hester gestured to Grace’s disheveled appearance in the mirror before calling for Lucy, and together they picked out one of Grace’s new dresses and cleaned up her face.
With a renewed surge of energy, she raced toward the door. Upon opening it, she almost ran directly into Henry, who stood on the other side with his hand poised to knock. “Grace!” he exclaimed, grabbing her so she wouldn’t stumble over.
“I was just going to look for you,” she said, not quite sure how to begin.
“And I was coming to get you,” he said.
They stood there for a moment looking at one another, before simultaneously attempting to utter apologies, stumbling over each other’s words in the process.
“I’m so sorr…”
“I was a fool…”
Both stopped, Henry chuckling nervously and Grace blushing. Finally, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him, and Henry immediately reciprocated. It felt like coming home. “Oh, Henry,” she sighed.
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, a simple sign of affection he had done so many times before. “I love you,” he said into her hair. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you last night.” He pulled away from her enough to look at her while not letting her out of his embrace. “I made a muddle of things because I was too shocked by your admission to express my own feelings.” Brushing a stray lock of hair off her temple, he gazed at her with a look so full of love she thought it might melt her. “I wasn’t trying to dismiss your concerns last night when I said that being able to enact change didn’t matter. What I was trying to say was that while those things do matter, they don’t matter to me nearly as much as you do.”
It was all too much. Grace’s heart was too full. She hadn’t thought anything could top this day, but his admission of love made it perfect.
“I told you before,” Henry continued, “that I will always care for and protect those I have chosen, but that it means more when they choose you back. I can’t thank you enough for choosing me, too. None of this means anything if I don’t have you to share it with. Please don’t leave me. I can’t be the man I want to be, the man you’ve shown me that I can be, without you.”
“I’m not going to leave you,” she choked out, aware that she was crying again. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t fight harder for you. I thought I was doing what was best. I’ll always want the best for you because I do love you, Henry. I love you so, so much.”
He held her face tenderly as he gave her the sweetest, most perfect kiss, and Grace felt like she could breathe again. She could feel his love pouring into her through his kiss, and she wasn’t sure how she had ever doubted his feelings.
He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “As much as I would love to stay just like this all day,” he murmured with closed eyes, “I have made some changes that I need to tell you about.” Straightening back up and opening his eyes, he took her hand. “Follow me downstairs?”
Leading her down the hallway, they descended the main stairs until reaching the grand foyer where the entire staff was assembled. “Henry,” she said, pulling gently on his hand to stop him before they reached their audience, “what’s going on?”
“I need to apologize to you, Grace,” he said. “I know how much it meant to you to have a place in your own home and to run the manor as duchess. That has been hampered lately, and I know you’ve felt frustrated and undermined. I didn’t support you the way I should have, but that ends now.”
Turning back toward the group of servants who were eager to know why they had been called from their work, he pulled her forward until they were standing at the edge of the gathering and everyone could see them.
“Thank you all for taking time out of your work today to gather as I requested. I wanted to let you all know of some changes that will be happening in the household, including a few staff transitions,” Henry announced. Grace was curious what he meant about staff changes but held her tongue as he continued. She noticed that Aunt Hester had also come downstairs and was listening from behind them.
“There has been quite a bit of transition in this house within the past year. It cannot be easy for many of you to have adjusted to the idea of a new duke right after my cousin had married and provided you with a new duchess. I know many of you watched him grow up here and feel his loss just as my aunt and I do. You have been patient with me this past year as I have learned as much as I could regarding the estate and what now falls under my mantle of responsibility. More change came when I unexpectedly presented you with a new duchess.” He turned and smiled at Grace, squeezing the hand he still held. “It’s never easy learning to report to a new mistress, but I was happy with how quickly you all welcomed her and responded to her ideas. Make no mistake, my wife has my full confidence in her abilities to lead this household, and she is unequivocally in charge.” Henry paused to look around the room and make sure his words were understood.
“To make sure there is no confusion in that regard, my aunt, the dowager duchess, has arranged to move her residence over to the Dower House. As a longtime, faithful servant to her during her tenure as duchess, Standish will be accompanying her. James has agreed to step up from his current position of underbutler and will be taking over as butler until full staff decisions can be made. Thank you, James.”
Grace couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She turned and looked at Aunt Hester, who smiled at her in a way that let her know all had been settled beforehand.
“If any of you have questions about these changes, you can ask me or Mrs. Green,” Henry said. “Just one more thing before you all go. Mrs. Nelsen?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the cook responded apprehensively.
“Would it be too much trouble for you and your staff to begin preparing individual plates for breakfast again, rather than a buffet?” Henry politely requested.
Smiling wide, Mrs. Nelson replied, “It would be my pleasure, Your Grace.”
CHAPTER38
