I nodded and handed him the letter. ‘I assume Edward now knows too and has given his consent,’ I said. ‘She does not mention him, but “We will hear of no other alternative” suggests he does.’
‘I would say so,’ Max agreed as he quickly perused the letter.
He exhaled deeply when reaching the end.
‘What do you think?’ I asked him. ‘She sounds racked with guilt to me.’
‘There is definitely a sense of that. I cannot deny it. But thank goodness she is not denying her culpability in the matter. Shecould easily have washed her hands of Lucy and wanted nothing to do with her for fear of the scandal damaging her own family.’
‘We are very fortunate,’ I said, feeling tears rising again. ‘And let us not forget Jane’s instigation in the first place. She did not need to suggest Godmersham, but it was done with no hesitation and with complete concern for Lucy’s welfare.’
Max sat beside me on the bench and grasped my hand. ‘Indeed,’ he murmured. ‘Everyone is rallying admirably for my niece, especially you, my love.’
I dropped my eyes from his approving gaze.
‘But I feel racked with guilt too.’
‘There is to be no more of that from anyone. I forbid it.’ He pressed my hand to his lips. ‘What’s done is done, and we must look to the future now.’
The future indeed—one where Max and I were parents. It was not something I had ever contemplated in my wildest dreams! But now that things were in motion, it was a reality I had to face head-on. I hoped Jane’s faith in my bravery was justified.
Chapter 4
Releasing my hand, Max stood and brushed off his breeches. ‘We should go and tell Seraphina and Lucy the good news. Then we can start making plans.’
I looked at him blankly. ‘Plans?’
‘Yes, we have to choose a room for the nursery, and you’ll need to write to your family and tell them you are “expecting”.’
Realisation that I would need to deceive Papa and Harriet now washed over me.
I looked up at Max. ‘Oh no, I cannot lie to them. They will be shocked enough to learn I am with child.’
‘You must for now. It cannot be helped,’ replied Max, staring down at me. ‘There are already too many people who know. We cannot risk adding even more to the mix.’
‘Papa and Harriet would not betray us,’ I said staunchly.
‘Neither would Evan knowingly,’ said Max. ‘But I am not telling him all the same and will give him and the rest of my family only the good news that I am to be a father. If we do not say anything, then there is no danger of a slip of the tongue.’
‘Very well,’ I told him. ‘But there is someoneelse who will need to know.’
He arched an eyebrow. ‘Who?’
‘Annie, my dressmaker, as she will need to make me an undergarment I can stuff padding into to give the illusion of an expanding belly.’
Max gave a grunt. ‘I did not think of that. All right, I suppose itcannot be helped. But no one else!’
Yes, the plan was supposed to be ‘secret’. But at the rate we were involving people in it, the chance of someone finding out was quite high indeed.
And if word was somehow to make it to Dorian’s ears that Lucy was to have a child, well, that was a situation that didn’t bear thinking about.
***
Another meeting was called, with Mr Chadwick in attendance, when Seraphina and Lucinda arrived home in the late afternoon.
‘We have heard from the Austens. It is good news. They have given consent for Lucy and Felicity to stay at Godmersham and are entirely sympathetic to our cause,’ announced Max when everyone was settled.
‘I am so happy to hear that. Oh, they are most kind to help me,’ murmured Lucinda next to me on the sofa. She seemed muchperkier overall. Her skin had regained a little colour, and her eyes weren’t as red, suggesting that she hadn’t been crying—today at least. The bout of fresh air and spot of shopping had clearly been restorative, and this news was even more so.
