The look on Bethany’s dear mother’s face confirmed Lady Hawthorne’s assessment of the situation. Mrs. Crabtree, her mother’s longtime companion, scuttled in behind her wearing a pinched smile. If Bethany were to take a guess, she’d imagine the companion appeared almost… satisfied.
“Is it true?” her mother demanded, hysteria in her voice. “Did you trap Lord Chaswick?”
“Mary, calm down.” Few people referred to her mother by her given name but Lady Ravensdale’s tone didn’t allow for argument.
But... trap him? “I didn’t—I would never—!" Surely, no one imagined that she had done that on purpose?
“How can I calm down, Josephine? Even you would be vexed.” Her mother lowered herself onto the nearest chair, fanning herself as though she was likely to succumb to a fit of vapors. Bethany turned her head away, unable to bear seeing her mother like this. Taking note of her surroundings, she tapped her fingers on her thighs. They were in a library. It was a comfortable room, really. Someone had lit a fire in the hearth and the chairs and divan were all upholstered in a soft burgundy velvet.
Even the carpet was lovely. She dropped her gaze to the floor. If only there was an even number of chairs. Three chairs made no sense and made the room feel… unfinished…
“What have you to say for yourself?” her mother demanded. “I leave you alone for all of half an hour and the next I hear, my daughter is mired in the scandal of the year—of the century—at the first ball of the Season, no less! If you wanted to land a husband, there are far better ways to go about it than this.”
“I wasn’t… It was amistake,Mother.” She inhaled. “He thought I was Lady Starling.”
“Lady Starling is in Brighton,” Lady Hawthorne provided, quite unnecessarily. “Remember, Mother? She wrote me last January. She’s to visit her late husband’s family.”
“That is correct.” Lady Ravensdale nodded.
But Bethany’s own mother looked fit to be tied, eyes blazing, nostrils flared. “What does Lady Starling have to do with any of this? You are the only person—that I’m aware of—who made a spectacle of herself in the garden tonight.”
“If you don’t mind my saying, these things do require two persons, Lady Westerley,” Lady Hawthorne inserted before meeting Bethany’s gaze with a shrug.
Bethany’s mother sniffed.
“Lord Chaswick was expecting Lady Starling, but it was a ruse… I went outside to warn him…” As Bethany formed the explanation, she realized that none of it really mattered. Her actions were going to bring disgrace upon their entire family. “Is this going to ruin Tabetha as well?” Bethany felt sick inside, already knowing the answer.
“I can’t imagine how it won’t. It’s one thing to trap a husband but to expose yourself in such a manner! Oh!” Her mother closed her eyes.
“She says it was a mistake, Mary.”
“I went to warn him—”
But her mother wasn’t listening to anyone. “None of us will be accepted by society again.” Her mother closed her eyes and a tear spilled down her powdered cheek.
An even stronger wave of guilt washed over Bethany that she’d made her mother cry. The only time she’d ever seen her mother cry had been the day of her father’s funeral.
“Lady Bethany’s circumstances are indeed discouraging, for now. But I’ve some experience with this sort of thing. Her future—Lady Tabetha’s future—all of your futures—depend on how you manage the scandal from this moment forward.” Lady Ravensdale’s voice amazingly seemed to penetrate Bethany’s mother’s horrified dismay. If not her pessimism.
“Surely, you don’t imagine anyone will ever forget this?”
The countess cocked one elegant brow. “Perhaps they won’t forget, but they might forgive. For instance, a hasty wedding to Lord Chaswick could pose a substantial distraction. Why she’s practically a hero for capturing the likes of him. He may be only a baron but he’s wealthier than a few dukes that I know of. Of course, after a wedding, Chaswick and Lady Bethany will have to make a few appearances as baron and baroness, for certain. They cannot run away to the country. They must endure society's wrath with their heads held high and appear to be madly in love. They must weather this storm with grace and dignity.”
“You can’t be serious,” Bethany’s mother scoffed. “In case you’ve so easily forgotten, they were not caught embracing, or kissing even. They were caught… I cannot even bring myself to say the word.”
“He was spanking her, My Lady,” Mrs. Crabtree offered.
Bethany’s mother shot her companion an expression that was anything but grateful and then turned to address Lady Ravensdale once again. “You know I respect you, Josephine, but on this matter, you are wrong.”
Bethany was inclined to agree with her mother.
But the persuasive Countess of Ravensdale was not deterred. “The fact that you, yourself, cannot recall that my own daughter was once by all rights ruined, as was Darlington’s wife, ought to be enough to convince you that I know what I’m talking about.”
Bethany tapped her lips. Ah, yes. She vaguely remembered something about Lord Hawthorne’s father… a murder… a kidnapping… but she couldn’t remember any of the details.
And Lady Darlington had once worked as a maid for Viscountess Danbury.
“It’s not the same, Josephine. Half thetonwitnessed that man fondling her bare bottom!”
