“Chastity, please.”
Silence.
Frustration brewed in Helena. How was she to try to fix this if Chastity herself refused to be helped? Anger and misery mixed in her heart. With a sob, she took a step back from the door and left.
“Mrs. Fielding said you called for me, m’lady?” Sally asked timidly.
Having just dismissed Mr. Keble and Mrs. Fielding, Helena was still recovering from the gravity of the conversation with the butler and housekeeper. The entire household, including the servants, had to be managed in the wake of the events of last night. The scandal that Chastity had been caught in would surely have spread by now; thus, the sooner it was controlled—starting, of course, from the Huntington household—the better it would be for all of them.
She knew, of course, that scandals such as this would never be forgotten by theton, or if they did, it would take years. Tongues would always wag, and gossip was never kind. Some would be kind, but some would be unforgiving even after so long a time. Helena only hoped that in time, Chastity would heal enough and be strong enough to face society again.
The lady’s maid stood by the door, her hands fidgeting with her apron.
“Come in, Sally,” Helena said. “Close the door, please.”
Helena gestured for Sally to take the seat by her desk. The lady’s maid swallowed audibly but did as she was asked.
“I think you know the reason why I have asked to speak to you, Sally.”
“Indeed, I do not know why, m’lady?—”
“I expect a truthful answer from you, Sally.”
“Yes, m’lady.” Sally said, her shoulders stooping.
“Is Lord Clifton the man that Chastity has been meeting with whenever you go walking out?”
Sally looked desperately at the door, as if wondering if she should make a run for it.
“Your employment is not in jeopardy, Sally,” Helena reassured her. “but I entreat you, for Chastity’s sake, and for the sake of the many years you have been in our family’s employ, to please speak the truth.”
Covering her face with her apron, Sally burst into tears.
“I am sorry, m’lady! I should have known better, I should have told you earlier on!” Sally sobbed. “But Lady Chastity, she told me not to, she said that I would be in trouble too if you were find out.”
“Oh, Sally,” Helena sighed. “You know that you should have come to me about this.”
“That I know, m’lady, it is just that seeing Lady Chastity so happy with Lord Clifton?—”
“So it is Lord Clifton?” Helena gritted her teeth.
“Oh, yes, m’lady. ‘Tis Lord Clifton.”
“Go on, please.”
“Lady Chastity said that Lord Clifton made her happy, that he told her he loved her, and she loved him in return.
“Then why on earth did he not just court her? If he indeed had those feelings for her, why make it clandestine? I do not understand at all.”
“Lady Chastity said that Lord Clifton asked to keep it a secret.”
“Why?”
“I do not know, m’lady. All I know is that I was to help her meet with him, I was to give her letters to him, and he would give me his letters to Lady Chastity.”
Helena had one other question that she needed to know the answer to. How far did Lord Clifton get in seducing her sister? She was almost afraid to know the answer, but she must. She braced herself.
“Sally, when you accompanied Charity and Lord Clifton during their walks, did they ask you to leave them? Was there any time that they were left alone?”
