“In what way?”
“In the way people do when they believe a rise in fortune must be explained.”
Margaret’s throat tightened. All at once, she understood why her sister was so angry. Emily had always been protective of their family, but especially their father. She did not know of his shortcomings, and so he was her hero in a way that Margaret simply could not see him as.
“Lady Norwood said it was remarkable how quickly certain families recover from mismanagement.”
“That is cruel. You should not have listened to it.”
“Everyone else did.”
“Yes, and they know nothing of Papa’s decisions.”
“They know enough to enjoy ridiculing them. They say the Duke is generous, that he is correcting our decline.”
There was a silence for a moment, and then Emily laughed coldly.
“They say you are fortunate,” she repeated.
“I am,” Margaret said quietly.
“Yes. You are.”
The emphasis shifted the meaning entirely. Margaret’s breath slowed, and she wished that she knew what to say to her.
“Emily–”
“You will leave,” Emily said, the words coming faster now. “You will step into Ravensmere House and be his duchess and no one will dare repeat those things to your face.”
“That is not why I–”
“They will repeat them to us.”
The words landed hard. Margaret did not interrupt, for it was the best that she could do. Emily deserved time to be angry and confused about everything that had happened, even if she did not think it was fair.
“We will remain here,” Emily continued. “We will continue as though nothing has happened, and smile while they speculate how much assistance was required.”
“I will still be here. I am not abandoning you.”
“It will feel like that.”
The honesty of it cut deeper than accusation would have.
“I am doing this for us,” Margaret said.
“Yes,” Emily replied. “You are.”
But there was no gratitude in it.
“Do you think I do not hear them too? I may not have today, but I do know that they are unkind about us. I am not immune to it.”
“No, but you hear them beside a Duke.”
“I hear them as your sister.”
“You stood beneath that tree as though none of it could touch you.”
“For a moment,” Margaret admitted, “it did feel like that, but I know that it does.”
