Cass blushed a little. Jane merely shrugged.
“Of course you didn’t, dear,” Lucy continued. “That’s what’s so lovely about it. It’s all easily forgotten and swept under the rug once a nice tidy wedding takes place, and you’ve already done that.”
“Ooh, what did you do, Lucy?” Meg asked, helping herself to a tea cake, too.
“Stories for another time, dear,” Lucy said to Meg with a wink.
Sarah smoothed her skirts. “That certainly makes me less worried. But I’m still afraid Father will never forgive me.”
“Oh, pishposh. Your father will forgive you once he’s bouncing his first grandbaby on his knee. I’m certain of it,” Lucy said.
“It’s true,” Cass added.
“Babies do tend to be peacemakers,” Jane said. “Or so I’m told.”
“Forgive us for not coming sooner and putting your mind to rest, but we thought we’d give the two of you a bit of privacy on your first day or two as a married couple.” Lucy waggled her eyebrows. “Then I received your letter and, well, here we are. Now where is the happy newly wedded bridegroom?” She glanced about for Christian.
Shame flooded through Sarah. She was certain she was bright red. There was no way around it, she’d have to admit the truth to her friends. “He’s… not here.”
Lucy blinked. “Not here? Whatever can you mean? He can’t have already left for an outing. Why, the two of you should still be indecently in bed all day.”
More red heat. Sarah pressed her hands to her cheeks.
Meg blushed, too.
“Lucy!” Cass scolded.
Jane Upton merely rolled her eyes and helped herself to more tea cake.
“Not only is he not here,” Sarah admitted miserably, tugging at the collar of her gown, “but we…” She gulped and looked away. “We…”
“Go on, out with it, dear. It can’t be that bad,” Lucy prompted.
“It’s worse than bad,” Sarah said, meeting each lady’s gaze in turn.
“Oh, dear.” Cass came over and patted her hand. “It’s all right. You can tell us.”
“You are under absolutely no obligation to tell us anything,” Jane offered.
“No, no. I want to. I need to. I need your advice,” Sarah said.
“Of course you do,” Lucy replied, giving Jane a dirty look. “Go on, dear,” she prompted Sarah.
“Cover your ears, Meg.”
Meg did as she was told. Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She needed to tell them, but she didn’t have toseethem while she told them. “We haven’t con-consummated our marriage,” she blurted out, then bent over and hid her face in her hands.
There was a slight gasp—she wasn’t certain from which lady—but soon she felt Cass’s comforting pat again. “There, there. It’s not so bad as that.”
Sarah sat up again and opened her eyes. Lucy motioned to Meg to uncover her ears.
“I’m so ashamed,” Sarah whimpered. “I’ve been such an awful wife to him and he… he…”
“He what?” Lucy asked, sympathy in her voice.
“He left for Northumbria,” Sarah managed through a dry throat.
“What!” Lucy plunked her hands on her hips, looking positively outraged.
