“You’ve made your interruption, so now you must present yourselves and apologize to our guests,” calledElise. “Can you say ‘excuse me’ to Uncle Gabriel and Lady Ryan?”
The girls scurried into the room and dropped into shallow curtsies.
“I beg your pardon Maman, Papa, Uncle Gabriel, Lady Ryan,” intoned Marie.
“I beg your pardon, Maman, Papa, Uncle Gabriel, Lady Ryan,” parroted Sofie.
“Pray, where is Nanny?” asked Killian.
“Nanny has breathed rancid air deep into her lungs.”
“Ah,” said Killian. “Of course she has. And where did she encounterrancid air?”
“The cellar,” reported Marie.
“What business have you in the cellar?” asked Elise.
“We are helping Bartholomew! We’ve only come out because we are in search of paint. But is therepaintin the house, Maman?”
“For the two of you? No. For Bart? Also no. But I cannot attend to you at the moment. We need twenty more minutes to speak with Lady Ryan and Uncle Gabriel. What I need from the two of you is:notto return to the cellar. Instead, go to thenurseryand practice your letters until I come for you. Papa will investigate what Bartholomew intends. Understood? No paint?Or cellar, for that matter.”
“Off you go then,” Killian told the girls. “And if you happen upon Nanny, will you tell her that we rely on her to be more robust.”
“More bust, more bust!” repeated Sofie. “We will tell her, Papa.”
And then they were off.
The room fell quiet. The baby whimpered, disappointed that the bright, loud, twitchy sisters had left her behind with the boring adults.
The adults in question regarded each other across the tea service. Talk of marriage had changed the mood of the room.
“Here is my view of the marriage option,” Mr. Crewes finally said. “First, it’s simple enough to arrange—so you have that in your favor. Some manner of weddingcanhappen, and it can be done quickly. Elise has remained very close with the nun who helped her escape France. Sister Marie could locate a cooperative priest. He may balk at marrying an Anglican to a French prince, but we can explain that you’ve been betrothed for years and also overpay him. It should be enough.”
“Wait,” said Gabriel. “I thought to marry her simply as Gabriel Rein, not invoke the betrothal.”
“Right,” drawled Killian. “And is Gabriel Rein a Roman Catholic like Prince Gabriel is?”
“Why not?” Gabriel shrugged.
“Very good. So Sister Marie will produce a cooperative priest, we willnotmention your royal blood, pay him handsomely, and use your current identity. After that—”
“Forgive me,” cut in Elise. She shifted the baby in her lap. “May I ask Lady Ryan: Are you willing to marry my brother ‘in name only’? Is this what you want?”
Ryan tried to smile, but the expression was painful. She recovered her teacup and took a sip. She cleared her throat. “If I might speak for both of us, I don’t think marriage is the preferred way. However, it is a tidy little means to an end, isn’t it? It is a sacrifice forGabriel and—yes, for me—although I have the most to gain if it means the imposter is sent away. How can I complain if marrying Gabriel will restore my home and family?”
“But of course you can complain,” insisted Elise, “quite easily. What of marrying someone else? What of children? If you enter into thisfarcewith my brother, it will remove these opportunities. Marriage is forever, Lady Ryan.”
With no warning, tears flooded Ryan’s eyes. She looked into her cup, trying to blink them back. “Forgive me,” she sniffed. “I am moved by your concern—truly. But, I have devoted my life to my sisters, and father, and Winscombe. Perhaps, once upon a time, I could have prioritized marriage, arealmarriage, but not now. This is the only proposal of marriage I’m going to get, I would be foolish not to take it.”
“But—”
“Elise.Please,” cut in Mr. Crewes. He cleared his throat loudly and shot his wife an unreadable look. She frowned and some silent communication passed between them. In the end, Elise went quiet, although she glanced once more at Ryan. She sighed and turned her attention to the baby.
Ryan peered up, watching them through her tears. It was impossible not to feel a little jealous of the wordless shorthand between husband and wife. But Ryan hadn’t lied when she’d said she’d devoted her life to Diana and Charlotte and her father. If she was meant to have silent exchanges, it would be with them.
“Just to be clear, Gabriel,” Mr. Crewes said, “when you intend to carry on ‘living separate lives,’ does it mean you will not escort Lady Ryan to Winscombewhen she goes? You intend to marry her and then send her home alone?”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “I meant to give her my name and protection and then allow her to return to the life she knew before. Everything as it was.Thatis my intention.”
