“In other words,” Mr. Clemens said, “Mary would have to accept this in order for the marriage to work.”
Caleb nodded. “And I think getting her to do so will be easier if we show her that she can belong here again. Which is the crux of my visit today. I would like you both to apologize to her for making her feel unwanted.”
Mr. Clemens shook his head. “We only—”
“Additionally,” Caleb said, cutting him off, “I want you to invite her for Christmas. Tell her she is welcome to bring her friends and the children they care for. Be convincing.”
Mrs. Clemens stared at him. “She will never agree, Your Grace. We…we haven’t even heard from her in all these years. Not one word!”
“Of course you haven’t, because it was never up to her to reach out. It was up to the two of you. Her parents. And do not tell me you failed to find her when I know well enough that your inability to do so is due to lack of effort on your part.” Picking up his teacup, Caleb took a long sip and set it back down. “Now you have another chance to do right by Mary, as does my mother.”
“I mean to make reparations by having the truth printed in the Mayfair Chronicle,” the duchess announced.
“Truly?” the Clemenses asked in unison.
“Invite your daughter for Christmas,” Caleb said, “so I can proceed with the next part of my plan.”
“Which is what, Your Grace?”
Caleb tugged on the sleeves of his jacket. His lips twitched with the thrill of pursuing the woman he wanted. “To court her as if every future happiness depends on her accepting my proposal.”
14
“There is a letter for you, Mary,” Emily said when she came to the table at luncheon.
They were having chicken soup, which helped warm them on this particularly freezing December day where even the fire burning in the grate seemed insufficient. Cassandra was placing hot bricks near the children’s feet for added comfort while Mary filled their bowls.
She looked up in surprise and wondered if it might be fromhim. It had been two and a half weeks since Caleb’s departure and still her body felt numb. No matter how hard she tried, she could not stop thinking of him, which only caused her to question everything she’d said and done until she could no longer stand it. The pain was too much. She longed to escape it but didn’t know how. What she did know was that Caleb had made her feel more alive than ever before. And that the moment he’d left, the part of her that smiled and laughed and enjoyed having fun had withered and died.
“It looks like it’s from your parents,” Emily said.
The ladle Mary was wielding clattered against the soup tureen. “What?”
Emily placed the sealed piece of paper bearing her address and theirs on the table in front of Mary. She drew a sharp breath, and her hand reached out, her fingers carefully sliding across her mother’s elegant script to ensure it was real. And then an awful thought struck her. They’d no idea where she was because she’d never told them. So if they’d gone to the trouble of uncovering it now after all this time, it had to be because something terrible had happened.
Heart racing, Mary snatched up the letter and held it to her breast. “Will you please excuse me for a moment while I read this?”
“Of course,” Cassandra said, looking only slightly alarmed. “We’ll make sure the children eat every last drop of this tasty meal you’ve prepared. Including the carrots.”
Daphne made a face and Eliot said, “Yuk!”
Mary felt a bit of the tension ease and thanked her friends before quitting the room. Drawing her shawl more tightly around her shoulders, she went to the kitchen where heat still radiated from the stove. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the worst before breaking the seal and unfolding the letter.
Our dearest Mary,
Your father and I must express our sincerest apologies for the way in which we have wronged you. It has recently come to our attention that we were mistaken in our beliefs regarding what happened between you and the Marquess of Wrenwick. His brother, the new Duke of Camberly, has set the story straight, laying all blame at his own father’s feet.
After all these years, we can only pray you will find it in your heart to forgive us for not believing you at the time and for asking you to leave your home. We understand you have since made a comfortable life for yourself with two dear friends and that the three of you have bestowed your generosity upon a few orphans.
In an effort to broker peace between us and prove to you how sorry we are, we would like to invite all of you to spend the upcoming holiday season with us in London. Our house, as you know, is spacious enough to allow it, though some of the children may be required to share a bedchamber.
Your sisters send their love and best wishes, too, along with every hope of seeing you again very soon. Please let us know, or simply arrive. We are all ready and eager for your return.
With everlasting love and affection,
Mama and Papa
P.S. We will cover the cost of a hired post-chaise.
