A brief hesitation followed before she said, “Surely if these past few days have taught us anything, it is that there may be consequences to trying to separate people who love each other.”
She had him there. It was indeed a strong argument in favor of letting Michael have the woman he’d chosen, but as long as he doubted Mrs. Lawson was being completely honest with him about her situation, he dared not risk any permanent form of attachment to her. Not to mention that nothing would truly change as long as she remained the fallen woman she gave herself out to be. She’d still threaten Michael’s reputation and the career James wanted for him.
Unless…
He studied her as she ate, observed the kindness in her eyes and the gentle curve of her friendly smile. “As you know, my reluctance to offer Michael and Cynthia my blessing has nothing to do with Cynthia. I’m sure she’s a lovely woman, but if Michael marries her, he will form a close family relationship with you, and I fear this will have dire repercussions on his future.”
A shadow fell over her face. “Just so you know, I intend to keep to myself from now on. Believe me, I have similar concerns. The last thing I want is for Cynthia to suffer because of me, which is why I’ve no intention of showing my face in London as long as she is living there.”
“I fear your absence won’t be enough.”
“You don’t believe people will forget my scandalous divorce in a year or two?”
“To be sure, they might stop thinking about it. Certainly, something else will likely grab their attention and push your divorce into the background. But your daughter will always carry the burden of your actions in much the same way as an illegitimate child would.”
Her gasp was sharp and full of indignation. “I beg to differ, Mr. Dale.”
Deciding to strategize as a barrister would, he chose his next words carefully. “Unfortunately, I see only one way in which your daughter’s happiness might be secured.”
“And how is that?”
“There’s no guarantee, mind you.”
“Nevertheless, I’d like to hear your idea.”
He pretended to give the matter some serious thought. If he was right about Mrs. Lawson lying to everyone with regard to her marriage, then surely she’d give up doing so if it meant saving her child from unhappiness.
Cautiously, so as not to remind her of his suspicions about her, he told her, “Society has painted you as Jezebel. But suppose you were to prove you’re not that person. Perhaps then you could be forgiven, welcomed back even, and see your daughter happily wed to the man she loves.”
Wilhelmina stared at Mr. Dale. Her heart fluttered in an anxious sort of way. Not so much because of the awful encounter she’d had with Cloverfield – she’d more or less recovered from that – but because she couldn’t seem to figure out the man with whom she travelled. Did he still think her sexually inexperienced in spite of her trying to play the seductress?
She wasn’t sure. But in her experience, limited though it was, men lost all control when they were in a state of want, yet Mr. Dale had made no further advances in spite of her brazen proposition. Unless it all came down to him not wanting to form a closer attachment with a woman he did not respect – not even for a fleeting moment of passion.
Which was fine with her. Really. It wasn’t as if she’d actually wanted him to accept her invitation to bed her. All it had been was a necessary ploy to convince him. And to this end, she believed she’d succeeded based on the hunger she’d noted in his expression. So then how exactly did he imagine this idea of his would work?
“I don’t see how such a thing would be possible, Mr. Dale. I am who I am. Statements were made against me during the course of nearly two years. My lovers came forward and identified me as the woman who sought them out for pleasure”—Mr. Dale winced at this—”repeatedly, I might add. All of this while I said nothing in my defense.”
“Why didn’t you, by the way?”
Wilhelmina hesitated briefly while holding his sharp eagle-eyed gaze. Nothing seemed to escape this man. She had to be cautious. “Because there was nothing to say. My husband caught me in the act.”
“Hmm…”
She did not like the skeptical sound he made. But if she persisted in trying to persuade him, she feared she might appear less credible. So she shrugged and attempted an air of indifference. “Think what you will, Mr. Dale. The point is I cannot help my daughter as you suggest since no one would ever believe me now. Not with my reputation determined in a court of law and before Parliament. All it would do is stir up the past, creating more scandal, and branding me a liar on top of everything else. So no, Mr. Dale, my insisting I’m innocent after the fact – after making no attempt at doing so before – will not clear my name or help my daughter. And even if it did, would it really make any difference to you?”
“Of course it would.”
Wilhelmina gave a snort in disagreement. “Your moral compass is exact, Mr. Dale. It does not wobble about, uncertain of which direction to point. You defend the innocent by arguing the truth.”
“Your point, Mrs. Lawson?”
“Supposing we lived in a world where everyone would believe me if I came out and said it had all been one big mistake, that I was in fact a faithful wife who never did anything wrong, how could that possibly alter your stance? Knowing it isn’t true, that I am still the adulteress I’ve been accused of being, how then could you allow your son to marry my daughter? How could you accept me as your son’s mother-in-law any more than you do now?”
He knit his brows until deep grooves puckered his skin. “Are you trying to dissuade me from supporting the match now after spending the last few weeks attempting to do the opposite?”
“No. I…” Wilhelmina wasn’t sure what she was trying to accomplish with her argument. She knew she’d had a goal in mind when she’d begun, but somehow she’d wandered off track somewhere and no longer knew where she was headed. “Sorry. I suppose I misjudged you.”
“In what way?”
