It was a simple enough question, but she found herself floundering for an answer. “Because he…because I…the scandal sheets…I thought perhaps I could help Cass.”
Now she’d said it aloud, it struck her as an absurd reason to come scurrying to London.She, helphim? He was an earl, for pity’s sake!
“I see. And you’ve changed your mind after one afternoon? You no longer wish to help Cass?”
“No! No, of course I do, but?—”
“My dear girl, I thought Cassian’s friendship meant more to you than that.”
“He…I…”
Dash it, here came the tears she’d tried so valiantly to suppress, spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks, her nose burning with them. “His friendship means a great deal to me, my lady.” It meant everything, but it wasn’t as if she could remain friends with Cass against his will. “But he doesn’t appear to feel the same way.”
Lady Fosberry’s expression softened. “On the contrary, Hattie. He felt a great deal.”
“I don’t know why you think so.” Hattie plucked at her skirts, avoiding Lady Fosberry’s eyes. “He hardly spared me a glance.”
“I don’t deny it. He deliberately avoided looking at you.”
Well, that was plain enough. Just like that, any lingering hope that she’d somehow misread Cass’s reaction evaporated in a puff of smoke. “He made his sentiments regarding our friendship quite clear.”
“My dearest girl!” Lady Fosberry laid a hand over hers, stilling her restless fingers. “A gentleman does not make such a point of not meeting the eyes of a lady for whom he feels nothing.”
“I’m sorry, my lady, but I still think it’s best if I leave.”
“Very well, Hattie, if you insist upon it, then I’ll send you back to Kent tomorrow in my coach. But first, I wish to tell you something.”
Dear God, what now? But she could hardly refuse. “Yes, of course.”
“I warn you it’s not a happy tale.” Lady Fosberry drew in a deep breath. “By all accounts the Earl of Windham’s first son was a sickly child. The earl was in constant terrors he’d expire, so when he got his housemaid with child, he married the girl to ensure his second son could inherit the earldom, if it came to it.”
“How dreadful. He sounds quite calculating.”
“He was, indeed. The previous earl was a man of neither warmth nor decency. He married the girl, then promptly abandoned her and her son. Despite the marriage, Cassian and his mother never lived with him. He paid them no mind at all until his elder son’s health took a dangerous turn. Cassian’s mother was dead by then.”
“That must have been when Cass came to Kent.” It was all falling into place now. Cass’s deep resentment when he arrived, and his bitterness toward his father.
“Yes. The earl plucked him out of St. Giles and sent him to his old friend Lord Balfour in Chatham. Balfour was meant to keep an eye on him until Cass’s half-brother either recovered or died.”
“And he died.” The child had died, and Cass’s fate was sealed.
“The lad held on for a few months, but yes, he eventually succumbed, the poor thing. Cassian became the heir, and I can assure you, my dear, being the Earl of Windham’s heir was no easy task. Cassian was still quite young when he was turned over to his father’s care. It must have been confusing for him, and I dare say his father has since filled his head with poison.”
“How terrible.” Was it any wonder Cass was no longer the sweet, affectionate boy he’d once been?
“I don’t know Cassian well,” Lady Fosberry went on, “But there is some indication he’s following in his father’s footsteps. There has been some, ah, unfortunate behavior?—”
“The wagering, drinking and brawling, you mean. Yes, Alice Weatherby wrote Sarah all about it. According to Alice, Cass is as wicked an earl as London has ever seen.”
“Perhaps, but I haven’t yet given up on Cassian. Lord Hayward is a good soul, and he’s loyal to his friend. If Cassian were beyond hope, Lord Hayward would long since have washed his hands of him. Still, I daresay Lord Windham could use as many true friends as he can find.”
Lady Fosberry spoke carefully, her tone neutral, but the words echoed deep inside Hattie nonetheless, like a bell that continues to ring long after it’s struck.
And after all, wasn’t part of this merely her wounded pride?
She had hoped Cass would be thrilled to see her, that he’d welcome her with open arms. But he hadn’t, and here she was, ready to scurry back to her safe little nook in the country.
After more than a decade of friendship, would she give up on Cass so easily?
