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“Thank you.” Ina pressed a hand to her maid’s arm in silent appreciation of the unquestioning aid Ruth had given her.

“I’ll see to the bags, ma’am.”

Ina nodded, picked up the letter she’d written, and turned it in her hands once. It would have to do.

She let herself out of the room and proceeded down the stairs. At this hour, Lady Sophia and Grace would be seated at a pair of desks facing away from one another in the morning room, answering correspondence. Each lady had a stack of letters from friends scattered across England. As there was no room for a third desk, one of the maids had secured a lap desk for Ina. It had made Ina feel distinctly set apart from the two other ladies. They belonged. She was temporary. It turned out they were right.

Still, she’d sat and written her letters to Scotland, sending Lana, Christine, and Anne daily missives as well as the occasional letter to Mrs. Sullivan in which she pretended that everything was perfect. It was a fantasy she’d constructed to make herself feel better.

Sure enough, when she entered the morning room, Lady Sophia and Grace were at their desks. Both looked up, taking in her dress at a glance.

“Are you leaving us?” asked Grace, putting down her pen.

“I am,” said Ina, holding her chin up. She refused to let these women think they’d chased her off. She was going back because she’d made the decision.

“I was not apprised of my son’s plans to return to Edinburgh, although I’m hardly surprised he should do something so irresponsible,” said Lady Sophia.

“He’s more equipped to be the baronet than you know,” Ina said, unable to shake her loyalty to Gavin.

“He’s in over his head.”

“Grace, will you leave us?” Ina asked, her eyes never leaving her mother-in-law.

“Why should I—?”

“Go,” Lady Sophia commanded.

Grace huffed but rose from her desk and left them.

“Why do you have so little faith in him?” Ina asked.

“Because he’s shown a distinct blindness when it comes to duty and loyalty to this family’s name,” said Lady Sophia.

“He’s been nothing but loyal to the Barretts.”

And it’s breaking my marriage apart.

“He tried to take Grace away from Richard, and he refused to see reason about his profession,” said Gavin’s mother.

“You mean he refused to heel when you and your husband wished him to,” said Ina. “He wasn’t exactly the son you wanted him to be so you cast him out with hardly a thought.”

“He was weak and ran off to Edinburgh, and he’s about to do it again,” said Lady Sophia.

“Gavin isn’t coming with me.”

Silence reverberated around her words, drawing a snake smile to the dowager’s lips. “So you’ve finally seen that you have no place here and have decided to leave.”

Ina swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Yes.”

“Does Gavin know?”

She shook her head.

“Good,” Lady Sophia said.

“Do you forget that Gavin banished you from this house?” Ina asked.

“He’ll soon realize he needs my help. Oak Park cannot run without me.”