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Authors: Samantha Kane
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last several years. Her parents are dead, not long before Mercer died.”
“And what of her sister? Eleanor?” Roger asked, desperately hoping she wasn’t dead as well. Had they all abandoned Harry, then? Just as he had?
“Her sister married right before Harriet, I believe,” Lady Lockerby said, her head tipped to the side as she pursed her lips, thinking. “A Mr. Enderby, from Derbyshire. He’s in trade, you know.” She sniffed disapprovingly. “Cut off all ties to Harriet’s family soon after the marriage. I don’t think Harriet has spoken to her sister in five or six years.”
Roger was dumbfounded. Harry had no one save this much older sister-in-law and her absent husband, and her little boy Mercy. And she had Roger; or rather, she wanted Roger, probably because she didn’t know anyone else. He may not be close to his own brother, but Roger knew that if he truly needed help, he could count on Davey to provide it. “Perhaps marriage to Faircloth isn’t the worst thing she could do,” he said, more to himself than to Lady Lockerby.
She shook her head sadly, and Roger wasn’t sure if she was disappointed in him, Harry, Faircloth, or the whole lot of them. “I tried to convince Harriet to bring Mercy and join us in Bath, but she refuses.”
“I think that is an excellent idea.” Roger’s response was so enthusiastic that he startled Lady Lockerby. It was the perfect solution. He cleared his throat. “What I mean to say is that Harry, that is, Lady Mercer and her little boy will surely need some time away from London after today’s harrowing experience. It needn’t be a permanent moveto Bath, but a little distance will put things in perspective, don’t you think?”
“No, I do not,” Harry said in frosty tones from where she stood in the doorway. She couldn’t believe Lady Lockerby was discussing her like this with Roger. She made Harriet sound like some addled poor relation. What had they been talking about before the Bath invitation? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Lady Lockerby had been pushing her to come to Bath for the past several months, and Harry had only just convinced her she would be all right in London without her. Her sister-in-law’s things were almost packed and she was supposed to leave tomorrow. This morning’s kidnapping attempt on Mercy would probably make her change her mind.
How on earth was Harry to keep Faircloth’s information from her, and have an affair with Roger and ruin her reputation, with Lady Lockerby staying in Manchester Square? Harry truly appreciated her help in getting set up in London and meeting new people, but now she was ready to be on her own. And Lord Lockerby was beside himself without his wife. He’d taken to sending letters every day begging her to come home. Next he’d be on Harry’s doorstep, no matter his health or that he hated London, and she’d never be alone.
“Now, Harry,” Roger said, clearly ready to placate her, as he stood at her arrival.
Harry glared at him. “Don’t ‘Now, Harry’ me,” she told him. He just wanted her gone because he was close to giving in. She recognized the signs. Every time Roger became dangerously clumsy and started limping around, it meant he was going to give in to whatever she wanted. He’d spent half their childhood plastered and bandaged. And for what? It was foolishness. If he’d just given in right away, injury could have been avoided. It wasn’t as if she’d asked him to do anything illegal or immoral. Well, at least not whenthey were children. She most definitely wanted him to do something immoral now.
She blushed furiously as she swept into the room. It was inconceivable that she should be thinking like that. She’d nearly been sick after her first London ball, unable to stomach all those men pawing at her. It was too reminiscent of her time with Faircloth. She knew what they wanted. The thing was, she’d never wanted the same thing until Roger. Now it was all she could
“And what of her sister? Eleanor?” Roger asked, desperately hoping she wasn’t dead as well. Had they all abandoned Harry, then? Just as he had?
“Her sister married right before Harriet, I believe,” Lady Lockerby said, her head tipped to the side as she pursed her lips, thinking. “A Mr. Enderby, from Derbyshire. He’s in trade, you know.” She sniffed disapprovingly. “Cut off all ties to Harriet’s family soon after the marriage. I don’t think Harriet has spoken to her sister in five or six years.”
Roger was dumbfounded. Harry had no one save this much older sister-in-law and her absent husband, and her little boy Mercy. And she had Roger; or rather, she wanted Roger, probably because she didn’t know anyone else. He may not be close to his own brother, but Roger knew that if he truly needed help, he could count on Davey to provide it. “Perhaps marriage to Faircloth isn’t the worst thing she could do,” he said, more to himself than to Lady Lockerby.
She shook her head sadly, and Roger wasn’t sure if she was disappointed in him, Harry, Faircloth, or the whole lot of them. “I tried to convince Harriet to bring Mercy and join us in Bath, but she refuses.”
“I think that is an excellent idea.” Roger’s response was so enthusiastic that he startled Lady Lockerby. It was the perfect solution. He cleared his throat. “What I mean to say is that Harry, that is, Lady Mercer and her little boy will surely need some time away from London after today’s harrowing experience. It needn’t be a permanent moveto Bath, but a little distance will put things in perspective, don’t you think?”
“No, I do not,” Harry said in frosty tones from where she stood in the doorway. She couldn’t believe Lady Lockerby was discussing her like this with Roger. She made Harriet sound like some addled poor relation. What had they been talking about before the Bath invitation? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Lady Lockerby had been pushing her to come to Bath for the past several months, and Harry had only just convinced her she would be all right in London without her. Her sister-in-law’s things were almost packed and she was supposed to leave tomorrow. This morning’s kidnapping attempt on Mercy would probably make her change her mind.
How on earth was Harry to keep Faircloth’s information from her, and have an affair with Roger and ruin her reputation, with Lady Lockerby staying in Manchester Square? Harry truly appreciated her help in getting set up in London and meeting new people, but now she was ready to be on her own. And Lord Lockerby was beside himself without his wife. He’d taken to sending letters every day begging her to come home. Next he’d be on Harry’s doorstep, no matter his health or that he hated London, and she’d never be alone.
“Now, Harry,” Roger said, clearly ready to placate her, as he stood at her arrival.
Harry glared at him. “Don’t ‘Now, Harry’ me,” she told him. He just wanted her gone because he was close to giving in. She recognized the signs. Every time Roger became dangerously clumsy and started limping around, it meant he was going to give in to whatever she wanted. He’d spent half their childhood plastered and bandaged. And for what? It was foolishness. If he’d just given in right away, injury could have been avoided. It wasn’t as if she’d asked him to do anything illegal or immoral. Well, at least not whenthey were children. She most definitely wanted him to do something immoral now.
She blushed furiously as she swept into the room. It was inconceivable that she should be thinking like that. She’d nearly been sick after her first London ball, unable to stomach all those men pawing at her. It was too reminiscent of her time with Faircloth. She knew what they wanted. The thing was, she’d never wanted the same thing until Roger. Now it was all she could
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