“Not yet,” Nat said. “People have a great deal of anger to vent on him first.”
“Perhaps he will reform,” Lizzie said hopefully. “Perhaps some good may come of this.”
Nat laughed. “You are very generous, my love, and I know that against all the odds you do care for your brother and wish him to be happy, but…” He shook his head, “I think that on this occasion you may be asking too much if you expect Tom to reform.”
“There are others I wish happy, too,” Lizzie said sighing. “Sir James and Lady Wheeler…”
“Yes,” Nat said. “It was brave of them to come today.”
Lizzie thought that in the harsh, unforgiving glare of the sunlight Lady Wheeler looked so old and worn, as though all the life, all the hope and the joy had gone out of her. They had never found Mary’s body and now George too had left them, gone to London to bury the memory of his sister’s disgrace in a round of drinking and dissipation, if the gossip was to be believed.
“And then there is Lydia,” Lizzie said, turning to look at her friend. Lydia was standing with Dexter and Laura, Hattie and baby Edward. She was dressed in lilac with a saucy matching bonnet and she was holding Beth in her arms. The sun was shining on her face and she looked so young and so happy as she smilingly answered a question Laura was putting to her.
“Lydia cannot lock herself away forever,” Lizzie said with sudden passion, “and deny herself the chance of love.”
“Well,” Nat said, brushing his lips against her hair, “if what you told me is true, then John Jerrold will do his utmost to persuade her of that.”
“She allowed him to speak with her and to kiss her hand earlier,” Lizzie said, with a little giggle. “I suppose it is a start. He will have to be very patient with her and by nature I am not certain he is a patient man.”
“If he wants her enough, he will be,” Nat said.
“And now Alice and Miles are setting up their nursery,” Lizzie said, “so that just leaves you and me…” She turned in his arms and raised one hand to his cheek. His eyes were full of love; love that was warm and bright and that Lizzie knew would grow stronger and stronger between them forever.
“What are we to do, Nat?” she whispered, raising her lips to his.
“You can kiss me for a start,” Nat said, “and we shall go on from there.”
Lizzie smiled at him. “And there will be no more secrets.”
“Never again,” Nat said. “The last of the secrets are told.”
Nicola Cornick
***
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The Undoing Of A Lady Page 27