"What is it, my dear?" asked Isobel, but Letitia merely shook her head and handed the letter to her friend.
"My dear Lady Morgan,’" read Isobel aloud. "‘I have recently heard such reports of you as must cause me grave concern. Lord Morgan informs me—" Isobel broke off. "Lord Morgan informs him," she repeated in a voice rising with incredulity and annoyance. "What business has Lord Morgan informing him of anything, pray tell?" She looked back down at the sheaf of paper. " ‘...informs me, that you have left his house without his leave, taking with you his children, and are at present residing with Isobel Paley, where you are now engaged in all manner of gadding about without the countenance of your husband.’"
Isobel looked up. "Well, Alfred has certainly been very busy," she remarked to Letty. "He has plainly poured quite a tale into your cousin’s ears. It is a great deal too bad." She looked down at the letter again. "‘As the head of your family, I feel that I stand to you in the nature of a guide, who can advise you on those matters which must concern your family.’ Upon my word, Letty. This is presumption indeed for one who had never even been to Bainstall Park until by chance he inherited the title. He is certainly very pushing. Listen to this; I have never been so shocked. ‘I urge you to cease this ruinous course of action which must reflect very ill on the credit of all the family. I adjure you to remember your duty to your husband and obey him in this matter.’" Isobel dropped the letter, her eyes snapping with rage.
"I am completely out of patience with his nonsense," she exploded. "Obedience and duty to your husband, indeed. What, may I ask, of his duty to you to be kind and provident? Does your cousin take issue with Lord Morgan on these matters? Certainly, he does not. I am entirely provoked with him."
Letty however, was not really attending to Isobel’s outraged comments on the letter.
"Isobel," she interrupted. "Alfred will come looking for me."
Isobel looked at her. "So he may. But he will not be bringing his mistress nor striking you so long as you are living in my house, I assure you."
"As long as I reside in your house, that is true Isobel," Letty said with a quiet dignity. "But I fear that he can compel me to return to him, particularly as the children are legally his." She paused and then continued in constricted tones. "I have enjoyed myself so much and given myself up so entirely to pleasure for the past weeks that I have not prepared for this. I wonder, Isobel, if we could not visit your lawyer as we had discussed previously."
Isobel was full of remorse. "Oh, I am the greatest beast in nature, Letty. I had quite forgotten the evils of your situation in my pleasure in your company, and I have completely neglected your business. It was much easier not to think of it, and now I fear that was a great mistake. We shall arrange a visit to the lawyer instantly."
The bell was rung, pen and paper requested, and a note to Mr. Askworth, Isobel’s solicitor, requesting a meeting that afternoon dashed off. When it had been sent round with a footman to that worthy’s Greys Inn chambers, Isobel turned to Letty, who still seemed very much distressed.
"Do not be cast down, Letty," she said, "We shall do all that is possible to find a way out of this coil for you."
Letty both looked and felt doubtful about this, but she did not wish to allow her fears to spoil the morning. "Thank you for writing to Mr. Askworth, Isobel," she said. "I think that I shall take the children out for an airing, before we depart. This letter of my cousin’s had given me the headache, and I am sure that a walk will do me and them a great deal of good." With these words, Letty slipped out of the room.
Harriet had remained silent throughout, but now she looked up from her toast and gazed piercingly at Isobel.
"Isobel, it is very likely that Letty will have to return to Wales with Lord Morgan. I know that you do not like it, but a wife’s place is with her husband. You do her no kindness by railing against fate. You were greatly indulged all your life by your father, and even your brother, of whom it pleases you to make fun, is tolerant of your independent ways, and so you do not know the trials of women such as Lady Morgan. If Mr. Askworth can find a way for her to live independently of Lord Morgan you may help Letitia to do so, but if she must return to him, you must help her to be comfortable in doing so. You do not care to hear my stories all the time, but I recall that when young Mr. Maincombe was behaving so badly, this would have been when you were in the schoolroom and I doubt that you will recollect it, his wife Sophia came to me, crying her eyes out over his wickedness. He treated her ill, but there was no help for it until all the world had heard of it. Then, when he realized that he would not be welcome in his clubs and that many doors were being closed to him, he mended his ways. There may be little else that you can do for Letty beyond ensuring that this occurs to Lord Morgan also."
At the end of this unusually coherent speech, Harriet once again retired to her perusal of the morning Post, leaving Isobel speechless with surprise and frustration, for she knew that Harriet most probably had the right of it.
Letty walked with her children and maid to the square where little James could play with his ball, and Emily, now learning to stand, might balance against a bench. She was anxious, for she had deliberately consigned all thoughts of her husband to the back of her mind since she had arrived at Kitswold. The carefree weeks had been a respite from the constant tension she had felt at home, but she had known that it could not last for long. The decision not to seek legal advice immediately on arriving in London had been one of emotion rather than foresight, and now Letty felt the full force of her fear of Lord Morgan. Still, she could not really regret having played the part of the cricket, for she could not have enjoyed her stay any more had she known that she could escape him and she certainly would have enjoyed it less had she known that she could not.
These reflections were interrupted by a shriek from her son, whose ball had escaped his chubby clutches. It rolled past Letty’s foot and she ran a few steps forward to retrieve it, almost colliding with an exceedingly elegant gentleman. As she rose with the ball, she looked up into a very handsome, but supercilious face, crowned with dark gold curls. The gentleman was clad in the first style of elegance, an impeccably cut dark blue coat, his cravat perfectly creased and his hessians boasting a shine which had made his valet’s reputation. Still, the powerful thighs imperfectly concealed by his pantaloons spoke of a gentleman who was active and vigorous. Letty uttered a confused apology, for her son was tugging at the ball, and their party hurried on. The gentleman, however, stopped to look after her, clearly much struck by the gaze he had received from her large blue eyes, and the appearance of her perfect face, framed by a cloud of white blonde curls.
A few hours later Isobel's carriage drew up before the chambers occupied by Mr. Askworth. His clerk ushered Letty and Isobel into a masculine office, where bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, thick carpets muffled the footsteps, and the scent of the heavy leather chairs filled the air. Mr. Askworth, a wizened figure behind a mammoth desk, rose to greet them.
"My dear Miss Paley, how well you look. Each time I see you I am struck by how much you resemble your father, God rest his kind soul. Won’t you have a cup of tea?"
The ladies assented, and once the tea had been served, Isobel introduced the subject of her concern. Briefly, she acquainted Mr. Askworth with the details of Letitia’s unfortunate situation.
"And now Mr. Askworth, if you please, how may we alleviate Lady Morgan’s financial and emotional distress?" she concluded.
Mr. Askworth looked grave. He removed his spectacles, cleaned them, replaced them, pursed his lips, rubbed his nose, and shook his head. He was plainly distressed.
"My dear Miss Paley, it is indeed a most unfortunate situation. Most unfortunate," he reiterated, and then pursed his lips. "However, I cannot say that there is a course of action which I can readily recommend to you. The law, you see, is quite clear on this point. Lady Morgan’s fortune, with the exception of her jointure, is in the possession of her husband, and he may do with it as
he pleases. He is entirely within his rights to govern his household as he chooses however foolish his actions may appear."
"Cannot Lady Morgan take her children and simply set up her own establishment?"
"The law, I fear, views the children as the property of the husband. In fact, a wife has no legal existence outside of her husband. They are one person. This is why she cannot testify against him in a court of law. It would be tantamount to testifying against herself."
"Ridiculous and unjust," snapped Isobel. "Why, even a slave has a legal existence, yet a wife has not even this?"
"Quite so, Miss Paley, quite so," said Mr. Askworth in an apologetic tone. He brightened. "But this protects the weaker sex from the consequences of her own frailties. A woman may rely upon her husband’s judgment to attend to business concerns to which she is by nature unsuited."
"Oh yes," replied Isobel sarcastically. "She can rely on him to gamble away his estate and her inheritance, to humiliate her, and abuse their offspring. That is protection indeed. I wonder that grateful women are not even now gathered outside the debtor’s prisons singing the praises of the wastrels within. Is there no way to put Lady Morgan and her children beyond the reach of her husband’s vices?" Isobel took another breath and showed every indication of being prepare to continue in this vein for a further time, but Letitia put a gentle hand on her arm.
"Isobel, there is no need to blame Mr. Askworth for the sins of Lord Morgan. He only informs us of the law, he did not make it."
Isobel tried to relax. "As usual, Letty, you have the right of it. I am allowing my sensibilities to carry me away. Pray, Mr. Askworth, continue."
"It may be possible for Lady Morgan to obtain a divorce," continued the lawyer, appearing somewhat alarmed by Isobel's ferocity. "Although, as you are no doubt aware, this course of action would be disastrous for her personally, for she would be completely ostracized by polite society. Also, the children would remain in the care of Lord Morgan. Her only other alternative is to flee to the Continent with the children, assuming that her portion is sufficient to provide a suitable income, and that the marriage settlements are structured in such a way as to allow her access to the funds prior to Lord Morgan’s demise. Even then, she might have to move constantly, as his Lordship could elect to have his agents pursue her with the object of removing the children from her. It would not be a pleasant existence unless Lord Morgan could be prevailed upon to leave her in peace."
Isobel could bear it no longer and she leaped to her feet and began pacing the room. "So there is no recourse for Lady Morgan," she burst out. "She can only attempt to survive the viciousness of her husband's behavior and to shield her children from it, unless she wishes to live friendless and alone among strangers, hoping that her husband will not pursue her to the ends of the earth. It is unbearable."
"Isobel, it is not so very bad, indeed," said Letty. "If I chose, I could move to Rome, where there are a great many English people, and pleasant society. I would perhaps be far from home, but I would be free of Alfred. I doubt he would pursue me for long; he has little genuine affection for the children, and after some time and some brandy would doubtless be glad to have them gone. However, I do not know precisely how my affairs are structured. I had no hand in the manner in which they were set up, and my family presumed that I would never need to know. I have no notion as to whether I have access to an income. Perhaps Mr. Askworth can investigate my finances for me and inform me on this point so that if the eventuality arises, I can take the children and depart. For now, I can manage, as long as I have friends like you to assist me."
The lawyer agreed to assist Letty by determining the status of her property and Letitia and Isobel departed. As the comfortable carriage bowled towards the West End, Isobel tried to dispel the fury that gripped her.
"I cannot believe that you can take this in such good part, Letty," she declared. "You are told you have no right to your own money or your own children, and yet you remain so calm!"
"I have been told this before, Isobel. I consulted with my cousin's solicitor some time ago, and he gave me the same information. I quite fell into despair then, but one grows accustomed to even bad news over time. I am not happy with my situation, but it must be borne. If there were no children I would not hesitate to leave Alfred and risk the censure of Society. But I must remain now, not only because I could not bear to be parted from my children, but to protect them as well."
"It is the greatest evil I know of," said Isobel. "I cannot think how you bear it."
Letitia managed a smile. "You must not think of me as some sort of martyr, Isobel. Alfred is essentially a weakling, and when not drunk, he leaves me to my own devices. When the children are grown I will live with one of them; it is not so very long, indeed."
"Not so very long!" exclaimed Isobel. "You are wasting your youth on this lout!"
This time Letitia laughed. "Come now, Isobel, you must not waste your fury on my situation. It is not changeable now, and simply must be dealt with. You have done much for me already, and perhaps Mr. Askworth will have good news about my jointure. For now, let us leave it and take pleasure in the day. Surely, if I was not visiting you, I would never have seen that very curious hat that woman is wearing. Who may she be, I wonder?"
Isobel was loath to drop the subject, but Letitia was adamant, and soon had her friend discussing the latest modes with some vigor. Eventually, as the coach moved along Bond Street, the ladies were both sufficiently recovered to contemplate the notion of stopping to visit a few shops.
"For I feel a great need to acquire a new carriage dress, Letty," said Isobel. "I saw Eliza Brooks‑Walsham in the park two days since in a gown which staggered me with envy, and I am convinced that this situation must be remedied. I think that you also need a new gown. At least when you must return to the unspeakable Alfred, he will not be inclined to raid your closet, whatever he has done to your money."
Letty laughed, and they rapped to notify the coachman that they wished to stop. They passed a pleasant hour with Madame Celine, but as they emerged all comfort was gone. For across the street as they prepared to enter their carriage stood Alfred Winwood, Baron Morgan. He lounged elegantly, conversing with a small group of gentlemen, among whom the blonde head of Major Lord Francis Wheaton could quite clearly be distinguished.
Letitia stopped, as though like Lot’s wife, she would turn to a pillar of salt.
"Isobel, look. Across the street, it is Alfred," she uttered weakly.
Isobel glanced briefly at the group of men. When she noted the presence of Lord Francis, exchanging pleasantries with Lord Morgan with every appearance of friendship, her lips tightened and her eyebrows snapped together. She grasped Letty’s elbow firmly, propelling her into the carriage.
"Quickly, Letty. Has he seen you?" she asked as they moved off.
"I don’t know, Isobel," she replied wretchedly. "But it makes no difference. He knows that I accompanied you here. Why else would he be in London?"
"Oh, perhaps merely to game away his money and dangle after the muslin company?" Isobel inquired sarcastically. She paused. "It is very bad, Letitia. I am sure he is not come to town only to bring you back, but there is no doubt that it must a primary objective with him. Mr. Askworth has told us that I cannot shield you if he insists that you accompany him, but we could leave London this instant, if you like, and go to my cottage in Scotland. Alfred would be considerably inconvenienced by following you there and it might delay the reckoning a few more weeks."
"But only think how angry he would be," Letitia shuddered. "I think I would be much better off to go with him now, than to provoke him so."
"I think that you would be much better off if the devil would fly away with Alfred," said Isobel violently. "I will try to ensure that he at least does not have the opportunity to speak with you on this head in private. I cannot have Pierce deny him the house, but I can promise that I will be there when you meet him again."
A brief silence ensued and then Isobel cou
ld no longer hold in her annoyance. "Lord Francis Wheaton appears to be one of Alfred’s cronies, Letty. I had thought better of him. Now I must revise my opinion, for it seems that he is merely another charming face covering a worthless interior."
Letty put her hand over Isobel’s. "You may be judging Lord Francis too harshly. You have no reason to believe that he shares Alfred’s vices. A moment’s conversation is no indication of a similarity of character, or even of a friendship between them."
"You are correct, of course, but they certainly appeared to be on very easy terms, Letty. And I find that I cannot take for granted the character of a gentleman who is friendly with your husband."
"But think, Isobel. Lord Francis has been in Spain for quite some time. He may not be aware of how much Alfred has changed in recent years. For his vicious propensities, as you know, were not evident when we married, and it is only in the past twelve month that my situation has become insupportable."
"Letty, you always plead the case of the defendant. You may have been unaware of Alfred’s tendencies, along with most respectable people, but I find that it is other men who know soonest about their friend’s weaknesses. Unless Alfred has indeed come only very recently into such ill company, Lord Francis must be aware of his character defects."
Letty fell silent. Her concerns overwhelmed her, and she had no more energy to sustain a defense of Lord Francis in the face of Isobel’s prejudices.
The elegant carriage drew up before Isobel’s house. In a cloud of gloom Isobel and Letitia descended, running into the house. The atmosphere was strained for the remainder of the day as they awaited Alfred’s probable arrival, and though the three ladies living in Clarges Street made an appearance at Almack’s that evening, they were feeling sadly out of sorts and took very little pleasure in the occasion.
The Secret Bluestocking: Isobel's Traditional Regency Romance Page 12