Chapter 13
It was the sixth day since the ball, and Frederick had had enough.
“Amelia, I want her in my office in one half hour. If she doesn’t come to me, I will discuss this situation with her in her bedchamber.”
Amelia opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. She left, headed for Louisa’s bedchamber.
The townhouse had been in turmoil for six days. When Louisa came home from the ball, she went straight to her bedchamber and never came out.
Each day Percy called. Louisa refused to see him. Stafford would call. She refused him also. Amelia sent for Emma thinking she would jar Louisa from whatever had a grip on her, but Louisa would not see her either.
She ate all her meals in her room. When Amelia visited and tried to talk to her, she got nowhere.
Amelia called for Percy.
He came right away, hoping Louisa would finally see him, but Amelia had called him to talk with her.
Amelia apologized to Percy for getting his hopes up; she hadn’t meant to give him the impression that Louisa would see him.
“I know you don’t want to betray her trust, but we must know. We must know what is wrong. It’s been long enough for her to hold out and for you to hold out. Percy, I need your help.
“You were talking with her while we were waiting for our carriage. What did you talk about?”
“She was devastated that I betrayed her. She said it over and over again. If I could cut off both my ears so I didn’t have to hear her voice in my head, I would.”
Amelia leaned forward, "How did you betray her?”
Percy sat back and gripped the arms of the chair. “The same way you did. The same way Frederick did. The same way any of us who knew the real reason Jack left and knew what Barton was up to did.”
Amelia nodded. “She found out.”
Percy nodded. “She found out. She will never trust me again. It will take her a long time to trust anyone again.”
Amelia said, “You wanted to tell her.”
Percy barked out a laugh, "I did. But someone at the ball got to do it for me.”
*****
“You wanted to see me, Father?”
“I did. Sit down,” Frederick said.
She sat in a chair next to his. Louisa's face was pale; she had bluish half circles under her eyes, her morning gown wrinkled as if she put it on then got back into bed, and her hair needed to be taken down, combed through then put up again.
“I have always been as kind and as reasonable a father as I knew how to be because you are my precious girl. I have not demanded much from you. I always wanted you to look back on your childhood fondly.”
“But hear me now,” Frederick continued in a soft voice, “you and I are not leaving this room until I fully, totally, and completely understand why my beautiful, vibrant, social daughter has spent six days behind closed doors.”
Louisa burst into tears. Frederick pulled a handkerchief out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.
“Take your time, my dear. We have all day. I’ll ring for tea.”
After a few more crying jags and some tea, Louisa sat up, spine straight. She took a deep breath and began.
Frederick kept his face schooled but inside, his heart was breaking. Percy was right. He should have told her. It hadn’t occurred to him how betrayed she would feel.
When she was done, and all her tears were used up, he asked her if there was anything else she wanted to say about the whole mess.
“Yes, Father. There is. I want to go to Rutland. I don’t want to see Percy in this home or Haddington Hall again. And I want complete control of whom I choose for a husband.”
Frederick nodded and said, “I grant none of those requests and never will.”
Louisa started sobbing, “You don’t care about me and what I want.”
“It is precisely that I care for you why I will not grant your requests. Do you have any idea? No, of course you wouldn’t.
“Your friend Percy,” Frederick put up his hand when he thought Louisa was going to jump in, “your friend Percy approached me, your mother and Hobart asking – no, begging – us to tell you the truth. The truth about everything. We refused, and we forbade him from doing it on his own.
“He didn’t betray you. He tried over and over again to stop us from betraying you. We betrayed you. And I will go to my grave regretting that we did.”
Louisa shook her head. “Percy should have told me anyway. Even if you didn’t want him to.”
“No, Louisa, he shouldn’t have. You aren’t his to protect and take care of. You’re mine. He didn’t let you down. I did.
“Now, you must come out of your bedchamber, and you must act like an adult old enough to marry. You will come to tea, and you will receive Percy. I insist.”
“I will not.”
“You will, and I will be there to make sure you act like the proper young lady I raised.”
*****
Percy greeted Mendon, more nervous than he was when he was fourteen and stole his first kiss.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Mendon bowed.
Percy walked into the parlour and wanted to laugh. Amelia and Louisa sat, spines straight, hands in laps, heads down. Frederick was leaning back in his chair, head behind his newspaper.
Percy cleared his throat. “Good afternoon, Duke, Duchess, Lady Louisa.” He bowed.
Two curtsies and one bow later, Percy sat and was offered tea. He tried to make small talk about the weather and the air quality, but he was met with silence.
He thought of putting down his teacup and excusing himself from the room, but then he remembered he had been specifically asked to come.
Frederick finally started the conversation. “I invited you here today, Percy because the three of us need to apologize to you. I need to apologize to you for going against your recommendation to tell my daughter important things about her life she had a right to know. I didn’t take your input seriously, and I regret it. Please accept my apology.”
Percy nodded, uncomfortable by this process. “I accept your apology. I know you want only what is best for Louisa.”
Amelia cleared her throat. “I too would like to apologize to you, dear Percy. You voiced your concerns about Louisa with me, and I didn’t give your concerns the gravitas they deserved. I too ask your forgiveness.”
Percy stood and bowed. “You have my forgiveness, Duchess. I am grateful that you did me the honour of allowing me to speak frankly with you.”
He sat but couldn’t bring himself to look at Louisa. He knew her father was making her go through this exercise and wished he had not forced her hand. The result usually smacked of insincerity.
While the air was thick and still, Percy took a plate and placed two cookies on it. He sat back, plate on his lap, and waited. And waited.
Finally, Louisa did something unexpected. She rose from her seat and walked to Percy. She sat on the seat next to his and took his hand.
“You have been the best friend I have ever had. We have been each other’s confidants.” Tears filled Louisa’s eyes. “I was upset and disappointed in you, and I behaved badly. I should have known you would do the right thing. You always do the right thing.
“You are the one that fought for me the most, and you are the one I treated the worst. Can you ever forgive me, Percy?”
Percy leaned over and covered her hands. “I already have.”
Louisa’s tears started falling down her face. Percy took out his handkerchief and handed it to her. Their eyes met, and they both started to laugh.
‘Thank God this is over,’ Percy thought. The tension in the room began to dissipate.
“Well,” Frederick said. “I think we should try to put this behind us. What do you say?”
Everyone nodded. He stood and left the room.
Percy looked at Louisa. “Can we count on you to come out of your room now?”
She smiled. “I think so.”
“Good,” Percy said. “I’ve had tea by myself every day this week. You should have told me I was such lousy company. I only found that out by having to entertain myself at tea.”
Amelia laughed. “Percy, lousy company is better than no company. It’s been so quiet around here without you. Too quiet.”
“Has Stafford called?” Percy asked.
“He did, but after being turned away four times, he hasn’t tried again. Maybe Louisa will invite him for tea one day?”
Louisa looked up. “We’ll see, Mother. I don’t mind being around Percy like this, but I’m not sure I’m ready for Stafford.”
“How about Emma?” Percy asked. “Invite her over. We can craft a letter to Rose together. It would be fun.”
Louisa looked up and smiled. “Yes, that might work. She has probably heard from Rose. I’ll ask her to bring her last letter.”
Amelia rose and Percy right after her. “Don’t go anywhere on my account. I just remembered something I must do. I’ll return shortly.”
Percy turned to Louisa. “Is your mother ill?”
“Not really. I think it will pass. She’s been having a difficult time of it. Migraines, mostly. I blame myself. I caused a lot of heartache. They know they didn’t handle all this well. They hurt me, and she feels terrible about it.”
“Are you helping her get past it?”
“I’ve told her to put it behind her. She’s having a hard time of it. I’ve been extra nice and sensitive to her, hoping my actions show I have forgiven her. I think she needs time.”
Percy sat back for a moment. “How are you doing? All these apologies, all these guilty feelings. You still have the secrets to deal with.”
Louisa breathed deep. “I’m going to stay in for a time. I will go out again. Until I overheard Missy and Alessandra talking, I was having fun. It reminded me of what I had been missing from staying in this townhouse. I just need a little time.”
Louisa was silent for a moment then turned to Percy. “Can I ask you something?”
Percy began to laugh. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Louisa slapped his arm with her hand. “What do you think of Stafford? Do you think he’s hiding any secrets?”
“What makes you ask that? You usually aren’t the suspicious type.”
“And look where that got me,” she rolled her eyes.
“I don’t know how to answer you. When he came back, eyebrows were raised because his father’s death was not so long ago. He said he had business with his man in London, and that makes sense. Estates have to be redrafted in the name of the heir.
“But he spends an awful lot of time about town. He’s always at the club; he came here shortly after returning, and he entertains in his townhouse.”
Percy shook his head. “I don’t know what, if anything, that says about him. I’m still trying to figure him out. He does seem to like you. At least he has good taste in ladies.”
Louisa laughed and slapped his arm again. “Is it possible to find out if people have enough money?”
Percy tilted his head, “Enough money for what?”
Louisa circled her hands in the air. “Enough that they don’t need to marry to have enough.”
Percy nodded. “You mean enough so they aren’t marrying you for your dowry?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said with a small smile.