The four ladies sat around the comfortable sitting room of the Gilchrist house. In many ways, this room had become a second home for Lady Abigail. This particular day, she sat on the end of her seat, anticipating Lord Gilchrist’s entrance through the door.
She wouldn’t be able to engage with him right away, but he would have no choice but to speak with her when they went to the boys’ school together.
Their luncheon was coming to its end, and still, Lord Gilchrist had yet to join them. Lady Abigail didn’t want to draw attention to her need to speak with him. She was sure, apart from Isabella, no one else knew the situation that had caused a rift between the two of them.
“Is Lord Gilchrist not joining us today?” Lady Fortuna asked, much to Lady Abigail’s relief.
“Unfortunately, he won't be,” Lady Louisa said without looking up from her teacup.
The duchess shared a glance with Lady Abigail before asking, “Is he not feeling well?”
“No, he is his same pigheaded boorish self,” Lady Louisa said, full of spite.
Realizing she had spoken her irritation aloud, she looked around the room apologetically. The duchess knew that Louisa must be really upset for her to speak out her feelings in such a way.
“I’m sorry,” Lady Louisa said, setting down her teacup. “Colton won’t be joining us today because he is making preparations to return to the country for a short time.”
“Returning to the country?” Lady Abigail couldn’t help but say, a little louder than she should have. “Not for long, I hope,” she added, trying to sound calm, after her sudden outburst.
“No, not for long,” Lady Louisa said, but still with a bitter edge to her tone. “He will be leaving next spring for the Virginias.”
All the women in the room sat there with their mouths open.
“We have a plantation there,” Lady Louisa explained to the gaping crowd. “He intends to overlook the holdings since our solicitor is getting on in age.”
“But, he will not stay?” the duchess asked with concern in her eyes.
Lady Louisa smoothed the skirts of her cotton walking dress to hide the tears welling in her brown eyes.
“He claims that he only plans to go for a short period of time and then return,” Lady Louisa finally answered softly.
Isabella reached over and took her friend’s hand to give her strength.
“I am sure if he says he will return, he will.”
“Yes, but what part of him?” Lady Louisa said, seeking comfort from her dear friend. “The last time he left, he returned half of who he once was. What will happen this time?”
A tear slipped down Lady Louisa’s cheek, and the three women hurried around her like clucking chickens. Lady Abigail did her best to focus on Lady Louisa’s pain and not dwell on the lump growing inside of her own heart.
Lord Gilchrist stood outside the drawing room door and listened to the sound of his sister crying yet again, since the announcement of his plans.
“Colton is not off to war. Perhaps he will come home better than he has been since his return?” the duchess encouraged.
“You only know the half of it,” Lady Louisa said, now overcome with her emotions. She was dabbing at her eyes with a provided silken handkerchief. “He has such awful, violent nightmares at night. He doesn’t think I know, but I hear him scream. That is only on the nights he does sleep. Sometimes he will go days without leaving the office.”
Lady Abigail was surprised to hear this news. She knew that Lord Gilchrist had struggled with the mental scars that came with battle. She had no idea that it was so devastating as to cause violent nightmares.
Lord Gilchrist was seething now outside the door. He walked away in a fit of rage. It was bad enough that Louisa had been aware of his nightmares. There was no reason for her to go and share his most intimate secret with every lady she sat to tea with.
Next, there would be a mob outside the door insisting the monster be transferred to Bedlam Asylum. He couldn’t stand the betrayal he felt, that his own sister was encouraging others to think his mind deficit.
He knew that it would only give Lady Abigail more reason to doubt his opinion of the offending lord. She would consider his mind to be totally defective.
Gilchrist paced his office, picturing Lady Abigail and Heshing laughing as they talked about his lost mind. It was worse than any garish stare or pitiful look he might have gotten in the past. The thought of Lady Abigail laughing and continuing to collude with Lord Heshing was more than he could take.
Lady Abigail was wracked with torment as the four ladies took the carriage ride to the Foundling Hospital. It had taken some time to calm Lady Louisa down. The duchess had tried to insist that they cancel the trip for the day, but Lady Louisa wouldn’t have it.
It was a toll on her delicate frame to have so much emotion flow out at once. Despite this, she was determined to see this project through for the sake of the children.
“I am sure there is nothing else that can brighten my dark mood other than the smiling faces of the little girls,” she had announced when the time came for them to take the carriage.
Now they were inside and traveling down the streets of London. It was far too quiet, giving Lady Abigail plenty of time to consider her own feelings toward Lord Gilchrist's leaving.
She was sure it was all her doing. Gilchrist had only chosen to do so after their argument. It was her fault that he would be shutting himself far away and hurting so many that he loved and cared for.
The weight of guilt was like a stone on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Though she had determined not to cause a rift in her family, she had seemed to do so anyway.
When the ladies walked up the steps of the hospital, they were once again greeted by the two schools’ headmasters.
“Where is Lord Gilchrist?” the boys’ school headmaster said when Lady Abigail alone moved to go with him.
“He was indisposed and unable to come today. He sends his deepest apologies. I would be happy to give the boys a small lesson on mending, however.”
Lady Abigail did her best to sound upbeat and pleased, though she felt neither. It was also painfully apparent that the headmaster took no liking to women and had little respect for ladies. She shifted the full basket of mittens in her hand, the one that the headmaster apparently hadn’t manners enough to take, as she waited for him to lead the way to the boys’ school.
“I feel that without your escort, it wouldn’t be appropriate to attend to the boys,” the headmaster said, looking down his nose at her.
Lady Abigail knew how he felt about her. She couldn’t help the thought that slipped past her at that moment. If Lord Gilchrist had been there, the headmaster would have never been allowed such rude treatment of her.
“What about the gloves. The boys will need them this winter, at the very least,” she said motioning to the basket in her hand.
“I will take those now,” the headmaster said, removing the basket from Lady Abigail’s arms.
His manners were not gracious. Lady Abigail couldn’t help but wonder how he expected to get the necessary donations for the children with such an attitude. Without so much as a thank you, the headmaster turned on his heels and disappeared down the hall.
Lady Abigail hesitated for a moment, not sure what she should do next. She could still see the other ladies and hear the soft rustle of their skirts as they moved down the opposite hall. She turned and hurried quickly to catch up with them.
“Abigail, is everything all right?” Lady Fortuna asked when Lady Abigail joined her at the rear of the group.
“Yes, the boys’ school headmaster said they had unfortunately made other plans for the day. I thought I might join you ladies instead. If that is alright, of course.”
“Yes,” Lady Fortuna said with a soft smile on her lips.
“I only wish I had something to give to the girls. The headmaster took the gloves,” Lady Abigail said, looking down at her empty hands.
“We will find a use for you, I promise,” Lady Fortuna said from her side.
Lady Abigail forgot, or at least placed aside, her worries as she spent the afternoon with the children. With no dresses to fit like the other ladies, Lady Abigail made it her task to entertain the younger children while they waited their turn.
She began by reading them a story, then she taught them how to play a simple card game. Finally, as the afternoon wound down, Lady Abigail was enthralled in a world of imagination as the girls danced and twirled with little rag dolls.
Lady Abigail was so lost in the game with the children that for a while she forgot where she was. She had so missed playing with her little nieces and nephews, it was a joy to bring a light to small children’s eyes again.
It was at this moment she realized how much she missed home. She looked over at the duchess who was very round with child now. It would be only a few more weeks before she would add another baby to the family.
The thought of a new life made Lady Abigail that it was of the highest importance to resolve her differences with Lord Gilchrist. She was determined to resolve the rifts before the newest member joined her family. She would set everything back to how it once was, before this trip to London for the season.
As they walked back to the carriage at the end of the visit, Lady Abigail stayed at the duchess’s side.
“I haven’t been a very good sister,” Lady Abigail said. “I have been so worried about my own life that I didn’t even consider how you might be holding up. You must be so troubled, and that can’t be of help to your condition.”
“Oh, I am a sturdy old thing,” Isabella said, swinging her arm into Lady Abigail’s. “I am sorry to see Louisa so troubled,” the duchess continued with a crestfallen brow, “but short of being there for her, there is not much more I can do.”
Lady Abigail put a gentle arm on the duchess’s swollen belly.
“The time is getting near now. Perhaps we should return home too,” Lady Abigail responded.
“Yes,” the duchess said with a deep sigh. “I spoke to Christian about that just today. I think it will probably be only a few more weeks before I really must go. If you wish to stay, I am sure your aunt would be happy to chaperone you.”
“I think I might be ready to return home with you,” Lady Abigail said honestly.
The duchess raised a brow in question. Lady Abigail was always looking forward to the social time of the season. She was never one to want to leave before all the balls and parties were over.
“I miss home, mother, the children,” Lady Abigail explained. “Plus, I fear staying any longer might just cause more trouble.”
“I miss them too,” the duchess agreed. “You don’t have to worry about causing trouble, though. There is nothing you have done or said that could be construed as such. You spoke from your heart. Your brother and I both respect you for that.”
“Yes, well I seem to have caused plenty of trouble with a certain lord,” Lady Abigail said under her breath.
“If there is one thing I have learned from my own years of uncertainty,” the duchess said with a profound amount of wisdom, “is that things always find a way to work out. You will get your chance to tell Colton all you want, I am sure of it.”
Lady Abigail smiled. Isabella knew her well enough to understand the particular lord was Gilchrist. Lady Abigail couldn’t help but feel relieved, knowing that the duchess was in sync with her thoughts. With Isabella’s help, she would find a way to make everything right before they had to return to their own country seat.