Grace placed her finger on his lips. “Shh… I don’t want a Season. I know exactly what I want.
“You do? Are you saying what I hope you are?”
“Yes, my darling. Must I spell it out for you?”
Peter chuckled. “Perhaps not. You make my heart sing with joy. I want to hold you in my arms every night and wake up beside you every morning. I love you, Grace Parker, with every fiber of my being.”
“I love you too, and yes, you should ask Fletcher’s permission to propose, in case you had any lingering doubts about my affections.”
Peter swept her up in his arms and kissed her, pulling her tightly against him. When he finally released her, they were both breathing heavily. “I shall talk with him straight away.”
“Good. However, there’s another reason I came to see you today.”
“Oh? Does it have anything to do with why you were near tears when you arrived?”
She nodded. She reached into her reticule and pulled out the stack of letters. “I found these letters today, and I’m not sure what to make of them.”
“I see. Can you tell me about them?”
“They’re about my mother and someone I might have been recently introduced to.”
“Grace, please be assured that whatever you reveal to me today will be held in the strictest confidence.”
“Thank you. That’s good to know because, frankly, it would be very bad if this became known. Once I read the letters, I knew you were the best person to talk to about them.”
Peter nodded and waited.
Finally, Grace handed him the letters. She watched his face as he read them, but aside from a slight frown, his expression didn’t reveal what he was thinking.
Finally, Peter lowered the letters to his lap and looked up. “I understand now why you’ve come today. These letters must have been quite a shock to you.”
“I cannot believe my mother had a secret lover,” Grace cried. “I feel so ashamed by her behavior. I wanted to tell Audrey, but I didn’t want to upset her needlessly. She was closest to our mother and to learn—”
Peter leaned forward and took her hand in his. The warmth of his strong hand cradling hers was comforting. “Grace, my darling, may I speak frankly?”
“Of course. I always welcome your counsel.”
“Let me begin by saying these letters do not prove anything about your mother having a secret lover. To me, they merely convey that Mary and Hugh had formed an attachment.”
“But she was going to leave Papa. Doesn’t that prove they were lovers?”
Peter shook his head. “Not at all. In the end, your mother held onto her pious nature. While she may have had strong feelings for another man, she didn’t act upon those feelings. She stayed true to her marriage. There’s nothing to be ashamed of about your mother’s actions. Clearly, her thoughts were of her family, rather than any personal desires she may have had. It takes a very strong person to deny their heart, but your mother did that for the good of her marriage and her family. Can you see that?”
“Maybe you’re right. I’m so confused, and I didn’t want to burden my sister with this knowledge. She and Fletcher are so happy together. What would these letters do to her?”
“Perhaps they will reinforce her belief that your mother was a true and loyal wife and did what was best for everyone,regardless of her personal feelings. I believe that you should find a time to let Lady Fletcher read the letters and form her own opinion.”
“What about Mia?”
“I don’t believe telling her is the right thing to do at this time. Miss Mia might not be mature enough to fully understand the nuances, or fully understand how your mother could have loved someone other than your father, but not acted on that love. There would have been severe consequences if she had left the family.”
I agree on that, at least. We would have been ruined. My sister is nearly six and ten, but not as mature as I’d like to understand how those consequences would impact our lives. She has been sheltered as much as Audrey was able to when my father was alive. She still becomes very excitable and impulsive, whether she’s happy or upset. This information may change her perception of the family, and I wouldn’t want that to happen. I shall have to think about whether it’s wise even to tell Lady Fletcher.”
“I have been calling on my parishioners since I arrived, and as a result have become aware that Lord Berkeley, whose property abuts Dandridge Manor, bears the given name of Hugh. Is he the one you met recently?”
“Yes. We paid a call on Lord Berkeley not long ago. When he walked into the drawing room, he thought my sister was my mother. It was sad to see his confusion. Lord Dudley told me his father hasn’t been well of late.”
“I also witnessed the earl’s confusion the last time I called on him. I’m planning to pay him a visit again next week. Would you like me to talk to him about these?”