Intolerable Civility

Chapter Twenty: A Family Reunion

"I put two and two together," Sophia said. "Also, sometimes I listen outside their bedroom window when they talk at night. I told Paul and Madalene. They've sent Madalene to London with Luke and Aunt Mary to buy dresses. She doesn't particularly care about shopping, but she thought she might be able to see you there."

"I can't go to London. My name is forever blackened."

"Scarlet," Sophia suggested. "Scarletted? Scarletened?" She frowned. "Never mind. I have missed you." She gave Cate a quick, rare hug. "They didn't have to send you away. They didn't have to marry you off."

"I'm much happier married and away from them." Cate managed to soothe Luke to a grizzle and put him back in the warmth of his cot and blanket. "David is not the man I thought he was. He is very kind."

"Do you love him?" Sophia asked curiously. "You didn't before."

Cate's heart fluttered. "It is not like that. You understand that Luke is not his baby, don't you?"

"So you named him Luke." Sophia looked annoyed. "You might have been a bit more original. And yes, I do know. That's what the trouble is, isn't it? If it were Captain Demery's baby, it would only be embarrassing. As it is, it's unmentionable and unforgivable." She sighed. "But I forgive you."

"It is not your forgiveness I need. It is David's, and his is not so easily won. Love would be useless to him when he cannot forgive, but I am very thankful for his kindness. I only wish I had seen it for what it is sooner. I did not understand him at all until recently. I have so much to regret, Sophy."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Well, he did love you once, so it's not all despair and thunderstorms now, is it?"

"You are too young to understand how complicated our marriage is."

"I'm fourteen now. I'm not too young to understand love. I have had my first great passion." Sophia blushed self-consciously. "Father would dismiss him if he knew, so I dare not speak his name. Besides, Madalene promises me that more and greater passions will follow, and I have decided not to throw myself away the way you did. It seems to make everything very difficult."

"I didn't decide to throw myself away. I just... made some terrible mistakes. That's all it was, really. It's not romantic and it's not funny. You seem to think it's funny, Sophia. You always had such a bitter sense of humour."

"Now you sound like Mother. She says the same sort of thing — you always were, you always were. What people always are keeps changing, but it's never anything they want to be. I'm not making fun of you. I climbed all this way to see you and the baby, because it might be the only chance I ever get. I miss you. It's not fair."

Tears welled in Sophia's blue eyes and she blinked them away.

"It won't be the only chance," Cate said. "David has a letter I have written, which he will give to Luke. When you are older, he'll help me talk with you too. It just makes it difficult when Mother and Father—"

She broke off abruptly as someone knocked at the door.

"Quick! Under the bed!"

Before she could even finish speaking, Sophia had disappeared under the bed with an agility born of long practice.

"Come in," Cate called.

The door opened and David came in. Cate let out a sigh of relief.

"Shut it behind you," she said.

"I just wanted—"

"Please!"

He shut the door, frowning.