Lady Griffith's Second Chance

Chapter Sixteen

"She has been very gracious," Katharine admitted. "And I believe she thinks Mr. Winthrop to be a very decent man. She says that her husband has come to rely on him in so many things."

A breath paused in Regan's throat. It still left her stunned at how quickly, how easily her daughter had fallen for Mr. Winthrop. But then, hadn't it been that way with herself and Edmund? And she had not known Thomas very long before the two of them-

Well. That was a subject better left abandoned. She stretched her hands inside her gloves and plucked at the ribbon woven through Katharine's bodice, tightening the bow there. "Mr. Winthrop," Regan began, and cleared her throat. "Has he...?"

"Made an offer?" Katharine smiled. "He has not said as much, but I believe... Well, there was some implication that he would like to speak to you first. To ask for your permission."

Ah, so it had gone as far as that. They had not even been at Lady Polmerol's for a fortnight, but Regan reminded herself that for the majority of that time, Mr. Winthrop and her daughter had been nearly inseparable. At least as far as etiquette and the rules of polite society would allow.

A terrific pang of guilt assailed her then, that she had allowed herself to become so wrapped up in her own turmoil with Thomas and Lord Hays that she had not seen how quickly, how surely Katharine had fallen for Mr. Winthrop.

"Do you love him?"

The question hovered between them. Regan knew her daughter was not like so many of the other young ladies in search of husbands, mincing around and fluttering their eyelashes and feigning interest in subjects they could not have cared two whits about. Katharine would want a man who could challenge her intellectually, who would not want her merely as someone on whom to beget heirs, but as someone to be a companion for the rest of their lives.

"I do not know." Leave it to Katharine to take the route of honesty, rather than speak words meant to spare her mother's feelings. "I am not certain I would even recognize it were I to feel it. But I know I respect him, and there is affection there between us. I believe that could grow into love, if fostered properly."

Her words did not spark with any grand passion, but then her eldest daughter had never shown herself as pining for such qualities when looking for a husband.

"Do you believe you will be happy with him?"

"I think I will be content with him."

"And that is enough for you?" Even before the question had left her mouth, Regan already knew what the answer would be.

"It was enough for you and papa," Katharine replied.

The reply crept up on Regan, astonishing her as the meaning penetrated her mind. Is that how Katharine had seen her own marriage to Edmund? That they had merely been content with one another and nothing more?

But there was some truth to it, Regan was forced to admit to herself. Theirs had not been an openly passionate marriage, especially in public. Despite her youth when she had married Edmund, they had always behaved like a quiet, sedate couple as if when they had celebrated their first year of marriage it had instead been their twentieth.

Was that why she had found herself so quickly drawn to Thomas? She had never lamented a lack of anything during her years with Edmund. But she was older now. One of her children was already grown. Could it be possible that she craved some measure of excitement, of flirting with scandal now that a dalliance with a younger man no longer held the power to harm her reputation?

"If Mr. Winthrop is your choice, then he is my choice for you as well."

"Oh, mama." She took up both of her mother's hands and kissed her knuckles. "I think he may wish to speak with you tonight."