Page 61 of Eliza and the Duke
“No, it isn’t, but we don’t always get things exactly as we want them.”
“But you don’t even know him that well. Eliza, you’ll be moving halfway across the world.”
Eliza held up her hands. “Look, Jenny, I understand that things didn’t work out with you and the man you loved in Paris, but Simon isn’t like that. This isn’t like that. Simon actually wants to marry me and spend his life with me.”
Jenny gasped and Eliza felt bad that she had said those mean words. She didn’t know very much about Jenny’s past love. Their affair had taken place in Paris in the years Jenny had lived there with Mrs. Wilson. She only knew that Jenny had fallen into despair over it for weeks or maybe even months.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair to you,” Eliza said. “I didn’t mean to bring that into this.”
Her sister still looked stricken, her face taut, but she said, “I think that you need to think very hard about this. This path will be more difficult than you imagine.”
Emotion caused her voice to waver. “I know my own mind on this, and I want to be with Simon. I wish our future could be in London, but I’ll take what I’m given.”
Jenny pondered this for a moment and asked, “Then you would stay, if given another option? If somehow, miraculously, everything could be worked out and Simon could return to Montague Club?”
Eliza smiled. “That would be a dream come true. I’d live there with him and finally get to see the inside of that place properly. Then I’d go and enroll myself in Bedford College.”
“I think we should ask Mr. Hathaway about this,” Jenny said. “See if he’ll relent and give you your inheritance.”
Eliza couldn’t help but scoff. “He’ll be angry that I’ve ended things with Mainwaring. He won’t agree to Simon.”
Jenny was quiet again, something about her face calculating. “It couldn’t hurt to ask, and we do need to speak with him about your decision regarding Mainwaring.”
Eliza reluctantly agreed. “Fine, but I think it will cause much frustration and do nothing to help.”
“You’re right, I’m sure, but let’s have a telegram sent to him anyway. You’ll make your case about Mainwaring and I’ll appeal to his decency. He should be back in London now since he was anticipating your wedding later this summer.” Her expression clearing, she added, “Let’s go back tomorrow and arrange to meet with him. If he says no, and I’m sure you’re right about that, then I’ll support what you want to do, whatever that may be.”
Eliza nearly squealed in happiness as she drew her sisterinto a hug. “Thank you, Jenny. Thank you so much for being a very good sister.”
Jenny hugged her back and tried to smile but failed miserably. “Don’t thank me. I don’t know that I would have helped you this summer had I known it would take you away from me.”
Eliza laughed even though tears burned the backs of her eyes. “I love you so much, Jenny.”
“Don’t cry. I refuse to cry,” Jenny said through a sheen of tears. “Go back. I’ll be there soon.”
Eliza hugged her and returned to the impromptu gathering as a footman arrived with champagne. Jenny came back a little while later. She drank champagne and toasted them, but something still didn’t seem right with her. Eliza figured that it would take some time for her to come around to the idea of Eliza moving. She couldn’t blame her for worrying about it. Eliza knew that it wouldn’t be easy, but she was ready for whatever the future brought them, because she and Simon would face it together.
Thirty-Two
Jenny didn’t like withholding informationfrom her family, but sometimes it was necessary. In the flurry of activity that morning, she’d been able to walk into the post office next to the train station and send a telegram without anyone being the wiser. No one but the recipient needed to know about it. At least not yet.
Mr. Dunn had accompanied Jenny and Eliza as far as Leeds, where he split off for Liverpool. With Simon’s savings in hand, he was going to book passage to America for Simon, Eliza, and Daisy. The plan was for him to wire once the arrangements were made and then everyone would travel there to see the family off. In the meantime, Simon had sent a telegram each to Lord Leigh and the Duke of Rothschild in the hopes that one of them could help him secure a quick license to marry. Fanny had gone off to visita friend, which everyone suspected was her Scotsman, before meeting them in Liverpool.
Jenny and her sister carried onward to London. Once there, they would split up. Eliza would go to the Leigh residence inBelgravia. Jenny would go to the Devonworth home in Mayfair. They hoped to arrange a meeting with their absentee father tomorrow.
That was the plan as Eliza knew it. She didn’t know that Jenny had made alternate arrangements. Those arrangements consumed Jenny’s thoughts on the entire journey to London. It was that telegram that had a servant in familiar royal blue livery with gold piping waiting for her on the platform at King’s Cross Station.
She stood for a moment outside the train, her only luggage the leather Gladstone bag she carried with her. Despite the fact that she had anticipated this moment all day, she wasn’t quite prepared to follow it through now that she was here. She gave the servant a wide berth as she escorted Eliza outside to the carriage that Violet had sent for her.
“Are you certain you won’t let me take you home?” Eliza asked as she climbed inside.
“No, it’ll be too far out of your way and it’s late. We’re both tired. Go on and I’ll take a hansom.”
Eliza argued, but the cabstand was right there and her eyes were drooping. Jenny had the unfortunate luck to have accidentally taken the bedroom next to Simon’s. She had heard firsthand how little sleep the couple had gotten the past two nights.
Jenny waited for the carriage to disappear into the night before she hurried back to the servant. The middle-aged man appeared befuddled as he scanned the platform with its passengers dwindling by the minute as they all hurried off to their obligations.
Gathering herself, she marched over to him and he took notice of her when she stilled several yards away. “Madam,” he said.
