Page 123 of The Quiet Wife
Edith squeezed her hands. “Do you recall Stella Reeves? She secured a separation agreement from her husband. They remain on terms, but she just lives in a different house. Rosa Caldicott seems to have reached a similar arrangement with her husband. I don’t think they are speaking above much, but he is providing for her.” Edith shrugged. “It might be better if you could live separately from him. You wouldn’t be free tomarryJemie, but you could have him and Anna in your life. It’s not perfect, but it would be better than ending up stuck here alone with Fred once the girls marry and never seeing him again.”
“After what Frederick has done to Jemie, I’m not sure he would want anything more to do with me.” Frances swallowed, tears threatening.
“I think he misses you dreadfully.”
“And I miss him, but how on earth could I ever persuade Frederick to allow me to live separately? He wouldn’t allow the children to come with me, that’s for certain, and what would I do without them? How would they manage without me?”
“Well,” Lizzie said with a tentative smile. “We put our heads together, and we think we may have a plan that could work…”
CHAPTER 41
London - Kensington
“What kind of plan?” Frances asked nervously, surveying the women seated around her.
“That’s my girl.” Aunt Agatha offered her a real smile before a serious look settled about her. She leaned forward. “What are the things taxing Fred at the moment?”
Frances splayed her fingers across her forehead and tried to pull herself together. “Taking over Bibby. I can’t think of anything else apart from being cross with Jemie about the dining room.”
Lizzie grinned wickedly. “He’s not happy about Jemie marrying me and being part of the family anymore.”
“Well, yes.” Frances had to agree that was true.
“So, what is the absolute worst thing that could happen to Fred at the moment?”
She shrugged. “He doesn’t get Bibby.”
Lizzie nodded. “And, because he’s bankrupted Jemie, once I am married to him, we will have to live with you!”
That brought a small smile to Frances’ face.
“He wouldnotlike that.”
Aunt Agatha sniffed. “My nephew has always demanded his own way. He never learned to play well with other children, he never learned to give and take. It saddens me to say it, but he is a bully.”
Frances nodded. “There is simply no arguing with Frederick. He can never see a different point of view, only his own.”
“Well, there is no need to argue. In fact, you mustn’t. You simply need to put forward a proposal. One he cannot refuse once he sees the sense of it,” Aunt Agatha said.
“I don’t understand,” Frances began to feel exasperated, and a little afraid. “For heaven’s sake, just tell me. What do you intend me to do?”
“You should put it to Fred that he needs to purchase another house. One in London, perhaps somewhere close to Kensington, like Chelsea?” Lizzie suggested as though that was the simplest task in the world.
Frances’ lips twitched. Jemie lived in Chelsea and the possibility of Frederick agreeing to such a proposal was so minute it was amusing, but she let her sister continue.
“He should give you a generous stipend, ensure that the children can visit, or stay with you as they choose. You will need servants, horses… all the usual things that a lady of quality should have, and the funds to pay staff salaries as well as generous pin money.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“And how do I persuade my husband that this idyll is a good idea?” she said mildly, smiling at Lizzie and Edith’s eager expression.
“It’s quite simple, my dear. You hit him where it will hurt the most, and then offer him a solution that he can’t do anything but accept,” Aunt Agatha replied.
Frances was still baffled. “How?”
“Well, my love,” Lizzie paused, and they all looked at each other triumphantly. “First, you tell him you want to divorce him, and you tell him why he would be foolish to decline your request. When he has had an apoplexy, you can suggest a separation might suffice. It will be the lesser of two evils and he might decide it is acceptable.”
