Page 86 of Grave Expectations
"Merry is a desperate, pathetic woman," she said. "It's she you should be blaming, not me."
"Do you honestly believe the nonsense you're spouting?"
"Besides, she didn't harm you, and she had no intention of harming you. She assured me of that from the outset. This argument is all quite obsolete since you were released unhurt, as she promised."
I threw my hands in the air. "You two are more alike than you think. Neither of you is prepared to take responsibility for your own actions. It's always someone else's fault, or there's a good reason. I beg to differ. You are both to blame. You are both horrid, selfish and weak."
Her nostrils flared. Her body went rigid. "You're quite the little wasp when you get going."
"This little wasp would like to say goodbye now." I stood there, waiting for her to leave. She did not. "Please leave immediately. You're no longer welcome here unless it's on ministry business. Good day, madam."
"It's not your house to banish me from. It's Lincoln's."
"We're engaged to be married and I live here. It's more my house than yours." God, I sounded pathetic, whiny. I hated that she'd reduced me to this, but I couldn't help myself.
A short laugh burst from her throat. "Do you see now, Lincoln?"
"See what?" I asked, glancing at him.
He caught Lady Harcourt's elbow. From the way she winced, his grip must have been firm. "I think it's best that you go, Julia."
"I do have to be elsewhere, as it happens." Her nose was so high it was a miracle it didn't graze the beams.
Lincoln walked her out, leaving me standing there with my boots covered in muck and a mop in hand. My heart pounded harder than a thousand drums. The blood coursed through my veins, making me feel a little light-headed. While it felt good to express my anger, I was now more frustrated than ever. She hadn't been apologetic at all.
"I can't believe it," Seth said from behind me. He and Gus had come out of the stalls and both stared after her. "She didn't care."
Gus slapped him on the shoulder. "That's the woman you been protectin'. She ain't worth it."
"I haven't been protecting her, I've been…" Seth shrugged and shook his head. "She didn't think what she'd done was wrong. Not even a little. I can't believe it."
"You did good, Charlie." Gus patted my shoulder. "You told her a thing or two."
I shook my head. "None of it made a difference. I might as well have been shouting down a well."
Gus headed back into the stall and I left the stables to return to the house. Seth caught up to me in the courtyard. "Charlie, I want to apologize. You were right and I was wrong. She's a selfish shrew with only her own interests at heart. I want nothing more to do with her. She can keep her own bed warm at night from now on. Or get her stepson to do it."
I stopped and gawped at him.
"Don't look so surprised. It wasn't every night."
"I…I suspected, but wasn't sure. Will you be all right?"
"Of course. There was no affection between us, not on either side. We both needed a little release from time to time, that's all."
He made it sound like sneezing, a necessary function but quite ordinary. I threw my arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you, Seth. I do hope you find a replacement."
He laughed. "I already have a luscious redhead lined up."
I punched him lightly on the arm. "I hope she takes you by surprise and sweeps you off your feet."
He pulled a face. "No, thank you. I like my feet firmly on the ground. I'll leave the sweeping to him." He nodded at the side of the house where Lincoln was striding toward us.
I waited for him and Seth headed back to the stables. "You should be inside," Lincoln said to me. No kiss, no banter, no discussion about Lady Harcourt. It wasn't what I expected, and certainly not what I wanted.
"I am going inside," I growled. "I only came out here to see where you were. Not that I ought to have bothered. You were quite well occupied."
"She came to explain. She explained. There's nothing more to it."
