Page 18 of Christmas with the Duke
“I agree. We have traditions to uphold,” replied Lucy.
That would put two of the three London-based Radley women back in the capital just after New Year’s. But with the impending arrival of David and Clarice’s baby, Caroline and Ewan’s first grandchild, Caroline was unlikely to be back at Strathmore House until late January at the earliest. She was also loath to ask Millie or Lucy to make the journey home.
“Ewan and I had planned to go to Sharnbrook for David and Clarice,” said Caroline.
“And so, you should,” replied Lady Alison. Her hands were resting over the sides of her chair, and she looked for all the world like an ancient queen. Her pronouncement held all the weight of a royal decree. “Adelaide and Mary can manage things. And if the Kembal youngsters need any further family support, I shall undertake the journey to London.”
Guilt sat heavily on Caroline’s shoulders. She could just imagine what thehaute tonwould make of hearing that the aged matriarch of the Radley family had come all the way to town just because her daughter-in-law couldn’t manage a scandal.
That would only add fuel to the blaze.
She made a mental note to speak to Ewan. If there was a chance that Alex and Millie could be asked to make the journey to Sharnbrook and convince Clarice and David to come across to London, then she might be able to solve both problems. Having the baby born at Strathmore House, or even at Clarice’s father’s home, Langham House, wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Adelaide rose stiffly from her stool. “I’m more tired than I realized. I might go and have a little sleep before we get back on the road to Falkirk.”
Caroline stopped her at the door. “Are you sure you won’t stay tonight? You could leave early tomorrow. At least you will get to spend some of Christmas Day with us.”
“The sooner we leave, the quicker we are back in London. Besides, Francis is due to hear about a major shipping contract just after Christmas. I have a feeling that Charles will be more than happy to be around when our son receives that piece of good news.”
Caroline stepped aside, letting Adelaide pass out of the room and back into the great hall. Mary and the others followed. A pensive Caroline remained in the room alone.
The plans had been laid out by the women of the family. Now she just had to convince Ewan to agree to them.
ChapterThirteen
“No. Absolutely not. No one is leaving today. If that means I have to have the portcullis lowered, then I will bloody well do it. Master Crowdie has the mechanism oiled regularly and it’s in perfect working order.”
Ewan was more than a little infuriated that Caroline had agreed to this plan. As far as he was concerned, the notion of any of the family travelling back to London on Christmas Eve was totally out of the question. And especially when those offering to do so were the very same people who had just arrived.
What were she and the other females of the family thinking?
“But someone has to go back to London,” pleaded Caroline.
Ewan and Caroline were facing off in the privacy of their apartment. He was grateful that his duchess was at least smart enough not to have presented him with such a flawed plan in front of anyone else. In their room, no one would be able to overhear the heated discussion that Caroline had to have known would come of it.
“Yes, and they can do that after Christmas, or preferably on the other side of Hogmanay,” he snapped.
His blood was up. It was fortunate for the Duchess of Mowbray that she was all the way over in Rome, because if Ewan could have got his hands on his sister at that moment, he would have wrung Anne’s neck.
This was English high society. You didn’t abandon your spouse. You could fight all you liked in private. Or, in the case of the Kembals, loudly in both private and public, but you didn’t leave.
Trust Anne not to seek the normal route of taking a discreet lover like many other society matrons did. No. She had to make the collapse of her marriage a spectacle for all to see.
Except her. She is hiding away in the Duke of Lazio’s private palace in Rome.
That burned to the core. It was a brutal and cowardly act on her part. In his book, it was unforgivable.
“What about the girls? We can’t leave Coco and Victoria in town. Can’t Clifford send them to us here in Scotland?”
Ewan shook his head. He had already considered that option. “Clifford will want to keep the rest of the family together. When this scandal breaks, and it will, he needs all his children to be close at hand.”
If Ewan had been facing the horrid situation that Clifford was, he would be doing the exact same thing—protecting his children.
Caroline sighed and came to him. Ewan wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close. They had been through their own ups and downs over the years, none greater than when he had rashly chosen Caroline’s sister, the late Lady Beatrice Hastings, over her.
The heartbreaking tragedy that had followed should have taught the whole family about the repercussions of their decisions. Of facing up to the truth with the people you hurt.
In the long years of their marriage, he and Caroline had worked through the bad times, found forgiveness when needed, and done everything to keep the passion alive. But lately, things between them had been strained.
