A Loveless Marriage

Chapter 22: William

Only a fool gets involved with other people's marriages and I was a great fool. If it had been some dalliance with an actress or indiscretion with another man's wife, then perhaps I would have let the matter rest but this somehow seemed worse. I wished that she hadn't fallen in love with him, I wished that what I was about to say would anger her and not devastate her, but things had gotten out of hand. If I did not tell her, then my Aunt Agatha would do it instead and with far less tact.

It was Agatha that confirmed it all, her anger rising as she realised that she had been an unwitting pawn in a game of chess. I could barely contain her rage, mixed as it was with my own but I'd had the sense to at least persuade her that I would be the one to speak to Mary.

"It brings me no pleasure to reveal this," I said, my tongue feeling fat and useless.

"You've not revealed anything yet," Mary said.

"It is a delicate matter, you see because it was revealed in confidence and the lady in question is in fear of her safety."

"In fear of her safety?"

"It appears that she was physically assaulted and threatened with worse if she revealed anything to you."

"Who is she?"

I swallowed hard, hoping that I was doing the right thing.

"Bella Morton," I said.

She frowned but did not reply. I had witnessed the disdain that Bella Morton has shown Mary in her own home and I did not wonder at Mary's discomfort at her name.

"It appears that before your marriage, Mrs Morton and your husband conspired to turn my Aunt Agatha against you in the hopes you would agree to marry Mr Wilkes."

"She said that?"

"She did and she revealed particulars which you may find distressing," I said, hoping that this would be enough.

"What did she say?" Mary said grimly. "I need to know everything."

"Mary, I don't think..."

"Everything."

I sighed. Whether the truth would help her or torture her more I did not know. Her eyes fixed on mine, steady and true even though her lips quivered. Even in this moment of misery, I found myself lost in her beauty. She placed a gloved hand in mine and gave me a gentle squeeze. Honesty was the best policy and I know Mary would not let it go now until she wheedled every drop of truth from me.

"On the instruction of Mr Wilkes, it seems that Mrs Morton had sown some seeds of doubt about the integrity of your character. She told my aunt that not only were you plotting to marry me..."

My embarrassment grew and I could feel the scarlet burning in my cheeks. If I had blushed in Mary's presence before it had never been to this extent.

"Not only were you plotting to marry me," I said bringing myself to say the worst of it all. "But you had seduced me to your bed, with the hopes of trapping me with a child."

She crashed her teacup down on her saucer so hard that both shattered. We both looked dumbly at the pieces, thankful that it had been empty of liquids. Mary paced the room muttering to herself, while I sank to my knees to retrieve the pieces. The anger in her demeanour, understandable as it was, frightened me a little bit.

"They slandered me, tore my reputation to shreds?" she said.

She did not require an answer.

"Such cold, cruel, disgusting behaviour."

I nodded but she did not look at me. I could have been invisible to her at this point.

"To think that these lies were believed," she cried.