Page 82 of When She Was a Governess
Sophia’s chest felt tight. So it had begun. Her mother-in-law’s campaign had reached not just London, but even their own neighborhood.
The morning room door opened and Henry entered, his own handful of letters in hand. One look at his face told her he’d received similar news.
She held up Lady Thornton’s letter. “She’s started.”
Henry crossed to her, taking the letters from her trembling hands. He read through them quickly, his expression darkening with each one. When he finished, he set them down carefully, as if they might catch on fire.
“I knew she would do it, but I am shocked nonetheless. To think—my own mother doing this to us. I shall never fully understand.”
Sophia stood, placing her hand on his chest. “We knew it was coming and we will meet it head-on.”
“I wish all of this would go away,” Henry said.
“We both do.” She could see the guilt eating at him, the same spiral of self-blame that had nearly destroyed him after Eleanor’s death. “Henry, look at me. We knew this was coming. Mr. Whitmore warned us. We’re not going to let her win by turning on each other.”
A knock at the door interrupted them. Grimshaw entered with another letter, this one on thick, cream-colored paper with a ducal seal.
“An express from the Duchess of Thornbridge, my lady.”
Sophia broke the seal with unsteady fingers. Charlotte’s handwriting was usually elegant and measured, but this was written in obvious haste:
Sophia,
Your mother-in-law has set society ablaze. I’m hearing the most appalling things, none of which I believe, but the damage is considerable. You must come to London immediately. We need to counter this before it becomes entrenched.
I’m already working to repair what I can, but you need to be visible. Show society who you really are. Thomas agrees. We’ll host you at Thornbridge House and present a united front.
Don’t let her win through absence. Come. Fight.
With love and fury,
Charlotte
Henry read over her shoulder. “She’s right. We need to go to London.”
Sophia nodded, even as her heart clenched at the thought of leaving Amelia for such a long time. But she knew they must go.She had known for days, but now it was evident that they should go immediately.
“What exactly is she saying about us?” Sophia asked.
Henry’s expression shuttered. “Perhaps it’s better if you don’t know.”
“No.” Her voice was firm. “I need to know. All of it.”
He hesitated, then sighed. “I had Davies make inquiries this morning. The rumors are comprehensive. Mother has been ingenious.”
“Tell me.”
“They’re saying you were my mistress before the marriage. That we carried on an affair while you were supposedly Amelia’s governess. That you seduced me deliberately to secure your position.”
“What else?” Sophia asked.
“That your father’s vindication was suspicious. Something about Sebastian infiltrating the late Wentworth’s estate, disguising himself as a gardener.”
“That is true,” Sophia said.
“Yes, but Wentworth was guilty as sin. The vindication was justified.” Henry had gone pale. “They’re saying you’re ambitious and calculating. That you saw an opportunity in a lonely, unstable man and took it. Apparently, I’m not fit to raise a child because of my time with Dr. Morrison. I’m unstable, prone to episodes. That I rushed into marriage because I’m not thinking clearly. That you’re—” He stopped, his hands clenching into fists.
“That I’m what?”
