A Scandal Most Daring

“Ma’am?” Cecily prompted after several moments of expectant silence.

Jerking out of her thoughts, Tahlia threw the maid an apologetic look.

“Wrap them back up. There is no note to go with it. I am not going to even bother sending a note back to him.” She shoved the white card into the box. “I am going to send the whole lot back untouched.”

“Why not send a return note to tell him you are not interested in them?” Oscar asked curiously. “If you send them back untouched he might suspect there has been a delivery problem and pay a visit in person.”

“Then if he does appear on the doorstep he won’t be allowed in,” Tahlia argued.

“If you are sure,” Oscar replied doubtfully.

“I am sure. Besides, if I send a note then he will tell everyone that I am here,” Tahlia reasoned. “I wonder if he saw me in the carriage on the way here yesterday. I don’t want to tell anybody I am back in London. If I don’t send any message, not only am I effectively telling him to go away, but he has no confirmation that I am here.”

Pleased with her deduction, Tahlia nodded in satisfaction and disappeared behind the retiring screen to get dressed.

“Take the tray back downstairs please, Cecily. I will be down in a thrice,” she called. “But come back up again. I need help with my corsets.”

In the room, Oscar and Cecily stared at each other. Silently, Cecily shrugged. Oscar shook his head in consternation but admitted that something this expensive should go back if it was unwanted. As instructed, he collected the package and its wrappings, and carried them back downstairs leaving Cecily to manage the tray.

Once alone, Tahlia sat at her dressing table and began to tug a brush mercilessly through her hair. Her day had already started badly, and had rapidly gone downhill since, and it hadn’t even really started yet. It made her wonder what life had in store for her. The last thing she needed at the moment was another difficulty to resolve. It was hard enough to have to come back to London at all.

“I wish I wasn’t here,” she whispered as she studied herself in the mirror and noted the ravages the last three years had wrought upon her. Suddenly she was transported back to when she had last sat at this dressing table.

It had been on the morning she had been due to depart London for what she had considered then to be the last time. She had been relieved even then, to see the back of the place and everyone in it. The only upset had been that she would not be able to see her uncle as often as she would have liked to. Unfortunately, given the difficulties he had faced because of her recent scandalous behaviour, leaving was the best option for the both of them.

“You don’t have to go,” Henry said in a voice that warned her that it was best that she did.

“It is the right thing to do. We cannot go on like this, especially now,” Tahlia reasoned. She was so immersed in her emotions that she was oblivious to the tears rolling steadily down her cheeks. “People are slamming doors in our faces wherever we go. We will soon be the scorn of society if we don’t do something to stop this.”

“It is not as important as you think, my dear. My friends haven’t said a word to me, and would certainly never slam the door in my face,” Henry offered.

In spite of his words, Tahlia knew he was lying. They had both read the note Henry had received only yesterday. The hostess of a soiree he had been invited to was now claiming to have miscounted the numbers and would invite him another time. They both knew there would be no such future invitation now that word had spread of Tahlia’s shameful behaviour.

“I am so sorry,” she whispered, not for the first time.

Henry nodded but didn’t speak.

Tahlia wasn’t sure her legs were going to hold her up for much longer, so she flopped down into the chair before the fire with a shaky sigh. Sh

e remained rigidly tense and nervous as she waited for her uncle to break the tense silence.

“I need to leave London. We both know that,” she prompted when she couldn’t stand the anxiety a moment longer.

In spite of the situation, she silently willed him to offer an alternative to leaving behind everything she had ever known, and setting out on her own. But he didn’t. Henry didn’t speak at all at first. Instead, he stared absently into the fire as though it would provide him with the answers they needed. Of course, it didn’t. When he did look at her, it was with something akin to regret in his eye.

“I have a house in Rutland you can stay in. It is in a small village called Meckleton, and should be suitable for your needs. There is everything you need in the village. It is a small town, really. I know it is a long way away, but it will give you the peace and distance you need,” he said quietly.

His implacable tone warned her that it was the best she was going to get.

“I haven’t heard you mention the place before,” she replied carefully.

At times like this, when her uncle had that rather austere look on his face, he appeared quite unapproachable. It made her wonder if she really knew him at all. But she didn’t say anything; she couldn’t, not after what she had done to them both.

“I inherited it from your father. I didn’t want it, really, because I have my own residence in the country.” Henry snorted. “I don’t even use that. You can have the house in Rutland. I am sure it would be what your father wanted.”

Tahlia teared up but, before she could speak, Henry sighed.

“It might be best for you to retreat to the country for a while, yes. Once all the gossip has died down then you could return to London should you wish? Of course, you will be welcome here, but I would advise you to leave it for a while yet.”