Historical Romance May 2017 Books 1 - 4. Bronwyn Scott
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a few. With this being Mrs Hale’s second marriage, she must know something about husbands.
* * *
‘He’s running an illegal gambling hell at night,’ Jane blurted out to Mrs Hale as they sat together in the small morning room of Dr Hale’s house. Through the wall she heard Dr Hale speaking with a patient, his voice low and steady. Years ago, she’d come here numerous times when Philip had been courting Arabella, his first wife and Dr Hale’s daughter.
‘A gambling establishment. How exciting!’ Mrs Hale drank in the news as she did every other scandal the two of them had ever shared.
‘It isn’t exciting, it’s awful.’ Guilt pressed on her as much as anxiety. She’d promised Jasper she wouldn’t tell anyone, but he’d also promised to make her his primary concern and he hadn’t. ‘He’s away from me all night and sleeps all morning. I hardly see him except for afternoons and evenings when we, well, you know.’
‘I do.’ She poured tea in Jane’s cup, eyeing her through the steam. ‘Is that why you’re here?’
‘No.’ She rose and went to Dr Hale’s bookshelf to straighten a few books. She’d rather be here about a possible baby instead of this worry. She turned and took in the familiar room. After Arabella had passed, Jane used to sit here with Dr Hale, trying to help him in a way she hadn’t been able to do with Philip. In his grief her brother had retreated into a more severe stoicism than before, while Dr Hale had appeared lost. Later, when Thomas was old enough, Jane used to bring her nephew here to see his grandfather. The visits had helped ease Dr Hale out of his mourning and it had made a great difference to them both. In the cosy sitting room, Jane hoped to garner a little of the comfort she’d been able to offer during that difficult time. ‘The gambling hell isn’t the worst of it. There’s something serious tormenting Jasper, something he won’t tell me about, and I think it might be another woman.’
Mrs Hale motioned for Jane to return to her seat at the table. Jane sat across from her and told her about the letter from Savannah and Jasper coming home from the hell in the mornings, troubled but unwilling to discuss it with her. ‘I love him and I want this to be a real marriage, but I’m not sure he wants the same.’
Mrs Hale reached across the table and squeezed her hand. ‘I think he does and I suspect it’s the reason he changed his mind about marrying you. Deep down, he realised you can help him face whatever he’s dealing with and you must, or things will never be right between you.’
‘But the woman in Savannah?’
‘Perhaps she is just a widow he’s done business with.’
‘And if she’s not?’
Mrs Hale let go of her hand and sat back. ‘Jane, if there is one thing I’ve learned after two marriages, it’s the need to trust your spouse and to give him the benefit of the doubt. Until you learn otherwise, don’t worry yourself into a panic about a woman an ocean away. If you’re patient, I’m sure the truth will eventually come out and it will probably be nothing like what you’re imagining.’
‘It wasn’t with Milton.’
‘And you must stop allowing your experience with him to guide you in this. Jasper is not his brother and you worrying about what might be, instead of what is, won’t help you.’
Jane threw out her arms in frustration. ‘I don’t even know what is and what isn’t. He won’t tell me and it’s coming between us and I have no idea what to do.’
Mrs Hale picked up her spoon and stirred her tea a moment before she tapped it on the side of the cup and laid it in the saucer. ‘I think, deep down, you do know what to do.’
‘I don’t, it’s why I’m here,’ she blurted through clenched teeth. This wasn’t at all what she’d expected from her old mentor. Jane’s outburst didn’t rattle Mrs Hale who sat calmly across from her, hands folded in her lap just as she always had when Jane had come to her fuming about one thing or another. Jane rolled her shoulders and calmed herself, not wanting to drive away Mrs Hale like she was driving away Jasper. ‘If I did, then I would do it and things wouldn’t be as bad as they are.’
‘I know you like to take action, to get to the meat of the matter, but Jasper isn’t an obstacle to overcome or a problem with a neat solution. If he’s holding on to his secrets as you say, he’ll fight like a wounded badger if you try to wrest them from him.’
‘Are you saying I was wrong to try to force him to talk?’
‘Not at all. Sometimes, you have to try something before you know it won’t work. Now it’s time to try something else, something only you as his wife can do. You were his closest friend for a very long time, the one person he chose to entrust his secret to and then to wed. You know him better than possibly anyone else and what it will take to reach him and gain his confidence.’
‘But—’
Mrs Hale held up one hand to silence her. ‘There is nothing to stop you from doing this except your doubt in yourself and your value to him.’ She reached over and cupped Jane’s face with her hands. ‘You’re a very strong young lady and, while it hasn’t always worked in your favour, it is an advantage and not a weakness, and you must learn to see it as such.’
‘How can I when all anyone has ever done is chide me for it?’
Mrs Hale tilted her head at her in amused disbelief. ‘And have you ever listened to all those people in other matters, such as purchasing buildings?’
‘No.’
‘Then why take their word for it this time?’
Because over the years she’d come to realise they were right. She wasn’t a strong person, just a stubborn one whose desire to always have her way had killed her parents and now was driving her husband away. Jane took a deep breath and shoved her doubts down deep inside her. She’d always pretended to be strong so others would think she was solid against those who wanted to pull her down and so she might believe it, too. The last few days had shown her how weak she really was. If she dared to speak about it with Mrs Hale, then the woman who held so much faith in her might at last see it, too.
Mrs Hale smoothed a strand of hair off her forehead. ‘Trust in yourself, Jane, and in Jasper’s concern for you, and I promise all will be well.’
* * *
Jane returned from Mrs Hale’s, pondering everything she’d told her. She didn’t share her friend’s belief in her strength or her ability to find a way out of her present troubles. If she could, she would have done it by now, but everything seemed to be growing steadily worse. She shuddered to think how it all might end.
She was not two feet in the door when Johnson approached her. ‘Mr Steed is here to see you, Mrs Charton. He’s waiting in the sitting room.’
‘Thank you.’ Jane reluctantly made for the sitting room, in no mood to deal with anyone today. ‘Mr Steed, I hope this unexpected visit is good news.’
She needed a little good fortune to lift her spirits.
Mr Steed rose from where he’d been sitting and bowed to her. They’d met before when Jasper had taken her to his office to arrange for her to manage his accounts once they were wed. He was tall with sandy hair and the charm of Jasper, but more sedate in his application of it. ‘It’s neither good nor bad, Mrs Charton, only necessary. Since Mr Charton has given you power to handle his affairs, I thought you could approve this bank draft. He instructed me to send it at once and there’s a ship leaving for America in the morning. He promised to deliver it to me yesterday, but it must have slipped his mind. I’m eager to send this with the captain. It will prevent any unnecessary delay.’
He removed a paper from the fine leather satchel he carried and held out the draft. Jane took it and swallowed hard, determined not to fly into a panic. ‘Who is Mrs Robillard and why is Jasper sending her this much money?’
‘He’s been sending money to her since he first