Anna stood in the drawing room on the Circus, waiting for the Baroness to arrive. After pouring her heart out to Henrietta the night before, she’d decided to grasp the bull by the horns and report to Samuel’s grandmother before she heard what had happened and came to the shop herself. At least that way she could be the one to announce that her engagement was over and explain why it was for the best. She could try to defend Lady Staunton, too, although she doubted the Baroness was going to be much more forgiving than her grandson.
‘Anna.’ Lady Jarrow swept into the drawing room finally and pressed a kiss to her cheek. ‘How good to see you again, my dear, especially now that we’re practically family.’
‘Oh...’ She steeled her resolve at the unexpected welcome. ‘Yes.’
‘But something tells me my congratulations are precipitous.’ The Baroness fixed her with a steely eye. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘It’s just that we’re not...going to be family, I mean. I came to tell you that my engagement to Samuel is over. It was all a mistake.’
‘Ah. In that case you’d better sit down. Do you drink brandy?’
Anna threw a startled glance at the clock on the mantel. It was only just after nine o’clock in the morning. ‘No-o.’
‘Pity. I hate to drink alone and after the night I’ve had, I could do with something stronger than coffee.’
Anna took a closer look at the Baroness. Her features were pale and drawn and there were grey shadows beneath her eyes. ‘Is something the matter, my lady?’
‘I’m afraid that my husband’s condition has worsened since you left. He had another bad turn last night.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It is how it is.’ Lady Jarrow sat down on the sofa beside her. ‘Now tell me what happened with Samuel.’
‘Well...’ Anna folded her hands in her lap and proceeded to give a brief, though she hoped sympathetic, account of Clarissa’s behaviour and the outcome.
‘So the foolish woman was pretending to be pregnant the whole time?’
‘I’m afraid so, yes.’
‘And Samuel took it badly?’
‘Yes.’
‘What about you? Did you take the change in his circumstances badly, too? Is that why you ended the engagement?’
‘No.’ Anna bristled, offended. ‘I gave him my word that I’d marry him and I meant it, but he wanted to elope and be married in Scotland.’
‘And?’
‘And I couldn’t do it.’ She lifted her hands as if it ought to be obvious. ‘Not when I was hiding the truth about the Baron’s health. I know how close he is to you both.’
‘He would have understood that I’d sworn you to secrecy.’
‘No.’ Anna shook her head. ‘He told me that he valued my honesty. It would have been hypocritical of me to marry him while I was keeping such a big secret.’
‘Pshaw!’
‘But that’s not the only reason.’ Anna lifted her chin, annoyed by the other woman’s dismissive tone. ‘When I said that I wanted to marry him in Bath he became quite dictatorial. Just like an aristocrat.’
‘Or a naval captain, perhaps? He’s accustomed to giving orders.’
‘They weren’t just orders. He threatened to throw Lady Staunton out of the house and to dismiss all of the servants who’d helped her.’
‘So you broke your engagement over a few foolish words?’
‘No, he did. He walked away. The last I saw of him he was drunk and brawling in the local tavern.’
‘I don’t believe it. Samuel never drinks to excess.’