“What is going on?”
“Oh, nothing, really.”
“Iris, we may have lost touch over the years, but we were best friends once. Something is bothering you, and I’d wager a guess that it has something to do with our weekend visitors.”
Iris sighed. She had kept the secret for nearly twenty years. “Oh, Lucy, it’s… Oh I can’t even say it.”
“Of course you can, dear. I’ll keep your confidence, if that is what you require.”
“I definitely require confidence. And…”
“And what?”
“If you could possibly…not judge me too harshly.”
“I won’t. Goodness, Iris, what is it?”
“It’s the Earl of Brighton,” Iris said, swallowing to keep her voice from cracking. “I…had an affair with him.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “How in the world?”
“It was about twenty years ago. Sophie was two and Ally was just a babe, and the girls and I had traveled to Hampshire for a house party at Flora’s estate. Longarry stayed in Scotland to tend to business matters, and frankly, I was looking forward to escaping him for a month. Oh, it was so beautiful, Lucy, and Lily and Rose’s nannies took care of my girls, so I had a lot of time to myself. Walking about the estate one day, I met David.”
“The Earl of Brighton.”
“Yes. You know how shy I always was, but somehow I could talk to him. We walked and laughed, and he introduced me to his children, who were romping about. Young Evan was six, Miranda was seven, and Jacob, his heir, was ten. I asked to meet his wife, but he said the countess had been feeling poorly and had chosen to go to Bath, to take to the waters for a month.”
“Oh, Iris.”
“As you can imagine, one thing led to another. We shared a bed for most of the house party. I had only recently recovered from having Ally, and I hadn’t slept with Longarry in quite some time. He found my pregnant belly unattractive. Frankly I was glad for the respite. Being with David was…lovely. Just lovely.”
“What of his wife?”
“It wasn’t a love match. They had been promised to each other since birth. Still, he told me that he had never strayed from her until me.”
“And you believed him?”
“I did, actually. Perhaps it was silly, but I believed him. He told me that he loved me.”
“And did you love him?”
Iris warmed at the memory. “Yes, Lucy, I did. He was kind and compassionate. Tender and loving. Everything that Longarry wasn’t. Plus he was handsome as the devil.”
“Yes, that he was. He still is.”
“Have you seen him recently?
“About two years ago, at his wife’s funeral. He hasn’t ventured out much since then. Even before then, he wasn’t much for house parties. I wonder why he attended the one where he met you?”
“Perhaps because his wife went to Bath. I don’t know.” Iris drew a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves. “Lucy, I never told anyone about this, not even Flora. I was always afraid it would get back to Longarry, and then he would…”
“He would what, Iris?”
“He would…beat me, or rape me, or do something else horrid.”
“Iris!” Lucy stopped walking. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
“The girls and I persevered. I shielded them from as much of it as I could, although he wasn’t kind to them. I know it’s terrible, but I’m so glad he’s gone.”
“Of course you are. Who wouldn’t be?” Lucy led her to a small bench.
Iris sat down, her body full of…what? She wasn’t sure. She turned to her friend. “David and I, we really were in love. But we weren’t free to be together. He was so passionate, Lucy, so loving. He—” Iris smiled slyly. “He made love so sweetly. He made me feel beautiful and desirable.”
“You are, Iris. You are.”
“I never thought I was. Flora was always the beautiful one, and she caught Ashford on her own, when she was not but eighteen. But David made me feel like I was everything to him. The way he looked at me… He was wonderful.” Iris lowered her voice. “He did
“Oh, nothing, really.”
“Iris, we may have lost touch over the years, but we were best friends once. Something is bothering you, and I’d wager a guess that it has something to do with our weekend visitors.”
Iris sighed. She had kept the secret for nearly twenty years. “Oh, Lucy, it’s… Oh I can’t even say it.”
“Of course you can, dear. I’ll keep your confidence, if that is what you require.”
“I definitely require confidence. And…”
“And what?”
“If you could possibly…not judge me too harshly.”
“I won’t. Goodness, Iris, what is it?”
“It’s the Earl of Brighton,” Iris said, swallowing to keep her voice from cracking. “I…had an affair with him.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “How in the world?”
“It was about twenty years ago. Sophie was two and Ally was just a babe, and the girls and I had traveled to Hampshire for a house party at Flora’s estate. Longarry stayed in Scotland to tend to business matters, and frankly, I was looking forward to escaping him for a month. Oh, it was so beautiful, Lucy, and Lily and Rose’s nannies took care of my girls, so I had a lot of time to myself. Walking about the estate one day, I met David.”
“The Earl of Brighton.”
“Yes. You know how shy I always was, but somehow I could talk to him. We walked and laughed, and he introduced me to his children, who were romping about. Young Evan was six, Miranda was seven, and Jacob, his heir, was ten. I asked to meet his wife, but he said the countess had been feeling poorly and had chosen to go to Bath, to take to the waters for a month.”
“Oh, Iris.”
“As you can imagine, one thing led to another. We shared a bed for most of the house party. I had only recently recovered from having Ally, and I hadn’t slept with Longarry in quite some time. He found my pregnant belly unattractive. Frankly I was glad for the respite. Being with David was…lovely. Just lovely.”
“What of his wife?”
“It wasn’t a love match. They had been promised to each other since birth. Still, he told me that he had never strayed from her until me.”
“And you believed him?”
“I did, actually. Perhaps it was silly, but I believed him. He told me that he loved me.”
“And did you love him?”
Iris warmed at the memory. “Yes, Lucy, I did. He was kind and compassionate. Tender and loving. Everything that Longarry wasn’t. Plus he was handsome as the devil.”
“Yes, that he was. He still is.”
“Have you seen him recently?
“About two years ago, at his wife’s funeral. He hasn’t ventured out much since then. Even before then, he wasn’t much for house parties. I wonder why he attended the one where he met you?”
“Perhaps because his wife went to Bath. I don’t know.” Iris drew a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves. “Lucy, I never told anyone about this, not even Flora. I was always afraid it would get back to Longarry, and then he would…”
“He would what, Iris?”
“He would…beat me, or rape me, or do something else horrid.”
“Iris!” Lucy stopped walking. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
“The girls and I persevered. I shielded them from as much of it as I could, although he wasn’t kind to them. I know it’s terrible, but I’m so glad he’s gone.”
“Of course you are. Who wouldn’t be?” Lucy led her to a small bench.
Iris sat down, her body full of…what? She wasn’t sure. She turned to her friend. “David and I, we really were in love. But we weren’t free to be together. He was so passionate, Lucy, so loving. He—” Iris smiled slyly. “He made love so sweetly. He made me feel beautiful and desirable.”
“You are, Iris. You are.”
“I never thought I was. Flora was always the beautiful one, and she caught Ashford on her own, when she was not but eighteen. But David made me feel like I was everything to him. The way he looked at me… He was wonderful.” Iris lowered her voice. “He did
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