“Life is dealing us a whole new hand,” I said, unclasping my necklace. “Let’s play it and see where it takes us.”
“And what if it takes us to another disaster?” she pressed. “You don’t have the best track record, Char.”
“Neither of us do.”
It was such a rare thing for Hari and me to have strong words, and both our faces were flushed.
“It was just a cup of tea,” I said, quietly but firmly. “But I’m going to take it further and see what comes of it.”
Hari took a long look at me, as if seeing me anew.
Chapter Twenty-four
I had a fitful sleep, only dozing off in the early hours of the morning, and as a result, I overslept. Sunlight streamed through the window and outer door seams, filling the room with light. My first thought was for Harriet. I regretted some of what I had said last night to her and hoped we could make amends today. I swung my feet out of bed and padded towards the door to her room, but she wasn’t in her bed. Had she already gone to breakfast?
I dressed quickly, cursing myself for not hanging up my gown the night before. I had left it lying across the top of my trunk and now it was in a heap on the floor. Outside, I squinted into the blinding light and was surprised to see us tied securely to a brightly painted blue dock. We were here. The island of Bermuda. Tall palm trees beckoned from a distance, and the intoxicating smell of tropical flowers infused the air. The ocean had lost the dark blue palette of the North Atlantic, replacing it with an exotic aquamarine.
Sir Richard would be sending off his letter to the prime minister, but mine would go to Wiggles as well. And of course, there would be news from home. I was sure the broadsheets would be in hot demand this morning.
The breakfast room was buzzing with excitement, and I could see several ladies absently nibbling at their breakfast as they pored over letters from home, while others, mostly the men, had broadsheets laid out on the table in front of them. A few patrons glanced up at me curiously as I scanned the room for Harriet. Where was she? Mrs. Burk appeared at my elbow. After last night, she was the last person I wanted to see.
“Charlotte, I didn’t expect to see you out and about today.”
I had no time for her nonsense. “Why is that?”
A wide grin spread across her face. “Why, the news from home! How is your poor dear sister? We all feel so sorry for her. Such a public humiliation!”
I stared uncomprehendingly at Mrs. Burk’s large white teeth. Public humiliation? What was she talking about? Had news of George and me gotten out? I needed to find Harriet. I didn’t even bother to excuse myself.
I searched the usual spots, the rows of deck chairs and the small library, everywhere encountering pointed looks and whispers. Eventually, I gave up and returned to our cabin. Hari lay on her bed with dishevelled hair, tear-streaked cheeks, and rumpled clothes.
“Hari, what on earth? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“You don’t like my new look? This is what all the discarded, washed-up old women are wearing this season.”
“What are you talking about?” I looked around the room. Strewn all over the floor were torn bits of paper. “What’s all this?”
“Charles’s solicitors have sent divorce papers.” She made a sweeping gesture at the shredded papers. “You can see what I thought of them.”
“Oh, my Lord!” I had expected the gossip to be about me. I knew Charles was ruthless, but never in a hundred years would I have predicated this. “Can he force the issue if you refuse?”
Hari’s laugh was dry and hollow. “Too late. The divorce is duly executed. The papers don’t require my signature. It’s done. I’m a public laughingstock now.”
“There must be some mistake. There has to be legal grounds for divorce.”
“There is,” Harriet said, picking at her fingernails. “Adultery.”
“That’s ridiculous! You were trying to have a baby with him. Surely we can fight this.”
“It doesn’t matter. No one would believe me.”
“But what would make Charles think you’ve been unfaithful?”
“Dr. Randolph.”
My mind flashed back to a cold rainy day and the image of a darkly handsome man solicitously helping Hari into her coach. “What’s your doctor got to do with this?”
“He has a certain… reputation,” Hari said, not meeting my eyes. “I lied before. I did wonder if the reason I wasn’t getting pregnant was due to some problem with Charles, but of course, I couldn’t say that to him. I needed to produce an heir at any cost. On some level, it made perfect sense. But…”
“But?” I held my breath, waiting for her next words, not sure if I wanted to hear them.
“I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted to save our marriage, not destroy it. And this is my reward. Charles convinced a judge to dissolve our marriage without any input from me. He even didn’t give me a chance to explain.”
I had been fearing retribution, though I couldn’t have anticipated it would look like this. I sat next to Harriet. “Perhaps he didn’t want to know the truth. His ambition blinded him. He saw a convenient opportunity and seized it. I’m sorry, Harriet. I know it can’t be easy.”
“I wasn’t under any illusions that Charles and I were deeply in love, but I thought he held notions of honour and loyalty. The worst part is the broadsheets. The divorce is front-page news.” Hari took a shaky breath. “That and a sketch of the
