Men! They always did things their way, never taking into consideration how anxious others were.
Grossman stepped into the drawing room. “Lady Pamela, you have a visitor.”
Pamela turned as her sister-in-law entered the room. “Corinne? Wh-what are you d-d-oing here?”
“It is nice to see you as well, sister.” Corinne walked across the room and kissed the air next to Pamela’s cheek.
“I’m s-s-sorry. It’s just that th-this is such a surprise. How d-d-did you even know I was h-h-here?”
Corinne pulled off her gloves and waved her hand in the air. “There is very little that one can do that does not reach the ears of everyone who matters.”
She meant, of course, herself as one who matters. Corinne was never one to minimize her importance. At least in her own eyes. “My dear, please send for tea. I have the beginnings of a megrim.”
Her sister-in-law settled herself on the settee directly across from the fireplace, shoulders stiff, back ramrod straight, her delicate hands in her lap.
“Yes. Of c-c-course.” Pamela walked to the corner and pulled on the brocade to summon Grossman. While she waited for his response, she pondered the surprise visit from her brother’s wife.
The man bowed as he approached her. “My lady?”
“Grossman, w-w-will you arrange for t-t-tea, please?”
Pamela took a deep breath and walked to the middle of the room and took the seat to the right of Corinne.
“Pamela, dear, how many times do I need to remind you not to ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ the staff? They are paid to serve you.” She smoothed out her skirts and offered one of her cold smiles.
“H-how is my b-b-brother?” She might as well start the conversation since she knew from experience Corinne would not divulge the reason for her visit until she was quite ready.
“He is well. As always. He neglects me to spend too much time at his clubs, but then that is to be expected when one is married to an earl.” She patted her upper lip with a delicate handkerchief. “But I suffer in silence as a good wife must.”
Pamela would love to roll her eyes, but that would only bring another reprimand from her sister-in-law. Most likely her brother spent time at his club to avoid his ‘suffering in silence’ good wife.
Corinne continued to chatter on and on about the not very entertaining social season, her many health issues, her difficulties in finding decent staff, and her annoyance with her brother because she had not yet conceived his heir.
As if it didn’t take two to make a baby. But then, she was sure Corinne only wanted to produce an heir that so she could say she’d done her duty and then banish David from her bed.
Once the tea arrived and Pamela poured and fixed Corinne’s tea the way she liked it, and passed her a plate with biscuits on it, did the woman state the purpose for her visit.
Taking a delicate sip of tea, she placed the cup firmly in the saucer, folded her hands on her lap and looked Pamela in the eye. “It troubles me greatly to tell you that your brother is extremely upset to learn that you are in London without telling him, and that you are associating yourself with a known criminal, a gambling house owner, and the product of the riffraff of London.”
For effect, she patted the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief. “It simply breaks my heart to see the earl suffer like this.”
Pamela was getting closer to eye-rolling every minute. Instead, she took a sip of tea knowing Corinne was not yet finished with her tirade.
“It further troubles me because your brother is so distraught at this situation that he won’t confront you, and I found it necessary for me to take up for him.”
Translation: David either didn’t know Corinne was here or told her not to come.
“M-may I sp-speak?”
Corinne dabbed her eyes again and waved at her. “If you are able. I see you still have difficulty.”
Pamela gritted her teeth at the veiled insult. “I am in L-London to find a young l-lady I am friends with who h-has disappeared. The m-man I am associating m-myself with is a highly re-respectable business owner in Bath with a c-caring heart who offered to h-help m-me.”
It was best not to tell Corinne about the carriage accident or exactly to where Lizbeth had disappeared. Most likely she would be sending for smelling salts if she did.
“You must disassociate yourself with him immediately.” The pretend tears disappeared, and Corinne sat straight as an arrow. “I am prepared to bring you to our house until you can make arrangements to return to your home in Bath.”
Well, then.