The Nuisance Wife by Camille Oster

Author:Camille Oster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-27T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21:

GRIMLY, CAIUS STARED at the fire, sitting by the chair in near darkness. It had been a tormenting few days, and then the particularly grim task of informing Eliza of what he'd learnt. He could still recall Eliza's shocked dismay, and how she’d rushed to get away from him. Although what he’d expected, he didn't know. Going to see her had been a kneejerk reaction.

"Would you like some candles lit?" Mr. Jones asked.

He shook his head. "The dark suits me at the moment."

"Is everything alright, my lord?"

Caius didn't answer for a while. "Have you ever been falsely accused of something?"

"Can't say that I have. Not so I recall in any case. But I have known men who have been."

"And what should be done in such cases?"

"Things must be put right. Often, I have found, there are vested interests in sweeping such things away."

Caius suspected Mr. Jones was talking of things in the military, where accusations could have severe consequences. Still, there were always those who wished to ignore travesties of justice to save the embarrassment of making the wrong decision.

While there may be no hanging involved here, the consequences for Eliza were severe, and she'd been doing her best to mitigate them.

"Even if the victim also wants things swept under the carpet?"

"It would still be a lie," Mr. Jones stated, and Caius shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Not only was it a lie, but it would be breaking what was in essence sacred vows. In front of God and people in their lives, he stood in front of a priest and promised he would take care of her.

By providing her a stipend, he'd felt he'd discharged his obligations to the same level that she had hers. Except that part hadn't been true. "Yes, a lie," Caius said absently. "Thank you. You can retire. I shall need nothing else tonight."

With a quick nod, Mr. Jones left, leaving Caius feeling no better. No better, but newly determined. To continue with this divorce would be propagating a lie. And any way you cut, it wasn't right. Eliza had never broken her vows.

As she’d pointed out, he had no idea what she’d done in his absence, especially as she was entertaining a man in her parlor when he’d come to call. But then how could he blame her for what she’d done after he’d deserted the marriage, particularly now that divorce was impending.

Except it wasn't, because their grounds for divorce was as big a lie as what William Castle Garrick had claimed. And continuing with this divorce then had to be as gravely wrong.

Getting up, he moved to his desk and pulled a piece of letter parchment toward him and wrote to his solicitors, explaining that the divorce would not proceed. Carefully he folded it and melted wax to seal it.

When done, it sat on his desk and he felt better. However they were to proceed with this, it wasn't going to be through the means of a lie.

And Eliza would not have her reputation decimated in the press and every salon in the country.

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