A Breach of Promise

"Yes…" Athol nodded, but there was no easing of the expression in his face. He pushed his hands into his pockets and then took them out again. "Of course. Admirable. But it changes one."

“I beg your pardon?"

"Changes one," Athol repeated, moving restlessly around the room before turning to face Rathbone. "A woman is designed by God and by nature to create a gentle and safe place, a place of i

"Has Miss Latterly done something that disturbs you, Mr. Sheldon?" Rathbone asked anxiously.

"Well…" Athol bit his lip. "You see, Sir Oliver, my brother Gabriel has seen some appalling sights in India, quite shocking." He frowned and lowered his voice confidentially. "Unfortunately he ca

Rathbone laughed. "Neither do I, believe me, Mr. Sheldon. But I shall certainly put the point to her, if you wish me to."

Athol's face cleared. "Would you? I should be most obliged. Perhaps you had better come up and meet my brother. Miss Latterly will be with him. She is very good reading to him, and the like. An excellent woman, please never think that I mean otherwise!"

"Of course not." Rathbone smiled to himself and followed Athol out of the library, up the stairs and into a large bedroom where Hester was sitting in a rocking chair with a book open on her lap, and in the freshly made bed a young man was propped up on pillows, turned towards her. Rathbone did not immediately notice his empty sleeve; his nightgown almost camouflaged it. But the disfigurement to the left side of his face was horrifying and it took all the effort of will of which he was capable to keep it from showing in his expression, or even in his voice.

He realized as the young man swung around at the entrance of a stranger how insensitive it was of Athol not to have asked first if he was welcome and to have warned them both, Gabriel of the intrusion, and Rathbone of what he would see.

Anger flickered across Hester's face and was disguised only with difficulty, and perhaps because it was superseded by surprise at recognizing Rathbone. Apparently it was Athol to whom the footman had delivered his message, and possibly Perdita.

After the first shock, Hester seized the initiative. She rose to her feet, smiled briefly at Rathbone, then turned to the man in the bed.

"Gabriel, this is my friend Sir Oliver Rathbone." She looked at Rathbone, ignoring Athol. "Oliver, I should like to introduce you to Lieutenant Gabriel Sheldon. He was one of the four survivors of the siege of Cawnpore and was subsequently wounded while still serving in the Indian army. He has only been home a very short time."

"How do you do, Lieutenant Sheldon," Rathbone said gravely. "It is very good of you to allow me to call upon Miss Latterly in your home and without the slightest warning. I would not have taken such a liberty were it not a matter of urgency to me, and to my present client, who may face ruin if I ca

Gabriel was still overcoming his self-consciousness and sense of vulnerability. This was the first time since his return that he had been faced with a stranger.

"You are welcome," he said a little hoarsely, then coughed and cleared his throat. "It sounds a most serious matter." It was not a question. He would not have been so inquisitive.

"I am a barrister," Rathbone replied, determined to keep a normal conversation going. "And in this have a present case of which I should like a woman's view. I admit I am utterly confused."

Gabriel was interested. His eyes were intelligent and direct and Rathbone found himself meeting them very easily, without having to make a deliberate effort to avoid staring at the appalling scar and the lips pulled awry by it.

"Is it a capital case?" Gabriel asked, then instantly apologized. "I'm sorry; I have no business to intrude. Forgive me."

"Not at all," Rathbone replied quite spontaneously. "It is serious only in the damages if my client loses, but the offense is relatively slight. It is a suit for breach of promise."

"Oh!" Gabriel looked surprised and Rathbone felt as if he had disappointed him by dealing with anything so trivial. In comparison with what Gabriel had experienced, which Rathbone had read about only in newspapers, no doubt robbed of much of its horror and detail, a broken romance seemed an insult even to mention. It was certainly painful, but a common affliction of mankind. Surely everyone suffered such disappointment, in some degree or another, if they were capable of love at all?

He looked at Hester to see what she might feel. Would she consider it absurd too?

"Breach of promise?" she said slowly, staring back at him.

Suddenly he was aware of how much of her he did not know. Why had she gone to the Crimea in the begi

Had she felt that humiliation, the laughter of friends, the sense of utter rejection, the whole of her certain and happy world shattered at a blow?

Now, instead of with Melville, his whole sympathy was with Zillah. He saw Hester in her place, and burned with anger for her and with shame for his own clumsiness.

"Yes…" He fumbled for the words to try to mend things. "I think it arises out of misunderstanding rather than intentional callousness. He swears that he did not even ask her to marry him. It was merely assumed. That is the reason I was prepared to accept the case. Now I find I ca

Athol shook his head. "A man of no honor," he said, speaking for the first time since they had entered the room. "Once you have given your word you must abide by it, regardless of what you may then wish. A man's word should bind him for life… even to death, if need be." He glanced at his brother. "Of course, if circumstances change, then you say so, and offer to set a woman free. That is a different thing." He frowned at Rathbone. "Was she changed, this woman? Has she had to lie about something? You said she was virtuous, didn't you? Or did I assume it?"

"So far as I know she is perfectly virtuous," Rathbone replied. "She seems in every way all that one could wish. And my client swears she has no faults that he is aware of."

"Then he is a bounder, sir, a complete outsider," Athol pronounced. "You ca

"She would be unlikely to want him now," Hester pointed out. "I certainly shouldn't. It might make me feel better to have him offer, but I would most certainly decline."