three clergymen. "Gentlemen."
Mr. Tate licked his lips nervously. "Wait—what of the settlements? You cannot merely abandon Lady Longford, sir."
"Lucien!" For a moment, Diana's mask slipped. "I shall be destitute! You cannot do this to me! Your father would not have wanted this!" Then, realizing what she'd said, she looked away.
For a moment, he felt betrayed again, and he had to force himself to hold his tongue. For all that Mad Jack was dead, he still hated him.
"The criminal court will assess damages on Town-send, and Longford will be compelled to settle an allowance on his wife before the matter can go before Parliament," the bishop reminded them. "But I cannot say you are being very civil in the matter, my lord," he added, addressing Lucien.
"Bell's solicitor assures me he does not intend to dispute the facts of my suit, and we have agreed to a sum of five thousand pounds."
"I object!" Tate protested. "We were not party to this, sir!"
"Unfortunately, we do not have jurisdiction over that portion of the matter," Bishop Harwell reminded him. "We can but decide if there are grounds for the separation. And," he continued, sighing, "the evidence does support the action Longford has brought against Lady Longford."
"Thank you." Lucien adjusted his hat to a rakish angle and turned to leave.
"I cannot live on five thousand pounds!" Then, perceiving how she must sound, Diana lowered her head and her voice. "That is, I should require an allowance."
"Before the Lords will hear the case, that must be agreed upon," the bishop murmured soothingly.
Lucien swung around. "I am willing to return what she brought to me upon the marriage."
"Paltry, sir!" Fenton howled, outraged.
Lucien's smile deepened. "You did not think so at the time," he murmured.
Knowing that Townsend's guilty plea would make his client's position untenable, Mr. Tate cleared his throat and prepared to sound reasonable. "My lord," he appealed to Lucien, "a small allowance in addition to the lump-sum distribution—" As the earl's smile faded, he went on hastily, "You are a wealthy man, and you would not have it perceived that you are unprepared to do the right thing—" He stopped, aware that Lucien's eyebrows had raised incredulously. "Yes, well—I should think that we could accept two thousand per annum," he finished lamely.
"Two thousand? I shall be in rags!" Diana screeched.
"I have no intention of providing an allowance, gentlemen. When the matter is settled, I mean to cut the connection completely."
"Dash it, but how's she to live?" Fenton demanded angrily.
"I will settle the five thousand from Townsend and the two thousand agreed upon at the marriage. Beyond that, I do not mean to give her a farthing."
"Seven thousand pounds?" The vicar, whose living was not one-tenth that nodded his head. "Most generous, my lord."
"Generous?" Diana wailed. "I shall have to practice the most shocking economies!"
"You can dispute it, of course, but in the process of a lengthy hearing, there is no telling what might come out," Lucien murmured meaningfully. "And neither of us would wish that, would we?" he added silkily.
Her father glanced uneasily to the solicitor, then exhaled heavily. It was all she was going to get, and he knew it. Under the circumstances, he had to admit to himself that it was more than Diana deserved. "Here now—no need to rake old coals, is there? If we accept— if we do not dispute the divorce—"
Lucien nodded. "There will be no need to bring more than the one charge against her."
"Papa!"
But Fenton was watching Lucien. "You will see the matter expedited as quickly and quietly as possible?"
"I cannot see any delay. As I shall be leaving the country after the holidays, and as Bell is prepared to plead guilty, Leighton has assured me he will offer the bill in Lords before spring."
"You do not mean to be there?"
"If it is undisputed, I see no necessity of it."
"We can sue for more," Tate reminded Fenton.
"I should not advise
Mr. Tate licked his lips nervously. "Wait—what of the settlements? You cannot merely abandon Lady Longford, sir."
"Lucien!" For a moment, Diana's mask slipped. "I shall be destitute! You cannot do this to me! Your father would not have wanted this!" Then, realizing what she'd said, she looked away.
For a moment, he felt betrayed again, and he had to force himself to hold his tongue. For all that Mad Jack was dead, he still hated him.
"The criminal court will assess damages on Town-send, and Longford will be compelled to settle an allowance on his wife before the matter can go before Parliament," the bishop reminded them. "But I cannot say you are being very civil in the matter, my lord," he added, addressing Lucien.
"Bell's solicitor assures me he does not intend to dispute the facts of my suit, and we have agreed to a sum of five thousand pounds."
"I object!" Tate protested. "We were not party to this, sir!"
"Unfortunately, we do not have jurisdiction over that portion of the matter," Bishop Harwell reminded him. "We can but decide if there are grounds for the separation. And," he continued, sighing, "the evidence does support the action Longford has brought against Lady Longford."
"Thank you." Lucien adjusted his hat to a rakish angle and turned to leave.
"I cannot live on five thousand pounds!" Then, perceiving how she must sound, Diana lowered her head and her voice. "That is, I should require an allowance."
"Before the Lords will hear the case, that must be agreed upon," the bishop murmured soothingly.
Lucien swung around. "I am willing to return what she brought to me upon the marriage."
"Paltry, sir!" Fenton howled, outraged.
Lucien's smile deepened. "You did not think so at the time," he murmured.
Knowing that Townsend's guilty plea would make his client's position untenable, Mr. Tate cleared his throat and prepared to sound reasonable. "My lord," he appealed to Lucien, "a small allowance in addition to the lump-sum distribution—" As the earl's smile faded, he went on hastily, "You are a wealthy man, and you would not have it perceived that you are unprepared to do the right thing—" He stopped, aware that Lucien's eyebrows had raised incredulously. "Yes, well—I should think that we could accept two thousand per annum," he finished lamely.
"Two thousand? I shall be in rags!" Diana screeched.
"I have no intention of providing an allowance, gentlemen. When the matter is settled, I mean to cut the connection completely."
"Dash it, but how's she to live?" Fenton demanded angrily.
"I will settle the five thousand from Townsend and the two thousand agreed upon at the marriage. Beyond that, I do not mean to give her a farthing."
"Seven thousand pounds?" The vicar, whose living was not one-tenth that nodded his head. "Most generous, my lord."
"Generous?" Diana wailed. "I shall have to practice the most shocking economies!"
"You can dispute it, of course, but in the process of a lengthy hearing, there is no telling what might come out," Lucien murmured meaningfully. "And neither of us would wish that, would we?" he added silkily.
Her father glanced uneasily to the solicitor, then exhaled heavily. It was all she was going to get, and he knew it. Under the circumstances, he had to admit to himself that it was more than Diana deserved. "Here now—no need to rake old coals, is there? If we accept— if we do not dispute the divorce—"
Lucien nodded. "There will be no need to bring more than the one charge against her."
"Papa!"
But Fenton was watching Lucien. "You will see the matter expedited as quickly and quietly as possible?"
"I cannot see any delay. As I shall be leaving the country after the holidays, and as Bell is prepared to plead guilty, Leighton has assured me he will offer the bill in Lords before spring."
"You do not mean to be there?"
"If it is undisputed, I see no necessity of it."
"We can sue for more," Tate reminded Fenton.
"I should not advise
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