It was one thing to believe it herself but quite another to say it aloud. She hardly wanted it to become common knowledge amongst the family that she thought Charles was a lacking father but…well, it was Emma, who of all the younger generation of her family she thought had the best perception of the world.

Namely a cynical one.

“I’m not holding my breath dear, put it that way,” she retorted with a twitch of her lips. “I wouldn’t mind if I thought for a moment he was still grieving for his wife, but I think he’s attempting to forget the whole sorry mess ever took place. And that’s not fair on Althea at all.”