Robert
He is startled when he hears a knock on the door and for a second is afraid that it might be his wife but when he opens the door he sees his father with a crying Mary on his arms and his mother standing right behind them. "What is it?" he asks them. The moment Mary hears his voice she turns in her grandfathers' arms and makes a motion that clearly indicates that she wants to be held by her father. So he takes her and one look at her tells her that she won't say another word tonight and that he can't leave her by herself. "Thank you", he says to his parents. They both nod. "Robert, we have to talk. This can't go on. We have to talk tomorrow."
"I know, Papa."
He spends the night trying to comfort Mary who just keeps on crying silently. She falls asleep a few times but always wakes up after half an hour again and he is sure that she must have nightmares because every time she wakes up again her crying fits become stronger. He has no idea what to do and desperately wishes that Cora was there because for some reason he is sure that she would be able to calm Mary down and get her to sleep.
Violet
She feels her husband take her hand when they walk towards her room. She has actually started to think of it as their room because Patrick has spent every night of the past week in it, something he has never done before. She knows he does it because he can't face his thoughts alone and she is glad that he has decided to sleep in her room for the time being. Had he not done that, she would have had to sleep in his room because she can't face her thoughts by herself either and his bed is much smaller and less comfortable than hers.
"Don't call for your maid, I'll help you and we need to talk," Patrick says to her and she nods. They have been married for almost thirty years and their marriage is a love match, so there is no reason for her to call her lady's maid, because while Patrick may have no clue how to dress her, he has rather a lot of practice in undressing her. But she knows that his reason for doing so tonight is not foreplay for them to do their duty, although it actually has never been a duty for either of them, but because they need uninterrupted time alone to talk.
She stands in front of her full length mirror and looks at her husband's reflection in the mirror. He is standing behind her, unhooking the uncountable number of buttons on her dress. She thinks they still look like a lovely couple, even if they aren't the youngest any more, but whenever Patrick is with her he has a loving look on his face and it occurs to her that Robert has the exact same look on his face when he looks at that American girl.
"Patrick, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know, darling." He hardly ever calls her that.
"Don't you think that the scandal Philippa caused in London is reason enough to let Robert get a divorce?" Patrick now helps her to step out of her dress and begins to unhook her corset.
"Maybe," he says and he looks into her eyes in the mirror. She looks at their reflection again.
"Patrick, look at us. Don't you think that our son deserves that kind of happiness too?"
"He deserves it, yes. But I am not sure there is way for him to actually find it."
"If you told him to get a divorce, he would probably do it." Her husband has gotten her out of corset now and she does the rest of the undressing and redressing for the night herself while he takes of his own clothes and puts on his pajama. She sits down at the vanity and Patrick starts to undo her hair. She could do this herself, but she lets Patrick do it because he can actually see the pins that have kept her hair in place the whole evening.
"Violet, we are risking another huge scandal." She smiles at his words because she knows she has almost won him over to her side.
"But even if the papers had a field day with his divorce, and I am sure they would have, don't you think that people would understand Robert? Don't you think that getting a divorce is what people actually expect of him now?"
"Maybe. But even if he got divorced that doesn't mean that he will be able to marry that American girl as you like to call her."
"He loves her. That is obvious. He looks at her the way you look at me." Her husband smiles at her reflection now.
"Then that must be how he feels for her. But we don't know if she would accept him."
"I am almost sure she loves him too."
"That isn't unlikely, but it doesn't mean that she will accept him. She probably would if she didn't have that son, but the boy makes things a lot more complicated. Violet, the question it comes down is whether the Duchess would be willing to have her boy grow up on an estate that is not his own."
"She might not be willing to let him grow up on any other estate, but she might be willing to let him grow up here because the boy would have a father here."
"We have made the same observation then."
"Patrick, I think we should risk the scandal of the divorce. Life can only get better for Robert and Mary, even if Cora did not accept Robert. Although I think that she would accept him if he played his cards right and swept her of her feet."
"That is something he would need to do before proposing."
"So will you talk to him? Tell him to get a divorce?"
"Violet."
"Patrick." She gets up now, turns around and looks into his eyes directly, not in the reflection of the mirror. "Please. Make our son's life better." Patrick takes a deep breath, not unlike Mary did before she began to speak earlier on.
"Yes. I will talk to him. I'll tell him to get a divorce. If you tell him to sweep that American girl of her feet."
"I will do that."
"We have an agreement then."
It is now her who takes a deep breath. She is not good at talking about her feelings but she has to say it from time to time. "Thank you Patrick. I love you."
He looks at her and says "I love you too. And I still need to braid your hair."
So she sits down at her vanity again and watches her husband braid her hair.
"Robert should go to London with Mary and stay with Rosamund."
"I'll send her a telegram."
"That American girl is in London too."
"I'll ask Rosamund to invite her then."
"Do you really think she cares little enough about social rules to accept the invitation of a banker's wife?"
"I have no idea, but we'll find out if she cares about our son enough to accept the invitation of a banker's wife."
"Let's go to bed so that we'll be ready to face the world tomorrow." They go to bed and fall asleep holding hands.
Robert
"You haven't slept at all, have you?" his mother asks him.
"No. Mary cried all night. I couldn't get her to stop. She is still in my bed and I have to go back."
"No Robert, you need to talk to your father. I'll go upstairs and sit with her. I'll read to her if she lets me." He is surprised by his mother's suggestion but too thankful to question it. "Thank you, Mama." When his mother leaves she throws him a look full of pity. He turns to his father.
"Robert, Mary spoke to me last night. Only a few words and only because she was helpless. She is desperately unhappy. And so are you, don't deny it. And we have to do something about it."
"What can we do?"
"Here is what I think. Take Mary and go to London today. Stay with Rosamund and Maramduke. I'll tell Rosamund to invite Cora there as well. They don't know each other but who cares. Let Cora take care of Mary for a few days so that you can clear your head. And then file for a divorce."
"No Papa, I can't. The scandal"
"The scandal wouldn't be any worse than the scandal your wife has already caused by having her lover stay at our house with her. A divorce is what many people expect now and what I think most people would understand. There are reasons enough. You won't have to worry about getting custody of Mary, Philippa has behaved in a way that no judge in all of England would even consider giving Mary to her."
"A divorce is expensive. And all of Philippa's money"
"The money is ours. It became ours the moment that prenuptial was signed. Her behavior doesn't give her any right to get her money back. And you shouldn't feel bad for taking it. She has made all our lives miserable for the last four years."
"Mama will be livid."
"No, your mother will be very happy. This was her suggestion originally."
"Papa, I"
"Robert, go upstairs and pack. Tell the nanny to get Mary ready. Don't take the nanny with you right away, I am sure that Cora will bring Sam's nanny that should be enough. I'll send a telegram to Rosamund, she will expect you later today. I know that Cora is in London; your mother has got spies everywhere. I am sure that the Duchess will be at Rosamund's house later today as well."
He is shocked by what his father has asked him to do. But he is determined to follow his advice. He has thought about a divorce countless times but was sure that it wouldn't be possible, that his parents would never agree to it, that the scandal would just be too huge to bear.
When he opens the door to his room he sees his mother sitting in a chair and Mary asleep on his bed. "She fell asleep a few minutes ago. She is exhausted. Maybe you should carry her back to her bed."
"No, that would wake her. She can sleep here. I'll pack my things myself to let her sleep. Would you tell the nanny to pack a few things for Mary?"
"You've spoken to your father then."
"Yes."
"So will you do it?"
"File for a divorce?"
"Yes."
"I think so. Papa is right; we are a house of scandal anyway."
"Good. Stay in London as long as you like, Rosamund and Maramduke won't mind. We'll make Philippa leave as soon as you have filed for a divorce officially. Then you can think about whether you'd like to come back or stay in London for a while longer."
"Thank you Mama. For your support in this."
"It is my fault. I shouldn't have interfered. But I won't promise that I'll never do it again. Because there is a piece of advice I'd like to give to you. It is from both your father and me."
"Go ahead then."
"Sweep that American girl of her feet."
He has to chuckle. "I'll try my best."
"Good luck, my dear boy."