"I see your point, though, Richard. You take a severe view," said Colonel Hutchinson. Richard smiled. He had known his colonel would think this way. "But I think on the whole Anthony is right," the colonel continued. "This law is patently unfair. It is a man's duty to protect and cherish his wife and children, who are weaker than him, both in body and mind. If he callously abandons them, then it is for the authorities to protect them in his stead, not to penalise them further for a crime they have not committed. You said that many women encourage their men into folly, but any man who allows himself to be governed by women, who, for all their charms, are deficient in intellect, is not worthy to be called a man."
Sir Anthony watched with great satisfaction as Richard's confidence crumbled away.
"It is quite obvious you speak as a bachelor, Mark, if you think women are deficient in intellect," said John moodily, to a chorus of laughter.
"True," the colonel conceded with a smile. "But I also agree with Anthony that the forfeiture law will encourage resentment. It will also encourage false accusations by those who stand to profit from the forfeiture. And of course the mob will take the fact that the government feels it necessary to enact such laws as evidence that the country is full of Jacobites, ready to rise for the Pretender, which is clearly ridiculous. It creates unnecessary fear, and may even encourage the Pretender and his son to invade, thinking they have more support here than they actually do."
"What is the Pretender's son up to at the moment?" asked Highbury.
"Prancing round Paris, attending balls and seducing French noblemen's wives, the last we heard," said John dismissively. "No danger there, if you ask me."
"Hmm," said the colonel. "Even so, what we need is a decisive victory over the French – keep them occupied over in Flanders, and they'll never think about assisting Charles again."
"That shouldn't be difficult, if the fiasco of an invasion attempt last year is a measure of their martial ability," said Richard, in a tone markedly less confident than his previous one.
"Is it not already the law that convicted criminals forfeit their goods?" said Sir Anthony, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the conversation had moved on.
"Yes, but it's not the same thing at all," said Highbury. "Many men who commit treason are educated, men of fortune. Whereas common criminals usually have little or nothing to forfeit anyway. Their families are relatively unaffected by the law."
"Apart from losing the breadwinner of the family, of course," said Sir Anthony thoughtfully. "But I suppose sometimes the wife and children are better off without such a husband. I have heard that many criminals are drunks and wife beaters too."
"You're naïve if you think that such behaviour is only confined to the poor, Anthony," replied his friend. "Why, only the other day I heard the most appalling story of a very wealthy man who beats his wife regularly."
"That's hardly an appalling story, my lord … damn!" said the colonel.
Sir Anthony flicked another coin into the pot.
"Have that one on me, Mark," he said generously.
"Thank you. A man must keep his wife in line, William."
"You're right, of course. But this woman is a most docile lady and also in her last month of pregnancy. One could not imagine her disobeying her husband, or so I've heard."
"Ah," said the colonel. "Well, that is quite a different matter, if the lady is in a delicate state. One must indulge women at such a time. I have heard that they can become quite emotional, even more so than normal. Perhaps the man is a brute. Does he beat her very badly?"
"I'm not personally acquainted with the gentleman, Mark, but I believe he does, although he is endeavouring to keep it quiet. He has not considered, I think, that if she loses the child her friends will be most distressed and of course the whole story will then be made public."
"And serve him right, too," said Mark. "Such men deserve a flogging, in my opinion. It is a man's job to protect his wife, and reason with her if she is in error. Violence should be the very last resort. Women are such fragile creatures."
"Am I right in suspecting you to be in love, Mark? You are waxing very lyrical," said the baronet slyly.
The colonel flushed scarlet.
"Certainly not!" he lied. "I am, as John said earlier, a committed bachelor."
"What do you think of this story? After all, you are but recently married and your wife is also pregnant, is she not?" said Highbury to Richard, who had gone very quiet. He coloured slightly, and a small muscle in his cheek twitched.
"Well," he hesitated. "I could not condone a man beating his wife without reason … " He looked at his colonel, who was engaged in lighting his pipe, but was nevertheless listening. The room seemed to have suddenly become very warm.
"Or even with reason, at such a delicate time, surely?" persisted Highbury.
"No, of course not," he said. He shot a deeply suspicious look at Sir Anthony, who smiled innocently back at him.
"You have been very fortunate in your choice of wife, dear boy," he said. "Anne is the most delightful, inoffensive creature. Her only aim in life is to please. I am sure you will never have the slightest cause even to reprimand her, let alone beat her."
"Yes, I met her at the regimental dinner last night," said the colonel, unwittingly hammering another nail in Richard's coffin. "Very pleasant young lady, timid even. The sort that rouses all the protective instincts in a man. We talked for a couple of minutes. She noticed I had a slight cold, and advised me to take a tea of elderflower, yarrow and peppermint, I think it was."
"That is Anne all over. Considerate to a fault!" sighed Sir Anthony. "If only my wife were half so docile."
"Ah, but Elizabeth is an extraordinarily beautiful woman, isn't she?" said Highbury. "And very spirited."
"Spirited, yes, that's the word," the baronet replied. "I indulge her terribly, but I cannot help it. When one is in love one can deny one's darling nothing, as I'm sure you will understand, Richard. All I have is utterly at her disposal." He smiled at his brother-in-law, but his eyes held no warmth.
"Oh for God's sake, Anthony, that should be at least a guinea in the pot," said John in disgust. "Is there no club rule against making your friends vomit?"
"Thank you, William," said Sir Anthony as the two men walked home together later. They had sent the carriage on, as it was a fine night. "I owe you, again."
"It was an absolute pleasure," said the earl. "I don't like Richard at all, I must confess. It was nice to see him squirm a little. Did you know the colonel was in love, and therefore likely to feel particularly sentimental towards women at the moment?"
"Certainly not," said Sir Anthony, smiling. "His affair with Lord Eastwood's wife is a well-kept secret, known only to the lady and her beau. Even Lord Eastwood is unaware of it."
"You're unbelievable," said Highbury admiringly. "Do you think Richard's taken the warning on board?"
"I hope so," said the baronet. "Because it's becoming increasingly difficult to stop Beth charging round to his house and threatening him. She has no common sense where her brother's concerned. He's not a pleasant man by any means, but Beth hates him far more than his treatment of her deserves, in my opinion. After all, it all worked out for the best. We're very happily married."
The earl smiled.
"He doesn't look like a man who would respond well to confrontation, especially from a woman," he commented.
"No. But he is very ambitious. He has the chance now to stop hitting Anne, if he is doing, without losing face, because we didn't confront him head on. But he knows that if he doesn't, and it comes out, his colonel won't be impressed, which will hardly help his career, and he also knows I'm likely to indulge Beth in any revenge she wants to take. He's not stupid. I can't make Anne happy in her marriage, poor girl, but I have a feeling she's about to be cured of her dizzy spells, at least."
* * *
Anne was still awake when Richard returned home, although she pretended not to be. He was not fooled. He knew the pattern of her breathing when she slept and this was not it. He lit the lamp, and sat down heavily on the side of the bed to take off his boots, letting them fall to the floor with a clunk. He stood up and took off his coat, before turning to face her. Her eyes were open, wide awake. He took off his waistcoat. Then he went back over to the bed and sat down. She was sitting up now, smiling uncertainly, and he reached across to capture her hand.
"Why did you tell Sir Anthony that I'd beaten you?" he said very softly.