Venetia Part V

Venetia feels very confused and depressed as she sets off for London. She has never travelled so far, and finds the journey exhausting. When she gets to the city, she meets her aunt, whom she does not know well, who is a silly, but good natured woman. Mrs Hendred takes her in and takes her out to buy clothes and Venetia begins to socialise. Her aunt has 8 children - but she is not always fussing over her children. She can see that Venetia is so beautiful she will surely find a husband soon. But Venetia though she tries to enjoy her new life, is depressed and missing Damerel. She has a few admirers, but she finds herself unable to settle and starts to look for a house for herself, where she can live until Aubrey needs a housekeeper. After a few weeks, Edward comes to town. He has been ill and says that he decided to consult a London doctor and have a little holiday.. but Venetia feels sure that he has come to see her, and find out if she has any new suitors. She still finds him boring and irritating, but he invites her and her aunt to the theatre. Mrs Hendred tells her that she should marry Edward- he is a good man. She lets slip that she knew that Damerel was paying attention to Venetia and that was why Mr Hendred went to Yorkshire to bring her to London. Venetia hopes that this means Damerel is in love with her and she has some hope of getting him back. They attend the theatre.. and Mrs Hendred is rather bored by the play and Edward's dull conversation. Then Venetia sees a woman at a box opposite her, a beautiful middle aged woman, who seems to be smiling at her. She tells her aunt that she has an odd feeling that the woman is her mother.. but that can't be when she died years ago. Mrs Hendred is horrified. She instantly claims to be ill so they have to leave the theatre. When they get home, Edward and Mrs Hendred tell Venetia that it was her mother. She is not dead, but her father had divorced her 15 years earlier. Venetia is shocked, and learns that her mother had more than 1 affair. Sir Francis finally got a divorce and she married her lover, Sir Lambert Steeple and they went abroad to live. He forbade everyone from talking about the divorce.