Venetia Part VI

Venetia learns that her father forbade the servants to tell the children anything about the divorce and to keep to the story that Lady Lanyon had died and Sir Francis could not bear to hear her name mentioned. He led a reclusive life and she did not mix with the local gentry except for the Dennys and Edward Yardley and his mother. Over time, the scandal was forgotten and not talked about. Venetia is horrified by her father's selfishness- pointing out that he should have made sure that she was known by the world, so that people could see she was not immoral like her mother. Hiding her away was selfish. Mrs Hendred agrees, saying that Sir Francis was very cold hearted and he was angry at his wife's desertion. Edward tells her that he loves her and wants to marry her, though his mother has disapproved of the idea of his marrying a girl whose mother was divorced. Venetia is half amused at his prudery, as while divorces are rare, they do happen at times, and some of the upper classes manage to ride them out. She learns that Conway had been told of the family scandal because he went to school and would hear gossip there. Mrs Hendred feels that it's all the more reason for Venetia not to marry a rake like Damerel, since her mother had a bad reputation. She disagrees and the following day, decides to make her way to the big hotels to find her mother. Her mother and stepfather live in Paris, but he has an estate in England and was part of the Prince Regent's set, so he sometimes comes home. When she gets to the hotel, she finds her mother living in luxury, and she can see that she does look very like her mother. Sir Lambert, her husband, is a middle aged dandy, who seems very rakish but not bad natured. She finds her mother is obsessed with her own beauty, and brash about the scandals she's caused. She tells Venetia that she never wanted children and she accepted that she could not see them after the divorce. She knew of Conway's marriage to Charlotte but she did not meet him socially in France. Venetia tells her of her own relationship with Damerel and how he believes he should not marry her because of the scandals in his life.