Hopefully they had sailed without incident but they wouldn't dock in New York for another two weeks, and it would take a further three weeks for a letter to be sent back. The wait was interminable, but keeping busy helped. Five days after the disappearance, news spread to the Beaumont household that James Ashdown was back, having been summoned by Malcolm Arundell. Lucien broke the news to his family over dinner. “Oh, he must be so worried,” Martha said. “Worried about his family's reputation,” Hope scoffed. Martha ignored the remark, instead asking her husband, “Have you seen him?” “No. He was seen leaving the railway station this afternoon, and you know how word spreads in this town, especially given the recent dramas.” “Gossip is the staple of the British Empire,” Martha observed dryly, although so far the gossip and rumours had only served to muddy the waters, which actually helped obscure the true fate of Mary and Honoria.
