perry 's mother had come round on the pretense of a social call , but juliet knew that was just an excuse ; like the dozen or so other nosy harridans who 'd called at de montforte house since word had got out that the wild one had married , lady brookhampton and her daughter wanted to glean information for the gossip mill , see for themselves the woman lord gareth had wed , and take the opportunity to malign him to his new wife .