<div style="text-align: justify;">"Lady Allerton?", the butler murmured politely, before knocking twice at the door that led to the ladies' room, where Marianne often spent her days. It had been originally designed as a room where the boys could study under their mother's watchful eye, but there had been no boys. Not even girls, either. As it often happened, rumor had it that Lady Allerton was barren. It was always the woman's fault, after all. The current rumors about Lord Allerton's mistress being with child did not help, either, even though nothing was confirmed. James didn't care what rumors said. He was too loyal to Lady Allerton to believe she was less than perfect.<br/><br/>"Come on in, James", the woman's voice sounded from inside. As the butler stepped in, he noticed that Lady Allerton had been reading. "I am sorry to interrupt", he started, before presenting the tray with the returned invitations. Marianne held her breath for a second or two when she saw that her husband's whore had not only been invited, but replied in the affirmative as well.<br/><br/>Releasing the breath she had been holding, Marianne placed the invitations back on the tray. "Very well", she replied simply, not showing any emotion for now.<br/><br/>Before James could say anything else, she carried on. "Have Joseph prepare to go out. I wish to visit with my sister", the woman ordered.<br/><br/>The butler bowed to the woman, thinking it would be good for her to leave the house and clear her mind for a while. Lord Allerton really shouldn't treat his wife like that.<br/><br/>"Very well, Lady Allerton. He will be ready within ten minutes", the butler promised, bowing and excusing himself before leaving the room.<br/><br/>Marianne still stayed where she was for a moment or two, and then went to her room to change into something nicer than the usual clothes she wore around the house. All the while, her mind was into her husband's little mistress. How she wished she could kill both of them with her bare hands!<br/><br/>In his own room, Lord Allerton was also getting ready to leave the house. He planned on going to a stroll nearby, and maybe even paying Miss Bradley a visit, if he could do so without meeting any acquaintance in the vicinity. The last thing he needed was to add fuel to the bonfire of rumors, after all.</div>