Chapter 501
Seeing Gracie’s frail condition, Athena drew a pill from her bosom and pressed it to her lips.
Before long, a faint flush returned to Gracie’s cheeks. Her spirit lifted slightly, though her body remained weak. Her voice carried no authority as she spoke, “Arguing? He swung a stick at my waist and abdomen, intent on killing my unborn child. Does my mother-in-law still think this was merely a quarrel?”
Gracie’s reddened eyes brimmed with disappointment, her face etched with anguish. She lamented, “For the sake of his mistress, he struck and kicked me, utterly disregarding our child. Does he still have a conscience?”
The moment she finished, she was seized by violent coughs. Cold sweat streamed down her pallid face, her frail shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Athena’s eyes hardened, her voice glacial as she turned to Jenny and demanded, “Since when do the rules of the duke’s estate permit a husband to privately torment his pregnant wife? How dare you conceal something so vile? Or is it that you already knew Jude was keeping a mistress outside?”
Athena’s words fell like pearls, sharp and unyielding. She lowered her voice slightly. “Or perhaps Mrs. Patton believes that with the Queen Mother backing the duke’s estate, you need not take the Xander Manor seriously?”
The mention of the Queen Mother and the Prince Regent nearly caused Jenny’s legs to buckle. She collapsed to her knees in terror. Frantically waving her hands, she stammered, “No, no, no, I didn’t mean that. Isn’t it common for young couples to quarrel? Jude simply made a mistake; he didn’t mean it. As the saying goes, better to topple a temple than to break apart a marriage. Princess Consort, please calm yourself–let us sit and discuss this properly.”
At that, a sneer curved Athena’s lips. She snickered, “A mistake of the hand? That rosewood stick weighs more than three pounds. If it were truly an accident, how could it land precisely on Gracie’s waist and abdomen? Mrs. Patton, even the Imperial Medical Bureau’s physicians would never believe such drivel.”
Athena stepped forward, towering over Jenny with eyes like blades. She spat, “As for proper discussion, when Jude was mercilessly beating his pregnant wife, why did you not step forward then to discuss it? Now that I demand accountability, suddenly you remember proverbs about temples and marriages. Don’t you think that’s a little too calculating?”
Jenny was struck speechless, able only to plead for mercy. “Princess Consort, please understand, this humble woman truly did not know Jude would be so deranged! Had I known earlier, I would certainly have stopped him…”
“Stopped him?” Athena cut her off, her voice rising like a whip. “If you had not long indulged his arrogance and recklessness, how would he have dared to act so brazenly? To disregard even a marriage bestowed by the royal family, and to speak so lightly of abandoning the direct line of heirs! You all live in this manor. If you truly wished to restrain him, could you not have done so? In this Princess Consort’s view, you simply chose to feign ignorance.”
Athena drew a deep breath and declared coldly, “The Xander Manor will not let this matter rest. Either bring Jude here, let him taste the pain he inflicted on Gracie, and then speak to me of negotiation.”
The words slammed into Jenny’s heart like a hammer. Her body went rigid. Her face drained from pale to purplish, her lips quivering, yet no defense came forth.
Gracie nestled weakly in Athena’s arms, tears flowing without end. She had endured so long, and at last someone had come to protect her. Looking at her pitiful state, Athena’s heart ached. She asked gently, “Gracie, what do you wish to do? Do you want to remain here, or come with me?”
Through tear-stained eyes, Gracie looked at Athena. “I will go back with you,” she said.
“Ah, you cannot leave,” Jenny cried in panic, trying to stop her. “Divorce is a grave matter; how can it be decided so rashly?”
“Who said anything about divorce?” Athena’s voice was ice.
Jenny faltered, confused, staring at her in disbelief. She asked, “Then what does the Princess Consort mean?”
“Separation,” Athena declared firmly. “Everything belonging to Gracie must be taken down to the last tile. Even the well must be filled. And beyond that, your duke’s estate must compensate her in silver for the injuries she has suffered.”
Jenny gasped, “Separation, and compensation?”
She leapt up as though scalded, pointing at Gracie on the bed, her voice shrill as she screamed, “Gracie, how can you be so heartless? Jude was simply confused for a moment, and you would ruin the reputation of our family? Once this separation agreement is signed, you will never be able to marry again. Do you mean to shave your head and become a nun?”
Jenny was convinced Gracie dared not separate. A discarded wife would be mocked and scorned if she left her husband. Jenny added, “Besides, if you will not think of yourself, you should at least think of the younger sisters of the Xander Manor. Many of them are still unmarried. If you return, their marriages will be jeopardized.”
Gracie knew too well that the world despised women cast aside. That was why she had endured so much since her marriage–fearing her troubles would implicate the sisters of the manor. Jenny’s words pierced straight into her heart, and Gracie hesitated.
Seeing her waver, Jenny grew emboldened and was about to press further when Athena cut in: “Instead of fretting over my lady’s affairs, Mrs. Patton, you might as well worry about your son’s future. With Prince Xander’s temper, do you truly believe the duke’s estate still has any chance of inheriting the title?”
Her words crashed down like thunder. Jenny felt as though doused in icy water, her entire body trembling. She looked at Athena in disbelief, her hands quaking. “Princess Consort, this is merely a quarrel between two young people. Why must it escalate to involve both houses?”
“Are you suggesting the Xander Manor must wait until Gracie is beaten to death before taking action?”
Athena’s cold snort echoed as she rose to her feet. She iterated, “The daughters of the Xander Manor will never endure such disgrace. I had already considered stepping back, but this now concerns the honor of both houses. Yet seeing how Mrs. Patton shields her son, I fear my daughter will never know peace if she remains in this household. You heard it yourself–Gracie is unwilling to stay. As Princess Consort, I must take her away today.”
Gracie leaned against her pillow, raising her tear-streaked face at those words. But the fear in her eyes was gone–only icy resolve remained. Gracie said firmly, “Mrs. Patton, even if I can never remarry, I will never remain here. Jude struck the child in my womb for the sake of his mistress, and you merely told me to endure. Every day in this estate is torment.”
She lowered her gaze to the wounds on her body, tears falling anew. “As for the future, even begging on the streets would be better than staying in this duke’s estate that devours its own,” Gracie added.
Athena’s heart clenched with sympathy. She gently pressed the back of Gracie’s hand. Her gaze cut coldly toward Jenny and reminded, “The Xander Manor safeguards Gracie’s future. Mrs. Patton, you need not trouble yourself with that. Rather, you should consider this: if today’s events become known–that a husband beat his pregnant wife while her mother-in-law condoned it–and that the Xander Manor demanded compensation in the separation, who exactly will be shamed?”
Afterward, Athena raised her hand, and the maid stepped forward carrying a scroll of bright yellow paper. Athena tapped the parchment with her fingertip and said, “This is the injury record just completed. Gracie has abdominal bleeding and a fractured left arm. Every detail is recorded here. If you, Mrs. Patton, wish to bargain or appeal to the Queen Mother, perhaps you should read this document first. And then reflect on whether the Queen Mother will still shield your duke’s estate, knowing that Jude so thoroughly ruined the marriage she personally bestowed.”