– I don't think that unpleasant person can make me feel anything other than contempt for her," Richard said with a cruel smile.

– Vivian is a beautiful girl. Very pretty," she said quietly, looking intently into her son's eyes. – And if she wishes to charm a man, he cannot resist her charms.

– I am a married man and the father of three children," Richard said in an indifferent tone, rising from the table. – Her charms will not work on me. But if you will excuse me, I intend to go to Kitty's and then fulfil my promise to my son. Albert is crazy about his pony. Sometimes I wish I'd never bought him. – He headed for the exit.

'Anthony used to say the same thing,' Lady Cranford thought with some mockery of her son's self-assured look. – 'But Richard's right: he's a mature man and can read people's souls… And after all, Vivian is married now. It's wonderful. It couldn't be better… But this Wington is young and handsome, and Vivian is now many times richer than I am… Damn her!" – suddenly flashed through her mind, and her soul was filled with discontent: Vivian did not deserve such a high position. But the girl's aunt was sure, that naive and foolish Jeremy could not resist her devilish beauty.

After drinking her tea, Lady Cranford made her way to her sick granddaughter.

– Mr. Cranford! There's mail for you! – Anthony's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a muffled female voice outside the door of his chambers.

– Come in! – Anthony said loudly, and having finished the last lines of the letter, leaned back in his chair and reread it.

– Your mail, sir! – The maid put the two letters on the table and hurried away.

Anthony glimpsed the letters brought to him and decided to read them later in the evening, for at that moment his thoughts were occupied with the unexpected news of Vivian's marriage to his best friend.

"They must have kept their affair hidden for a long time. I remember what that cunning man said, that my cousin, though good, was too poor for him. He was lying, that cunning man! – Anthony blew thoughtfully on the ink, and realising that he was in no condition to reread his letter to his cousin, he put the paper on the table, rose to his feet, and went to the window. – But then why had Vivian insisted all this time that she wished to be the Duke of Nightingale's consort? She was so assertive! Anthony, you fool, isn't it obvious? She was deceiving you into believing her! I think it was all old man Wington's fault, and the couple were afraid that if he found out about their affair, he would disinherit Jeremy… My friend couldn't do that, so he waited until his father died… Clever! And yet… Vivian was deceiving me. – He grinned bitterly. – And I believed her with all my heart. But did Charlotte know about her friend and Jeremy's affair? They're so close. No. I don't think so. Charlotte's too naive to keep such secrets," he pondered, looking out over the beautiful green Devry Park. – I need to get Vivian or Jeremy to tell me the truth. But not in a letter. In person. When I get back to London – the first thing I'll do will be to visit the newlyweds."

Having made up his mind, young Cranford returned to his desk, looked longingly at the fresh mail, and, without reading the address of the senders, hid the letters in his desk drawer.

"And what kind of a fool decides to tie his letter with yarn? – He thought grudgingly as he headed for Kitty's room to visit her and play one of the children's board games with her. – It must be Jeremy who decided to play a joke on me, as if his sudden marriage to my cousin wasn't enough!"