“He looked surly when I explained my intentions, but he didn’t object. I thought that was because I said I would settle a sizable sum of money on him and he wanted money more than he wanted to see his son.” She forced herself to tamp down her rising anger. “Instead, three days later he arranged his fraudulent scene for divorce.”

Voice steely, Simon said, “I’m rethinking whether we should arrange to have Denshire shot.”

“Very, very appealing,” Lucas agreed, his compassionate gaze on Kendra. “But again, that could rebound on Kendra.”

Simon lifted the decanter and poured more brandy for each of them. “I’ve always found a moderate amount of brandy aids in developing strategy. If necessary, Lucas can introduce a private bill, but what else might be done before that?”

“Find a good lawyer who understands the ins and outs of divorce law,” Lucas said. “Civil and church courts are involved, but I don’t know more than that.”

Simon and Suzanne exchanged a glance. “Kirkland!” they said almost simultaneously.

“Is he a lawyer?” Kendra asked.

“Kirkland is an earl who knows many people and is very good at getting things done behind the scenes,” Simon explained. “I might not have mentioned it at the time, Lucas, but Kirkland is the owner of the house in Brussels where we stayed before and after Waterloo.”

“Oh?” Lucas said with interest. “The house with a staff who had so many interesting and varied talents. If he knows people like that here in England, he might be able to locate the witnesses that Kendra needs to build her case.”

“Exactly,” Suzanne said, her gaze going to Kendra. “Think of Kirkland as a handsome, charming spider in the center of a vast web of useful people. Now that Napoleon has been exiled to that island in the South Atlantic, Kirkland should have time on his hands, and I think he’d be willing to support justice for a wronged woman.”

“He’s some sort of spymaster?” Kendra guessed.

“One could say that,” Simon said blandly. “Or one could merely say that he counts among his friends many influential men whom he can call upon if needful.”

“And many of those men have wives who are kind and open-minded,” Suzanne added. “I can invite some of the ones I know to tea so you can enlist them in your cause. That will lead to invitations to their entertainments and a chance to sway public opinion.

“But clearing your name publicly will not be easy. You will have to prove the truth of your situation by standing in front of others and showing your pain, knowing that some will spit on it. You will have to endure a great deal, and the result is uncertain. Are you willing to face all that?”