Charles looked very handsome in his riding breeches and red coat. His father was also a fine figure of a man in his riding outfit. The butler tilted his head toward the parlor to let them know someone was here. Charles and Robert looked at each other curiously. They were not expecting guests. Robert was tired from the ride, but his curiosity got the better of him and he followed his son into the parlor. Both men stopped when they saw the young visitor.
Evelyn grinned, “Good, Charles, Robert, you remember Lady Jane Windsor.” The two men stared at the small, blond woman seated beside Evelyn.
“Why Jane Windsor, I would recognize you anywhere. You always were a bonny child.” Robert moved to one of the side chairs, lowering his frail frame carefully. “I was sorry to hear about your father’s passing. If I had been well I would have attended the funeral. I am afraid my old body is giving me trouble these days.”
“Charles, come and say hello to Lady Jane.” Evelyn gave her son an annoyed look. He moved to greet his visitor. Shaking her hand gently, he smiled.
“Welcome to Birmingham Manor, Lady Jane. I have not seen you since we were both children. What brings you here?” His mother glared at him.
“Honestly Charles, how rude!” She patted Jane’s hand in an uncharacteristic motherly gesture. Charles looked at his father, who rolled his eyes. “I raised you to be a gentleman. You don’t ask a guest why they are visiting. My apologies Jane.”
“Actually Charles, I am here to enlist the aid of your father. My father’s estate is in escrow and is currently being managed by his barristers. You know that I had no brothers and trying to have the land transferred to a woman appears more difficult than I thought.’ She tilted her blonde head coquettishly toward him. “I know nothing of such matters and need counsel.” Looking at him through thick long lashes, her blue eyes showed just a hint of a tear.
Charles saw her eyes move to his mother for just a flicker. Suddenly he felt warning signals. His mother was up to something; he could feel it.
“I am sure my father will be happy to assist you. Now if you will excuse me, I must go and change for dinner.” He left the room before his mother could stop him. Robert, who was equally suspicious, stayed with the ladies. He too had seen the quick look between Jane and his wife. He would get to the bottom of this. Bringing his thoughts back to the visitor, he assured Jane that he would be happy to assist her in any way that he could and then suggested she might like to freshen up before dinner.
Once Jane was safely upstairs in her room, Robert turned to face Evelyn. “What are you up to? I don’t think that young woman came here of her own accord.” Evelyn looked toward the windows. She didn’t answer him. “Evelyn, I asked you a question. What exactly is that young woman doing here?”
“She came for your help. You heard her, Robert. The poor dear has lost her father. She is an orphan.” Evelyn looked uncharacteristically sympathetic. It set off more warning signals in Robert’s mind.
“She is nineteen years old, hardly a poor orphan. And she is heiress to a small fortune. Lord Windsor was a very good businessman.” Robert waited. Evelyn began to realize she would have to tell her husband just enough of her plan to keep him cooperating.
“If you must know, I want Charles and Jane to get better acquainted. She would be the perfect wife for our son.” The shock sent him over the edge. Robert was overcome with a coughing fit. Several minutes later, he looked up at her, his eyes were watering and his face was red.
“A wife, dear Lord in Heaven woman, let the man pick his own wife.” He coughed again. “I am going to lie down before dinner. I warn you Evelyn; you are treading on thin ice this time. Charles is stronger than you think. He will not be controlled by you.” Robert rose from his chair and left his wife alone. Evelyn pursed her lips and stared out the window. Determination filled her body and she stood stiff and firm. She would do whatever she had to do.
Charles sat in his room mulling over the events of the day. Every action his mother took was for a reason; she had an ulterior motive and he needed to find out what it was. He paced back and forth. Finally, he discarded his riding coat and trousers and washed his face. The image in the mirror seemed to give him the answer he sought. Lady Jane Windsor was here for him; he knew it with every breath he took. He mother obviously was playing matchmaker. Drying his face, he went to the wardrobe and chose his jacket for dinner. He pulled his trousers on, growing angrier as moments passed. How dare she? Robert knew that his father was sickly and his mother had taken over. She was the power behind the estate, but she would not rule his life.
It made him more determined than ever. He had already chosen the woman that he intended to marry. He lay back on his bed, hands behind his head thinking of Mary Margaret. She might not be aristocracy Mother, but she is everything I want and I love her. You will not win this time.
At dinner, Charles watched the interaction between the two women. Evelyn sat beside Lady Jane trying to draw the young woman into a conversation.
“Do you play the piano my dear?”
“A little, but sometimes my fingers get sore if I play too long. Father loved to listen to me play.” Jane looked at her fingers mournfully.
“We have a lovely piano in the parlor. We would love to hear you play, wouldn’t we Charles?” Charles chewed his roast beef and remained silent.
Robert’s eyes moved from one diner to the other. “Yes my dear, we would love to hear you play.”
“Oh dear, you can’t know how terrible it is to be an orphan. I have no mummy and no daddy. I am all alone. How ever will I manage?” Again she lowered her head looking up through her lashes. She wiped a tear with her handkerchief that appeared in her hand as if by magic. Evelyn grinned. This girl was perfect.
“There, there my dear. Eat your supper and then we shall all go and listen to you play.” Robert and Charles looked at one another knowingly.
Lady Jane Windsor spent the rest of the week meeting the wealthy ladies of the village, and discussing her affairs with Robert. One day she wandered in the garden, where she came upon Daniel. “Hello Miss, lovely day.” He tipped his cap. He lifted one of the daisies he was trimming and offered it to her.
“Flowers make me sneeze, no thank you.” She walked away. Daniel just shook his head, sniffed the flower and returned to his work.
“Charles avoided her and this did not go unnoticed. “Lady Birmingham, why has Charles not spent any time with me this week? I thought you said he was anxious for the two of us to get to know one another. I have to tell you that he does not seem like a man that is ready to woo a fiancée.” She twirled her hair in her fingers. Evelyn found this to be a most annoying habit, but remained silent. She needed Jane to be completely agreeable to her plan.
“Charles is shy. He has not had much experience with women, just be patient. I know my son and he is already very fond of you.” She forced a smile, playing the loving matron was not easy for her. “Now we should hurry, Lady Douglas is expecting us for tea at two o’clock.”
Tea at the Douglas Manor was very extravagant. Lady Douglas had three maids in attendance including Mary Margaret. As she cleared the dishes, she overheard Lady Birmingham tell Lady Douglas that Charles and Lady Jane were going to be wed. She almost dropped the tea tray. Shaking, she quickened her pace back to the kitchen.
She dropped the tray on the table and collapsed into the chair. Her hands were shaking and she could not hold back the tears. Charles how could you do this to me?
The cook asked her what was wrong.
“I’m not feeling well. Do you think it would be all right if I left a few minutes early? I need to lie down.” Cook assured her that she would cover for her and sent her home.
Mary Margaret walked slowly over the moors toward the cottage. The Madison cottage sat on the border of the Douglas and Birmingham Estates. It was usually an easy walk, but her feet felt like they were made of clay. She could not stop the tears from rolling down her face. She felt used and betrayed.
Charles was o
ut riding when he saw her on the road. He quickened his pace, putting the horse into a gallop. Soon he was upon her. “Hello, my dearest, what a lovely surprise. Did you have an early day?” He wondered why she was going home so early. Servants always worked until sundown, many even later. She didn’t look at him. “Mary Margaret, what is the matter?”
She kept walking, refusing to look at him. Soon he was beside her. Charles reached for her arm bringing her to a halt. “Mary Margaret, has something happened? What is it?”
“You are marrying Lady Jane Windsor. Other than that, nothing has happened. Now let me go!” She wrenched her arm away, but he grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her toward him.
“What did you say? I am not marrying anyone.” He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
“Yes you are, I heard your mother tell Lady Douglas and your fiancée was right there in the room looking very smug. How could you use me this way, Charles? I thought you loved me.” She started to sob, but he held fast.
“Mary Margaret, I am not marrying Lady Jane. Please you have to believe me. This is my mother’s doing and I won’t have it. Just trust me, please. I will straighten this out. I love you, Mary Margaret.” She looked up at him. She wanted to believe him, but she could not forget what she had heard. His mother was a powerful woman. Could he really disobey her?
“I love you, Charles. I will trust you to do what is right, but I know how powerful your mother is.” She wiped her tears. He held her tenderly. Mary Margaret’s mind was spinning. Could she trust him? Did he really love her? Finding her strength she pulled away, facing him. “I’ll meet you tomorrow night at our usual place, but you must tell me then if we have a future or not. I will not be trifled with Charles.” He smiled and kissed her, pulling her tightly into his embrace. She melted against him. She loved him so.
“Go home and do not worry. I will have wonderful news tomorrow night, I promise.” He pecked her cheek and mounted his horse. Soon he disappeared over the moors and Mary Margaret was left wondering just what he meant by wonderful news.
Charles rode the horse hard and fast; he was furious. He didn’t know what was going to happen. At that moment, all he knew was that he was willing. No matter what the sacrifice, no matter what the cost, he was willing to make Mary Margaret his wife. The horse’s hooves pounded the earth as it ran towards the manor. Max saw him coming and knew that something was dreadfully wrong. The rider pulled the horse up short in front of the stable, covered in sweat and panting. Charles leapt down without a word and sprinted towards the manor house.
Max took up the reins and watched the young master cross the yard. “Something is up with that lad, eh boy?” Max patted the horse’s nose. “Let’s get you cooled off, shall we?”
Charles stormed into the house. He took the stairs two at a time to his father’s room. Robert was resting on the bed when Charles burst in. “Dear Lord, Charles, what is it? You look like you want to kill someone.” Robert sat up, resting against the pillows.
“I do. I want to kill Mother. She has really done it this time Father and I won’t have it. Do you hear me? I won’t have it.” Charles paced back and forth across his father’s room. The veins in his neck were bulging. His face was red with anger.
“Calm down and tell me what she has done. Really Charles, what could be this bad?” Robert had an idea exactly what was wrong with Charles, but he wasn’t about to give anything away. He knew his son would not be happy with Evelyn’s scheme, but he didn’t think it would come to light this quickly.
“She has just gone and told Lady Douglas, and God knows who else, that I am going to marry Lady Jane.” He looked at this father, anger engrained on his face.
“Sit down and let’s discuss this like gentlemen. Sit down, son.” He patted the side of the bed and reluctantly Charles sat down. “Now, do you or do you not want to marry Lady Jane?”
“No, I do not. I do not love her, as a matter of fact, I don’t even like her. Father this is preposterous.”
“Charles, your mother must think you are a good match. Is it possible you might come to like Lady Jane sometime in the future?”
“Absolutely not! Why are you defending her. She had no right!”
“I know my boy, but you know how your mother is when she gets something in her head. There is no talking her out of it.” Robert was trying to appease his son, but at the same time he didn’t want to deal with the wrath of Evelyn if her plan went astray. He was beginning to realize that he was afraid of his wife.
“Father, I am telling you right now. I am not now nor am I ever going to marry Lady Jane. In fact, I have someone else that I want to marry.” Charles waited for his declaration to sink in. His father seemed to be formulating a plan and he needed his help. Robert’s face contorted when he thought, and Charles had seen him like this many times. Moments later, Robert looked as if he had an idea.
“I want you to keep this to yourself, Charles. I have a solution, but you can’t go attacking your mother or letting on you know about her plan.” Robert gave his son a worried look, “You will have to play along for a few days. Pretend that you like Lady Jane.” Charles started to shake his head; he couldn’t do it. Robert reached out and gripped his arm. “Trust me, please.” Charles looked at his father skeptically, but he did trust him.
“Alright, but just a few days and then I will tell Mother exactly what I think of her plan.” Robert nodded and patted his son on the back reassuringly. Now he would have to take action against his wife and it was something he had always avoided. Robert did not like confrontation but, he had to take action. He had to be a man.
Charles left his father and went to his room. What would he tell Mary Margaret tomorrow? He needed time to think. He and his father needed time to put his father’s plan into action, whatever it was. He would send a message to her to wait until Saturday.
When the messenger arrived at the cottage, it was Elana that received the message. She read the note and then went to find Mary Margaret. “What is this? What if Mother had received this note instead of me? You must tell Mr. Birmingham to be more careful.” Mary Margaret was as surprised as Elana that Charles would send a messenger. He had always been very discreet. She snatched the note from Elana’s hand.
“Wait until Saturday! But that is four days away. Oh I knew something would go wrong, I just knew it.” Mary Margaret stared at Elana in horror when she realized she had spoken out loud. Just as she suspected, her sister insisted on knowing exactly what was going on.
She explained the entire episode at Lady Douglas’ and Charles’ response to her. Elana just listened. She offered no advice and no criticism. She felt very sorry for her sister.
“It looks as if you will just have to wait until Saturday. He asked you to trust him and now you have no choice.” Mary Margaret looked at her younger sister. Sometimes Elana acted more like the older sister; she was very mature and understanding.
“Yes, I shall wait.” She took the message to the fire and burned it. “But it will feel like an eternity.”
In the manor, Lady Jane complained about her servants, complained about how difficult everything was for a woman alone, and complained and complained. Charles just about went crazy listening to her constant whining. She was incapable of handling even the smallest task.
Doris listened as Jill described how she had to prepare her ladyship’s bath, lay out her clothes, fix her hair and then listen to Lady Jane criticize everything she had done. Jill loved to embellish. “She can’t possibly wear yellow; it makes her look pale. Red is not her best color. Good grief, she is so vain. There is no pleasing that one; she is almost as bad as Lady Birmingham.”
“Never! No one is that bad. Never trust the weak, for they hide a strength that can kill.” Maude, who had a penchant for quotes, laughed as she finished the dishes.
“I don’t mean she is evil like her, but she is so whiny and indecisive. I am sure she couldn’t feed herself if she had to. What a choice for Mr. Charles- a poor excuse for a wi
fe she’ll be.” Maude remembered that Mary Margaret was seeing Mr. Charles, but not until it was too late. Maude threw a silencing glance at the girl. The harm had been done. The bell was ringing loudly upstairs. Jill tossed her hair back and went to see what Lady Jane wanted now.
“The devil goes away when he finds the door shut against him,” quoted Maude hoping to distract Doris.
“Wife? Is that why she’s here?” Doris looked at Maude, who just shrugged her shoulders.
“Apparently that is her ladyship’s plan. I don’t think anyone has bothered to tell Mr. Charles yet. But what her ladyship wants, her ladyship gets. There’s no denying that, Doris love.” Doris looked upset. “I’m sorry, Doris. I know your lass had her sights set on Mr. Charles. I’m afraid it’s not to be. You will have to stay strong for her.”
“Dear me, what am I to do. Mary Margaret doesn’t even know that I know about the two of them. How can I give her my support when I am not supposed to know?” She wrung her hands together.
“A secret is only a secret when you don’t tell anyone. Just be there for her when she needs you; that is all you can do. Now you best get back to work or her ladyship will be after your hide. Remember, ‘None are so deaf as they that will not hear.’”
Doris nodded. Sometimes Maude’s quotes became irritating, but she loved her old friend. She picked up her mop and pail. “Poor Mary Margaret, I knew she would get her heart broken.” She walked from the kitchen leaving Maude shaking her head.
Charles was getting more and more anxious for his father to tell him the plan. He went to his father’s room just before dark. “Father, may I speak with you?” Robert was nodding off. He awoke with a start. “Sorry, Father, I didn’t realize you were asleep.” Charles was noticing that his father slept much more often these days. He had not been up and about for a day or two.
“Come in Son, what is it?”
When Fate Steps In Page 4
