“It is going to be fine, Lottie, just writes that letter for me,” he asked again, slowly running his hand through her dark hair.
Charlotte couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, but she made sure to hide them from her father. She walked to the desk and quickly found a piece of paper and took her father’s pen in hand. “I am ready, Papa,” she said, sitting behind the desk.
“Dear nephew,” Baron Roberts started. “I hope that you are feeling well and that your mother and sister are also in good health. However, I am writing to inform you that my health is not so good. I would very much like it if you come to visit me as soon as possible.”
“Looking forward to seeing you, etc., etc.”
Charlotte finished writing and waited for the ink to dry, before bringing it to her father to sign it with his hand.
“Now, seal the letter and send it right away, Lottie,” he urged after signing the letter and leaning back in his seat. “I am going to close my eyes for a while now.”
“I will do it,” Charlotte agreed, feeling helpless. “Do you need me to help you to lie on the sofa?”
“Yes, dear, that would be lovely,” he answered, and Charlotte hurried to help him to lie down.
The letter to her cousin, Timothy Roberts, felt like a burning coal in her hand when she carried it with her to the servant. With that short letter, the reality that her family was facing became even more evident to her. Charlotte spent the rest of the day crying in her room.
Graystone Manor
George walked into his father’s bedroom only to find the older man sitting by the window, looking outside. His health had begun to deteriorate lately, and George tried to spend as much time as possible with him. The doctor was coming almost every day, but according to him, there was little to be done, as Duke Geoffrays’ heart was struggling to keep beating.
He had been growing more and more frail with each passing day, and George felt as if something was dying inside of him every time his father took a tired step. He was all he had in the world and losing him was like losing a part of himself.
“Father,” he called from the door and walked closer to where his father was sitting. “How are you feeling?”
“Not well,” the old man answered. “Did you find someone you like? I thought that after the ball, you must have found some lovely lady that can steal your heart away.”
“It is not so easy, Papa,” George smiled sadly. “I tried to meet someone, but the only woman that caught my attention wasn’t interested.”
“Oh God, George, you found a woman that is not willing to fall at your feet? She must be very special,” his father teased him. “Don’t give up on her, son. From experience, I can tell you that women who have the courage to say no to a man are worth fighting for.”
“I don’t know, Papa. She didn’t give me the opportunity to get to know her at all.” George was surprised to notice that his voice sounded sad. During the last two weeks, he hadn’t had time to think about Charlotte Roberts, so feeling angry and deluded about something that happened so long ago was surprising.
“What are you going to do about finding your future wife, George?” the sick man asked. “I really would be very happy to see you married before I die.”
“Don’t say that, Papa,” George protested. “If this worries you so much, I can throw a ball here at Graystone Manor. James has already introduced me to a lot of people. It will be easy to invite everyone here and maybe this time I will find that alluring woman.”
“Good. Do it, then,” Duke Geoffrays said firmly.
“But you are not feeling well, Papa,” George protested. “I don’t want to bring so many people in our home when you are so sick. Maybe we should wait until you start feeling better.”
“I am not going to get better, George, so just send the invitations.”
George nodded silently, standing up and making sure that his father had everything he needed before walking out of the room. His father wanted a ball, so George was going to give him a ball. It had been many years since a ball was held in Graystone Manor, and he knew that it must be perfect in every detail.
Moreland House
The very next day an invitation arrived at Moreland House and Baroness Roberts read it out loud during the family afternoon tea. Charlotte was surprised to hear that her family was invited to a ball at Graystone Manor after her behavior towards Lord Geoffrays at the last ball they attended.
Her family had no idea about her very unusual behavior the night of the ball, and Charlotte had no intention of telling them about it, but she still felt ashamed of her behavior and had already decided to say that she was sorry as soon as she met Lord Geoffrays again.
“A second ball in a matter of two weeks,” Emma commented. “This is what I call a miracle.”
“We are going, aren’t we, Mother?” Jane asked urgently. “It was such a fun last time. I enjoyed dancing. I am only sorry that father cannot come with us.”
“Your father and I have had our share of dances, Jane.” Baroness Roberts said nothing else, as if waiting for her older daughter to say something, but Charlotte remained silent, eating her toast calmly.
“Charlotte,” her mother finally spoke. “You want to go too, right?”
“Yes, Mother,” Charlotte answered. “I would very much like to go.”
Her smile was fake, but her decision was made. Charlotte Roberts was going to the ball to find a husband for herself so that she could secure a future for her mother and sisters.
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“I tried to meet someone, but the only woman that caught my attention wasn’t interested.”
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CHAPTER TEN
THE NEW STRANGER
“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”
Jane Austen, Emma
It was a strange new situation to Emma and she enjoyed it. She was free of worries for the time being and her parents no longer forced her to look for a wealthy husband. Thus, in the matter of a few days, her life had changed completely. The atmosphere in their house had changed from gloomy and sad to cheerful and happy.
“Miss Emma, your mother is asking if you are ready for the ball,” the maid put her head through the door and asked hurriedly. “The Baroness wants you to wear the new dress she ordered for you last week.”
“Thank you, and tell my mother that I will be ready in a few minutes,” Emma said while stepping into her beautiful new shoes. They perfectly matched her light violet dress, which was decorated with silver ornaments around the neck and on the waist.
The evening gown was the prettiest thing she owned and to Emma it represented her new life and all the opportunities, she was given by her Aunt. The ball held at the Assembly Rooms was another sign that a different kind of life was ahead of her. It was not the first ball she was going to attend, but it was the first one, she was going to as a wealthy Lady with great prospects in front of her.
The Baron Roberts’ small family arrived at the Assembly Rooms and stirred a lot of attention when Emma was noticed by the Ladies and Gentlemen already present. Her beauty had always made the heads of the young gentlemen turn while inspiring envy in the Ladies. That night, however, she was even more attractive. Her sisters had already pointed out that she looked particularly fashionable, her eyes shining with happiness and excitement.
“Keep your head up, my dear,” the Baroness whispered to her youngest daughter. “You have a beautiful figure, so make the best of it.”
“Yes, Mother.” Emma lowered her head in agreement and then tried to stand up and look taller.
“Do not worry, Emma,” Jane whispered to her from the other side. “Mother is just trying to help, but if I were you, I would just be myself.”
Emma nodded slightly, smiling thankfully at her sister, who had always been her best friend and confidant. The dances soon started, and Emma’s card w
as soon filled with the names of the most handsome and eligible gentlemen. The Baroness was watching her lovely daughter from a distance, where she was sitting together with Charlotte.
After partaking into the two first dances, Emma returned to her seat and was just about to tell Jane all about her last partner when a young and very handsome gentleman approached her and stood in front of her, bowing elegantly.
“Allow me, my Lady,” the unknown gentleman spoke in a deep, slightly husky voice that carried the very distinct traces of good breeding, “To introduce myself to you. I know that this is not the proper way of doing this, but I know almost no one around here, and I simply cannot let the opportunity to make your acquaintance escape me so easily. Please allow me to introduce myself to you. My name is Jonathan Green. Captain Jonathan Green.”
“How do you do, Captain Green?” Emma curtsied, her cheeks going slightly red.
“Miss Roberts,” the gentleman continued, “Would you do me the honor of dancing the next dance with me?”
“It would be a pleasure, Captain,” Emma answered, delighted to have the attention of such a handsome gentleman. “You should give me a few minutes to rest. The last few dances took a lot of my energy.”
“Certainly,” the Captain said. He bowed his head. “I will remind you of your promise to dance with me after the next two dances.”
“That sounds superb, Captain.” Emma watched Captain Jonathan Green return to his friends.
“He is such a handsome gentleman, and you can clearly see that he is an officer in the military from the way he was conducting himself and walking with his head held high.” Jane spoke softly from beside her. “Come and sit down, Emma. Your feet must be hurting.”
Captain Green returned to her to take her to the dance floor, where they danced the next two dances together. Emma was determined to enjoy the evening and learn more about the handsome gentleman who was attracting everyone’s attention. The tall and dark man was able to keep her attention and made her smile with his intelligent little sarcastic comments.
“My fair Lady,” he continued to compliment and flatter her, while she was only too happy to accept his attention. “What do you have to say about your small, but very distinguished community?”
Emma laughed at the way the question was asked and let him guide her to the next position of the dance. Captain Jonathan Green was now the center of everyone’s attention, and she could tell that he was basking in it. On the other hand, the center of the Captain’s attention was the beautiful Miss Emma Roberts, something that made the young lady smile even more than usual.
“We are not used to revealing our secrets to dark strangers, Captain,” she teased him in return, playfully taking her hand away and dancing back to where the other ladies were standing.
The gentleman smiled in return, patiently waiting for the dance to bring them back closer. “In that case, I should stay here longer, so that I can stop being a stranger, right, my Lady?”
“That is a solution, yes,” Emma did not allow him the pleasure of winning. “Although, I don’t see why you would like to know everybody’s secrets. Isn’t it better to remain blissfully unaware of what everybody else is hiding?”
The Captain smiled at her comment and then escorted her back to her seat, making sure to bring her something to drink in the process. They were almost halfway through the evening, and the Captain never left her side.
For the tenth time that night, Francis looked at the clock and sighed deeply. There was a ball in the Assembly Rooms, and Francis was invited as every noble gentleman in the area, but there was an emergency at the bank, and Francis had offered to stay after hours and work. It was better for him to come to work when no clients were coming and going. The afterhours also paid better and he was making a lot of money while working during the night.
Deep down, Francis knew that he was doing well and that his hard work was going to help his father to save their pride and their family estate. Nonetheless, it hurt to know that all his friends were dancing together while he was working.
Somehow, his mind kept wandering to the Assembly Rooms and to Miss Emma Roberts, the friend he did not want to lose. For the hundredth time that night, Francis asked himself what she was doing and who she was dancing with. That seemed to be his biggest worry that fateful night when he realized what his new life was going to look like.
Viscount Turner was the last one to leave bank that night. He locked the door and headed home quickly. Francis hated leaving his elderly father alone at home for too long, especially since their financial difficulties had started and the old Mr. Turner had begun feeling the weight of being poor.
He returned home after work to find his father is sitting in his study with the door open, apparently waiting for his son to come home. Francis noticed that there was no one waiting for him at the door and that there was no fire in the fireplace, but dismissed that for the moment.
“Father, why are you still up? It is already late,” Francis asked, removing his coat and sitting on the armchair, facing his father.
“There are a few important things I need to discuss with you,” Mr. Turner said in his usual grave voice. “I had to dismiss the household staff, and I think that you should give up your horse. That animal is purebred, and we will get good money for it.”
“You want me to give up Dusty?” Francis asked, too surprised from his father’s request to sell his most beloved companion. The beautiful animal had been his since it was just a baby and he could not imagine someone else owning the horse he had raised as his own child.
“Yes,” his father said firmly. “After I dismissed all the servants, only Mr. and Mrs. Charles chose to remain on the estate. We have no one to take care of the stables, so we are going to keep only two horses for the carriage and give up all the others.”
“I am working hard, Father,” Francis said, in a desperate attempt to find a solution. “In a few months, I will be able to pay all the debts and then we can start restoring the estate. Also, I thought that we could sell a few pieces of land…”
“We are not selling land,” Mr. Turner spoke loudly, his voice carrying through the empty house. “I already decided on what needs to be done, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Yes, Father,” Francis answered in the usual way, in the way his father was expecting him to answer.
After all, everything else was gone. His pride, his servants, his ability to look his friends in the eyes… Why not give up his horse too?
The night was long and full of ghosts. Francis found it difficult to fall asleep. Nothing worked to make him his forget all his worries. Francis searched for a possible way out – a friend that could help him, another loan from the bank, some relative, who could leave them some money. Nothing came to mind.
He barely waited for the sun to come up before he ran outside the house and into the stables. Dusty looked at him with his big, brown eyes and Francis forgot all of his worries.
“We are going out, Dusty,” he said quietly. “Just the two of us.”
With practiced ease, he saddled the horse and rode away from the house, from his father, and from all the problems that made his life difficult to handle. He was devastated and angry. Riding Dusty helped him to collect his thoughts. It had always been like that to him. Every time he needed to think, Francis went out with Dusty, physically escaping all his problems. The horse followed the same path the two of them had taken hundreds of times before, giving Francis time to think without worrying about the way they were going.
Too lost in thoughts, Francis did not notice that he had been riding on the lake shore for a while now. The weather was cold so early in the morning, but he did not really care. The cold helped him keep a clear head.
Francis spent hours by the lake, riding, walking or simply standing and looking into the distance. Was there a way for him to save his estate? Was all this worth it? Why was his father making things even harder for him?
He had no idea how to answer all these questions.
Francis felt so angry at the world and at the people around him, he was close to tears.
“What should I do?” he shouted, so loudly that his voice carried over the lake. “Why is life so hard for me?”
No one answered him, but Francis felt better after expressing his thoughts out loud. He was young, he was well built, and he had a title and a wonderful home, and just when everything should have been perfect for him, the universe was taking away his power to actually do something. Without the necessary money, Francis had his hands tied and could not even take care of his aging father.
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“Why did you act the way you did this morning?”
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE SECOND BALL
“Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.”
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
The Town of Hawkesbury
Earlier in the day…
The day of the ball had arrived quickly, and Charlotte put all her efforts into looking perfect for the evening. She had chosen a light yellow gown, which had delicate white leaves scattered all over the skirt. The light color of the dress was in a beautiful contrast with her dark hair and made her skin shine. All she was missing now was a matching yellow ribbon for her hair.
“Mother?” She walked into the living room. “I need to walk to the town.”
“Alone?” Baroness Roberts asked with a tone of disapproval.
“No, I was hoping for Emma or Jane to come with me,” Charlotte offered.
Regency Romance: To Love A Viscount (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 5
