He approached her slowly and then jumped down from his horse with an elegant movement. Charlotte looked at him with wide eyes, still shining with tears. She made a move to stand up.
“Allow me to sit by your side, my lady,” George said softly.
“Lord Geoffrays!” Charlotte looked surprised to see him so close to her, but not displeased.
“I was taking a ride through the woods when I saw you crying. Are you feeling okay, Lady Roberts?” George sat down beside her, not waiting for her permission.
“I was thinking about my father,” Charlotte admitted tiredly, not willing to fight any longer. “My father is very ill, and the doctor gave him less than a year to live.”
George went still at her words, recognizing his situation in them and understanding how confused and sad she must be feeling all the time.
“My father has a serious heart problem and is also in danger of losing his life,” he shared. “I am trying my best to help him, but there is not much I can do. I am sorry to hear about your father, though.”
“Me too,” Charlotte looked at him through tears. “I am sorry…”
Without actually considering it beforehand, George took one of her hands and offered some comfort to the woman beside him. Charlotte didn’t pull back, and the two of them connected over the pain they felt for their sick fathers, both a little surprised to discover that they had something in common.
They spent almost an hour alone by the lake, sharing stories about their fathers and expressing their fears that they might lose them forever. George learned about how much Charlotte loved her father, and he told her how his father raised him all by himself after his mother’s death.
Both grow calmer after spending time together, and when it was time to part, Charlotte already considered him to be her friend.
16
.
.
.
“Yes, or he must love me so much that to be willing to change his way of life,”
.
.
.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE BALL WITH A PURPOSE
“As for admiration, it was always very welcome when it came, but she did not depend on it.”
Jane Austen
Bunting Manor
James rode back to his house in a better mood after his meeting with Miss Jane Roberts. That chance meeting had made him realize that there was still hope. It was not that he had fallen in love with Miss Jane, but she had certainly helped him to become stronger and more confident in himself.
“My Lord,” one of the servants greeted him at the door of the manor. “The Marchioness wants to see you right away.”
“Where is my mother?” James asked, his mind already losing a lot of the peace and quiet from before. “I thought that she was still resting.”
“Lady Eleanor is waiting for you in her sitting room, my Lord,” the servant answered.
“Thank you. I will go now,” James nodded, but in reality he did not want to go.
As the servant had said, Lady Eleanor was sitting in the sunny room, which she liked to use in the autumn and spring months. James walked in without knocking, his attention fixed on his mother’s serious face.
“James, I have been waiting for you,” Lady Eleanor said sternly. “Where were you?”
“I went for a morning ride,” James explained while sitting down and accepting a cup of tea from the maid. “What do you need me for?”
“I have decided to plan a ball for the next weekend,” his mother said calmly. “I am going to invite all the young ladies of the area. Lady Sarah already said that she is coming.”
“A ball? When did you manage to invite Lady Sarah? After all, this is the first time I’ve hear about it.” James asked with his mind full of images of young ladies in evening gowns.
“I met with Lady Sarah before I came here,” Lady Eleanor explained calmly. “The ball is especially for her, so I wanted to be sure that she will be there.”
James sighed in desperation, resigned that for the next week all he was going to hear about was the ball and Lady Sarah. His mother remained faithful to herself and continued to talk about her plans for the ball and Lady Sarah for the next hour. James listened to her with little interest, unable to comprehend his mother’s real motives.
The day of the ball arrived, and James was growing nervous about the situation with Lady Sarah. He still had no idea how she felt about his mother’s plan, and whether she knew about it. The Marquess had insisted that Lady Sarah would be very happy to become his wife, although she wanted James to be the one to pursue her.
On the day of the ball, the Bunting Manor quickly filled with guests and James had to spare some time for each one of them. However, even in the crowd, he was able to spot Jane Roberts straight away. The young lady was accompanied by her family, and nothing distinguished her from the multitude of women except for her grave expression.
James watched her from the other side of the ballroom and only half way through the evening was able to approach her and talk to her. When he approached her, Jane was talking to her two sisters while James’ friend George was talking to their father.
“James,” Charlotte was the first one to spot him. “This is an enjoyable evening.”
“Thank you, Charlotte,” James saluted her with an elegant bow. “I am glad that you like the ball my mother organized.”
James greeted everyone and made sure to stand closer to Jane. The young Miss Roberts was still solemn and talking very little. The Marquess wondered what was making her so sad, but did not have the courage to ask her straight away.
“Miss Jane,” he said instead. “I still remember your beautiful singing voice.”
“Oh,” Jane exclaimed. “It was a private moment, my Lord.”
“I am sorry, my Lady,” the gentleman made a small bow. “But, it was pure chance that I happened to walk in the woods where you were singing.”
Jane immediately felt sorry for her harsh tone and smiled at him. “I am the one who should say sorry,” she said, her previous irritation disappearing. “I have some problems of my own, and that stresses me too much.”
Jane was still under the impression of her last conversation with her parents. They had even brought her here to meet gentlemen and maybe even to fall in love with one of them. The Marquess had just chosen the wrong moment to mention her singing in the woods.
“I am sorry to hear that, but maybe tonight you will be able to enjoy the dancing and forget for a while about all the other problems,” the gentleman offered.
“That would be great,” Jane admitted and met his eyes across the short distance. “It is always good to have the opportunity to attend a gathering of this sort.”
“Do you enjoy dancing, Jane?” George asked. “I don’t remember seeing you dancing a lot.”
“My daughter is a magnificent dancer, George,” Baroness Roberts quickly joined the conversation. “I think that she is the best dancer of all my daughters.”
“Oh, mother,” Jane exclaimed shyly, while her sisters protested.
“You only say that because Jane is your favorite,” Emma complained without real heat. “But you are also right. Jane is a very elegant dancer.”
“Maybe you will do me the honor of dancing with me, my Lady,” James used the opportunity to spend some more time with Jane.
Everybody around them went silent, their eyes moving from one to the other. Jane felt uncomfortable, although she accepted his offer. James, on the other hand, did not care about the others and focused his attention on the beautiful woman beside him.
The dance finished too quickly for James, and he accompanied Miss Jane back to her family, where she sat down beside Emma. It had been a beautiful moment for him to have such a nice looking woman in his arms. Baroness Roberts had been right – Miss Jane was a good dancer.
“James,” the Marquess heard his mother call from behind. “Look who is searching for you.”
He turned around to find his mot
her and Lady Sarah walking towards him. Both women were dressed in beautiful evening gowns and were wearing expensive jewelry. Lady Sarah was a tall woman with blond hair and very light blue eyes. There were moments when James thought that her eyes were all white. Despite her eyes, Lady Sarah was a beautiful woman, and also very confident in herself.
“Lady Sarah, James made his best bow and even kissed her hand. “It is such an honor for us to have you here. I hope that you have a nice time.”
“Lord James,” the Lady Sarah returned the bow. “It is always nice to visit your beautiful home. Your mother, the Marchioness, was just telling me about how interested you were in my well-being.”
It took James a few moments to find the right words to answer this. “We have known each other since we were children,” he finally said.
“Yes, we have a few very good memories from our childhood,” Lady Sarah seemed unwilling to let the conversation die. James tried to answer her politely and welcomed her as a good, old friend, and at the end was also forced to ask her to dance.
“That is such a good idea,” Lady Eleanor commented with excitement. “You two make such a lovely couple.”
James almost stumbled at her words, but somehow managed to stay upright and offered his hand to Lady Sarah, who accepted it without hesitation. Together they approached the dance floor and prepared to dance.
“My mother told me that you were in London the last month,” he said when the dance started. “Was the weather good?”
“Oh, yes,” Lady Sarah answered, seeming completely disinterested in everything he had to say.
“Do you like spending your time in London or do you prefer the countryside?” James asked after a few more moments of silence. To him, it had always been clear that Lady Sarah and he had nothing in common except a few childhood memories.
The beautiful Lady Sarah was so different from him in character and priorities that they almost had nothing to say to each other. James remembered their childhood games and the way Sarah always managed to stay apart from the others, looking at the rest of them from above.
“There is nothing for me in the countryside,” Lady Sarah suddenly answered. “London is more sophisticated and appropriate for someone like me. I cannot see my future out here. I see myself living in London or Bath.”
“Therefore, your future husband must be someone who has the same aspirations,” James added, almost happy to hear her speak like that.
“Yes, or he must love me so much that to be willing to change his way of life,” Lady Sarah answered, and for the first time her eyes searched his. At that moment, however, the dance took them apart, and James had time to think about his answer.
“It is always important to consider carefully before you commit to a life together,” James said thoughtfully. “If two people are not compatible enough, their life together could turn out to be miserable.”
“The gentleman should adapt to what his wife needs in order to be happy,” Lady Sarah seemed to be very interested now in the conversation. Unfortunately, the dance ended, and James escorted her back to her friends, excusing himself and almost running away from her.
On the other side of the ballroom, Jane and her mother were sitting near one of the windows of the room in silence. The Baroness had already made clear her displeasure with Jane, and now was preparing for the next round.
“Why are you sitting here with me? Everybody else is dancing. You should be more open while talking to the gentlemen. You should flirt more while dancing.”
Jane could feel that her mother was growing more and more cross with her. The reason was always the same – Jane needed to marry, and she needed to marry soon.
“I am sorry, Mother,” Jane sounded genuine when she spoke. “It doesn’t feel right to me to act this way. I prefer to act according to my character and disposition.”
“Jane, dear, there are times when a young lady doesn’t have a lot of choices,” the Baroness said, this time softly, her eyes full of love. “I understand your shyness and your need to fall in love, but no matter how much I want the same for you, neither of us can have it right now.”
“Yes, Mother I understand,” Jane whispered, her hands trembling slightly.
17
.
.
.
That is it! Charlotte thought. He is going to ask for my hand in marriage.
.
.
.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE SUSPECT PROPOSAL
“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us.”
Jane Austen
Moreland House
After her conversation with George Geoffrays, Charlotte felt much calmer and looked almost philosophically at the future in front of her. Lord Geoffrays had insisted that death wasn’t the end and that both of their fathers were going to continue to live in their children’s hearts and in the good deeds, they had committed during their lives. His optimism had helped her to accept the inevitable and to find the strength to show a happy face in front of her father so that his last days with them could be happy too.
The next few days, Charlotte saw her father almost melt in front of her eyes, and realized that the end was near. Determined to fulfill his last wish, she decided to move quickly with Timothy and to secure the future of her family. She waited for her cousin to remain alone in the garden that very evening and joined him for a walk.
“My dear, Charlotte, I see that our minds work in the same way. I always like to take a walk in the evenings. It relaxes me and helps me to sleep well.” Timothy started talking as soon as she joined him. “There is not much room for walking in the garden back home, but here everything is so spacious that I simply cannot resist.”
He continued to talk in the same way for a while longer, not caring if Charlotte wanted to comment on something or add anything to the conversation. Resigned that this part of his character was incorrigible, she only half listened to him, while debating how to make him propose sooner. In the end, it turned out that she didn’t need to do anything, as Timothy did all the work by himself.
“Charlotte,” he said when they reached the farthest section of the garden. “I know that it is too soon and that the moment is not the best for it, but I really cannot wait any longer.”
That is it! Charlotte thought. He is going to ask for my hand in marriage.
“You know how much I admire your beauty and your accomplishments, and how I am a good person who doesn’t want to see his cousins left on the streets without a way to support themselves. That is why I am asking for your hand in marriage. I promise to take good care of you.”
Mr. Timothy Roberts stood in his full glory in front of her, one of his hands behind his back and the other making gesture after gesture to give more power to his words. In his short speech, he somehow managed to both offend and compliment her, but Charlotte chose to forget about the first one and simply accept his proposal.
“Thus,” he surprised her saying. “I think that your answer can be only one.”
Charlotte felt as if he had just slapped her across the face and almost said no, just so that he could learn a valuable lesson, but then the faces of her mother, father, and sisters passed in front of her eyes and she lowered her head in defeat.
“Yes,” she whispered. “It would be a great honor for me to become your wife.”
“Good,” the gentleman slapped his hands together and turned towards the house. “Now that we have settled that, let’s go back in to share the news with your family.”
Charlotte was stunned by his behavior. Timothy acted as if they had just conducted a business deal, as if their engagement was something insignificant. He hadn’t touched her, he hadn’t spoken about love, he hadn’t said anything about mutual respect. That was the worst possible proposal she could ever have imagined, and yet she ha
d said yes and was now walking towards her home to give the good news to her family.
“Dear aunt and uncle, dear cousins,” Timothy announced proudly. “I just proposed to my lovely cousin Charlotte, and she accepted my offer to become my wife.”
“Oh, that is excellent news,” Baroness Roberts exclaimed and hurried to embrace her daughter. “I am so happy for you, Charlotte. I am sure that Timothy is going to make you jubilant.”
Everyone in her family was very happy and excited for the union. Even her father was smiling that evening, feeling relieved that his family was going to be protected when he departed. Charlotte wanted to be happy, but Timothy and his pompous announcement had ruined it for her.
That night, Charlotte found it impossible to fall asleep and went to the library to look for a book to read. She took her time taking out book after book and then putting them back on the shelves. A book of music caught her attention, and she sat down to look through it when a piece of paper fell on the floor. Charlotte bent down to retrieve it and put it back inside the book, thinking that it was one of the music sheets, she so loved to play, when she noticed that it was a letter waiting to be sent. She recognized Timothy’s handwriting and Doctor Smith’s name and address.
During the time Timothy had been staying with them, the doctor had come to visit four times, but as far as she could remember, the two of them had never met. So, if Timothy had never really met the doctor, why was he writing to him? She had no idea what the answer to that question was, but decided to leave the letter where she found it and ask Timothy about it some other time.
Graystone Manor
Regency Romance: To Love A Viscount (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 8
