“So, Lady Roberts,” Lady Margaret spoke to her as soon as the introductions were over. “You are an old friend of the family?”
A cold tremor crawled down her back, but her expression showed no distress. “No, Lady Margaret, this is the first time we’ve come here,” Charlotte answered slowly, feeling George’s gaze on her.
“In that case, I hope we become good friends,” the other woman offered her a sweet smile, looking suggestively at George, and making it clear that she had every intention to become a part of his family.
“That would be very nice,” Charlotte answered.
“George,” the lady said. She suddenly turned towards him. He was sitting between Jane and Charlotte, facing Lady Margaret. “I hope that you liked the book I sent to you.” She was smiling with the most enticing smile Charlotte had ever seen. “It took me so long to choose it for you.”
“You sent me a romance novel, Margaret,” the man looked pensively at her as if he was answering a philosophical question. “I don’t read that kind of literature.”
Lady Margaret’s smile disappeared. His well-measured words and the apparent lack of praise disappointed her. Charlotte could tell that she had put effort into choosing the book for him, hoping to establish a real connection with him. Emma moved uncomfortably in her seat, looking from one to the other and not sure what to say.
“What kind of books do you enjoy reading, Lady Charlotte?” Lady Margaret suddenly turned towards her. Charlotte noticed that George closed his eyes in desperation. “Don’t you like the modern romances and mystery novels? Don’t they tell such amazing stories?”
“Actually,” Charlotte answered, her tone sincere, “I prefer reading the classics and history books about other continents and nations. My father has a vast library. I use it to expand my knowledge.”
Charlotte had spoken with such enthusiasm about her special interest in books that she didn’t notice at first the way Lady Margaret was looking at her. The other woman’s expression was horrified, and there was no warmth in her ice cold smile.
“You don’t like romance!” Lady Margaret repeated it as if it was the most shocking discovery she’d made in her life. “This is the first time I’ve heard of a young lady who doesn’t enjoy reading about mystery and love.”
“Oh, Lady Margaret,” Jane joined the conversation. “Charlotte has always been about the serious stuff. She has been reading serious books since we were children. Don’t be upset about it. You and I will continue to read about secret lovers and scary mysteries. That is what matters. I remember Charlotte once saying that life is not a romance novel.”
The glass of wine trembled in George’s hand. Charlotte almost choked on her food.
“Just like George,” Lady Margaret said.
“Miss Jane is right,” George said, his eyes hard to read, but his expression serious enough to discourage all other talk on the subject. “People are free to have their own taste in books.”
A cold silence descended over the room, and Jane had to make a lot of effort to change the conversation and make everyone smile again. George was the only one who remained calm. Lady Margaret kept looking pensively at him and then at Charlotte, making her feel uncomfortable.
The surprising simplicity of what had happened had a strong effect on everyone, and despite her previous decisions, Charlotte couldn’t ignore it. She had a lot in common with George, and somehow Lady Margaret had found out about it.
The rest of the dinner proceeded in a very cordial atmosphere, and Charlotte was increasingly surprised by George’s pleasant manners and hospitality towards her family. After dinner, George and Charlotte met by the window and had a very awkward conversation about their fathers. The whole situation was confused with Lady Margaret asking so many questions and Timothy watching them from the other side of the room.
On their way home, Timothy acted grumpy and rude, asking a lot of questions about George and why he had invited them for dinner. Charlotte gave him the best explanation she could without mentioning the meeting by the lake and underlining the fact that they both had ill fathers.
As soon as they arrived home, Charlotte waited for everyone to get into the house and asked Timothy to talk to her. “Timothy,” she said to him. “I noticed that you seem to be angry with me. May I ask why?”
“Yes,” the man said promptly. “I am angry because I don’t appreciate you conversing so freely with other men. I noticed how you acted around George Geoffrays and I want to know if there is something going on between the two of you.”
Charlotte couldn’t believe what he was saying. She was too surprised by his claims on her freedom to talk to others. “Lord Geoffrays is an acquaintance of mine. That is all,” she said calmly. “And I don’t appreciate you telling me who to talk to, Timothy.”
Moreland House
Three days later around tea time, Lord George Geoffrays and Marquis James Bunting arrived at Moreland House for a visit. Baroness Roberts was very happy to welcome them into her home, and soon everyone was sitting around the table drinking tea and eating cake. Timothy was the only one acting hostile and unhappy about the visit and Charlotte felt almost ashamed of him.
“Lord Geoffrays,” her mother said to her guest. “I don’t know if my girls told you, but Mr. Timothy Roberts is Charlotte’s fiancé.”
Charlotte wondered what made her mother say that right then, and looked at Timothy, who seemed to be becoming even bigger in his seat, his head raised and his eyes are looking at George Geoffrays. George, on the other hand, took another sip of his tea and left the cup on the table before answering.
“I heard the news, my lady,” he said politely. “I already congratulated Lady Roberts and Baron Roberts on their engagement.”
“It might seem that we are in a bit of a hurry, but as you know my husband is not feeling well, and it will make him very happy to see at least one of his daughters married,” Baroness Roberts continued to explain while George preferred to look at Charlotte.
After everyone was seated, Charlotte dared to look at George and was surprised to see that he was also looking at her. Charlotte quickly avoided his eyes, glad that her mother and Jane were talking loudly about the mischief they had gotten into as children. Her mother gave her a meaningful look as if asking what was going on, and Charlotte responded by raising her shoulders slightly, completely at a loss about what made the gentlemen visit her home.
Timothy and James had a long conversation about the past while the women focused their talk on fashion and the latest gossip of the high society. Emma was the one in possession of all the latest news about all the ladies and gentlemen who fell in love and married. Baroness Roberts wasn’t one to search for gossip, but when she was given the chance she liked to listen to stories about the outside world and in a strange way to keep in touch with the people she called her friends.
Charlotte made sure to stay as far away from George as possible, but there was no getting away from his stare. She had the impression that his eyes were constantly following her. Charlotte noticed that her mother was aware of that fact too, and hoped that when their guests left, she would have an explanation for her. After all, he had almost entirely ignored her when she went to his home, and now he seemed unable to stop looking at her.
Charlotte felt the color rising to her face and quickly put the teacup to her lips. This time, George’s stare felt like a sword piercing her heart.
After the tea was over, the Roberts girls and the three gentlemen went out for a walk in the woods, leaving Baroness Roberts to keep company with her husband. Without thinking, Charlotte headed for the spot where George had seen her cry only a few days ago, and it seemed natural for him to do the same.
“Your father is not getting better,” the gentleman stated when they stood side by side.
“No, he is not,” Charlotte admitted sadly. “I hope that at least your father will have some more time.”
“Thank you, Lady Charlotte,” he bowed and then turned to look at her. “Your
fiancé…”
“Timothy is not the man I thought he was,” Charlotte both interrupted him and said something she wasn’t supposed to say. “He is growing hostile, and he is trying to control me in everything I do.”
“That is not right.” George seemed to be angry with him. “No gentleman should be treating a lady in that way.”
“Thank you for saying that…”
“Why don’t you speak with your father?” George offered. “He might be able to explain to your fiancé how he should be behaving.”
“My father is so weak lately,” Charlotte shook her head. “And I found a letter addressed to his doctor and written by Timothy. I don’t know why, but that letter worries me. Timothy has no contact with the doctor, and I don’t understand what he has to tell him.”
“Maybe he is asking about your father’s health?” George was puzzled too but didn’t want to worry her more.
“Why not talk to Doctor Smith when he comes to the house then? The doctor comes almost every other day. Why did he need to write to him and hide the letter in between the books?”
“Your question is a valid one, Lady Charlotte, but I don’t have an answer to it,” George said, feeling sorry for her and thinking that she might be imagining things.
“Charlotte! Charlotte!” they both heard Emma calling. “Come back to the house. Father is not feeling well.”
“I am coming,” Charlotte called back and then stopped abruptly when George took hold of her hand.
“Lady Charlotte, you know that I am always here for you…” he said softly.
She nodded.
“I remember…” George started saying and then stopped again.
A heavy silence followed. Charlotte couldn’t help wondering what he remembered, but didn’t have the courage to ask. Secretly, she looked at him under her lashes, her eyes shining with curiosity. George headed back towards the house, trying to pretend that nothing had really happened, but she noticed that he was no longer calm. He was walking nervously.
The awkward silence continued until they reached the house.
“He is not doing fine,” Baroness Roberts said from her place near her husband’s bed. “I already sent for the doctor, but I think that we should say our goodbyes, my dears, in case this is the end.”
Baron Roberts looked fragile lying in his bed with his eyes closed. George left the family to have some private moments with him. He and James waited in the living room and saw the doctor come and then exit the room, probably ready to go home. George thought of asking him about the patient’s condition and followed the doctor out of the house, only to see the man talking to Timothy Roberts just outside the living room windows. Without actually meaning to, George approached them and overheard part of their conversation.
“He is not going to last much longer,” Doctor Smith said. “The medicine is doing its job quickly.”
“You said that last week,” Timothy protested angrily in a loud whisper. “I did everything you told me to and he is still alive.”
“His body is strong, Baron Roberts,” the Doctor explained. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go.”
George was stunned by what he had just overheard. The conversation between Timothy and the doctor was not only a suspicious one. It implied a premeditated murder.
20
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“Mr. Timothy Roberts has been paying me to drug his uncle, Baron Roberts, so that he would grow ill and die.”
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CHAPTER TWENTY
THE ROGUE FIANCE
Moreland House
“May I ask, gentlemen, what you are talking about?” George stepped forward and asked the two men. “I demand an explanation immediately.”
Startled, Timothy ran towards the house without a word of answer and George and the Doctor watched him run in and then out with his luggage in the matter of minutes. He left the Moreland House as quickly as possible, without answering any questions or speaking to anyone. Timothy Roberts acted like a criminal, but George let him go, thinking that the doctor was more important at the moment. The doctor, attempted to leave as well, but George wouldn’t let him go so quickly.
“Doctor Smith,” he said in his most serious tone of voice. “I am not going to pretend that I didn’t hear what you two were talking about, so please explain everything to me.”
The older man lowered his head in shame and spoke slowly. “Mr. Timothy Roberts has been paying me to drug his uncle, Baron Roberts, so that he would grow ill and die.”
“And Timothy can get his hands on Moreland,” George concluded, disgusted with both of them.
“Yes,” the doctor admitted, ashamed of himself. “Mr. Timothy Roberts has lost almost everything he had playing cards and is in desperate need of money. He doesn’t have the patience to wait for his uncle to die of old age and hired me to help him.”
“Do you do things like this often, Doctor Smith?” George asked him sarcastically. “Are all of your patients treated the same way? Is my father also one of your victims?”
“No,” the doctor protested sincerely. “No, this is the only time I have ever done something like this. Timothy Roberts knows some things about me. He was both blackmailing me and paying me to do the job.”
“How could you agree to do something like that? You almost killed a good man and ruined his family. And to think that Timothy Roberts is also engaged to one of his daughters.”
“Oh, he has no intention of ever marrying Lady Charlotte,” the doctor said quickly. “The engagement simply gave him the opportunity to stay here longer and to urge me to end Baron Roberts as quickly as possible. I stalled the inevitable for weeks now, but lately Timothy started giving him more drugs.”
“Why are you telling me all this now?” George asked, surprised at how easily the doctor spoke about his crimes. “If this wasn’t something you wanted, why didn’t you go to the authorities?”
“I am going to prison now and all I want is for the man who is responsible for all this to go there too,” the doctor said, seeming very honest. “I am sorry, Lord Geoffrays.”
George nodded and escorted Doctor Smith back into the house, where he asked James to look after him and not let him leave the room. Then he found a servant and sent him to bring in the local authorities and to ask Doctor Kurk, the town’s other doctor, to come quickly. Only then did he go into Baron Roberts’ room. His wife and daughters were still sitting on his bed, praying and trying to comfort him so George was able to talk to everyone at once.
“I am sorry to come to you in such a moment, Baron Roberts, but I have something vital to say to all of you. Only half an hour ago, I happened to overhear a conversation between your nephew and Doctor Smith. When I confronted the two of them about what I heard, your nephew ran from the house, and James is now making sure the doctor doesn’t do the same.”
“What are you saying, Lord Geoffrays?” Baroness Roberts asked, her eyes wide.
“Doctor Smith has been giving harmful drugs to your husband at the request of Mr. Timothy Roberts so that his illness would get worse quickly. He is after the estate and the house, and according to the doctor, he has no intentions of marrying Lady Charlotte.”
“Oh, God, this is so horribly wrong!” Baroness Roberts exclaimed. “He is part of our family!”
“I am sorry for having to tell you all of these things, but I think that it is for the best that you know now so that you can take the necessary measures. I already sent for the authorities and for another doctor to come and examine Baron Roberts and the medicines he has been prescribed. I hope that there will be a cure for him.”
By the end of his speech, everyone was crying and thanking him for his great effort. Charlotte realized that George had saved her father’s life and felt that no words of thanks were enough to express her gratitude. The authorities arrived. George and James left shortly after, leaving the family alone.
Charlotte was heartbroken.
Not only her father’s life had been at risk, but she was also still engaged to Timothy and had no idea where he was. The truth was that no other man was going to look at her, and least of all want to marry her, while she was still engaged to someone else.
The next morning, the atmosphere in Moreland House had changed. Everybody was excited by the news that their father was going to get well. The new doctor had been able to stop the effect of the drugs and to prevent his kidneys from failing.
There was still hope for a happy future for all of them, Charlotte thought sadly while watching her father eat some chicken soup with a smile on his face. Timothy was still nowhere to be found, and the authorities had warned them that they might never find him. There were a lot of options for a young, unattached man like him to disappear and everyone suspected that he would be doing just that.
Two weeks after the tragic events, Doctor Smith was taken to prison. The new doctor was slowly nursing Baron Roberts back to health. Charlotte had already witnessed her father making a few tentative steps on his own, and that filled her heart with happiness. Baron Roberts had also taken care of all business related to the estate and its inheritance, and after what Timothy Roberts had tried to do, the magistrates were willing to change the law.
Life continued its usual course, and soon there was another invitation to a ball, this time at Lady Margaret Gray’s house. Charlotte wanted to remain home, but her parents insisted that the ball was going to be a good distraction for her from all that had happened lately.
The palace where the dance was held was big and majestic. Charlotte thought that it was made that way to show the riches of the family and made sure to congratulate Lady Margaret for it. The house was full of guests, and it was hard for them to stay together, but thanks to Jane and her social skills, Charlotte was never left alone for too long.
Regency Romance: To Love A Viscount (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 10
