Charlotte took the paper from Joshua and opened it. She read the lengthy description of everything the estate manager had discovered that morning and early afternoon, not surprised about any of Garrett’s findings. It was almost a relief to know that what she had guessed was really true.
There was no dowry.
Her cousin had seen to that. But her father’s shrewdness had at least saved Ellsworth Park from Nicholas. She puzzled over the last line of writing, though, and looked up to find Joshua watching her.
“He will see to Nicholas’ arrest?” she questioned, not understanding. “Did he obtain the funds from my father’s accounts … illegally?”
Joshua wet his lips and reached over to take one of Charlotte’s hands in his. “Probably not, but he did hire a man to set fire to Wisborough Oaks.”
Charlotte was up and holding a hand over her mouth before Joshua could react. He stood as well, watching as Charlotte figured it out for herself, her changing expressions suggesting she was about to be sick or to faint.
“He knew you were here, of course. You said so yourself. Do you think he intended for you ..?”
“Yes, I am sure he did,” Charlotte interrupted, her voice quite harsh. Her head was bobbing up and down, her anger barely in check. “He gambled away my dowry and knew I would … I would harangue him for the rest of his days for it,” she explained in her barely controlled anger, tears threatening again.
Joshua reached out and placed a hand on one of her arms, pulling her gently toward him. “May I commit an act of impropriety?” he wondered, seeing her distress and wanting to ease it as much as he could. At her confused expression, he wrapped his other arm around the back of her waist and pulled her against his body, allowing her face to rest in the small of his left shoulder. She felt a mix of horror – at learning her cousin would sooner see her dead by a fire than deal with her wrath – and amusement at Joshua. The man had come to her bedchamber for two nights now to sleep with her, cradling her against the warmth and hardness of his naked body, presumedly to see to it she did not further hurt herself during her sleep.
A simple hug in the garden seemed very innocent in comparison.
He held her like that for several minutes, gently rubbing the small of her back and kissing her hair. After a time, he lowered his arms and then his entire body to the ground, kneeling before her. He took her left hand in his. “Lady Charlotte Bingham,” he said, a very serious expression appearing on his face. “Would you do me the honor of being my wife?” he asked gently.
Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise. How dare he do this now? she thought in dismay. “I have no dowry!” she countered defensively, nearly stamping a foot to make her point.
Joshua hadn’t expected her reaction and suddenly wasn’t sure what to do. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a ring, a gold band with a single sapphire mounted on it. Sliding it on the fourth finger of her left hand, he raised his eyebrows and regarded her. “And I don’t care,” he answered truthfully.
Left speechless, Charlotte stared down at her hand as if seeing it for the first time. Her other hand moved to cover her mouth. “Oh, Joshua,” she murmured, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Is that a yes?” he wondered, still looking up at her. He had begun to squint, what with the setting sun directly in his eyes, and now his bent leg was protesting.
Charlotte reached down and helped to pull him up. “Yes,” she said quietly. “Yes, yes, yes.”
“Make it one more ‘yes’ and I’ll marry you Saturday,” Joshua offered, a glint in his eye.
My birthday! “Yes!” Charlotte shouted happily, her arms wrapping around Joshua to hug him so hard it nearly hurt. “Oh, I thought you would never ask,” Charlotte murmured into the fabric of his topcoat. She inhaled deeply, reveling in the scent of sandalwood and brandy and citrus.
Joshua nearly chuckled, but he knew the sound would be caught in his throat. He’d almost asked her last night while he was brushing her hair. How different things would be today if he had!
What would Gisborn have done if he found his betrothed already affianced? Perhaps the man would have made a vocal protest before leaving in anger. This way, at least, the earl had left, although disappointed, on good terms with both Charlotte and him. And there had been the implication that in being given the lands in Oxfordshire, Gisborn would be a good steward so that part of them might one day be a suitable home for one or more of Charlotte’s children.
My children, he realized suddenly, the thought a very humbling one.
“If you allow it, I would like to inform Mrs. Gates as soon as possible. She seems to think there is much to be done to prepare for a wedding,” Joshua said in a teasing voice, not adding that he thought the woman had been planning his wedding ever since the fire.
“Of course,” Charlotte replied, her head nodding against his coat. “And I must write to my parents. Would it be agreeable with your if I invited them to the ceremony?” Her head had come away from his chest to look up at him.
Joshua smiled and inhaled deeply. “Of course. And might I invite Grandby?” he wondered, thinking their mutual godfather should be present as a witness.
“Oh, yes,” Charlotte breathed, her smile broadening. “And where will we marry?” she wondered then. “What about a license?”
Smiling, Joshua rubbed her lower back in assurance. “There is a chapel up in Plaistow,” he explained, “And a marriage license in my pocket.” He heard as well as felt Charlotte’s breath catch.
“When ..?” she wondered, her brows furrowing as she considered his words.
“Yesterday. I paid a visit to the archdeacon whilst I was in Chichester,” Joshua whispered. “I nearly asked you last night, but …” Charlotte’s breath caught again, and she finally left it out slowly.
“All this time … you were willing to marry me?” she asked in a quiet voice, wondering when he had changed his mind about matrimony. And to think, I might have agreed to the Earl of Gisborn’s proposal!
“I am now, and that is all that matters,” he replied carefully, still not satisfied that his marriage would be one of convenience and not one based on love, or at the very least, affection.
Charlotte stiffened, but nodded her understanding. Finally looking up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears, she lifted herself on her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Wainwright, I shall do everything in my power to be the best wife you could ever hope for,” she whispered.
Joshua’s eyebrows cocked and he regarded her for a moment. “You can start by calling me ‘Joshua’ when we are alone,” he replied with just the slightest hint of humor. His lips found hers then, fitting to them in a gentle kiss that he slowly deepened when he felt her arms reach up to wrap around his shoulders. He felt her wince as her movement stretched her wound. Reaching up with his hands, he took hers from his body and lowered them gently, and then finally ended the kiss by pulling away.
“There is much to do,” he said, a bit breathless. Kissing her hair, he bowed and quickly left the garden, leaving behind a very startled and somewhat befuddled bride-to-be.
Chapter 26
Lady Charlotte Meets Miss Wethersby
Back in her bedchamber, Lady Charlotte moved to the window where workman from the west wing restoration project had replaced the broken glass that morning. The hinged panes, clearer than the single pane that had shattered in the explosion, afforded her a view to the east that was bucolic and bright under a cloudless sky. Remembering her ride with Joshua, she tried to find the various landmarks they had passed, her eye finally stopping on the dowager cottage. Expecting to see it sitting quietly amongst a few trees and next to the creek that wound its way through the estate, she was startled to see instead several wagons and people moving about. She found herself wishing she had a quizzing glass and then chided herself – it would be entirely inappropriate to spy on whomever was working at the cottage.
Having completed enough design decisions on a few rooms in the west win
g to stay ahead of the work crew, she had taken her leave of the project and come to her room to get a bonnet and pelisse. Given the events of the day before, she wanted time to think and a chance to reflect on what had happened, and she thought a late afternoon walk would allow her to do both.
A brief note to her parents had been dispatched the night before, along with a letter Joshua had written to the Earl of Torrington, informing them of their upcoming nuptials. Despite his assurances that Joshua didn’t expect a dowry in exchange for marrying her, Charlotte still felt as if he was being cheated out of what was rightfully his. Garrett’s most recent note from London confirmed the information that the Earl of Gisborn had provided, but it hinted that he might learn more upon visiting her parents. That would have happened sometime yesterday, she thought.
Curious about the work at the cottage, Charlotte donned her bonnet and pelisse and headed out the front door, waving to Gates as she did so. She considered finding a maid to walk with her, but the ground she’d be covering was mostly open and in view from the main house.
The ten minutes it took her to reach the cottage went by quickly as she watched the activity. Her reason for going on the walk was long forgotten when she noticed that, in addition to the three wagons lined up on the flagstones, their horses now hobbled and enjoying the grass alongside the drive, the duke’s coach was parked there, too. Workmen were carrying furniture and crates into the house. What is going on here? she wondered, suddenly a bit concerned. When two footmen removed a trunk from the back of the coach, a groom climbed into the seat and set the coach in motion, apparently to take it back to the carriage house. Although she didn’t recognize any of the laborers, they nodded in her direction as they busied themselves with their burdens. When Garrett McElliott appeared on the cottage’s stoop, he noticed her and waved. Charlotte hurried toward him as he stepped down onto the pavers that led to the cottage from the drive. He bowed and took her hand after she curtsied.
“Lady Charlotte,” Garrett said as he brought her hand to his lips and gave her a quick peck. “Are best wishes in order?” he asked as he lowered her hand. There was a carefree attitude about him, his grin making him appear much like he did when Charlotte first met him at a ball.
At least the events of the last few days did not seem to wear on him, Charlotte considered as she blushed in response to his question. “He asked. I said ‘yes,’ of course,” she replied with a broad smile. “We’re to be married this Saturday.”
The estate manager allowed a grin. “Then I am in good company,” he stated. At Charlotte’s confused look, he added, “I asked. She said ‘yes’. And we’ll marry Saturday morning, as well.”
Charlotte blinked. “You’re … getting married?” she replied, her flushed face brightening. “Is this … rather sudden?” she wondered, knowing her question was a bit inappropriate. “Pardon me. I didn’t know you were courting anyone.”
Garrett took a deep breath. “Truth be told, I have thought of no one but my Jane for some time now. And I believe it’s time I made her my wife. I could not imagine her with another without …” He stopped, his face coloring up as he realized to whom he was making his confession.
“Feeling very jealous?” Charlotte finished for him. At his reluctant nod, she added, “I wish you very happy. Joshua must be happy … relieved to know he is not the only one about to be leg shackled. He’ll appreciate the company,” she teased, a brilliant smile appearing.
“Might I make a request of you?” he wondered, a flash of worry suddenly crossing his face.
Charlotte’s eyes widened as she regarded the estate manager. “Why, of course. What is it, Garrett?” she asked, trying hard not to notice the rather tall woman who suddenly appeared in the doorway of the dower house.
“I have not yet told His Grace about my plans to marry … and to … occupy the dower house,” he said with a lowered voice, pursing his lips. Color flushed his face, highlighting the embarrassment he felt at having surreptitiously moved into the cottage without so much as a word to Joshua about him even being back at Wisborough Oaks.
A slow smile spread over Charlotte’s face. “And I will not be the one to tell him. But only if you introduce me to the lovely lady whom I see behind you,” she teased, her smile widening as she took in the sight of Jane Wethersby – a tall, willowy blonde wearing a white apron over a blue muslin round gown. The woman, who appeared a bit older than Charlotte, had a tentative smile on her face as she wiped her hands on her apron. But what drew Charlotte’s attention wasn’t the woman’s beauty – she was classically beautiful, Charlotte thought, with her heart-shaped face and large almond eyes, full lips and high cheekbones – but the bruise below the woman’s eye.
“There’s someone I’d like you to meet, Lady Charlotte,” Garrett started to say as he waved toward Jane, his face breaking into a full-blown smile.
“Did you hit her?” Charlotte bit out, her anger so sudden it startled even her.
Garrett’s head snapped back as if he’d been the one hit. “What? No, no, of course not,” he replied quickly, his brows furrowing. Overhearing the accusation, Jane gasped and lifted a hand to cover her face. “I would never …”
“How dare you strike a woman?” Charlotte retorted, interrupting Garret as her fists clenched at her sides. So overcome was she with anger that her vision began to gray at the edges. Never in the time she had known Garrett McElliott would she suspect him of lifting a finger to do harm to a woman!
“He did not hit me, milady,” Jane said, her alarm evident as she hurried to Garrett’s side, her head shaking from side to side. Garrett wrapped an arm around Jane’s waist and pulled her against his side. “Truly,” she added. She curtsied then, the movement made awkward from Garrett having a hold on her. “Milady.”
Charlotte turned her attention back to the woman, her lips compressed into a line as she took in this information and suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment. The difference in their height to hers only magnified how small she felt at that moment. “Oh,” she managed before covering her mouth with a hand for a moment. “I apologize. Mr. McElliott, please accept my apology. I don’t know … why I … it was horrible of me to think ill of you …”
In all of her training to be a duchess, nothing could have prepared her for a situation like this. Before being whipped, she probably would not have reacted so, she realized. The feeling of helplessness she’d felt that night was like no other, and she did not wish to experience it again. Nor did she want another woman to, for that matter.
If she’d been nervous at the prospect of meeting the future Duchess of Chichester, Jane was now at a loss to know what to do to help alleviate the lady’s obvious embarrassment.
Garrett sighed. “Apology accepted, Lady Charlotte.” He paused an awkward moment before adding, “Lady Charlotte, I’d like you to meet Miss Jane Wethersby. Miss Wethersby has agreed to be my wife,” he stated, watching closely as Jane waited for Charlotte to either hold out a hand to shake hers or to nod in acknowledgment.
Charlotte did neither.
She threw her arms around Jane, their height difference forcing Jane to bend down a bit as she let out an “Oh, aye,” and giggled nervously.
“Oh, and where are my manners?” Charlotte asked rhetorically as she stepped back a bit. “It’s so very good to make your acquaintance, Miss Wethersby. I do hope we can be friends,” she said as she held out her right hand and shook Jane’s. She couldn’t help but notice that Jane’s fingers were long and slender, their nails manicured to even ovals. A gold band with sapphires adorned her fourth finger.
Jane nodded, a wave of relief washing over her as she decided living near a duke wouldn’t be as intimidating as she’d first thought. Charlotte turned to Garrett. “And just where have you been keeping her?” she asked in a tone that suggested Garrett had been deliberately hiding his fiancée. She reached up to give him a quick hug.
His grin returning, Garrett pulled Jane’s hand into the crook of his elbow. “Mi
ss Wethersby has been living in London. She was a faro banker and a vingt-et-un dealer. His Grace and I played many games at her table these past couple of years,” he explained proudly, not realizing how his words would sound to Charlotte.
“He lost a good deal of money, is what he really means,” Jane put in quickly, a slight Scottish lilt apparent in her voice. “But he’s gettin’ it all back by marrying me,” she added with an arched eyebrow, her teasing making Garrett redden but grin self-consciously. The steady whistle of a boiling teakettle sounded from the cottage. “Oh, that’ll be the water for tea. Will you join us for tea, milady?” she asked then. “We’re a bit late with it today, what with moving in and all.”
Charlotte smiled, deciding she rather liked Garrett’s intended. “Yes, of course. And do call me Charlotte,” she urged as they moved to the cottage. The last of the furniture had been unloaded from two of the wagons and was already placed in the small dower house. Marveling at the quality and craftsmanship of the pieces, Charlotte wondered if they belonged to Garrett or to Jane. An Aubusson carpet, fairly new or, at least, not very worn, covered nearly all the wood planks that made up the front room floor. The velvet settee was finer than any in the main house. A low table made of cherry was placed in front of it, and another cherry side table stood next to a side chair. Accessories had already been unpacked and positioned about the room, as if everything in the room had been designed specifically for the space.
Charlotte noticed a large sheet of foolscap laid out on a Chippendale dining table, a floor plan of the cottage drawn on it. Someone had used a piece of charcoal to draw the pieces of furniture on the floor plan, and now those pieces were all placed to match what was shown on the plan. Garrett’s work, no doubt, she realized. She’d been working with drawings just like this one in her work on the main house.
The Grace of a Duke Page 24
