A Rogue's Courtship: Clean Regency Romance Collection

by Madeline St. James

  “Oh please, do call me Rebecca. Charlotte has told me so much about you in her letters.”

  “Don’t hold your breath, Rebecca. I’ve been asking Bitty to call me Charlotte for the last few years, and it is still always Ms. Rose,” Charlotte joked.

  Rebecca smiled and said, “well, when you raise five children, you learn all about selective hearing. If you stop answering to Ms. Rose, she’ll resort to calling you by your familiar name.”

  “Unlikely.” Charlotte grinned at Bitty, who chuckled. At that moment, the older children came running into the house.

  “Mama, Mama, there’s a carriage!” The two oldest were boys, followed by a teetering toddler chasing after her brothers. The two babies were asleep in bassinets in the corner.

  “Thomas, Marcus, Elizabeth, this is your Aunt Charlotte. She’s come all the way from London for a visit.”

  The children looked at Charlotte and Bitty with wide eyes. Charlotte smiled and pulled three bits of sweets from the pocket of her cloak. She had purchased them the day before at the town they were staying in. She had never met her nieces and nephews, but when they reached their grubby little hands for the candy, she was glad to have brought treats for them.

  “Where are your manners?” Rebecca’s voice was soft but firm. Immediately, all three children said thank you through mouthfuls of sticky candy. Charlotte smiled, instantly glad she had made the trip out to Wales. Here she would have a bit of a respite from the rigors of the ton. She might even be able to talk everything through with Rebecca about her current predicament, and ask for advice on what she should do next. Charlotte went to bed and for the first night in a long time, she slept soundly without waking to her own inner anxiety and worries about the future.

  After a week, Charlotte fell into a routine with Rebecca and Bitty. They worked together to round up the children and school them, or help out around the shop to dust the shelves. On the weekend when Mr. Davenport was in the shop and they were free to scrub the apartments, Charlotte got the opportunity to speak with Rebecca about her plight. That morning, Mr. Davenport remarked over breakfast that the local papers were reporting the divorce of one Commander Daniel Richards and his wayward wife, Lady Richards.

  “For shame on all of them. Mistresses involved. Missing fishermen in the north who’s the cause of such racket with the Mrs.,” Mr. Davenport muttered. Charlotte looked at Bitty, who raised her eyebrows in response. Rebecca seemed preoccupied with the younger of the two babies who had been rather colicky that morning.

  “Begging your pardon, Ma’am, why don’t you let me take the wee one off your hands for a spell. The baby was up all night, was he not?” Bitty offered, holding out her arms. Rebecca didn’t even hesitate before handling the small crying bundle over. Whatever Bitty did for children, the effect was almost instantaneous. She held the child to her chest and rubbed his small back. “There, there,” Bitty cooed.

  Charlotte followed Rebecca out of the room as Bitty sat and rocked the baby. When they were alone, she took a deep breath and said, “I’m Commander Richards mistress, Rebecca.”

  Rebecca froze. At first, Charlotte was afraid she was going to throw her out. After a moment, her sister nodded and beckoned Charlotte to follow her. When they were alone, she sat Charlotte down on a wooden chair and then sat across from her. “Tell me everything, Charlotte.” Before Charlotte knew it, she was pouring out the entire story to her older sister who listened intently and waited for her to finish. Once she was done, Rebecca sighed and pulled her into a hug. Charlotte let herself be held as she waited for the chastising to come, but it never did. “I’m so sorry all of this has happened to you. You never once indicated in your letters how unhappy you were with Mr. Rose. I mean, I can imagine what that must have been like, but then when you lost Daniel…”

  “It’s no one’s fault but our own, Rebecca. I knew he was married and he knew he was deeply unhappy, but that doesn’t make it right for either one of us.”

  “No, perhaps not. But it is done now and that is something you will have to live with. It makes sense why you both did what you did. I can also understand poor Sarah’s plight. Is there no way she can peacefully work this out with Daniel?”

  Charlotte thought for a moment and then shook her head. “Not that I can think of, no.”

  Rebecca nodded again. “Well, I hate to have to inform you of this, but it won’t take long for the news to reach us here in Wales. The gossip, that is. I’m afraid Mr. Davenport will be less understanding than I am.”

  “Oh, I understand. I figured that it might come to that.. I just…I needed to know there was someone in this world who wouldn’t think less of me for my sins and would at least hear me out. Plus, after talking through all of this, I realize I should face my fears and be there to defend myself and Daniel.”

  “I don’t think it’s a sin to love, Charlotte. If that were the case, none of us would ever be happy.” Rebecca clasped her hand and squeezed. “I’m always going to be here for you, Charlotte. You know this. It is perfectly all right if you want to discuss the things that are bothering you in your letters. I will respond as quickly as I can. I just worry that Mr. Davenport will be less than thrilled…”

  “It’s alright Rebecca, I understand. I just needed to see you and speak to you and know that I could put something like this in a letter. That, and it was so wonderful to finally meet my nieces and nephews.” Charlotte smiled at her.

  Rebecca leaned in and hugged her again. She went to find Bitty and tell her it was time to go, much to the dismay of the children. She’d done as she said she would and stayed a little over a week, but it was time to head back and to face the fire that she had helped create.

  Charlotte and Bitty were packed before lunch and the carriage was pulled around to be loaded. Maurice was a bit perplexed, which made Charlotte laugh. “You certainly waste no time getting places when you are ready to go there, do you Ms. Rose?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t. A woman of my age has things to do, Mr. Maurice.”

  “Very good, Ma’am.” He helped her up into the carriage and Charlotte and Bitty waved goodbye to Rebecca and the children. Rebecca promised to give Mr. Davenport their farewells and to also explain the hasty decision to go. She thought it best they not be there when she told him the reasons for their visit or their departure. Charlotte hoped Rebecca wouldn’t face any adversity for her visit, but when she expressed this, Rebecca had laughed. She explained that Mr. Davenport was every bit as much in love with her as the day they had wed, and that he wouldn’t hurt a hair on her head. He would be concerned about his reputation and the business to which Charlotte had begged Rebecca to once again express her apologies for burdening him. Rebecca had, in an older sisterly fashion, shushed her and told her not to worry o’er much about it.

  Rebecca waved goodbye as they rounded the street corner in Cardiff, and were on their way back to London.

  Chapter 10

  During this ride home from Wales, Charlotte felt like she was returning to the chaos of the situation with a lighter heart. She knew that if things went dreadfully sour with the divorce, she could move to Wales. Of course, she would sell her townhouse and find lodgings across town from Rebecca and Mr. Davenport, but the idea that Rebecca would be so close at hand comforted her.

  The real trouble came when the carriage pulled up outside her house and they caught the first glimpse of the damage that had been done to her property. Vagrants and spiteful citizens had thrown rocks at her sitting room windows, smashing the glass in. Someone had taken pig’s blood and smeared disgusting words across the front door, and it looked like someone broke the lock on the front door.

  Charlotte was careful not to touch the pig’s blood, but even in the cold windy afternoon, it still smelled awful. She put her hand over her nose and turned the knob on the door. The carnage on the inside of her home was just as bad, if not worse, than the outside. More pig’s blood was smeared across the walls and dripped onto the floor. Her furniture were upturned and sl
ashed open, and some of her possessions had been destroyed and the remnants of them littered the floor.

  Charlotte stared in horror as she made her way through the house. No room was left untouched. Most of the windows were broken and nearly every dish in her kitchen was smashed. When she made her way up the stairs, she found torn linens and that someone had dumped an entire jar full of pig’s blood across her bed. Her pillows were ripped open and feathers scattered across the floor. Even Bitty’s room hadn’t gone untouched.

  Surprisingly, there were only two items that hadn’t been destroyed. When Charlotte dropped one of her travel bags and began picking up broken bits and bobs, she discovered that the vandals hadn’t found her gemstone butterfly hairpin, nor had they damaged any of the canvases they came across. Bitty didn’t say a word, but immediately found a dented pot in the kitchen and set to boiling some water and then scrubbing the pig’s blood. Charlotte finished picking up first one room, and then moved like ghost to the next.

  It was when she was in the formal sitting room that she heard the front door open and Daniel shout to her. “Char! Char, bless my soul, are you alright? Char!”

  “I’m in here, Daniel!” she called back, not bothering to quit herself of the task at hand.

  Daniel came rushing in. Charlotte noticed immediately that he looked exhausted and anxious.

  “Char, when Maurice told me of the state of your home that he left you in-”

  “It’s alright, Daniel,” she assured him. “It happened whilst I was away.” She struggled to place a board over the parlor window that she had found in the shed to keep out the cold.

  Daniel immediately reached up and placed his warm palm over hers, and Char could feel him pressed against her back. He helped position the board and she asked, “should you even be here?”

  “I don’t care where people think I should or shouldn’t be anymore, Char.” His voice was low next to her ear and it made her shiver.

  “Has your home been vandalized as well?” she wondered aloud.

  “No, it has not,” he responded. Charlotte nodded, not really feeling the movement in her neck. She was in a state of shock, and expected the numbness to wear off eventually, but so far her movements were wooden, hollow. “Char, I’m so sorry this has happened.”

  Charlotte didn’t know why, but with all the insanity around her, she started to giggle. Her giggles turned to full-ledged laughter and her laughter turned into hysterics. Bitty came running in the room to see what was the matter, and Daniel looked like he was at a complete loss for what to do.

  “Charlotte Rose! There is nothing funny about this at all!” Bitty grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

  Charlotte choked out a response between peals of laughter, “oh. I know, Bitty. It’s terrifying really. But…” she continued to laugh and cry at the same time, unable to speak. Daniel led her to a sofa and she sat down to collect herself. “It is terrible, isn’t it?” She looked at them both through blurred vision.

  “Char, I’m so sorry,” Daniel repeated and got down on one knee in front of her. He rested his hands on her knees and looked in her eyes. “Are you sure you’re alright?” His face was full of concern. Female hysteria was a notable ailment, and Charlotte knew that was probably what he was concerned about.

  “Yes, of course I am fine. I just needed a good laugh. I mean, look around. What can I do except laugh at all of this?” She waved a hand in the direction of the mess. Daniel’s face relaxed marginally and he glanced at Bitty.

  “I’ll go and make some tea,” she suggested, giving them some privacy.

  “Do tell me: what has been happening, Daniel?”

  Daniel sat next to her but immediately grasped her hands again. “Well, I’ve been able to push the divorce through rather quickly as I have connections with Parliament. Lady Catherine’s father is Lord Chancellor Haddington, and he is a reasonable man. His own wife died when Catherine was very young, and they went through a bad spell when her name had been disgraced, but he recognizes that matters of the heart aren’t always neat and tidy. Anyway, he has been able to help push the crim. con hearing through while you were away. Since no one could locate Sarah’s fisherman lover, that hearing was a well-met victory. The next step that should be seen through tomorrow is the separation of the husband and wife with no further responsibility. However, Sarah wishes for it to stop there. I, on the other hand, will be pushing for the divorce a vinculo matrimonii.”

  “Yes, I see. So you’re part of the way there, at least.” Charlotte nodded. She stared into the mess in front of her, not able to really focus on any of it. Tomorrow would decide whether she and Daniel ever stood a chance of marriage or not. It seemed so sudden. In all her life, she had only heard of a few divorce cases.

  “And how is Sarah?” Charlotte asked. It seemed like a strange question, but felt necessary.

  “About as well as can be expected,” Daniel said softly.

  “And the unborn child. Has Sarah seen a doctor?” Charlotte wondered.

  “I’ve…tried.” Daniel hung his head. Charlotte frowned.

  “What do you mean you’ve tried?”

  “I mean, I’ve reached out and no one is willing to come examine her,” he replied.

  Charlotte jumped up out of her seat. “What? You mean to tell me she has gone on with no aid from a midwife or a doctor even having traveled all that way from the north on foot?” Charlotte began pacing, feeling the crunch of broken bits under her feet. She was wringing her hands in her skirt and fretting. “She simply cannot go on without seeing…someone.”

  At that moment, Bitty walked in the room with the tea. “Who needs to see someone?” she asked.

  “Sarah. Sarah has been denied visits with a doctor. Daniel was just telling me they refuse to look at her.” Charlotte’s voice wavered. All this somehow felt like her fault.

  “Where is Lady Richards, Commander Richards? I have some midwifery experience, I’d be willing to take a look at her,” Bitty said confidently. Both Charlotte and Daniel froze and stared at her. There truly was a lot more to Bitty than she let on. “I lost my own to the fever when he was only seven.”

  “That’s how you knew how to care for baby George,” Charlotte realized. “Oh Bitty, I never knew!” She threw her arms around Bitty’s neck and the older woman hugged her.

  “There’s a lot you don’t know. I kept it that way on purpose, Ms. Rose. I was the go to midwife in the small town I came from, and I would be more than happy to take a look at Lady Richards if she will let me.” She wiped her hands on her apron.

  “Daniel, would it be alright if Bitty accompanied you home and-”

  “She’s not there,” Daniel said gruffly. Charlotte’s temper immediately rose but he held up his hands defensively.

  “To be fair, a lot has happened in the last week. My father kicked her out. I fought with him about it and he kicked me out as well. The deed to the house is in his name so it is within his rights. I’ve been staying with Commander Balfour whilst I find a residence of my own. The one good thing is I kept a separate purse from my father and the textile industry has paid me handsomely. His money is the inheritance, which he can keep and donate to charity for all I care. The man is no saint himself but my issues with my father are neither here nor there.”

  “Well then, where is she?” Charlotte asked. Daniel looked hesitant again but answered.

  “Before you react, please listen.”

  Charlotte frowned at him. “Alright….”

  “Promise me?”

  “I promise.” Charlotte sat back down.

  “When she was thrown out, I immediately took her to Lady Catherine, Lady Sophia, and Lady Claire. Now, Lady Sophia is in a difficult position because of her children. Lady Catherine’s father is helping me, so to aid Sarah would be a conflict of interest to the family until after the divorce. That left Lady Claire who happened to have an acquaintance who would look after her, in exchange for some labor.”

  “What kind of labor?” Charl
otte asked skeptically.

  “Just some cooking and dishwashing.” Daniel quickly took a sip of his tea. “She is under the care of Madame Kingston.”

  “Who is she?”

  Charlotte was confused, until Bitty set her teacup down sharply and stood. “Madame Kingston! As in, Madame Kingston of Madame Kinston’s House of Ill Repute?”

  “Oh Daniel!” Charlotte stood as well, setting her teacup down. She marched to the door, grabbing her cloak from the wall where it hung above the freshly mopped floor.

  “Charlotte? Where are you going?” Daniel asked.

  “She can’t stay there!” Charlotte called over her shoulder.

  “Charlotte!” Daniel’s voice was panicked. “You can’t possibly mean to go to the White Chapel District and-”

  “And somehow persuade her to come home to the house of the mistress of the man she is married to and divorcing? That is exactly what I intend to do.” Charlotte opened the door and marched out into the cold evening air and then stopped when she got to the end of the walkway. She heard the door open and shut behind her, and then Daniel was standing next to her.

  “You are daft, woman.”

  “That’s why you love me, is it not?” She looked up into his eyes and despite the fact that he was shaking his head, he smiled down at her.

  “Well, what are you standing here for? With your endlessly lofty notions, always dreaming with your head in the clouds, you appear to be lost at the end of your own walkway.”

  “It would seem I don’t know how to get to Madame Kingston’s. I’ve never been to the White Chapel District.”

  Daniel tossed his head back and laughed. It was one of the most beautiful sounds Charlotte had ever heard. It was full-bellied, and it echoed of the cobblestone streets.

  Charlotte couldn’t help but grin as he linked his arm with hers. “Come on. I know someone who does.”

  Chapter 11

  Lord Briarwood wasn’t keen on letting his wife, Lady Claire Briarwood, return to the White Chapel District in the company of two such accused persons as Ms. Rose and Commander Richards. However, he did not shun them at the door, and instead invited them in for a spot of tea. Charlotte waited patiently as the pleasantries were exchanged and he gave Daniel directions on how to get to Madame Kingston’s house. Lady Claire slipped an envelope to Charlotte and whispered, “would you see to it that Madame Kingston receives this missive from her cousin? Lord Briarwood isn’t aware that when he is at the office, I frequently ensure that she does.”