The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow by Olivia Newport

Author:Olivia Newport
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042030, FIC042040, FIC027050, Young women—Fiction, Upper class women—Fiction, World’s Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)—Fiction, Christian fiction, Love stories
ISBN: 9781441240613
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2013-06-19T04:00:00+00:00

In the morning, the entourage gathered. Charlotte handed Archie a basket to set inside the carriage. The baby buggy already was strapped to the back of the carriage.

“I’m surprised Miss Brewster has not moved out of the house,” Archie said, “after the stir she caused. Surely she has resources to stay somewhere else.”

“She won’t leave without the baby.” Charlotte thought that much was obvious.

“Mrs. Banning could insist.” Archie stood beside the open carriage door.

Charlotte shook her head. “She can’t risk what Miss Brewster might do in a showdown.”

“And what might Miss Brewster do?” Archie twirled a button on his jacket. “She has no claim.”

“She might bring in the authorities,” Charlotte said. “Then the Bannings would have no claim either.”

The front door opened and Emmaline Brewster appeared at the top of the steps with the baby in her arms. Behind her was Violet Newcomb, and then Sarah.

Emmaline had decided that Chicago Day was the perfect day for the fair. Such an undertaking required elaborate preparations, however, so Emmaline had conscripted Archie to drive the carriage and lift the baby buggy, and both Charlotte and Sarah to help manage Henry or attend to other needs that she and Violet might have.

“Didn’t she go to the fair last week?” Archie asked.

Charlotte nodded. “With one of Miss Newcomb’s eligible bachelors. I don’t think she much cared for him, but she did like the fair.”

“Does Mrs. Banning know she’s taking the baby?”

“Mrs. Banning left early this morning and will be out for the whole day.”

“She won’t be happy.”

“Miss Brewster is not going to steal the baby while we’re all with her. Nothing will happen.”

Archie glanced toward the door. “Is she really bringing Sarah today?”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “She thinks maybe Sarah has learned her lesson and might be trusted with the baby again. She lets Sarah sit with him while he’s asleep at dinnertime.”

Emmaline Brewster descended the steps. “What a beautiful day. There’s no reason Teddy should not know his Chicago roots.”

At the carriage Emmaline handed the boy to Charlotte to hold while she settled in her seat. Charlotte stroked his head before handing him back to Emmaline.

“No one knows exactly how old he is,” Emmaline said. “‘Chicago Day’ at the fair is a perfect day for a birthday. October 9. That will be his birthday.”

Archie next offered a hand to Violet Newcomb, who settled herself in the carriage next to Emmaline. Then it was Charlotte’s turn. She slid to one end of the bench across from Emmaline, leaving plenty of room for Sarah. The girl smiled warmly at Archie and held his hand longer than necessary, in Charlotte’s opinion, before sliding onto the bench herself.

Charlotte turned her gaze out the window on the other side of the carriage. She could not blame Sarah. Archie Shepard had much to commend him, and Charlotte had asked him to leave her alone just the night before. Perhaps Sarah’s flirtations would make him reconsider his persistence.

At the last minute, Karl appeared and hoisted himself up on the driver’s seat beside Archie.

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