An Unexpected Engagement by Sara Reinke

Author:Sara Reinke
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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THE NEXT EVENING, CHARLOTTE AND HER

family were slated to attend a formal ball for Lady Margaret and her fi ancée at Roding Castle in Dunmow parish.

Roding Castle was the Earl of Essex’s home, and James’

besides, and the place where Margaret would make her vows in three days’ time on Sunday.

Caroline’s husband, Randall Prescott, Viscount Harlow, had come to fetch her early that morning, en route from London to Roding Castle. Charlotte felt dismayed by her sister’s departure. Caroline had proven to be an unexpected supporter, and Charlotte had appreciated her eff orts. She was also extremely anxious at the prospect of entering James’ home in light of her circumstances, and she had tried to draw comfort from Caroline as the sisters hugged their farewells.

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“Do not worry for a thing,” Caroline had whispered, pressing her lips against the corner of Charlotte’s mouth.

“Lord and Lady Essex are unoff ended by the turn of events. Randall has assured me you will be welcome there. I will be with you, and more importantly, Kenley will be with you. You will not notice anything but this, and you will have a lovely time.”

While Charlotte had spent the rest of her afternoon in preparations, aided only by Meghan with Una gone to Loughton for Kenley, Lady Epping had once more locked herself stubbornly in her chamber. When the time arrived in late afternoon for them to depart, Charlotte, Reilly, and Lady Chelmsford stood somberly in the foyer, listening to Lord and Lady Epping argue from the second fl oor.

“I am not going!” Lady Epping cried out, her voice shrill with indignation.

“You most certainly are,” Lord Epping said, and Charlotte winced at the heavy clamor of his hand slapping his wife’s chamber door. “We have tendered our replies, and there is no time for courteous regrets! Th e

carriage is waiting. Come now, my lady!”

“I will not know such humiliation!” Lady Epping yelled. “How dare you ask me to lift my head and walk into my noble Earl’s home as if all is well and unchanged in the world? If you had any sense of social propriety, you would lock the front doors to this house and bolt us

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all inside until the spring!”

Charlotte hunched her shoulders unhappily. Lady Chelmsford harrumphed. “I hope you are well satisfi ed, young lady,” she said in a cold, admonishing tone. “To realize the indignities you have heaped upon your poor mother. Why, I should think to—”

“Oh, shut up, Aunt Maude,” Reilly said. Lady Chelmsford let her eyelids fl utter, and her balance wob-ble, as if near to swooning in outrage. “And do not keel over, either,” Reilly said. “I will not catch you, and Father is in such a mood as to simply leave you prone on the fl oor until you gather your wits and raise yourself.”

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