Highwayman Lover by Sara Reinke

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

Chapter Ten

The next evening, Charlotte and her family were

slated to attend a formal ball for Lady Margaret and her

fiancé at Roding Castle in Dunmow parish. Roding

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

and the place where Margaret would proffer 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 efforts. She was also extremely anxious at

the prospect of treading into James’s home in lieu of her

circumstances, and she had tried to draw comfort from

Caroline as the sisters had hugged their farewells.

“Do not worry for a thing,” Caroline had

whispered, pressing her lips against the corner of

Charlotte’s mouth. “Lord and Lady Essex are

unoffended by the turn of events. Randall has assured

me you will be welcome there. I will be with you, and

more importantly than this, 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

155

HIGHWAYMAN LOVER

Una gone to Loughton for Kenley, Lady Epping had

again locked herself stubbornly in her chamber. When

the time had arrived in late afternoon for them to depart,

Charlotte, Reilly, and Lady Chelmsford stood quietly in

the foyer, listening to Lord and Lady Epping argue from

the second floor.

“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

against his wife’s chamber door. “We have tendered our

replies, and there is no time for courteous regrets! The

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 like 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

all inside until the spring!”

Charlotte hunched her shoulders unhappily. Lady

Chelmsford harrumphed. “I hope you are well satisfied,

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 blinked at him, her eyes flown wide, her lips

pinching in indignation. She let her eyelids flutter, and

her balance wobble, as though nearly 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 floor until you gather your

wits and raise yourself.”

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