“You did?” Emma asked.
His mother sat down. “Yes, it was from Lady Worthington,” she replied.
Charles lifted his brow. “Have you spoken about Lady Worthington before?”
“I am sure I have, since she is one of my dearest friends,” his mother said. “We grew up in the same village, and we debuted at the same time.”
“I daresay that you have a lot of ‘dear friends’,” Roswell commented dryly.
His mother smiled. “That is true, but Alice is truly a dear.”
“What did Lady Worthington say in her letter?” Emma asked.
“Well, it appears that she has fallen upon hard times since her husband died, so she asked if I would host her daughter for the Season.”
“Absolutely not!” Roswell exclaimed.
Unperturbed by his outburst, his mother continued. “I am of a mind to accept her request.”
Roswell gave his mother a blank stare. “Does Lady Worthington have no other relations who could render her assistance?”
“She does not,” his mother replied. “She is very much alone in this world.”
“This is madness,” Roswell said.
“We are in a position to help her,” his mother commented.
Roswell frowned. “We are not running a charity service, Mother.”
Emma spoke up. “I think it is a wonderful idea.”
“You do?” Roswell asked.
Emma nodded. “It would be nice to have someone accompany me to social events.”
“But Mother and I accompany you to social events,” Charles pointed out.
“True, but I would enjoy having another young woman to conspire with,” Emma said.
His mother smiled approvingly. “This would be Miss Bentley’s first Season,” she shared. “She was in mourning last year due to her father’s death.”
Roswell was not ready to concede. “What of the new Lord Worthington?” he asked.
“She failed to mention him in her letter,” his mother replied as a footman poured tea for her. “I only know he is a distant relative.”
“Does she not receive a jointure?” Roswell questioned.
His mother shrugged. “I know not, but she doesn’t have the funds to accompany her daughter to Town.”
“Where are they residing?”
“They live in Maidstone, a town in Kent,” his mother shared.
Roswell lifted his brow. “What of Miss Bentley’s gowns and accessories?” he asked. “I spend a small fortune on all of Emma’s clothing each Season.”
“She can borrow my gowns from last Season,” Emma offered. “My new gowns have just arrived, and I have more than enough to share.”
“Delightful,” Roswell muttered under his breath.
