“Did he also choose?” Augusta asked. She seemed suspicious about the whole thing, and Charity already knew that this was only the beginning of her questioning.
“We both chose,” Charity said, “and you’re going to have to trust my decision.”
“But a marriage…” Augusta said, still in partial shock. “Why, that is a big deal. You were not gone long enough to have a proper courtship, and well…. when did you have time to agree to such a thing?”
“It happened quickly,” Charity sighed. “I could not send word to you as I did not even know where you were, and even if I had, Uncle would have read it first, and he would have used it to trap us more tightly than before. I had my reasons, and you must understand them.”
Augusta’s lips parted, then closed again, and Matilda gripped Charity’s hand harder.
Duncan cleared his throat and gave Charity an expression that let her know that while he understood the situation, he also wanted to remind her that they were short on time. She exchanged a pleading glance with him.
“Girls, please,” Charity said firmly. “All other questions can be saved for another time. We must go now.”
“So, we are leaving England then?” Matilda asked.
“We will go somewhere that belongs to him,” she said, glancing at Duncan again. “It will be better if we are somewhere he can control who enters, and then we will decide what we do next. But we must move quickly.”
“Wouldn’t Uncle try and track us down?” Augusta said.
“He will try, but he cannot simply snatch you back once you are under the protection of a duke,” Charity was surprised at the note of pride in her voice as she said the words.
Augusta did not like the sound of that, and Charity knew it. Her pride rejected the idea that they needed any man’s protection to stand upright.
“So we are trading one guardian for another,” Augusta said, “well, this one is titled higher, I suppose, but there is not much difference in the concept.”
It took Charity a lot of patience not to react.
“We are not trading you,” Charity said, keeping her voice soft. “I am not handing you to him. I will not allow anyone, not even him, to treat you as property.”
Duncan’s gaze shifted to Charity at that, and though he did not smile, his expression altered slightly. He had noted the line she drew and accepted it.
Augusta exhaled slowly. “You are not telling us something,” she said, and her voice was quiet now, not accusing so much as stating an observation.
Charity met her gaze without flinching.
“Not everything is yours to carry,” she replied.
Augusta’s eyes hardened, but she did not argue, and Charity could tell that Augusta was storing that line away as well, to use against her later when they were not in a rush and not in danger.
Duncan shifted his weight at the door.
“Are we finished?” he asked.
Charity nodded quickly. “We are,” she said, and then she turned to her sisters again, forcing a lighter tone, “put on your cloaks properly, both of you, and cover your hair.”
Matilda obeyed at once, fumbling with her cloak, but Augusta moved more slowly.
“And Charity…” Augusta asked, a tone of resignation in her voice, “You’re… well, I am not questioning your discernment, but you are certain that… you can trust this man not to make matters worse for us?”
Charity took a second to respond.
“Yes, I trust him,” she said. “He brought the two of you safely to me, keeping his word.”
Augusta’s gaze flicked to Duncan again, then back. If she had more to say, she kept it to herself.
“Come now,” Duncan opened the door wider.
They filed out as Duncan led them out of the inn. The women kept their heads down, knowing not to attract much attention. Though people moved out of the way for Duncan, and there was a sense that they understood that he was a man who commanded respect, even though they might not be privy to his title.
