Incredulous eyes gazed up. “Not that I know of, Miss.”
“Attend the Ambleside fairs?”
A shake of head.
“The annual Christmas Ball?”
“Is there one?”
Charlotte perched upon the bed and folded her four handkerchiefs. “When I was young, a Christmas Ball was held at your guardian’s manor house each and every year. All the gentry were invited.”
“Were they? Did you attend, Miss Webster?” The girl wandered to the wardrobe and peered in.
“Twice. The last when I was seventeen. It was…magical.” She smoothed her grey skirts, recalled Marcus spinning her around, hazel eyes ardent and… “I believe it’s now held at Mr Fitzwilliam’s manor instead.”
“So are you attending this year?”
“No. A governess does not…” She paused, tapped her lip.
What better way to show Marcus what he was missing than to attend the Christmas Ball? And he was bound to have received an invitation. Not only that, but Dinah was old enough for a first social foray – it would be an excellent lesson.
“Miss?”
“Yes, Dinah?”
“I think you should pack this also.”
Charlotte turned to the exquisite russet gown held up by her new charge that had been a thank you present from Mr and Mrs Cadwalader in London.
With a grin, she hastened over to feel the delicate silk.
Her first event decided.
MARCUS SCRATCHEDhis quill nib beneath the name of Mrs Brockbank. A widow for five years, she’d not paid rent for five months. His lily-livered steward kept making excuses for her – broken leg, poor harvest, deceased husband – and yet one could hardly let tenants live scot-free.
A month should be enough for Mrs Brockbank to find new lodgings.
He totted up the rents and came up sixpence short.
Damnation, and he resumed counting again to–
Squeals of laughter from the corridor.
Disrupting his numerical tabulation. He scowled.
Resumed cou–
There it was again. Dinah’s squeal of mirth and Charlotte’s husky chuckle.
She bloody haunted him. In fact, when he’d returned home earlier, he’d sworn her face had materialised in the large brass door knocker, those green eyes flashing.
With a grumble, he re-embarked at the top figure to sum–
A clanging echoed through his house, like…chains dragging across a floor.
Giggling.
More chains.
