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Her entire body burned with mortification. She glared at her brother, not at all amused by his threats. “I would never permit such an examination!”
Her brother rolled his eyes, dismissing her outrage and her claims. “It is beneath my dignity to keep arguing with you.”
Thomas stood, walked over to her, and brushed a kiss to her cheek. Stepping back, he said, “Marriage is not at all bad, Charity. It will be good for you; I promise it.”
“Do not presume to know what is good for me,” she said, aware of a dull ache behind her eyes and throat. “If you dismiss my wishes, I promise you I shall ruin myself and become unmarriable.”
“Then I’ll banish you to the country,” he snapped.
“And that, my dear brother, is better than making a lifelong and permanent union with a man of dubious character. Even though I cannot imagine why you believe I would simply obey you and rusticate in Hertfordshire.
His sigh was heavy and irritated. “The viscount is a very good-natured gentleman. Just give him a chance.”
A lump in her throat, she stared up at him. “Is it so very intolerable to have me underfoot?”
“Charity…” he scrubbed a hand over his face. “You are my sister and I love you. It pains me to see your youth wasting away when you could be married and have children of your own. If you are not tinkering with God knows what in that workshop of yours, you are calling at the Duchess of Hartford’s home. There is more to life, and I simply desire for you to have that…more. I daresay it is every brother’s wish to see their sisters happily situated.”
Pushing back her chair, she stood. “You should consider, Thomas. I am happy. Right now. I am happy.”
Her brother’s expression turned shrewd. “Are you?”
“Yes!”
“I believe the things you are occupied with now are merely distractions, not true contentment,” he said. Without awaiting her reply, Thomas strolled away with Louisa.
Charity stood there, her heart shaking. His words pierced the shield she had worn about herself for the last few years.
I am happy, she silently reminded herself.
Her hobby of reading up on inventions and sometimes designing her own hats was a source of peace and joy. Her friends at 48 Berkeley Square were more than distractions. They were her family, and she admitted that she would have found ton life intolerably boring, restrictive, and unbearable without their enduring friendship these last few years.
Abandoning her half-eaten breakfast, Charity left the dining room and called for the carriage. Hurrying up the stairs to her bedroom for the packet of letters, she would visit Jenna and try her very best to not direct her thoughts on the unknown disquiet upon her heart.
* * *
An hour later,Charity sat in a tastefully decorated drawing room of the earl’s home, facing Jenna, who stared at Charity with wide eyes and hands clasped in her lap. A heavyset lady with a pleasant countenance had left a tea trolley only a few minutes ago, and they took some time to prepare themselves tea and saucers with tasty delicacies.
“Do you truly have them?” Jenna asked, a bit breathlessly.
“Yes,” Charity said, withdrawing the bound letters from her reticule. “If you will forgive me, I had to open one to ascertain I had the right packet.”
Jenna flushed a bit, then smiled. “Charity, I do not know how to thank you. You were so incredibly brave!”
Heartened to see her friend smiling, she said, “You are my friend, Jenna. I am only glad I was able to help you.”
Charity handed the letters over to Jenna. Charity helped herself to a small cake off the tea tray and took a small bite.
Jenna quickly went through the letters, relief settling on her face. “They are all here! Oh, Charity, I can finally be at ease. I have been so wretched!”
“What do you intend to do with them?”
Jenna tried to come to her feet but stumbled back against the sofa with a soft cry. “Blast!”
“Be mindful of your ankle. Let me know what you wish, and I shall do it for you.”
“I want to rip them to pieces and then toss them into the fire.”
Charity got up, took the letters, and went over to the fireplace. Once there, she took the letters one by one, tore them into fine pieces and then dropped them into the flickering flames. Jenna leaned forward, watching the fire eat away at the small pieces of paper.
