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Chapter Fourteen
One restless week after returning from Dorset, Charity ate supper with her family that evening at six in the afternoon. It was rather early for London, but Thomas and Louisa had plans to make an appearance at Lady Milford’s ball, and since Louisa was increasing, they thought it prudent she ate before they departed. The news had filled Charity with joy, and she had been effusive in her congratulations even as a pang of such want had almost crippled her. A man to call her own, and children, hopes she had not thought of for so long had been roused dramatically to life by one man.
The Earl of Ralston.
The familiar exquisite tension tightened low in her stomach, and she released a shaky sigh.
“Are you certain you do not wish to attend tonight’s ball?” Louisa asked.
Grateful for the distraction, Charity replied, “I am sure of it.”
“Lord Newsome will be in attendance, and you made such a charming couple on the dance floor a few evenings ago. It was even mentioned in the newssheet, and did you see the flowers he had delivered? Simply beautiful.”
She buried a groan. The man had descended upon her at that ball, leaving her little room to retreat without causing a scandal. Charity had danced with him, and to her surprise, several other notable gentlemen had requested her as their dance partners. She realized that the earl dancing with her had somehow signaled that she was now an eligible catch.
It was so outrageous: the fickleness of the ton. She had politely declined their requests and had even been praised by a dandy for her cultivation of an air of elusiveness. Charity did not have the will to endure it tonight, and she had been miserable, fiercely missing Ethan and wishing she had been in his arms. And the dreams. God, she did not want to think about the dreams that visited her nightly, for surely, she would blush and draw her brother and Louisa’s attention.
“I received a rather interesting correspondence this evening,” Thomas said. “Just before I came in to dinner.”
Louisa sent him a look of inquiry, and without further prompting, her brother said, “Lord Ralston has asked for an audience. I have agreed to a meeting at nine tomorrow.”
The fork, which had a tender piece of lamb on the tip, was slowly lowered as Charity stared at her brother. Surely she had mistaken his words, even if they had not been spoken specifically to her. Delicately clearing her throat, she asked, “Did you just say that Lord Ralston plans to call on you in the morning?”
“Yes, it is the oddest thing. His note did not mention the specifics, but his request for a meeting sounded serious enough.”
Good heavens.
Louisa dabbed her lips with her napkin and turned an accusing stare to Charity. “Did anything out of sort happened while in Dorset?”
Charity shot her brother a swift, sidelong glance. “Of course not. Surely his visit to Thomas cannot have anything to do with me. It must be about politics or some business.”
“It is odd because they do not socialize,” Louisa said a bit worriedly, “and they locked horns quite fiercely at the last session on the floor of the House of Lords.”
“There is no point in gossiping over it now,” Thomas said, taking a sip of his wine. “Tomorrow will reveal all.”
Yet, he still sent a very speculative glance at Charity down the length of the dining table. Her stomach seemed to drop from a far distance, and the fork cluttered clumsily from her hand as a suspicion flowered in her thoughts. The earl was an honorable man, and he would not leave it alone once he believed he had ruined her. She had refused his offer of marriage, so he intended to ask her brother for her hand in marriage.
Clearly, Ethan believed her brother would be able to pressure her into saying yes. She was of age to refuse even if Thomas threatened to stop supporting her and withheld her inheritance for much longer with legal machinations. That meant Ethan believed he had an ace up his sleeves.
Her heart jolted. Dear God, the letter!
To think that she would find herself in a similar situation as Jenna where a lover would use a private and intimate letter she shared to twist her arm into marriage. Her throat burned, and it shocked her to feel tears pricking behind her eyes. That he would try to steal her choice infuriated her, and it also hurt deeply. It meant Ethan did not care that she wanted to marry a man who loved her or one whom she loved. It only mattered that he had compromised his damn honor. Honor! Some honor when this was blackmail.
Charity dutifully ate her food, for she would need the strength for her upcoming undertaking. She refused the fourth course offerings and pled a headache, excusing herself. She could feel Thomas and Louisa’s stares, but Charity walked unhurriedly away to her room.
Once there, Charity paced for several minutes before she plucked up the copy of Emma she had not finished reading. It was 48 Berkeley Square’s book of the month, where all thirty-seven-member read it in groups that met and discussed the themes throughout.
And the book I read with Ethan.
Gritting her teeth, she patiently read until Thomas and Louisa departed for the ball. Charity went to her armoire and pulled out her breaking and entering ensemble, happy she had not discarded them. First, she fixed her hair tightly to her scalp and tugged on the short black wig. She donned her boy’s trousers and shirt with a waistcoat. Shrugging on the matching jacket and boots, she stood before the mirror, confident she now owned the appearance of a young lad.
It was a blessing the earl’s townhouse was also on Grosvenor Square. Once she exited her brother’s home by the servant’s entrance, she held onto a walking stick with a hidden blade and made her way to the earl’s home. It was early yet, and he should be at his club or at a ball.
She approached Ethan’s home much as how she had done with Viscount Sallis’s. Charity was aware she had little planning for this time, though she was thankful she had visited Jenna several times before. Charity moved with stealth as she jumped over the small wrought iron gate leading to the side gardens of the townhouse. The entire house was dark, and that felt promising to her, even if a bit intimidating. She would be quick, find the letter and destroy it. A window by the back garden had been left open, and she slipped inside, slinging one leg over and then the other and shimmied down. She landed with a soft thud and wisely waited for several moments before moving.
Where would Ethan keep her letter?
Instinct told her that a man as meticulous and methodical as the earl would keep it close to his person. Except she did not know the location of his bedroom. Entering the hallway, she was grateful to see that there was a lamp on, and it provided enough light for her to hurry to the study he had kissed her in for the very first time. She was surprised to see a fire in the hearth and a lamp on. It implied someone had recently been inside. Aware of the sudden pounding of her heart, she waited for a few beats before she made a thorough search of his study. She did not find anything but estate ledgers and business correspondence.
