Page 16 of A Perfect Engagement
“Olivia, I doubt we are lucky enough to have any real ghosts in this manor house. It is practically brand new by English standards. Come on. We were just about to escape into the library for a few moments respite.”
Ellie hooked an arm through Olivia’s. “Perhaps you are reading too many of those Gothic novels, dear.”
“Nonsense, Mrs. Radcliffe is my life. I wouldn’t consider giving her up,” Olivia said as they entered the room.
“Did somebody say Mrs. Radcliffe?” came an accented voice from the sofas.
Startled, Charlotte found they were not alone in the library. Their mysterious new neighbor, Mrs. Kingsley, sat in front of the fireplace, a book in her hands. She rose with a smile.
“Yes, we are all huge fans of Mrs. Radcliffe’s work,” Charlotte replied.
“Mrs. Kingsley, it is so nice to see you. When did you arrive?” Susanna asked.
“Just this morning,” Mrs. Kingsley replied.
“Let me introduce you to my friends. Lady Olivia Rivenhall, Miss Charlotte Grisham, and Miss Eleanor Spencer.” Susanna gestured to each of them. “This is Mrs. Kingsley, a friend of my aunt Margaret.”
“It’s nice to meet you all. I hope it is all right I am in here. I needed a break from the card room. I could not take the stares and innuendo a moment longer.” Mrs. Kingsley sat back down on the sofa with a sigh.
Charlotte recognized that look. It spoke of the exhaustion which came from feigning indifference. She walked over and took a seat on the sofa next to Mrs. Kingsley. “We are in here for exactly the same reason.”
Mrs. Kingsley expressed surprise. “I did not hesitate to accept the invitation from Lady Markham. But I’ve quickly realized I’ve been invited as a source of gossip—the foreigner with the mysterious past. What misdeeds must I have done to have to flee the continent, I overheard someone say. I am simply a private person. I don’t wish to talk about my late husband or my time in Italy. Is that so wrong?”
“Not at all. You have the right to your privacy. My mother invited all the biggest busybodies in London to the party in hopes they will spread the news about how perfect my new fiancé is, and how she arranged such a spectacular match.” Charlotte made an exaggerated grimace. “She is only thinking of her own reputation as a hostess.”
Her friends shut the door and moved across the room to where Mrs. Kingsley sat, settling themselves around in the seating area. Charlotte’s favorite room in the house, the library’s warm yellow walls and comfortable upholstered sofas always set her at ease. The walls were lined with books that whisked her to faraway places. Growing up, she had sat at the large polished-wood table under the tall windows, studying books on horticulture, history, and literature. This room was her haven.
Olivia spoke first. “Mrs. Kingsley, you may join our merry band of misfits. We have all been labeled by the gossips.”
Mrs. Kingsley raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Olivia nodded. “Truly. Take me. I am the lonely wife. They say my husband has banished me to the country and never visits. Three years of marriage and nary an heir.” Olivia’s voice turned into a nasally high pitch. “What’s wrong with that girl? Can’t even keep her husband’s interest. Such a shame.” She grinned and gave the group an exaggerated bow of her blond head.
Ellie sat forward in her chair. “And me, the poor vicar’s daughter. Not fit to mingle in high society. Only here because of Charlotte’s charitable inclinations.” She laid a hand on her brow and sighed dramatically.
Charlotte rolled her eyes at her friend’s sadly accurate account of what the gossips said behind her back.
Susanna held up a hand. “Oh, and don’t forget me. The mischief-maker.” She placed a hand against her heart with a mock expression of dismay. “Prone to scandalous behavior unbecoming a young lady of good upbringing. Ah, but being good is so very boring.” She winked at Mrs. Kingsley.
“I suppose I’m last then,” Charlotte said. “I try to be a model of good behavior, say the right things, smile even when I want to run away and hide. But I will always be too tall, too curvy to be sought after. Her fourth season! She’ll end up a spinster for sure.” Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “At least now they will have to shut up about me becoming an old maid.”
A smile bloomed across Mrs. Kingsley’s face. “I would very much like to be part of your group of misfits. Especially if you like to read Mrs. Radcliffe.” She held up the book she had in her lap. It was a copy of Radcliffe’sThe Romance of the Forest. “Her books kept me company on the long trip from Italy. I adore her stories.”
Charlotte knew when she saw Mrs. Kingsley reading at the tea shop, that the lady would make an excellent friend. “You are hereby inducted, Mrs. Kingsley,” she said with a smile.
“Please, call me Sophia.”
Eleanor rose to her feet, her hands fisted at her sides. “There is nothing wrong with any of us. I am so tired of being labeled by people who know nothing about me.”
“Of course there is nothing wrong with any of us, dear,” Susanna said in a soothing tone. “Don’t pay any attention to what the gossips say.”
Eleanor shook her head. “No, I normally don’t, but look at poor Sophia hiding out here in the library. It makes me so angry! I say there is nothing wrong with being a misfit. Let’s create our own label, something that reflects how marvelous all of you truly are… From now on I declare us to be the Marvelous Misfits of Marbury.” She raised a fist into the air.
“Here, here,” Olivia called out.
Everyone turned to Charlotte, their faces alight with enthusiasm, curious to see what she thought. These women, who made up her small tribe of friends, routinely gave her the strength to believe in herself, to believe she was valuable. She didn’t care what label they bore as long as they held tight to their friendship through the trials of life. She stood to her full height and gave her friends a bright smile.
“Three cheers to the Marvelous Misfits of Marbury.” She opened her arms wide, hands outstretched. “To the Marvelous Miss Ms!”
