Page 40 of A Perfect Engagement
“Mrs. Brewster, I’m going for a ride this morning to clear my head. I will be better prepared for guests after I have some fresh air.” She pasted on a smile meant to placate.
“All right. I guess you are looking a bit peaked from the hullabaloo of this week. I won’t say I saw you down here.”
Charlotte exited out the kitchen door into a fine May morning. Sunny and bright, the bit of fog she had seen from her bedroom window earlier burned off already. Charlotte struck out for the stables, being careful to avoid the veranda in case her mother was up and about. Although her mother usually slept in late, so the chances were slim.
George Fenway stood in the open doorway to the stable sipping coffee from a tin cup. He gave her a smile as she approached. “Will you be needing your horse this morning, Miss Grisham?”
“Yes, Mr. Fenway. Has Lord Hawksridge ridden out already?”
“Yes, ma’am. His lordship rode out almost two hours ago.” Fenway disappeared into the building.
Daniel had been up early. What could have required his attention at the estate so urgently? Charlotte had not slept much last night. She had stared up at the canopy of her bed, thinking about their kiss, about Daniel’s warm laughter, and the way she always felt at ease around him. She’d also thought of all the things her parents expected from her and the promise she’d made to Miles by agreeing to the marriage. She felt no closer to settling her confused feelings now than when she ran from Daniel’s embrace last night. But she did know she needed to talk to him.
Mr. Fenway returned with her mare, and she mounted with brisk efficiency, her mind already down the road with Daniel Weston. An hour later, she rode through Little Marbury, her horse’s hooves echoing as they struck against the cobbled streets. Which direction had Daniel said Brooksdale was? East of town, yes, she was sure he said east of town. Another hour past and Charlotte began to doubt her direction and not just the direction she had pointed her horse. What was she doing heading out alone to meet a man who was not her fiancé? What would she accomplish today except to make a fool of herself? She could not be with Daniel, so why should she even confess to him her feelings of confusion? She should just ignore her feelings. It would be best if they both pretended the kiss never happened.
Charlotte’s horse let out a whinny, pulling her from her thoughts. She focused on her surroundings once again. Two great stone pillars came into view. Just as Daniel had described them, the oversized chess rooks stood sentry on either side of a packed dirt lane. The two giant iron crows cawed silently, warning intruders to think twice about entering the grounds. Arching between the pillars, a wrought iron sign confirmed this was indeed Brooksdale. The long lane cut through two open fields, which looked as though they had been recently planted. She could not see a house from her vantage point.
She pulled her horse to a stop and sat for several minutes, staring down the lane, racked with indecision. She let out a harsh laugh. So much for being reckless. Instead, a familiar feeling of anxiousness churned in her stomach.Charlotte Grisham, just go speak with him! You rode two hours to get here for goodness’ sake.She spurred her horse forward into a walk. As the house came into view, she smiled. The graceful lines of the gable roof were trimmed with ornate cornices painted a bright spring green. Along with the white-washed stone walls covered in climbing ivy and the green front door, the large house appeared fanciful, almost like a fairy cottage grown to human proportions. The welcoming atmosphere of the house was in direct contrast to the hostility of the front gate.
What would it be like to live here in this fanciful manor house in the country? It fit in with her daydream of living away from London, somewhere with fresh air and expansive gardens. She and Daniel could entertain their friends and family comfortably in their own house. She would putter in the flower beds as Daniel fixed up the house. In the evenings, they would take long walks through the fragrant lavender fields.
Shaking her head to dislodge the traitorous images, Charlotte dismounted and walked up to the front door to knock. She paused. She wasn’t expected, perhaps this was a bad idea. As she raised her hand to knock, the front door opened. The man standing in the doorway looked as startled as Charlotte felt.
“Good morning, miss. May I help you?”
Feeling foolish, she lowered her hand and clasped it tightly together with the other. “Um, yes. I’m here to see Lord Weston. I’m Miss Charlotte Grisham, daughter of Baron Markham.”
The man glanced over her shoulder at the empty drive as though looking for her father. When he returned his gaze to her, he gave a small bow. “Miss Grisham, he is out in the garden right now. Let me show you around.” He stepped out, pulling the front door closed behind him. “I am Charles Henry. I am Lord Weston’s foreman. Please excuse my surprise. We are expecting…someone else.”
He led the way around the house. A sea of camellias and lilac not yet blooming lined the flagstone pathway. They turned the corner, and an expanse of green grass spread out like a well-manicured carpet. Large oaks dotted the lawns, throwing shade here and there. Charlotte paused as she spotted Daniel ahead. In his arms, a small girl laughed, her arms wrapped around his neck as he spun her in tight circles. Nearby sat a beautiful woman in a wheelchair. A bright smile wreathed her pale face. She was bundled in a thick shawl with blankets laid over her lap covering her legs.
“Papa, Papa, again, again!” the child shouted in delight.
Charlotte gasped as the realization hit her, and she stumbled sideways. Oh my God, Daniel had a wife, a family. How could he have not said anything? Had she misconstrued everything between them so badly? Married! This explained why he left for home this morning. After last night, he probably felt as guilty as her about their kiss.
She quickly stepped back into the shadows next to the house. He can’t know I’m here. Her heart rose in her throat. She had to leave before he saw her. She grabbed Mr. Henry’s arm, giving a desperate tug. He glanced back at her in concern.
“What’s the matter, miss?”
“Excuse me, but I have to go. This was a mistake.”
Chapter Seventeen
Mr. Henry strodeacross the lawn toward Daniel. A man of thirty-five, Mr. Henry had been a soldier for many years. His ramrod-straight posture and neatly trimmed hair and beard spoke to his military background. His stride had a hitch in it from where a bullet had lodged itself right below his left knee. The foreman seemed perplexed.
“How goes the work on the staircase, Mr. Henry?” Daniel asked as he shifted Josie to his hip. Charles Henry knew something about just about everything. Hiring him had been the best decision Daniel had made when staffing his estate. Charles had become an invaluable employee and a friend over the last six months.
“How is the work on the stairs?” Josie parroted. She grinned at Mr. Henry and held out her arms.
“Just fine, poppet. I’ve only three more to hammer down before we can carpet them.” Mr. Henry reached out, and Daniel transferred Josie into his arms. She gave Charles’s neck a hug. “The apothecary has arrived with the tonics.” Mr. Henry frowned.
“What is the frown for?” Daniel asked.
Mr. Henry glanced over his shoulder at the house then back at them. “The thing is, you just had a caller. Right before the apothecary arrived. A Miss Grisham, I believe she said her name was, daughter of Baron Markham.”
“What! Where is she?” Daniel craned his neck to glance up at the house. Charlotte was here at Brooksdale?
“I showed her around the house to bring her down here, but all of a sudden she turned white as a sheet and turned to leave. Said she had made a mistake. I helped her onto her horse, and she rode off like she was being chased by a banshee.” He shook his head.
