Page 25 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Amanda reminded her, “No one knows who you are and therefore it does not matter.”
“It was quite flattering to have that kind of attention. I certainly never got that sort of attention in Dallington.” Charlotte felt a pang of homesickness, not so much for the place but for the simpler times. As much as she was swept away by her first taste of society life, it was not her world. There was no point in getting a thirst for it.
Amanda grinned. “I would like to see the look on Lord Stanhope’s face when he realised he had made such an offer to a maid and not to some heiress.”
“Heiress?” Charlotte’s stomach dropped. “Did you tell people that I was an heiress?”
Amanda waved off Charlotte’s look of shock. “I thought Graham had told you for sure. Anyway, it was just a silly game. It was not as if it mattered.”
“Lord Easterly knew as well?” Charlotte did not know how she felt about that.
There was the clink of silverware as Amanda set down her coffee. “Oh, he did not know until after. Besides, you have an offer of courtship thanks to me.”
“For an heiress that does not exist,” Charlotte said in dismay.
Amanda frowned at Charlotte. “What does it matter? Were you thinking of seriously accepting his offer?”
“No, of course not,” Charlotte said adamantly. “But I feel so embarrassed about it. What if he finds out?”
Amanda hit her hand against the table causing Charlotte to jump. “Nonsense. How could he find out anything? And if he did it would not matter. So, stop worrying over it.” Amanda bit her tongue then asked, her voice light and teasing, “Would you like to go to another ball? We could make you a disguise.”
Charlotte huffed. “I will not be attending any more functions. You might not care what your frivolous games do to your family’s reputation, but I do.”
“You are no fun. What happened to you, Lotte? You used to be so much fun when we were children?” Amanda shook her head. “Never mind all that droll stuff. Let me tell you about my night. “
Charlotte turned a deaf ear to her friend. All she really had to do with Amanda was nod, smile and make the odd noise of agreement. Amanda just needed an audience. That was one of the things Charlotte had noticed about her since being in her employ.
There were other things that Charlotte was beginning to notice, such as how Amanda treated others, including herself. If anyone were below her station the woman, no matter the reason for the situation, seemed to think it her right to use them as her own personal amusement.
She did not think seriously that anything would come of the Lord Stanhope situation, but the way Amanda spoke was horrible. Her old life might have been less than she had hoped for, but at least there was some security in it. At least Charlotte had had some sense of control.
Being at Amanda’s whim were taking its toll on Charlotte’s wellbeing. Yet, here she was in London. Surely there were opportunities aplenty for a girl such as herself.
Charlotte eyed her old friend as Amanda gave her a smug smile. Yes, Charlotte would find her own way in this world. She simply needed to be able to get away and do so. How she could find the extra time was another thing that Charlotte had no idea about.
She would work it out, though. Charlotte had the beginning of a plan that would see her free of Amanda’s clutches. She might not have felt like she had a choice when she entered into the agreement, but now she started to understand that everything was a choice.
*
Try as he might, James Stanhope was having very little luck in finding his missing heiress. He cursed himself for being so forward. Cleary the girl would require delicate handling.
He drank a brandy, which he put on his estranged brother’s tab. It would not be long before Phillip would find out about this spot and warn the barkeeps against selling any more drinks to James. Honestly, how dare his brother treat him this way?”
Ever since their mother died, Phillip had made it his mission to make James miserable, as if taking responsibility for anything had ever made anyone happy. James would show his brother a thing or two once he found his beloved heiress. He was smitten, he mused, as he took a gulp of his drink.
A rough looking fellow dropped down into the seat across from him. “Hello there, James.”
“Donald,” James said with a smile. He extended a hand across the table and they shook by way of greeting. “What have you found out for me?”
Donald shook his head at James. “Well, for starters, the girl you are looking for is not staying at the inns around. I did hear that she was seen with Lord Easterly, though.”
“Yes, I know she danced with him,” James said with a dismissive wave.
Donald lifted his hand to get the barkeep’s attention. “No. I mean a couple of the servants that night saw Lord Easterly escort her out. Apparently, he put her in a carriage before he returned to the party.”
“Does not Lord Easterly have a sister that debuted this year? I have yet to become acquainted with her, or perhaps I did and did not know it.” James pursed his lips in thought.
“I don’t know,” Donald said with a shrug. “It seems she must be staying with the Easterly family, if not related to them.”
