Page 42 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
She straightened and smoothed her dress. Perhaps Amanda had been right. Maybe Charlotte really did not belong here.
Charlotte tried to put it out of her mind and decided to spend the rest of the day and evening in her room. She certainly did not want to hear anything that Amanda might have to say after her disappearance from the tea party. Charlotte pondered if Amanda had even noticed?
*
The next morning, despite not wanting to, Charlotte found herself driven by hunger to go down to breakfast. She went to the kitchen instead of to the dining hall. The cook, who was definitely not the cheerful Henrietta from the country estate, gave her a curious look.
Charlotte asked, “May I eat in here?”
“I don’t think this is any place for a young lady to eat breakfast,” the cook muttered.
Charlotte frowned and assured the woman, “I am no lady.” The comment only earned a raised eyebrow from the cook. It was not worth trying to explain. Charlotte turned and left. She made her way to the dining hall.
Amanda’s eyes came up as Charlotte entered. To Charlotte’s dismay, Amanda seemed to be the only one here. “There you are,” Amanda said with a bright smile. “What happened to you yesterday?”
Charlotte was surprised that Lord Easterly had not said something to Amanda about finding her the day before. She chose to ignore the woman’s question and asked one of her own. “Lord Easterly not joining us today?”
“He is out, as always lately.” Amanda popped a piece of orange into her mouth. She eyed Charlotte with open interest, and absolutely no guilt over what had transpired the day before.
Charlotte sighed, “Why are you staring at me?”
“You disappeared from a party yesterday and you have yet to tell me why. But fine, let us just move on.” Amanda took a sip of tea before she leaned forward. “We are having a dinner party here tonight.”
Charlotte did not know what she was expected to say about that. She nodded and picked up a piece of toasted bread. “That sounds like it will be fun.”
“Be sure to check in with the housekeeper to see exactly what you need to do,” Amanda said in that imperious tone she had always used when assigning Charlotte a new ordeal.
Charlotte stared at Amanda. “I am not your maid any longer, Amanda.”
“We are short,” Amanda said with a shrug. “I told the housekeeper you could help out.”
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. “You did what?”
“You are always eager to help and pitch in. I just assumed that you would do so without question,” Amanda said as she folded her arms. “It will not even be that big a party. Lord Stanhope and the Duchess of Windham will be here. There may be a few more, but not many.”
Charlotte could listen to it no more. She stood up and left her breakfast untouched. She could hear Amanda’s laughter behind her, and she simply would not give the woman any pleasure in reacting to her further.
She had intended to go to her room, but her legs instead brought her to the side door. The sight of the stable brought one clear thought to her mind. She could leave, right now.
Charlotte would return home to the vicarage. She would suffer Mrs. Wilson’s wretched brood if it meant that she would not have to endure any more humiliation. The grooms were all busy with the work crew and Charlotte easily slipped past them to get a horse from the far side where they had them tied.
She saddled the horse and was already mounted by the time one of the grooms shouted over at her. “What are you doing?” The young man ran toward her, but Charlotte urged the horse forward.
“I am sorry,” Charlotte shouted to the man as the horse carried her down the driveway. “I can’t stay here anymore. I am going home. But I will return the horse once I am there.”
The groom gave up chasing her and Charlotte saw the man take off toward the house. It would not take long before he spread the word that she had stolen a horse. Charlotte grimaced at what Amanda might say about that.
She shook the thought away. She did not have to think about Amanda anymore. Her fate at the vicarage might not be what she thought she wanted, but it was a damn sight better than being at the mercy of Amanda’s cruel jests constantly.
The ride through the London streets was confusing and disorienting, but Charlotte found her way carefully through the maze of traffic. Once she was out on the road between Dallington and London, she relaxed and drew in a breath.
“London is not the place for me,” she told the horse. “I do not even know your name.” She patted the horse’s neck.
The sun was farther through the sky than she thought possible. It had taken much too long to even get to this point in her journey. Charlotte felt a ball of dread in her stomach. She had no money or supplies.
She cursed as she thought of how long it had taken them to get to London in the carriages. She would have to ride all night and the next day. Charlotte slowed the horse’s pace trying to keep him from tiring out, but she would still have to stop and let him rest.
Charlotte’s mind went to stories of highwaymen and scoundrels that lurked on the roads leading into and out of London. Her eyes went to the trees at the edge of the road, where her imagination placed hordes of rogues and robbers waiting. Charlotte drew in a shaky breath.
