Page 56 of Awakening a Lord's Desires
And so, he called out to the driver to go to the Wentworth home. It was there that he would find his reckoning. Even if something was wrong, or if some bad truth came out of it all, at least he would have the satisfaction of knowing that he’d not given up.
I am coming, Caroline.
***
Almost as soon as Caroline had gotten home from Charles’ house, she’d found Penelope waiting for her on the edge of the stairs, looking at her with disdain.
“What are you doing?” Penelope asked her, and Caroline tensed, standing as tall as she could.
“What should it matter, Penelope?” she asked. “You have never cared so much before, for you certainly know that I was out and about in the woods as I usually am.”
Penelope chuckled. “I know that is not true, dear daughter, so you had better tell me the truth.”
“I was with Charles, if you must know,” Caroline said hastily, not caring any longer about who knew it. Penelope was planning to make her life a misery anyway. “And I shall never regret it.”
“Perhaps not, but things will fall into place as I have planned them.” She moved out of the way, and Caroline, surprised, strode up the steps to her room, grateful that their interaction had been nothing more than that.
When she shut the door, she looked about the space, trying to decide what she would take with her. She began to look through her wardrobe and pack a few things she truly loved into a bag. There would be time later for her to gather the rest of her things, but for now, she would take only what she needed.
It took a few minutes, but as she worked, digging through a few dresses, she heard something like the turn of a lock.
It made her pause, and she lifted her head from the wardrobe to look at the door. She swallowed, and her heart began to beat a little more rapidly as she tried to decide if she had truly heard the sound or if it was only the creak of a foot upon the stair or the squeak of the wardrobe door.
With reluctance, she slowly walked to the door to see for herself. Her trembling hand reached out for the knob, and then slowly, she turned it. It would not move, and her heart sank.
“No,” she said, jiggling the knob, but it would not budge, and she spoke louder. “No, this cannot be!” she cried, and she began to bang on the door. “Penelope, you must let me out. You cannot do this!”
She heard no response except for the shuffling of feet away from the door, and Caroline sank to her knees in front of it, banging half-heartedly before she gave up and leaned her head against it.
“No,” she said as tears streamed down her face.
Her stepmother was conniving and cruel, but she had never expected this. Never expected the use of actual force, trapping her away in her room to keep her away from her love and the future she so desperately wanted.
Oh, why did I have to come home? I should have gone with him right away.
She cried for a little while, her heart breaking, until she paused. Charles would be waiting for her in the woods by now, wondering where she was.
I beg of you, Charles, do not believe in my betrayal yet again!
But she feared that he would do just that, and he would turn his back on her once and for all.
Chapter 57
Charles put his elbows on his knees and folded his hands as he awaited his arrival at the Wentworth home. He turned to look out of the window and saw Oliver riding toward him. He knocked on the roof of the carriage to slow the driver, and then he opened the door, calling out.
“Oliver, what is the matter?” he asked, looking at his friend’s concerned face. “You are never riding at this hour.”
“No, but I awoke with a bad feeling, Charles.” He looked around them. “What are you doing here? Where are you going?”
“Ride with me to Caroline’s home, and I will explain it all.”
Oliver jumped down, and the driver tied the horse to the back of the carriage. He climbed in across from Charles and they started off again.
“I do not have much time, but I have asked Caroline to marry me.”
“That’s wonderful!” Oliver cried, but then he frowned. “I wonder why I should have such a terrible feeling. That I thought I had to come to you.”
“Because you know about her engagement to Max, and it has come to get in the way yet again. She came to me last night after I argued with her at the ball, and she explained everything. It has been forced upon her, and she does not want it. She wants me, friend, and I asked her to marry me, that we should run away together.”
