Page 62 of The Brooding Duke's Fateful Letter
“George, I must say I have never seen a hound love fruit the way you do.” She said it with a laugh as George wrestled the apple from her hand. After a while, Charlotte decided that she was now ready to pack for the voyage.
She walked back into the estate and went to her room. She picked out her finest dresses and hats and set them aside. She made sure to take the last two books she had not read yet and her brushes and paint. The last things she packed were her hair brushes and face powder.
She heard the call for teatime and felt satisfied that it was a well-deserved break. Her belongings were packed and ready to be taken to their carriage. Bethany and Tristan stood at the bottom of the stairs as she came to the tip of the stairs. They were deeply in conversation and had not seen her as yet.
“It is my choice!” Bethany said loudly.
“That is where you make the mistake. I have a right to be part of this,” Tristan spat back.
“Pay me what is required, and you may continue with your life,” Bethany said.
“I want to do more than that, Bethany. I wish to take care of you. Of the both of you.” He said as he put his palm gently on her stomach. Charlotte’s mouth hung open as it dawned on her that Bethany was with her child, with Tristan’s child!
Charlotte felt anger boil inside her. “Where are you expecting to convince Henry that the child was his?” She said loudly enough for them both to hear her.
“That was never our intention,” Tristan replied. Defensively.
“I was speaking to my dear sister,” Charlotte stated as she descended the stairs.
“No,” Bethany answered simply. Her expression spoke volumes, and she knew that the unfortunate unborn child had already been used as a pawn. Tristan looked from Charlotte to Bethany and then walked away.
It would seem that Tristan is a better man than I had thought. Charlotte thought as she walked past Bethany to go to tea. The mood was tense as Charlotte entered the patio area. The silence thickened the air. Not one word was said as they sat down for tea.
The moment each person was done, they left the patio. Bethany had been staring at Charlotte since she had arrived. Charlotte wanted to carefully approach the discussion she had overheard between Bethany and Tristan. So she held her tongue.
Charlotte did not see her family or Henry after tea. She had preferred the silence and had made sure she had packed all that she would need on their travels. Dinner had been equally quiet with an early night for all afterward.
Charlotte slept well and found herself dressed and ready before the sun had risen to say good morning. They had quick tea while the groomsmen packed their belongings and made sure the horses were safe and secure. Henry had come to stand with Charlotte, as they were almost ready to leave.
“I had a word with Edward this morning, my lady,” Henry said, looking rather put off.
“How is he, Your Grace?” Charlotte asked.
“He is well. He is also responsible for my accident. He might even have burned the stables down,” Henry said in a whisper.
“I thought that had been the robbers that had been caught along with him, Your Grace,” Charlotte replied.
“It turns out that he had wanted to get rid of me and make it look like an assassination,” Henry stated.
“Why?” Charlotte asked.
“He said he could not know that I would not take everything away from him the moment I decided to take my rightful place,” Henry replied.
“Are you certain, Your Grace?” Charlotte asked, hoping it was not true.
“He told me himself,” Henry admitted.
“I am sorry, Your Grace,” Charlotte said. She felt awful that things had ended this way with Edward. Henry smiled at her and helped her into the carriage. George did not need a second invitation and jumped in after Charlotte.
“You may have only a few, George. The voyage is still a long one,” she told the dog as she took an apple from a package.
“Did you especially go and pick apples for George, My Lady?” Henry asked.
“He adores them. How could I not, Your Grace?” Charlotte asked with a bright smile.
Henry smiled and shook his head as the carriages pulled away. Bethany, Tristan, and her stepmother and father travelled in the other carriage. In the last one, Cecil and his wife sat with Bonny, who had become a good friend and business associate.
It was nearly two hours before they reached the docks. When they arrived, the ferry was ready to be boarded. There were so many people boarding, Charlotte was pleasantly surprised. Surprised that she knew many of them.
