Chapter Eight #2
After eating and putting everything up, Charles noted it had gotten dark.
He’d written a list of things he’d need for the place by the creek.
Perhaps, if the moon was out, he’d try and sneak out and return early in the morning.
He lay down on the blankets and fell fast asleep, until he woke sometime in the middle of the night to the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning.
Hopefully the storm would move on before morning.
If not, it meant everyone would be in the house for the day.
He wondered about Lady Cathryn. It couldn’t be easy for her, her sister casting her aside.
He wouldn’t mind talking to her since he was very attracted to her. Or so said his body. She seemed to be easy to talk to. That would need to wait. He needed to let everything settle to see if her sister changed her mind. He doubted that would ever happen.
*
Waking up slowly, his senses were hit by the smell of coffee and sausages.
He sat up from the pallet he had made the night before and found a covered plate on the small table.
Frazier had brought him a tray. There was also toast, butter, and marmalade to one side.
When he opened the lid keeping the rest warm, he found two types of sausages and a spoonful of scrambled egg.
Replacing the cover, Charles looked around the room and found a change of clothes, a basin with water, and soap and a towel.
Pulling the chair up, he took a sip of coffee, then began eating the hearty breakfast Frazier had brought. Everything tasted amazing.
What he was going to do for the day was limited.
He couldn’t afford to be seen by any of the staff.
A sighting would make its way back to Arthur, and he wasn’t ready for that discussion.
He needed time to himself to think. How would he respond to Lady Cathryn’s sister’s accusations?
Or would he? He had denied the accusations though his declaration had fallen on deaf ears.
He felt as though he was going in circles.
Remembering Lady Cathryn liked to take long walks, he thought perhaps he could use that to his advantage.
He could have Frazier perhaps find out where she went.
Did she have a preferred time to go on her walks?
If he were careful, he could leave earlier and be there waiting.
She would probably startle, but he needed to see what she was about.
From his observation, he was fairly sure she had not agreed to what her sister had proposed.
He had nothing to offer her except the books he had published.
The income they generated was unpredictable.
No one had really seen he was properly prepared for life in the world.
He was the second son of a duke. Traditionally he should have become a priest or gone into the navy or army.
But everyone had been sure Charles would never become either.
That he would remain in seclusion forever.
No one, not even his siblings, would ever know of his existence until he passed.
He’d been through this numerous times. For years he questioned his own existence. Very few questions had ever received answers. Now and then he heard words thrown around like crazy, idiot, mad, all used to describe him. Charles had proven them all wrong.
It was raining. He could hear it beating down on the roof above him.
The day was going to be long and dismal.
Writing on his new book would be how he spent this day.
He also had observations he needed to put to paper because perhaps they might become a part of a story.
In reality, he had plenty to keep him occupied.
Waking up to sunshine beaming through the dormer window in his hideaway, Charles smiled at the sight. Even though he couldn’t step outside for fear of being discovered, his day would be much more content.
There should be a moon tonight and he decided that after the house was asleep, he would sneak outside and take a walk through the gardens.
He’d also decided his decision to move to near the creek wasn’t feasible.
He couldn’t saddle a horse for fear of being discovered, and walking to and from the location would take longer than the time he would have to work.
So in the middle of the night, he decided until he was sure his point was made, he would stay right where he was.
Frazier came with breakfast which consisted of fruit, bread, a hunk of cheese, and coffee.
The two men talked for a while with the valet telling him what was going on in the house.
Lady Cathryn was still in residence, her sister completely ignoring her and Arthur’s letters.
Daphne and Arthur were trying to make her feel welcome and decided she should stay for the summer if her sister didn’t have a change of heart.
His valet scoffed at the idea of Lady Agnes changing her mind about anything. The woman, he found out, had never been married, not even a prospect. That would explain part of the reason for her bitterness toward Cathryn.
She had a dowry, Charles knew that much. A substantial one if he remembered what Arthur and Agnes discussed. It wasn’t like she would profit from the marriage. He, Arthur, and the solicitor would be the ones controlling the money.
“Do you know how long Lady Cathryn’s parents will be away?”
“I heard Her Grace mention late summer, early autumn.”
“I wonder if her father knows anything about this?”
Frazier shook his head. “I doubt it. If he knew, he’d be headed back to England.”
“Point taken,” Charles replied.
Not wanting to get caught coming out of the passageway, Frazier left, saying he’d keep his ears open for any more information.
Charles spent his day working on his next book and making notes of things that came to mind.
He didn’t take a break until he looked up and noticed the sun was setting.
The room was darkening so he got up and lit the lantern.
He put everything in a neat pile at the side of the desk.
Frazier had brought him a decanter of brandy earlier.
Charles poured himself a glass and sat down on the pallet he’d made.
Leaning against the wall, he sipped brandy and tried to close his mind down.
That task was easier said than done. From where he sat, he could see moonlight shining down. He couldn’t wait to smell the outside.
Polishing off the brandy, he sat back against the wall and listened to the sounds of the house. It seemed to hum much of the day. When everyone slept, the house was quiet.
Much later in the evening, once the house seemed to be asleep, Charles snuck out and into the gardens behind the house.
The moon was at three quarters full, making it quite bright on an otherwise dark night.
Walking around on the crushed shell paths, he breathed in deeply.
He caught the scent of some of the night flowers. This was just what he needed.
He came upon the opening of the maze. There should be a bench in the middle of the puzzle.
They were easier than most people thought them to be.
One could never truly get lost in one. He entered, taking his time as he slowly walked between the tall hedges.
The light from the moon was almost like daylight. No clouds covered the skies.
As he was about to turn the final bend into the center, he thought he heard someone, a female, sneeze.
He shook his head. That was impossible and he determined he hadn’t heard a thing.
Charles slowly walked into the center of the maze.
A bench sat at the far end and a young woman sat there. Not just anyone. Lady Cathryn.
He walked closer to the bench, and her head quickly snapped up to see who it was. She appeared to be as startled to see him as he was to see her.
“Lord Charles, where have you been? Why did you leave so abruptly?”
He cleared his throat. “I sort of panicked. I couldn’t sit there and listen to your sister dictate my future with her accusing me of things I did not do.”
“I understand. She finally got fed up and left, leaving me here.”
“She’s giving up her nonsense?” Charles inquired.
“Heavens, no! I imagine she is plotting her next move,” Lady Cathryn replied.
“I had the feeling she hadn’t told you what she was up to.”
“Not a clue. I was so embarrassed I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know what her next move might be.”
“I find it interesting that she left you here.”
Cathryn smiled ever so slightly. “She doesn’t want the family name to be dragged through the mud. Her reputation is on the line as well.”
“What do you think she’ll do next?”
“I think she’ll not only see the solicitor, she’ll contact our father and ask for his guidance. Father will return home.”
“That’ll take several weeks, if not longer,” Charles replied.
“The duke and duchess have been so kind.”
“Yes, they are.”
She looked at him square in the face. “Are the rumors true that you’re mad?”
Charles snorted. “It depends on your definition of mad. My mind just works differently than most men’s.”
“I don’t think you’re mad. Eccentric perhaps, but not mad. You’re highly intelligent, way above most men.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he replied.
“It was meant as one. Are we still going to have to marry?”
“It appears we will, I’m afraid. Once your sister gets word to your father, he’s going to insist.”
“But we can tell my father the truth. That’ll help change his mind.”
He shook his head. “By the time he returns, I’m afraid your sister will have done enough damage.”
“Then we must come up with a way to thwart her plans.”
“I agree. Two heads are better than one,” he replied.