Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library (The Rogue’s Alliance #1)

Chapter Twelve

“Lady Charlotte!”

I n the sitting area at Thorne’s, Charlotte had given up reading Romance of the Forest and instead was enjoying the first volume of Waverly . Louisa sat nearby, perusing her periodicals. Charlotte turned in her chair to see Alicia Tilford approach the seating area, her orange blossom scent announcing her presence.

She got to her feet to greet the woman. Accompanying Alicia were Lady Julia and an elegantly dressed gentleman that she guessed was Alicia’s brother Nathaniel.

“How lovely to see you here.” Charlotte took the other woman’s hands in her own for a light squeeze. She released Alicia’s hands and turning to the man, asked, “Is this the brother you’ve told me about?”

The other girl smiled brightly. “Yes, this is Nathaniel. Or I should say, Lord Harbury. And you’ve already met Lady Julia.”

Nathaniel sketched a shallow bow. “It is lovely to meet you, Lady Charlotte. My sister hasn’t stopped talking about you or Lady Edith since she met you.”

From the baron’s droll smile, Charlotte surmised the man was not exaggerating his sister’s loquaciousness on the subject.

Nathaniel and Alicia were quite obviously related. They both sported blonde hair and hazel eyes. The baron was a head taller than his sister, nearly the same height as Lord Ashford.

“I’m sorry to say Lady Edith is at home with a head cold,” she replied. “This is my other dear friend, Lady Louisa.”

Nathaniel and Lady Alicia expressed sincere delight in meeting Louisa. Lady Julia’s response was lukewarm. From the currents surrounding her, Charlotte surmised Louisa’s dislike of Julia was not one-sided, although she assumed Lady Julia disliked most people.

“Lady Cairs told me there were lovely ladies to be found in Thorne’s Lending Library, and I am delighted to see she told the truth.” Nathaniel extended his arm and asked gallantly, “Lady Charlotte, perhaps you would like to give us a tour of the establishment?”

“I should be delighted,” she replied with a wide smile. The baron had as pleasant a personality as his sister.

Behind her, she heard silence from where Julia and Louisa stood together. Well, they were both grown women. They could fend for themselves. She wasn’t in the best of moods herself today.

William hadn’t returned home Monday evening and slept in on Tuesday. She was now quite sure he’d been attempting to avoid speaking to her privately.

When she finally saw her brother in the afternoon, it was in passing as he strode down the corridor outside the drawing room.

“William, another word if I might,” Charlotte said after following him to the entry hall. She counted on his agreeing to speak with her rather than making a scene in front of a nearby footman.

“I have but a few moments.” Her brother followed her as she retraced her steps to the empty drawing room.

The hearth was cold. The room held a chill, and Charlotte shivered as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Are you going to ask me questions about Eton again?” William asked with a loud sigh. He remained standing.

Charlotte wanted to shout at him that it was his own fault if she needed to ask him questions. She took a steadying breath. “Did you steal from other students while you were at Eton?”

The color drained from her brother’s face. Several seconds ticked by before he asked, “Lord Ashford told you he caught me stealing?”

To her dismay, it appeared the marquess had not misinterpreted her brother’s actions. She nodded. “He was reluctant to do so, but I pressed him for the truth. The truth that you should have already told me.”

William had regained some color in his face. He looked down at his feet as he replied, “I only took small items. I had to prove I’d gone in their rooms, didn’t I?”

There was a short silence. William’s inability to take the blame for his actions was disheartening.

“Did you give any of the items back?” she asked.

He looked up then, his expression incredulous. “How could I? I would have had to admit I took them in the first place.”

“I wonder how many people in London know that you’re a thief,” she responded with a grimace as she slumped onto a walnut elbow chair.

“I’m not a thief, Charlotte.” Her brother threw his hands up. “I had to take those things. Someone made me do it.”

“So, they threatened your life?” she asked angrily.

“Of course not,” William replied as he rolled his eyes and took a seat on the arm of the nearby sopha.

“They blackmailed you?”

He made a rude noise. “Don’t be absurd. The boys were bullies, and I wanted to impress- well, I had to do it.”

He wanted to impress them .

“So, these bullies are your friends now?” she asked, suddenly weary.

He shook his head. “Not at all. The few friends I now have are honest, from good families.”

“You’re from a good family,” she pointed out.

When Charlotte thought he would laugh off her comment, she was astonished when William appeared to take her words to heart as there was no lightness in his voice or expression when he replied, “I was younger then. More gullible. Charlotte, I would never do such things now. You have to believe me.”

“You didn’t tell me the truth when I asked you before.”

William nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t because I was ashamed of myself.” A few seconds later, he asked, “How can I possibly make amends after all these years?”

She thought a moment. “You can start by talking to Lord Ashford. Tell him what you told me.”

“I can’t.” Her brother shook his head.

“If you want to make amends, tell Lord Ashford what you did and why you did it.” Her voice was firm. It was time William owned up to his mistakes. “If you tell him the truth, you might earn his respect. And mine.”

If he didn’t do what she asked, she didn’t know if she could ever trust him again.

Her brother let out a long sigh before he replied, “All right, Charlotte. It is past time for me to take responsibility for my missteps. I will speak with Lord Ashford.”

William knocked on her bedchamber that morning to tell her as it was Wednesday, a day without parliamentary sessions, he would seek the marquess out that very day.

As Charlotte ushered Alicia and her brother around the lending library, Lady Julia trailed behind them, looking bored. Louisa remained in the sitting area, seated on one of the stuffed chairs, perusing a magazine she’d read several times already.

“I think your library is very cozy,” Alicia said kindly to Mr. Thorne. “Hookham’s is too big. Too impersonal. I shall tell everyone I meet they must come to your establishment.”

Alicia chatted on while her brother stood by patiently. Charlotte wondered if she was being fanciful in thinking that there was a more serious-minded person beneath the pleasant expression and constant smile on Lord Harbury’s face. She felt a quiet sadness about him.

Mr. Thorne looked pleased, if a bit overwhelmed by Lady Alicia’s constant stream of conversation. To give the shopkeeper a moment of peace, Charlotte guided Alicia to another area of the shop while Lady Julia captured Nathaniel’s attention by asking his opinion on a book.

Alicia looked about her before whispering, “Lady Charlotte, Lady Julia told me that it is well known Thorne’s Lending Library strives to cater to the lower classes.”

She paused before replying. Taking a deep breath she asked, “What do you think, Miss Tilford? You are a good judge of your surroundings, I would imagine.”

The other woman replied, “The furniture and fixtures are tasteful. They are of the finest quality, especially the window coverings. The woodwork is as beautiful as any I’ve seen. The shop is also less dusty than Hookham’s.”

“And have you received excellent service?” she asked the lady pointedly.

“Exemplary!” Alicia smiled. “Mr. Thorne is such an agreeable man. Of course, I have yet to meet Mrs. Thorne.”

Charlotte didn’t think introducing Alicia to Mrs. Thorne was a good idea at present. “I hope you can meet that lady soon. She is painfully shy, you know. And not quite comfortable with most people, but I’m sure she would take to you in a thrice. You make everyone feel at their ease.”

“Do you think so?” the lady asked with a giggle. “That is exceedingly nice of you to say so.”

She replied with a wink, “Perhaps on your next visit, I can coax Mrs. Thorne out of the backroom.”

Charlotte hoped Alicia would soon set to right any negative rumors about Thorne’s. She wanted the shop to attract all types of customers, but she didn’t want the gentry to feel as if they weren’t welcome.

Alicia perused writing supplies while her brother browsed the maritime book section, Lady Julia in tow. The bell over the door jingled, and Charlotte looked up to see Lord Ashford enter the library.

The marquess pulled his beaver hat from his head, and with one hand, ruffled the dark wavy locks falling across his brow. His eyes scanned the room, and her breath caught. Was he looking for her?

When their eyes met, he nodded and walked in her direction. She felt warmth on her cheeks and a flutter in her breast. Charlotte panicked and turned to the seating area. There was safety in numbers. She took a seat in the chair next to Louisa, picked up the volume of Waverly from the table, and looked anywhere but at Lord Ashford.

The gentleman approached the seating area and swept a deep bow. “Good afternoon, Lady Charlotte, Lady Louisa. May I have a seat?”

“Of course, Lord Ashford,” she replied with a glance to Louisa.

Louisa merely nodded a greeting and went back to reading her copy of Ackermann’s Repository.

The marquess smelled not only of bergamot but of the chill, fresh air outside. Her eyes drifted to his tousled hair, and she felt the desire to smooth the stray locks with her hand. She must steel herself against his charisma, remember that the man was a hypocrite.

Her voice was the slightest bit unsteady as she asked him, “What brings you to Thorne’s today, Lord Ashford?”

* * * * *

A shford was in the entryway of his townhouse putting on his greatcoat when a footman admitted Lord William Beaumont to the house.

“So sorry to disturb you, Lord Ashford. Are you on your way out?” the young man asked, removing his hat.

“I can give you a few minutes of my time,” he replied politely, and the footman proceeded to remove his employer’s coat. “Come along.”

Ashford exited the entry hall and walked down a corridor to the drawing room. He sat down in one of a pair of matched club chairs and waved a hand for the young man to take the other.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Lord Beaumont?” he asked.

The boy took a seat. Clearing his throat, he said hesitantly, “I have come here to tell you the truth of what you saw that day at Eton. To explain my behavior and ask your advice on how to make amends.”

“I see.” He was impressed by the boy’s directness. “Go on.”

William sighed. “I never felt like I fit in at Eton. All the other boys in my year seemed so confident, and mature. I wanted to be liked, you see.”

Ashford nodded but remained silent. He had always had Cecil and Nathaniel by his side at school. Whenever he’d seen William, the boy had been alone.

“There was a small set of first years. A clique. I followed them around a bit, and they teased me.” He paused. “One day, the leader told me if I took something from Lord Hay’s room, I could join their circle. I wasn’t to take anything expensive. Just a letter or book to prove I had been in the boy’s room.”

Ashford raised a staying hand and said, “You had my friend’s pocket watch in your hand when I found you in his bedchamber.”

William nodded. “I was going to put it back. I couldn’t find anything personalized to prove I had been in the room. I did know I couldn’t take the watch. I’d convinced myself I wasn’t stealing, but taking something of value would have put paid to that lie.”

“Did you stop this activity after I caught you?”

William replied eagerly, “I did. I was ashamed of myself, you see. How pitiful to be bullied into stealing keepsakes just for a few lads to like me. Not that they really would ever like me.”

“And you really want to make amends?” He studied the other man’s face.

William nodded. “I do, but I don’t know how.”

“Did you keep any of the items you took?” he asked.

“No. I gave them all to Lord Caven- I gave them to the leader of the group.”

“Aha. I remember Cavendish well enough. He is still shockingly loose in the haft. Better that you didn’t become part of his inner circle.” He paused. “Unfortunately, you can’t return the items you took.”

“No. I can’t.” The expression on William’s face looked as glum as his tone of voice.

“It was brave of you to tell me the truth,” he said and meant it. “Did you tell your sister all of this?”

“I did. But I won’t be able to make amends.”

“Sometimes we have to live with our mistakes. Sometimes we can’t fix them. If you go forward in life as an honest man, I think neither your sister nor anyone else could ask for more.” As he said the words, he found he believed them. He realized he’d been much too hard on the young man. Perhaps because he was disappointed in himself for the way he’d handled Diana’s past outrageous behavior.

The boy sighed. “I have been honest since then. No stealing. What I did has weighed on me for a long time.”

“Then it is time to put it behind you and be the man your sister believes you can be,” he said as he got to his feet.

“That is a tall order,” William replied awkwardly.

He put out a gloved hand. “If you have half the determination your sister has, I’m sure you can do it.”

After the men shook hands, Ashford led the way back to the entry hall. As he donned his outerwear again, he bade farewell to William. It was remarkable how much he’d revised his opinion of the young man after he’d told the truth. He was still convinced the boy had a weak character, but it was encouraging to know William was aware what he’d done at school was wrong.

Now he was here at Thorne’s Lending Library, seated across from Charlotte. The lady looked anxious to see him, while Lady Louisa looked not a bit interested in his presence. He realized he’d wanted, needed, to hear Charlotte’s voice, to smell her exotic perfume. Her brother’s visit to his home had given him an excuse to seek the lady out.

Charlotte’s color was high. She didn’t quite meet his gaze, which was a shame. Her lovely eyes were captivating.

He spied Nathaniel and raised a hand in greeting. His friend nodded in acknowledgment before returning to his perusal of the bookshelf in front of him. Ashford noticed Alicia at a table of sundries and hoped she wouldn’t spot him. At least not until he’d had more time to speak with Charlotte.

“I wanted to see how the shop was faring,” he replied to Charlotte’s question, adding in a low voice, “The nasty man that was loitering outside the shop should no longer be a problem.”

“Thank you for your efforts in that matter, Lord Ashford,” Charlotte said softly.

“You’re welcome. I see trade has increased.”

She nodded. “Oh yes. There are new customers in the shop today. I’ve been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Lord Nathaniel Harbury and his sister Miss Tilford.”

He smiled. “The baron is a good friend of mine. We were in the same year at school.”

Lady Charlotte bit her lip and looked down at the hands in her lap. He surmised she was thinking about the rumors about her brother at Eton. “He seems a kind man.”

“He is.” He added with a chuckle, “Alicia is a sweet girl, although she doesn’t ever stop talking.”

Charlotte looked up, a tentative smile on her lips. He found himself again transfixed by her smile, the shape of her lips.

“Are you enjoying your novel?” he asked quickly. He couldn’t spend all day staring at the lady. “I recently finished all three volumes. Although the author wishes to remain anonymous, it is quite obviously written by Walter Scott.”

“I’m enjoying the story very much! His description of the Scottish countryside is enchanting. When I read the book I feel as if I’m in Scotland.” She looked at him then, her face alight with enthusiasm. After a moment, she smiled awkwardly and averted her gaze to the book clasped in her hands.

Looking around him, he said, “The new furniture and window coverings have greatly improved the look of the library.”

“That is all due to Louisa,” Charlotte replied with a glance at the other young woman. “She procured the furniture and curtains for Thorne’s.”

“You have excellent taste, Lady Louisa.”

The lady in question rose to her feet. “Thank you, Lord Ashford. Excuse me. I need to speak with Robbie about ordering a periodical.”

When Louisa had gone, he said gently, “Your brother came to see me today.”

“Oh yes?” Charlotte looked apprehensive again. She bit her lip.

Strangely, he felt the need to put her at her ease. “We had an interesting conversation. I think he feels much better now that he has explained his actions while at Eton.”

“I am so happy to hear that, Lord Ashford.” The lady’s expression turned serious. “It is very distressing to have a sibling who behaves in an improper manner. Don’t you agree?”

Before he could reply, he heard a cry from behind him.

“Lord Ashford! What a pleasure it is to see you here.”

Lady Charlotte placed her book on the table in front of her as she rose to her feet. She whispered, “Miss Tilford has spotted you,” and walked away toward the front of the library.

He had only a moment to wonder at Charlotte’s quick exit from his presence.

Turning, he saw Alicia coming towards him. There was nothing for it; he must greet the chatterbox.