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

Chapter Twenty-Four

T hree days after the incident in Hyde Park, Diana returned to Town. Upon arriving at the house in Grosvenor Square, Diana retired to her bedchamber to wash off the dust of the road. When she returned downstairs, Ashford was waiting for her with their mother. His sister used rose water as liberally as their mother, and the room was filled with fragrance.

“Oh, my dear! It is good to have you home,” the marchioness said to her only daughter as they embraced in the drawing room. With the recent threat of scandal averted, Ashford thought his mother was genuinely glad to see her daughter.

“Hello, brother,” Diana said playfully when the countess released her. “Rumors have reached Bath about you and a Lady Charlotte Beaumont.”

He shot a look at the marchioness, who was now seated on a settee. Diana took a seat beside their mother as she replied, “I haven’t said anything to Diana about any ladies.”

“I intend to ask the lady to be my wife,” he said stiffly to both women in the room.

“You don’t look happy about it,” his mother replied. “Sit down, Ashford. Tell me all about the lady who has won your heart.”

He took a seat in a hard-backed chair, unsure of what to tell his family about Charlotte.

Diana said into the silence, “Miss Tilford wrote to me about the lady. She says Charlotte is lovely, a great reader like yourself, and a bit unconventional.”

“Unconventional?” The marchioness frowned.

“The lady dressed as a beggar to peek in the bow window at White’s to save a lending library from closure,” Diana answered with a mischievous grin. “She also visited a businessman in Bishopsgate to help the library.”

“Is this true, Ashford?” his mother asked, her eyes dancing.

He replied quickly, “She had the best of intentions. Lady Charlotte was merely aiding her friends.”

“Miss Tilford also mentioned a grand adventure in Hyde Park,” his sister said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

When their mother turned her attention to Diana, he gave his sister a warning look.

Diana grinned at him. “Alicia didn’t know the details, of course.”

“I don’t know anything about a Hyde Park adventure,” he said with a shrug when his mother returned her gaze to his face. “I do know that Lady Charlotte comes from a good family, and I wish to marry her.”

“Goodness knows your life could use a little more excitement,” his mother responded and rose to her feet. “You have my blessing. I will see you both at dinner. I'm going upstairs to rest before the dressing gong sounds.”

After the marchioness had left the room, he said to his sister, “Thank you for not telling Mother what happened at Hyde Park. I’m sure Alicia does know the details.”

“Her letter about Lady Charlotte arrived just as I was departing from Bath. Reading about Lady Charlotte’s escapades gave me several hours of enjoyment on an otherwise uneventful journey.” Diana smiled sweetly.

“Are you comparing her behavior to yours?” he asked gruffly, narrowing his gaze on her face.

Diana shrugged. “There are some similarities.”

“Lady Charlotte did not kiss my best friend in my study during a ball in our home. You are lucky not to have been pressed into a marriage of convenience with Cecil.”

“That wouldn’t have been such a terrible outcome,” his sister replied flippantly.

“You thought Lady Lamb might ridicule your recent behavior in her novel,” he countered.

His sister let out a long sigh. “But she didn’t. I had a lot of time to think while I was in Bath. I realize now that my conduct after my fiancée died was inappropriate. My darling captain would have expected more from me.”

“And I was much too judgmental,” he replied, surprised at his sister’s demure behavior. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more supportive of you during your period of mourning.”

“It means a lot for you to say that Ashford. It is good to be home. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I am happy to hear you have found a bride at last.”

“I have yet to propose.” He cleared his throat and looked about for another topic of conversation. “Baron Harbury and I recently purchased quite a large part of Berkeley Square.”

“Do you have plans for the square, or is the land merely an investment?” Diana asked, leaning forward in her chair.

He had given the idea some thought over the last few days. He knew precisely what changes he wanted to bring to Berkeley Square. “Most of the property is let, but there is one large shop that is empty. I know you have helped mother acquire servants for the townhouse and estate. How much do you know about employment agencies?”

* * * * *

L ife appeared to be returning to normal when Charlotte walked through the door of Thorne’s. Or as normal as could be expected after meeting Lord Ashford. Society’s rules dictated that she could not write or visit the man at his home. She chaffed at the restraints of being a female. If there were to be a relationship between them, the marquess would have to initiate one.

“Lady Charlotte! It is good to see you.” Robbie stood behind his counter, grinning from ear to ear. “We’ve been ever so busy.”

“I can see that,” she replied with a smile.

Mr. Thorne merely gave her a nod in greeting as he had several customers waiting for his attention. The library contained nearly twenty patrons, the cheery din of their conversation filling the space.

Edith was seated in a tub chair, and Louisa on the settee, a stack of periodicals beside her. Louisa waved to Charlotte and then picked up the periodicals and placed them on the table in front of her. “It is crowded in here today. I was worried you wouldn’t have a place to sit with us.”

“How are you feeling?” Edith asked once Charlotte was seated next to Louisa.

“It has been a week since that night in Hyde Park,” she replied quietly. “I am quite recovered.”

Before either of her friends could say another word, a dark-haired woman with striking blue eyes approached the seating area. She was quite a beautiful lady dressed in the height of fashion.

“May I join you? My name is Lady Diana Grey. I believe you are acquainted with my brother Lord Ashford.” The lady directed her words to all three women, although her gaze was on Charlotte.

“Oh yes! Please have a seat.” Edith waved a hand toward the tub chair next to her own. “I am Lady Edith, and these are my friends, Lady Charlotte and Lady Louisa.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Charlotte said with a tentative smile. She wondered why Ashford’s sister was at Thorne’s, and why she had made herself known to Charlotte and her friends.

Louisa exchanged a polite nod with the lady, remaining silent.

“So this is the lending library you all worked so hard to save. Miss Tilford wrote to me about your worthy pursuit.” Diana looked about her, obviously assessing the room and its patrons.

Louisa replied, “Thorne’s is the finest library in London.”

“How is your family?” Charlotte asked Diana.

“My brother and mother are well, thank you.”

Charlotte searched for something else to say. She had decided to ask Diana about Bath when the other woman spoke.

“You will be seeing me quite a bit in the neighborhood as my brother and Baron Harbury are determined to open an employment agency in the square. An agency catering specifically to former soldiers and sailors. I am going to assist my brother in getting the enterprise started.”

Charlotte was surprised at Diana’s announcement. It was uncommon for a peer to be associated with a business venture. She wondered when Lord Ashford had decided to open the agency and told herself it didn’t matter that she’d heard the news from someone other than himself.

The lady added, “I will be the face of the agency, as it were. It is more acceptable for a lady to be involved with charitable organizations.”

“An employment agency for veterans is a wonderful idea,” Charlotte replied with enthusiasm. “Will it be located next door to Thorne’s?”

Diana shook her head. “At first, that was the intended area for the agency. My brother was contacted by the draper who wanted to return to his former space in the square next to the lending library. We decided to locate the agency further down the street in an empty building.”

“I am impressed with your brother’s foresight,” Edith replied, a surfeit of feeling in her words. “The men returning from the wars have had a hard time. If I can be of any assistance in your endeavor, do let me know.”

A moment later Edith clapped her hands. When all eyes turned to her, she said, “How wonderful! Lord Ashford is here.”

* * * * *

I t had been the longest week of Ashford’s life when the note from William came.

Thorne’s. Three o’clock tomorrow.

He needed to see for himself that Charlotte was all right. Alicia had visited Charlotte at home and delivered a small bouquet of pink roses for him. Would the lady know he chose pink roses to signify the beginning of their relationship? Or what he hoped was only the beginning of a long and happy life together.

The next day he nervously entered Thorne’s, his heart beating a rapid tattoo. He waved a greeting to Robbie as he strode to the seating area.

Charlotte sat on the settee in the middle of the room, Louisa beside her. Edith was seated on one of the tub chairs. To his dismay, Diana was also seated on one of the chairs.

Edith spied him first. He heard the lady say, “Lord Ashford is here.”

Charlotte looked down, her cheeks blooming with color. Diana got to her feet while Edith and Louisa merely watched his approach. He came to a halt near the settee, his heart racing at the sight of the woman he loved.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he said with a sweeping bow. “May I join you?”

“Of course, Lord Ashford,” Edith replied quickly. Charlotte looked up, meeting his gaze as she and Louisa murmured their agreement.

“I’m just leaving. It was a great pleasure meeting you ladies. I wish you well, dear brother.” Diana winked at him, made her goodbyes, and exited the lending library.

“Your brother William told me you would be here, Lady Charlotte,” he said warmly as he took a seat in the chair vacated by his sister.

Charlotte’s eyes widened. “You came to Thorne’s to speak with me?”

Before he could reply, Louisa and Edith got to their feet and drifted away to the front of the library. The color on Charlotte’s cheeks deepened.

“Yes, I came to speak with you,” he replied with a soft smile. “May I sit next to you?”

“Of course.” Her words were a mere whisper. Hands clasped in her lap, he thought Charlotte looked as nervous as he felt.

He moved from the chair to the settee and breathed in deeply, knowing the scent of tuberose would always remind him of her.

“Have you quite recovered from the events in Hyde Park?” he asked, feeling a fool for not bringing up the subject more gently.

“I believe I have.” She gave a tremulous smile. “Thank you for finding me and saving me.”

He replied quickly, “William was instrumental in locating you that night. My friends and I were relieved we could be of service.”

An awkward silence ensued.

“Did you get my roses?” he asked.

“Roses?” Charlotte frowned.

“Alicia visited you, I believe. I asked her to bring you some pink roses.”

“Oh my!” The lady smiled softly. “She didn’t tell me they were from you. Thank you, Lord Ashford.”

There was another short silence.

Had he ever apologized for his earlier behavior? Perhaps that would help him relax before bringing up the subject of courting.

“When you saw me speaking to Henry Colburn that day, the woman I was worried about was my sister.” He paused. “She thought she had upset Lady Caroline Lamb and might be ridiculed in her upcoming novel. As you said, her behavior has not always been prudent.”

Charlotte remained silent.

“I treated you most unfairly regarding your visit to St. James’s Street. There was no harm done, and you were there in aid of your friends.” He added in a lighter tone, “I’ve never been good at apologies. Please forgive me.”

The lady looked as if she were close to tears.

“Lady Charlotte? Have I offended you?”

“You might have been killed. Both in Bruton Lane and Hyde Park.” Her words and expression were bleak.

“Yes,” he replied softly, “and would it have mattered so very much?”

Not meeting his eyes, she whispered, “More than you know.”

“I think you have taught me to be a kinder man. A more accepting man.”

“You are a kind man, Lord Ashford. Look at all you did to help Thorne’s.” She paused. “Without you, the library would have closed.”

She looked at him then, and his eyes met hers.

“I didn’t want to help Thorne’s. I wanted to help you.” He felt lighter, happier. Charlotte had been worried for his safety. She must feel something for him. “The Thorne’s have new landlords.”

“Really?” Charlotte asked. “Neither Robbie nor Mr. Thorne mentioned it.”

“I wanted to be the one to give you the news.”

She frowned. “Why would you want to tell me the news?”

“Because my friend Baron Harbury and I now own the property this shop sits on.”

“You are Thorne’s new landlord?” she asked, her eyes wide.

He replied with a grin, “Myself and Nathaniel.”

“I must tell Edith and Louisa.” She waved to Edith and Louisa, who had casually been watching her and Lord Ashford.

Once her friends were seated again, Charlotte told them the good news.

Edith thanked him repeatedly.

The marquess shook his head. “You ladies saved Thorne’s. I merely helped a bit.”

“Just so. The plan to keep the library open was Charlotte’s idea.” Louisa added in a gentler tone, “I think your scheme to open an employment agency for veterans is a commendable idea, Lord Ashford.”

He felt flat footed. Shaking his head, he asked, “Diana let the cat out of the bag?”

Edith nodded. “She did.”

“The employment agency will be a lovely edition to the square.” Charlotte gave a sheepish grin. “And even though going to White’s was a silly idea, we saved the library, so everything turned out all right in the end.”

“It wasn’t a silly idea,” he replied with feeling. “If I hadn’t pushed you along to Piccadilly and happened upon your friend Louisa, I might never have met you properly.”

“Quite a historic event,” she said, her words uneven, her eyes bright.

Her blushes gave him courage. The smile he gave her was intimate. “It was. A man should always remember the moment he meets his future wife.”

* * * * *

E dith and Louisa insisted she return home as soon as the marquess made his declaration. Or statement. Had it really been a declaration?

“Louisa and I will take you home, Charlotte,” Edith said excitedly, her cheeks as flushed as Charlotte knew hers to be. “Lord Ashford, she is in our capable hands.”

Ashford replied with a sweeping bow, “Thank you, Lady Edith. I will speak to your father directly, Lady Charlotte.”

Her friends led her to the carriage outside. She felt as if she were in a dream.

“I knew he loved you,” Edith said once the three women were seated in the coach.

He hadn’t spoken of love. She worried the abundance of feeling was all on her side.

“Congratulations, Charlotte.” Louisa squeezed her hand. “You can give us all the details tomorrow.”

Now she waited in the drawing room of the house in Hanover Square while Lord Ashford spoke to her father in his study.

“Your father has given us his blessing,” the marquess said with a warm smile as soon as he entered the room through the open door.

“Why do you wish to marry me, Lord Ashford?” she asked from her place standing near the hearth. His spicy cologne reached out to her like a fond memory.

“Because you are kind and intelligent. You’re a loyal friend and sister.” He walked to a place near her a few feet away. “And you enjoy reading as much as I do. We shall get along famously.”

She raised her chin and swallowed. “And what of your feelings ?”

“I didn’t like you speaking with Lord Meers at the card party. I was jealous. I’ve never been jealous before.” His voice reflected wonder at the occurrence.

“You were horrid at the card party. Glowering looks and telling a lady her behavior is reckless is not the way to woo her,” she replied with a sniff.

Ashford laughed then. He laughed until tears were on his cheeks. She looked doubtfully at him as he wiped the moisture from his eyes.

“I cannot win, Lady Charlotte. You will not allow me to woo you after my calling you reckless and your brother a thief?”

“Wooed?” She frowned. “You didn’t ask me to marry you. You merely asked my father for his permission. I know I’m not a diamond. Men don’t throw themselves at my feet.”

The marquess moved closer, but a breath away. He gently took her chin in one gloved hand and raised it. He said softly, “They should. You are beautiful, never more so than when you smile.”

“And reckless,” she added in a whisper.

“Someone told me I need more adventure in my life. They were right. Marry me, Lady Charlotte. Teach me to be more adventurous, to be as open and kind to everyone as you are. I don’t deserve you but marry me because I love you with every breath in my body.”

He leaned forward and his lips met hers. Her first kiss was all that she hoped it would be. Warm and firm, his soft lips lingered over hers.

When he drew back to look at her, his eyes were soft. “Will you marry me, my darling?”

“How could I say no?” she asked, joy in her voice. “I’m afraid that I love you too.”

* * * * *

H is mother was elated . “Married! Oh heavens! I must meet the girl.”

“You know Lady Charlotte,” he replied with a frown.

“Only in passing, as a debutante,” his mother said with a shake of her head. “I do not know her as my future daughter. Diana and I will help her plan the wedding.”

Ashford informed his mother Charlotte would send an invitation to tea on the morrow. There was also an engagement dinner to plan. He left the marchioness in high spirits when he exited the townhouse in Grosvenor Square to search out Cecil and Nathaniel.

“You missed the auction at Tattersall’s,” Nathaniel said to him later that evening when he found his friends in the dining room at White’s.

The two men were enjoying port. A waiter brought a glass for Ashford.

Cecil frowned at him. “You look odd.”

“What do you mean?” he asked with a grin.

Cecil scowled. “You look... You look quite happy. It is really rather vulgar.”

He laughed in reply. “Vulgar? Cecil, you amaze me.”

“He’s in love with Lady Charlotte,” Nathaniel said with a shrug.

Cecil leaned in and studied Ashford’s face more closely. “I see it now. It does look as if he has lost all sense.”

“Your cynicism can’t bother me right now,” he replied to his friend. “I am far too content. I have asked Charlotte to marry me, and she has accepted.”

“You’re to be married?” Nathaniel clapped Ashford on the back. “You are a tight-wound one. Never thought you were that far along.”

“What did you think, Cecil?” he asked, brows raised.

The other man sighed. “I knew you would get there in the end. Some men need a woman to keep them on the straight and narrow.”

“But not you?” he asked with a twist of his lips.

“Not me.” Cecil raised his glass. “The straight path is far too dull, my friend.”

Ashford and Nathaniel both shook their heads at their friend’s quip.

“That is a horrible sentiment, even for you, Cecil,” Nathaniel said with a groan. “I wish our friend compliments on his upcoming nuptials. Lady Charlotte has been very kind to my sister, and I am eternally grateful. I think it was due to Charlotte’s influence that Alicia finally realized Lady Julia was not a true friend to her.”

“Then we should not expect you to follow me into the parson’s snare?” Ashford asked.

Nathaniel shuddered. “Not with that brash miss,” he replied.

It did not pass Ashford’s notice that he was in the same building from which he and Cecil had first set eyes on the poorly dressed urchin, one Lady Charlotte.

Cecil lifted his glass higher and said, “Congratulations, my friend. Lady Charlotte is a kind and generous woman. She will make you a splendid wife.”

He looked in awe at his friend. It might just be the spirits in his glass, but he thought Cecil might truly mean what he said.