Charlotte woke with a start. The water had become cold around her. The dream was fresh in her mind, its sensations momentarily as real as memory could be, as though it had happened to her.
Oh my! I must not let that man get under my skin like this. Yes, he is handsome, but he is Amelia’s betrothed, not mine. There is no room for him in my heart.
She stood, grabbing linen to dry herself, then pulling a dressing robe over her nakedness. A clock in her bedroom chimed twelve. She must dress and call the maid to help with her hair. Seth would be at Prescott Estate by half past two, surely. Focusing on the action of drying herself, she tried to ignore the feeling of regret that came with pushing any romantic thoughts of Seth from her mind.
Such things are not for me. I have two cousins who must be married before me. By that time, I am sure I will be a spinster. The life Amelia has here in London is one I cannot aspire to.
By the time the clock struck half past the hour of two, Charlotte was ready. She had selected a suitable dress from Amelia’s fine wardrobe and was admiring herself in the large dress mirror that stood in the corner of Amelia’s bedroom. The mirror in Charlotte’s room in Hamilton House was much smaller, not that she had any clothes as fine as these to look at.
Every dress of Amelia’s was finer than Charlotte’s best. She felt envious of her sister and then guilty for her envy. She still did not know what had become of Amelia. She had written a letter and posted it that morning. In the meantime, she had to continue to work blind at playing Amelia until her sister wrote back.
Five minutes passed, and there was no knock at the door to announce Seth. Ten minutes. At a quarter to three, there came a knock. Amelia pulled open the door impatiently, expecting to see Seth’s insolent grin. Instead, it was one of the footmen, holding a folded piece of paper in one gloved hand.
“A message delivered by hand, Lady Amelia,” he said, “just this moment.”
Amelia frowned, thanked the man, and took the envelope. She closed the door and opened it.
Amelia,
I am travelling to Tewkesbury’s house from Hillcrest and have no intention of stopping along the way. If you insist on keeping this absurd appointment, kindly meet me there.
Seth
“How… howdarehe!” Charlotte breathed furiously. “How dare he treat my sister so! What on earth does she see in this man! Of all the rude, arrogant…”
It was then that Charlotte discovered that she had failed to close the door properly. The latch had not caught, and it had swung slowly open behind her just as Reginald appeared in the hallway. He cleared his throat, and Charlotte spun. She clutched the letter so hard to her breast that the paper crinkled and crumpled. She felt the blood fall from her features, her stomach clenching.
What did I say? How much did he hear?
“Your sister?Charlotte, isn’t it?” Reginald asked.
“Yes,” Charlotte gasped, “she lives in Yorkshire with the Nightingale family, my Uncle Henry’s house. My father’s brother.”
She was babbling but didn’t know what else to say. At the end of the day, the game she and Amelia had played over the years was a harmless prank.
But she did not want her failure to maintain the illusion to damage her sister’s standing.
Amelia was a part of the ton, an accepted member of London society. And she was betrothed to a Duke, which would elevate her significantly. If it were known she had allowed her twin to impersonate her, it would surely cause a scandal. No one would trust her again.
“Yes, I vaguely remember hearing something of that part of the family. I don’t think I have ever met any of them.”
“You have not,” Charlotte said sharply, wanting to laugh at the ridiculous situation their lies had now put her in.
“Has she made a bad match then? I couldn’t help but hear you berating a gentleman for his treatment of her. Has she fallen in with a cad?”
Charlotte’s mind raced, and she finally nodded. “Yes, a rake actually. I may have to go to York to support her. She is quite beside herself.”
Charlotte congratulated herself on her quick thinking. Depending on Amelia’s response to her letter, she now had the perfect reason to leave Prescott Estate and travel back to York. On the way, she could meet with her sister, establish what on earth had been going on, and then return to her own life.
And leave Amelia to her rake? I could not! Leave Seth behind, perhaps to kiss my sister the way he kissed me. To lie with her the way I dreamed he lay with me...
The thought made her face heat up. She turned away to disguise the bright scarlet that she knew had blossomed in her cheeks.
“That is very sisterly of you, Amelia. I wanted to ask… um… by the way, you are looking much better lately. A week away and all your color has returned.”
Charlotte at first thought he referred to her blushes, then she realized precisely what he had said.
And I cannot simply ask him what he means without seeming suspicious or just plain mad!
