“That is correct.”
“I find that odd,” Charles said.
“That’s not important,” Lady Agnes said. “We need to finalize this while we’re here.”
Mr. Brown, their solicitor, cleared his throat. “Lady Cathryn has accused Lord Charles of inappropriate behavior and as such has ruined her for any other man. Is this correct, milord?”
Charles sat there in disbelief. He still couldn’t believe he was being used like this. He would never ruin a woman’s reputation. Looking Mr. Brown in the face, he shook his head. “No, that is not correct. She took a fall while jumping and her horse threw a shoe. The rest is a fabrication.”
“My lord, I do not understand why you won’t own up to what you did to my sister. She has sworn you touched her in inappropriate places on her body,” Lady Anges seethed.
“I did no such thing.”
“So how are we going to fix this?” Arthur asked, clearly frustrated by the accusations being thrown at his brother.
“Really, Your Grace. There is only one solution to this dilemma. Your brother will marry my sister.”
“Lady Cathryn. Please. Tell them the truth; that I didn’t do any of the things I’m being accused of.”
She said nothing but instead stared at her folded hands.
“All right. I think this has been decided,” Mr. Brown said, looking at Charles and then Arthur. “I trust you will get a special license and this marriage can be finalized in the next few days.”
“There is the matter of where they will live,” Lady Agnes said. “I assume they’ll live here?”
Before anyone could answer, Charles stood up. He’d had enough. He was going to have to disappear, at least for a while. Perhaps some of these people would grow tired of their charade. He quickly looked at everyone in the room. Lady Cathryn looked as though she would cry and everyone else appeared angry. He walked to the door and opened it.
“Charles, where are you going?” Arthur asked.
“I need some air.”
As he bolted across the room to the door, he heard Arthur tell them he’d be back in a few minutes. Not a chance. If he were going to have to go through with this, he would do it when he was ready to give in. By the look on Lady Cathryn’s face, he was sure she didn’t like the position she was in.
He made it to his wing of the house and went directly to the master suite. Heading over to the sitting room, he moved a panel, opening it with a hidden lock. In the past it had been used for servants to come and go, mainly to check or light the fires. It had also been used as a place for family members to hide. There was a hidden door giving access to the servants’ hallway to other parts of the house and a set of stairs which led up to a private room in the attic.
Once in the attic room, he looked around to determine what he would need to stay. He couldn’t very well go to the streamhideaway until there was a moon. He would have to work at night to make it inhabitable. For now, this would work.
He retraced his footsteps. He needed to inform Frazier what he was up to so his valet could be on alert when it came to his brother and Lady Cathryn and her family. As he neared the hidden panel, he overheard Arthur and Frazier’s voices. His valet assured his brother he’d not seen him and Arthur sounded frustrated.
“Lady Agnes has left her sister here. Said she was Charles’s problem and that she was not going to have the family name sullied.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so set on getting what she wants.”
“That’s all I wanted to tell you in case you hear from him. I know he goes for long walks that can last hours or longer, so he might be sighted.”
“That’s always possible. I’ll do my best to convince him to come back if I run across him,” Frazier replied. “How is Lady Cathryn getting along?”
“Heartbroken that her sister cast her aside. Her Grace has been doing her best to try to cheer her up, with little results.”
“Do you think Lady Agnes made all this up?”
“Absolutely, I do,” Arthur replied.
Upon hearing all this, Charles backed away from the exit. He went and sat down at a table just off to the left of the entrance. The idea that one’s sibling could do something to another was so heartless and went beyond comprehension.
“If I see him, you’ll be the first to know, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Frazier.”
