He read the newspaper after eating his fill. Charles didn’t see anything earth shaking going on, so he stood and began to get dressed. As he finished, he turned to see the door opening and his valet coming through.
“You were sleeping rather soundly when I was in a few hours ago.”
“First good night’s sleep I’ve had in a while,” Charles replied.
“I thought you’d like to know what’s going on.”
Charles cocked his head. What could possibly be going on that involved him? “What is it?”
“Thought you’d like to know that Lady Cathryn’s parents will be here in three days. Her father wants her reputation intact by having her marry you. Her mother, on the other hand, wants to send her to a convent.”
“That’s a little extreme.”
“It is, but if something can’t be arranged for the two of you to marry, they will do whatever needs to be done, and that includes sending her away to a convent.”
“What is wrong with these people? Lady Cathryn isn’t a racehorse who hasn’t lived up to their breeding. She’s a smart, beautiful, and talented young woman.”
“Spoken like a man in love,” Frazier replied with a lopsided grin.
“Love doesn’t happen that quickly. It’s something that develops over time.”
“There are many ways Cupid’s arrow will pierce your heart.”
Charles sighed. “Any advice?”
“You could elope. Take her to Gretna Green and jump the broom. Leave early in the morning before the house is awake. Go to London, catch the train to Edinburgh. From there you two can take a coach to Gretna Green. You’ll be husband and wife before her parents arrive.”
“So in their eyes I’d be admitting I ruined her.”
“Won’t matter by then, will it?” Frazier said.
“No, it won’t.”
“You don’t have to come right back. You could spend some time at the family estate in York. I don’t think anyone would think to look there.”
Charles nodded. “You’re right. I need to get word to Lady Cathryn and see what she thinks about the entire thing. The sooner we’re on the road, the better.”
“If you write something to her, I’ll make sure she gets it and bring word back to you.”
“Very well. Give me a half hour to write to her. I want to make sure I get it right.”
He sat down at the table, lost in thought, not hearing his valet leave. Was this truly the thing to do? Marry Cathryn? He was certain her parents would do something awful like send her away to a convent. He wanted to save her from such a fate. If they married, her father wouldn’t be in a position to make monetary demands. Nor would they be able to have the marriage annulled, and if they did try, it would be unlikely they’d succeed.
Providing for her wouldn’t be a problem, and he was sure they could reside on the family estate. Spending time in Yorkmight be an idea while everyone adjusted to the fact they were married. If not, they could always take a wedding trip to the Continent. He’d been once. Trying to prove a point, he set out with little money and a lot of ambition. His father put a man on it and had him brought back to Wight.
His fingers were writing the words, but his mind was elsewhere. It always was. The best thing to do might be to return to Kent after they wed and confront everyone. If her parents had left, he would send word, and they would go to them. If they didn’t disown their daughter. That was always a distinct possibility.
Explaining his plan to Cathryn wasn’t hard. He kept it simple. The details would follow. All he wanted right now was for her to agree to his plan. They would figure the rest out later.
But what would happen if she didn’t agree and didn’t wish to elope? Or marry him at all. That wasn’t something he was going to let his mind wander to. All he could do was hope for the best. The rest would follow. They had the rest of their lives to get to know each other.
Chapter Nine
Charles gazed acrossthe compartment. Cathryn was trying desperately to keep her eyes open, but the gentle rocking rhythm made it a losing battle.
“Go ahead and sleep,” he said. “It’s a long journey.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
