“I have. I accept that you were right, Charlotte.”
Every time he used her name rather than her title, it sent a shudder through her.
“I never thought I would hear those words. For what it’s worth, I am sorry that things with Lady Honoria did not unfold as you wished. She would have made a fine duchess.”
“She would have. But she was my mother’s choice, not my own.”
“There will be another.”
“Yes, Mother has already said as much. She intends for me to be married as soon as possible for the good of the family. We do not all have the luxury of shirking marriage.”
“I would not call it a luxury, not when so many people judge me for it.”
“They only judge you because it goes against everything we are taught.”
“We clearly received different lessons.”
“Clearly. Yet it does not seem to bother you. Was there no longing in your heart today when you saw Mary and Alfred’s union?”
Charlotte took a moment to think about her response.
“I would be lying if I said there weren’t. You are aware that our parents died, yes?”
“I am.”
“Do you know how it happened?”
“I do not.”
“They were on a research trip. They were in search of a rare flower, one that grew only high on a mountain. They were fearless, willing to take any risk if it meant they could make a scientific discovery. I always admired that. They used to tell us stories about their adventures. I found them thrilling. But this time… this time…”
She trailed away, the emotion swelling inside, choking her words.
“I assume there was an accident?” he said gently.
Charlotte nodded, blinking back tears. Even after all this time, the sorrow was potent, the tears raw.
“The locals told them that a storm was coming. My parents weren’t willing to miss out on the opportunity. They tried to reach the plant before the storm hit. They weren’t swift enough. It came crashing down around them. The area they were in was flooded. I don’t know whether they drowned or whether they were swept off the mountain. I’m not sure I want to know. The result is the same.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It couldn’t have been easy for you when you were given the news.”
“That is putting it mildly. We each reacted in different ways. Lydia lost herself in stories because stories always have happy endings. Edmund treats life as though nothing really matters at all.”
“And you?”
“I wanted to continue my parents’ work. I wanted to keep their spirit alive.”
“Even though it was that same spirit that got them killed?”
Charlotte turned at this point, a wry smile adorning her face.
“It was that spirit that brought them together, that made them fall in love, that resulted in us being born. All the stories and the example they set… they wanted us to learn from them. We were always taught that whenever there was a setback, we should remain intrepid. Success is only achieved when people do not give up.”
“My father shared a similar sentiment with me the first time I fell from a horse, although I’m sure your parents did not use as demanding a tone as he did,” Nathaniel said.
“I decided a long time ago that I would honor them in this way, and I remain undeterred. I will not allow anything to distract me from that goal.”
“So there truly is no desire for marriage in your heart,” Nathaniel said. Charlotte thought she detected a resigned note in his voice, but surely not.
