‘No,’ Lady Boulton agreed softly. ‘Not entirely.’
Charlotte regarded her thoughtfully as they continued along the garden path. There was something quietly admirable in Lady Boulton’s endurance. She had not openly rebelled against her husband, yet neither had she surrendered herself entirely to him.
‘Lord Wolverton mentioned that Mrs Oswald was related to Lord Boulton,’ Charlotte remarked after a pause, steering the conversation elsewhere.
‘Oh yes. Mrs Oswald is his younger sister, though you would never know it from the manner in which they address one another. Boulton never forgave her for marrying beneath her station.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Charlotte finally understood why they did not get along.
Encouraged, she ventured further. ‘This house party seems something of a tradition. I hear it has been going on for years,’ Charlotte conjectured. She had no idea whether this was true, but was rewarded when Lady Boulton did not correct her.
‘I have always found it rather strange. Lord Boulton is so adamant about attending, even though we do so little else together.’
‘I daresay the gentlemen must be intimate friends. They must all feel the loss of the late Baron Keenly. Still, it must be pleasant to encounter so many familiar faces.’
‘Why yes—though there are several new faces this year.’
‘You must be referring to Mr Wilberforce’s companions, and of course, the new Baron?’
‘Yes—and Lord Bainbridge.’ Seeing Charlotte’s puzzled expression, she added, ‘Frederick used to come here in place of his father. But other than that, yes, I suppose. I was rather surprised that Wolverton departed early.’
Charlotte shifted uneasily. More like departed this earthly realm, she thought grimly.
‘Do you know what first brought them all together in the first place? They appear such an oddly assorted set.’
Charlotte was somewhat disappointed by Lady Boulton’s initial reply.
‘They reside in the same county, I imagine.’
But her spirits revived when the lady added, ‘And I believe they share a number of business dealings.’
Charlotte’s attention sharpened at once.
Had she at last found the common thread binding them together?
Anxious to discover more, she replied carefully, ‘Oh... Lord Wolverton alluded to something of the sort. I believe he mentioned Mr Payne was engaged with your husband in certain investments, though I cannot quite recall the nature of them.’
In truth, Wolverton had told her nothing; but if she gave the impression she knew more than she did, it might encourage Lady Boulton to confide in her.
‘I believe there are investments in shipping, export and import trade. Lord Boulton has plantations in the Caribbean, and Mr Payne assists in distributing the goods in England.’
‘Fascinating. And how does he manage that?’
‘Oh, he owns several warehouses at the docks, I believe.’
‘The Liverpool docks?’
‘I believe so.’
Charlotte’s brows shot upwards, though she quickly schooled her expression.
‘I cannot quite picture Sir Oswald engaged in such... business ventures. Being an architect.’
Lady Boulton shook her head. ‘Not to my knowledge. Sir Oswald attends solely because of Lord Boulton’s sister.’
At this response, another possibility occurred to Charlotte. ‘Oh? I had not realised Mrs Oswald might also be connected to these investments.’ A note of alarm slipped into her voice.
‘Oh no,’ Lady Boulton said quickly. ‘I do not believe she has anything whatsoever to do with such matters. The late baron merely extended invitations to her family as a courtesy to Lord Boulton. Mrs Oswald resides nearby, you see. It would likely have seemed discourteous to invite one sibling and exclude the other.’
