Page 51 of The Trouble with Anna

“I’ve always said Archer would be the only horse to challenge my Eclipse.”

Anna went pink. “What ahandsomecompliment! How kind of you! Charlotte—imagine!—Eclipse hasn’t lost a single race.” She turned back to Lord Hartley. “Would you care to join me when I take Charon out?”

He beamed again. “There’s nothing I’d enjoy more! Shall we say tomorrow morning?”

Anna’s conscience gave her a sharp kick. She had a particularly snippy conscience, worse than any of the Dowager’s thick books of etiquette. But while of course she couldn’tkeepCharon, certainly she couldridehim once or twice before she sent him back. Couldn’t she?

Before Anna could work it out, Charlotte pushed herselfforward, her smile dangerously sweet. “Dear Anna! You forget—it’s not the thing to ride out alone with a gentleman.”

Hartley bowed. “Of course. Lady Charlotte, would you care to join us?”

“How perfect!” Anna widened her eyes at Charlotte. “There’s nothing Charlotte adores more than an early morning ride. Does daybreak suit?”

Once they were back inside the Dowager’s townhouse, Anna turned to her friend. “What did you mean by that nonsense with Lord Hartley?”

“I don’t know! Lord Hartley smiled at you in such a way and I lost my head. This isn’t easy for me, you know. Or Gran! We hardly know what to think. I keep embroidering horses with coronets on their heads and then tearing them out again.” Charlotte peeped speculatively at Anna from beneath her lashes. “Lord Hartley is terribly eligible, you know. It might do Julian a world of good to see—”

Anna’s mouth tightened.

“—it would do your social standing a world of good to be seen out with him,” Charlotte amended quickly.

“The devil take my social standing!”

“Hmph! It’s not the least bit flattering when you purse your lips like that. You look just like a camel.”

“It’s not the least bit flattering when you bully me. You’re positively demonic!”

Much to Anna’s surprise, all the energy whooshed out of Charlotte and her face fell. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being a terrible pest.”

“Charlotte?” Anna said tentatively. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Anna frowned. “Something’s happened.”

“No, it hasn’t.”

“Out with it!”

Charlotte’s mouth flattened into a mutinous line.

“Charlotte Louisa Aveton! I’ve done nothing but bleat my troubles at you for weeks now, and only now do I see you’re carrying a weight of your own. Please tell me what’s wrong?”

Charlotte brightened. “Well, your troubles have been considerably worse. It gives me a world of comfort to compare my situation to yours.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Now, please. Tell me what’s wrong?”

“If you must know, I got a letter from Mother a few days ago. She’s returning from Paris.”

“Oh!” Anna’s lungs deflated. “I thought she was planning to stay away for another Season?”

“She claims to be feeling better, whatever that may mean. Never mind! I’ve had two years to prepare. Perhaps I’ll be better equipped this time. Perhaps she’s changed.”

Anna regarded her steadily. From what she’d seen, Lady Ramsay changed only for the worse. “Must you see her?”

“She’s my mother.”

“She doesn’t deserve you. Not a bit.”

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