Page 48 of Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library
Louisa clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes in response to the teasing.
“Mrs. Thorne is making great strides with her campaign to be nicer,” Edith remarked brightly, her gloomy mood seemingly lifted.
Charlotte replied truthfully, “I agree.”
“I showed her a book with suggestions on how to increase trade.” The other girl laughed. “A book I found in her very own shop.”
“That was a good idea, Edith.” She stepped back from the table and asked Louisa, “What do you think of our arrangement?”
Louisa eyed the display a moment before nodding her approval. “It looks delightful.”
“I visited Hookham’s briefly this morning. I think our presentation is much nicer,” she replied with satisfaction.
On Hookham’s table, there had been a small hand-lettered sign announcing books by female authors. Charlotte adopted that idea but used calligraphy on expensive vellum paper displayed on a tiny easel. In addition to the linen tablecloth, she’d placed several lace doilies and a vase of moss roses on the table.
“Perhaps we can get a famous female author to visit Thorne’s,” Edith said excitedly. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“With all we’ve accomplished,” she replied with a grin, “I don’t think that is out of the realm of possibility.”
“Robbie has yet to hear from Lord Ashford,” Louisa said blandly, her gaze on Charlotte’s face. “On a positive note, there were no dead rats outside the shop this morning.”
Edith responded, “I’m sure he will help. The marquess is a very nice man.”
Charlotte moved a book on the table, ignoring the questioning looks from her friends.
“You’re very quiet on the subject of Lord Ashford,” Louisa said softly, displaying more tact than Charlotte would have expected. “Whatever is the matter, Charlotte?”
“I’ll tell you on the carriage ride home,” she replied, breathing in the distinctive coniferous scent of the moss roses. Since her dance with Lord Ashford at Almack’s, she’d felt out of sorts. She needed to confide in her friends.
Once in her father’s town carriage, she recounted what she’d said to Lord Ashford about his sister and the conversation she’d overheard that day at Morgan’s Library.
“The man is a hypocrite,” Louisa said with a scowl after Charlotte finished speaking. “To take you to task for one small indiscretion when his sister Diana is a well-known hellion. The nerve of the man!”
“You’re upset that you mentioned Diana to him, aren’t you?” Edith asked quietly from her place on the squabs next to Louisa.
She nodded. “I am. I try never to be unkind.”
“The man deserved to be taken down a peg,” Louisa replied with a sniff.
Edith shook her head. “That may well be, but if Charlotte feels bad about what she said, she should apologize.”
Louisa looked at Edith as if she’d grown horns on her head. Crossing her arms over her chest, she remained silent.
“Lord Ashford has helped Thorne’s Library, and I’m grateful. I will apologize when next I see the gentleman.” Charlotte put up a staying hand when Louisa looked to protest. “It is who I am, Louisa. I will not change that for anyone.”
Chapter Sixteen
When the invitation came from Miss Tilford to attend a card party at her home, Charlotte was happy to see a note from her hostess informing her Edith and Louisa were also invited to the event.
Charlotte chose a simple cream-colored gown with puffed sleeves and a seawater-colored sash. Her dark brown hair shone in an upswept hairstyle; her only jewelry was aquamarine ear-drops.
William was to escort all three ladies to the card party. He was quite excited about being included in the invitation.
“It is a good sign don’t you think?” he asked her that afternoon. “Miss Tilford’s brother Lord Harbury is a close friend of Lord Ashford’s. I surely wouldn’t be included in the invitation if the marquess held a grudge against me.”
For herself, Charlotte supposed Lord Ashford had nothing to do with William’s being included in the invitation to Alicia’s party.
“I didn’t realize Lord Harbury was so affluent,” Edith said when the carriage came to a halt in front of a large brick mansion in Grosvenor Square. Numerous outside torches were lit, illuminating the house in a soft glow.
