Page 28 of Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library
Charlotte chose to ignore that comment. It was a little too close to the truth. “Did your brothers also tell you what William was up to at Eton?” she asked her friend abruptly, changing the subject.
“They did.” Louisa didn’t look concerned that she hadn’t shared the information with Charlotte. “I wouldn’t have mentioned it to Edith if I hadn’t been so shocked by your brother’s marriage proposal.”
Charlotte didn’t respond. Try as she might, she could never stay annoyed with Louisa for long. Despite her friend’s often abrasive personality, Louisa had always been a loyal companion. Edith sampled a filbert biscuit while Louisa serenely sipped her tea. A clock ticked away on the mantelpiece as footsteps in the corridor outside the room could be heard.
She ate a ginger biscuit before recounting her recent conversation with William about his time at Eton. “I hope my brother told me the truth. I can hardly approach Lord Ashford at home to discuss the matter. And I can’t write him. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“One of my brothers told me he often sees Lord Ashford walking a dog at our private park here in Grosvenor Square. We could go along one morning and accidentally run into him,” Louisa suggested.
She nodded in agreement. “That is an excellent idea. Shall we try tomorrow?”
“It’s as good a time as any,” Louisa replied.
“Don’t forget we have to meet Miss Tilford and her brother Baron Harbury at the lending library tomorrow afternoon,” Edith said.
“Who is Miss Tilford?” Louisa asked, selecting a Millefruit biscuit from a bone china plate on the tea tray.
Edith replied, “We met her at Lady Sheffield’s home. Lady Julia was displaying her usual nasty manners, but her friend Alicia Tilford was just lovely. Lady Cairs told Alicia’s brother Nathaniel several nice things about the lending library.”
The friends ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.
“Did you get the new curtains hung yesterday?” Charlotte asked Louisa.
The other girl nodded. “I did. I also had my maid do a bit of dusting in the shop while I distracted Mr. and Mrs. Thorne in the back room.”
“Well done,” she said with a grin. “Thank goodness Mrs. Thorne has allowed you to redecorate the lending library. I never realized how shabby it looked inside.”
Louisa replied, “The furniture will be delivered this evening. Instead of attending Lady Norwich’s musicale, I thought I would oversee the placement of the new furniture.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea. Why don’t we help you?” Charlotte asked, turning her attention to Edith.
Edith nodded eagerly. “I would love to spend the evening at Thorne’s. A musicale is not particularly my cup of tea.”
“It’s settled then.” Louisa raised her teacup high. “Since shifting heavy furniture is deemed more palatable than attending the musicale, we shall all go to Thorne’s this evening.”
* * * * *
Ashford had just decided to visit Cecil at home when a footman announced Baron Harbury.
He got to his feet and waved his friend to one of the burgundy damask side chairs arranged in front of the mahogany pedestal desk in his study. “Good afternoon! To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I’m on my way to break in a new pair for my curricle,” Nathaniel answered as he dropped onto the side chair. “I thought you might like to come along to rotten row.”
Ashford retook his seat behind the desk. Bright sunshine poured in from the only window in the room. A ride in the fresh air was just what he needed to clear away the cobwebs. “Sounds capital. I admit I’m at loose ends. Would you care for some refreshment before we go?”
Nathaniel shook his head.
“I’m glad we have a moment to speak alone,” Ashford said, sitting forward in his chair. “You wrote a bill last year that would have made it easier for returning war veterans to qualify for pensions. It didn’t pass. Why do you think it failed?”
The baron raised a brow. “It failed because parliament didn’t want to approve funds for such a far-reaching proposal. There was a lack of concern in both houses. Why the sudden interest in the bill?”
He understood why Nathaniel would ask such a thing. Ashford felt sitting in parliament was his duty, but he’d never introduced a bill or made arguments for one.
“I’ve recently encountered two veterans I knew from my time on the peninsula.” He paused to collect his thoughts. “Both men have fallen on hard times. I believe we can do more for the enlisted men who served our king.”
“Do you want to introduce a new bill?” Nathaniel asked, his tone surprised.
He shook his head. “I’m not sure merely passing a new act will benefit these men. They need employment. Let me think on it. There must be hundreds of veterans in London who are seeking work.”
