Page 34 of Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library
Nathaniel sketched a shallow bow. “It is lovely to meet you, Lady Charlotte. My sister hasn’t stopped talking about you or Lady Edith since she met you.”
From the baron’s droll smile, Charlotte surmised the man was not exaggerating his sister’s loquaciousness on the subject.
Nathaniel and Alicia were quite obviously related. They both sported blonde hair and hazel eyes. The baron was a head taller than his sister, nearly the same height as Lord Ashford.
“I’m sorry to say Lady Edith is at home with a head cold,” she replied. “This is my other dear friend, Lady Louisa.”
Nathaniel and Lady Alicia expressed sincere delight in meeting Louisa. Lady Julia’s response was lukewarm. From the currents surrounding her, Charlotte surmised Louisa’s dislike of Julia was not one-sided, although she assumed Lady Julia disliked most people.
“Lady Cairs told me there were lovely ladies to be found in Thorne’s Lending Library, and I am delighted to see she told the truth.” Nathaniel extended his arm and asked gallantly, “Lady Charlotte, perhaps you would like to give us a tour of the establishment?”
“I should be delighted,” she replied with a wide smile. The baron had as pleasant a personality as his sister.
Behind her, she heard silence from where Julia and Louisa stood together. Well, they were both grown women. They could fend for themselves. She wasn’t in the best of moods herself today.
William hadn’t returned home Monday evening and slept in on Tuesday. She was now quite sure he’d been attempting to avoid speaking to her privately.
When she finally saw her brother in the afternoon, it was in passing as he strode down the corridor outside the drawing room.
“William, another word if I might,” Charlotte said after following him to the entry hall. She counted on his agreeing to speak with her rather than making a scene in front of a nearby footman.
“I have but a few moments.” Her brother followed her as she retraced her steps to the empty drawing room.
The hearth was cold. The room held a chill, and Charlotte shivered as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Are you going to ask me questions about Eton again?” William asked with a loud sigh. He remained standing.
Charlotte wanted to shout at him that it was his own fault if she needed to ask him questions. She took a steadying breath. “Did you steal from other students while you were at Eton?”
The color drained from her brother’s face. Several seconds ticked by before he asked, “Lord Ashford told you he caught me stealing?”
To her dismay, it appeared the marquess had not misinterpreted her brother’s actions. She nodded. “He was reluctant to do so, but I pressed him for the truth. The truth that you should have already told me.”
William had regained some color in his face. He looked down at his feet as he replied, “I only took small items. I had to prove I’d gone in their rooms, didn’t I?”
There was a short silence. William’s inability to take the blame for his actions was disheartening.
“Did you give any of the items back?” she asked.
He looked up then, his expression incredulous. “How could I? I would have had to admit I took them in the first place.”
“I wonder how many people in London know that you’re a thief,” she responded with a grimace as she slumped onto a walnut elbow chair.
“I’m not a thief, Charlotte.” Her brother threw his hands up. “I had to take those things. Someone made me do it.”
“So, they threatened your life?” she asked angrily.
“Of course not,” William replied as he rolled his eyes and took a seat on the arm of the nearby sopha.
“They blackmailed you?”
He made a rude noise. “Don’t be absurd. The boys were bullies, and I wanted to impress- well, I had to do it.”
He wanted to impress them.
“So, these bullies are your friends now?” she asked, suddenly weary.
He shook his head. “Not at all. The few friends I now have are honest, from good families.”
