Page 38 of Loving a Noble Gentleman
“Right, that is fine,” she finally said with a gasp. “I will come with you.” She met Mary’s eyes and got sucked into the bubble of happiness for just a moment. “What is the harm in finding out what is possible?”
Mary threw her hands around Charlotte, and she embraced her for a moment. She just had a feeling in her gut that she could make this work, and she could not wait to get it started. She could feel the braveness that she had always been told that her mother had coursing through her, edging her forward, leading her towards the right path.
“I shall just get dressed,” she said with a smile. “Can you sort us out a carriage? Then we can go.”
Charlotte nodded and gulped, hoping desperately that she was doing the right thing. Mary was determined; she did not want her to get knocked off her kilter and left unhappy ... but if they did not try, then they would not know. This was the only option they had.
***
Walter was stunned to see Mary standing outside his home office with a determined expression. “I have been trying to communicate with you for a while,” he told her in a steely manner. There was irritation inside of him because things had not gone according to his plan. “I did not even know that you had gone to your sister’s home at first. It has been very challenging for me to speak with you ... and now you have turned up out of the blue, with no prior warning. What if I have meetings all day long? I might not have time to see you today.”
“I shall wait,” Mary replied, refusing to be intimidated. “However long you need, I shall wait for you.”
Charlotte was shocked to see Mary speaking to a man of authority with such confidence. The girl she had left behind before she got married was shy and very quiet. She did not ever step out of line or say things that people would not like. Something had changed her, brought her out of her shell. Maybe it was all of this.
Walter shook his head, defeated. This new version of Mary was something that he did not feel comfortable with either. She was so challenging to work with; she made his life very hard.
“Fine,” he finally replied. “I shall speak with you now.”
He extended his arm behind him and invited the girls inside. Mary strutted in with her head held high, the need to help her sister driving her forward, with Charlotte shuffling behind her. Walter sighed loudly and entered too. He hoped that this annoyance would be over soon enough, but it seemed to be a never-ending nightmare.
“Right, Lady Roberts,” he said as he took his seat in his office. “What is it that I can do for you? What is happening with you and His Grace?”
“I amnotmarrying His Grace,” she told him in a tone that suggested there was no room for argument. “I do not know if you have heard the rumours by now or not, but he tried to ruin the reputation of Lady Victoria Hartmon. I refuse to marry a man who believes it is alright to do that.”
“Right,” Walter replied wearily. “So I suppose it is time to work out what to do next ...”
“Yes, and I have some ideas for that.”
“Of course you do.” Why could she not just be one of those Ladies who did as they were told? Why did he have to get stuck with the one who was determined to make his life a living hell? “Please, enlighten me.”
