Charlotte met them downstairs as their things were being loaded into the carriage.
“The Earl sends his regards; he is unable to see you off himself,” she said, looking embarrassed and pale.
Talbot didn’t seem to care one way or the other and quickly excused himself to go talk to the groom about something.
“How are you feeling?” Lizzie whispered to her sister, who had broken her perfect composure in order to hug her own waist with both arms.
“Oh, Lizzie,” Charlotte said with tears in her eyes. “We had the most awful fight last night, and things were said that can never be unsaid, and then he just left, and I don’t know where he is.”
Lizzie grimaced as if in pain. “I am so sorry. These things happen. Married couples argue.”
She knew they were just empty words, but she so desperately wanted Charlotte to be an arrogant, icy queen again.
“He said,” Charlotte said, and almost choked on her sob. “He said he never should have let Nicholas talk him into marrying me,” she whispered.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth, but she stopped it by grabbing the collar of her pelisse instead.
“I had no idea, none,” Charlotte added. “What should I do now?”
Although Lizzie knew it hadn’t been a real question, she still replied, “Go get dressed and ask Isabella and Frederick to take you to Ashbury with them. When you’re there, explain everything to Nicholas and have him summon your husband to resolve this. If he did indeed do what Sinclair claims he did, this is partly his fault as well.”
“You think so?” Charlotte looked more hopeful.
“Absolutely, Nicholas will help you. It’s not good for you to be alone right now.”
Charlotte nodded. “Thank you, sister.”
And the two women hugged goodbye.
“Poor Charlotte,” Lizzie sighed ten minutes into their carriage ride.
“I say poor Sinclair,” Talbot mumbled as he stretched his long legs in front of him.
“Colin, he told her that he never should have let Nicholas talk him into marrying her!”
Talbot shrugged. “That could have just been his hurt pride talking. What a blow to a man, to be declared an incompetent lover to an entire house party. Besides, was that really such a surprise to her? Hawkins, steering his friend in that direction,” he clarified when he saw Lizzie’s confused face.
“From what I’ve gathered, it never even crossed her mind. Poor Charlotte,” she said again.
“I admit I don’t know your sister well enough to speculate whether she was hoping for a love match, but I dare say that almost all of the marriages in theTonare based on considerations of family, wealth, and title. Her surprise surprises me.”
“I think it was more so the expression of regret that hurt her,” Lizzie said.
“Like I said, wife, she hurt him first.”
“Do you think that justifies what he said? Should I have hurt you back?”
“Heavens, no,” Talbot looked taken aback by her sudden venom. “I’m merely explaining that he may have been speaking from a place of hurt instead of genuinely regretting his marriage.”
They were both silent for a while.
“Is there a chance that this is not his fault?” Lizzie asked, remembering Isolde’s advice to Charlotte and how that must have affected her sister’s attitude.
“What? Their unsatisfying bedsport?” He asked, rather scandalously, and Lizzie nodded.
“Who knows? Only the two of them know what they are doing and how they are doing it behind closed doors,” Colin said, and then gave her a suggestive smile.
“Forget it,” she protested. “Thunder is right there,” she inclined her head towards where the dog was sleeping at her feet. “Besides, I want to hear more about your mother.”
