The Rise of Miss Notley (Tanglewood Book 2)

by Rachael Anderson

  All my love,

  Harriett

  At the end, there was an added note, written in what appeared to be great haste. The letters, while still in Harriett's style, were not nearly as neat and composed as the rest of her note.

  Oh, my dear, Mama has only just returned from town with the most distressing news. It seems the banns have been posted for Sir Gowen and your sister, Miss Rose Notley. Is she not but sixteen? What could your parents possibly be thinking? I am sending this letter to you directly so that you are made aware as soon as possible. I do not know of the time and place of the wedding, only that it could be as soon as a fortnight away. Please write with haste and tell me what you will have me do. I shall act on it straightaway.

  Cora's entire body went rigid as she stared at the last paragraph. Rose was to be married to Sir Gowen? Could that possibly be true? How could her parents allow such a union to take place? If Cora had known her flight would result in Rose's capture, she would have stayed or taken her sister with her. Rose was too sweet, too timid, too submissive to ever defy their parents as Cora had done. And now, because Cora was not timid or submissive, it was Rose who would sacrifice her life and marry the horrible Sir Gowen.

  Why could you not defy them too, Rose, why?

  Without another thought, Cora tossed the letter aside and jumped from her bed. She must return home at once to put a stop to the wedding. How she could do that remained a mystery, but Cora would not stand by and do nothing while her young and innocent sister took her place.

  After searching through her room, she located her small portmanteau at the back of her wardrobe and tossed in one of the gowns she had brought with her, along with some underthings. Then she sat at the small secretary's desk and penned two notes: one to Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd and another to Mr. Jonathan Ludlow. If she waited to explain in person, they would insist on accompanying her, which is something she refused to allow them to do. She had burdened them enough.

  Her hand shook as she wrote the letter to Jonathan, knowing their future had become even less definitive now. Cora could make no promises or propose any plans. She could only explain what had happened and why she must leave so suddenly, concluding with an apology and "All my love, Cora." Even if Jonathan still wished to marry her, Mr. Notley would never settle for an untitled gentleman when one of his daughters could be wed to a baronet. She signed her name without a flourish and stared at the letter. Her heart had never felt so damaged. It continued to beat on, but with a slow and lifeless cadence. Perhaps she had been right not to expect the blissfulness to last.

  Cora crawled back into bed and dosed fitfully until the cloud-coated skies began to lighten. With a yawn, she dragged her weary body from bed once more and dressed in her dependable white muslin gown and matching bonnet. Then she slipped into a warm pelisse, pulled on some gloves, and grasped the handle of her small portmanteau. She gave her lovely room one last glance before leaving it behind and making her way quietly down the stairs and out the door.

  The morning air was damp and chilly, but no new rain had fallen, and she was grateful for that. The walk to town would be relatively dry. With any luck she could board the stage and be on her way before the Shepherds discovered her gone.

  Jonathan had just finished dressing when Watts knocked and entered his room. "Mr. Shepherd is here to see you, sir. He says the matter is of great urgency and asks that you come at once."

  Jonathan frowned and followed his butler out of the room and down to the drawing room where Mr. Shepherd paced in front of the fireplace. He stopped and held out a sealed letter, saying nothing.

  Jonathan's frown deepened when he recognized Cora's handwriting. He tore open the seal and quickly read the note before muttering a curse.

  "My sentiments exactly," said Mr. Shepherd.

  "She's gone then?"

  He nodded. "Katy informed Julia as soon as she found an empty bedroom and two notes. While we dressed, I sent a footman to town to delay the stage, but it had already left. I had a feeling the letter she received from Lady Harriett contained some serious news, but Cora looked so frail last night that I thought it best not to meddle and let her rest."

  "Why did she not wait? I would have sent her with a maid in one of my carriages and accompanied them," Jonathan said, even though he was not at all surprised. Cora had a mind of her own and would stubbornly behave any way she pleased. It was a quality he found both admirable and frustrating.

  "I am certain she did not want to burden us with her problems."

  Of course she did not. What Cora failed to realize, however, was that Jonathan would never consider her a burden. She was a bright light in his life, one he did not wish to see diminished. It was the reason he had been so angry with the Pembrokes last night. Cora was the least deserving person of anyone's distain.

  "I shall go after her," he said, striding towards the door.

  "Would you like me to accompany you?" offered Mr. Shepherd.

  Jonathan halted and looked back, wondering why it had taken so long to further his acquaintance with Mr. Shepherd. He was a good man and over the past few weeks had become a good friend. "I thank you, but no. I will go alone."

  Mr. Shepherd nodded as though expecting that answer. "As I left, Julia had begun a letter to her daughter, informing Lady Drayson that a Mr. Jonathan Ludlow would likely visit them soon. I hope you do not mind. They are not far from Mooreston and will happily see to your needs while you are there. We will send the letter posthaste so it will arrive before you."

  Jonathan swallowed, grateful for their thoughtfulness. "I would like that very much."

  Mr. Shepherd walked towards Jonathan and clapped him on the shoulder. "Godspeed, my friend. I hope to see you and Cora back in Askern soon." He placed his beaver on his head and strode out the door.

  Less than an hour later, Jonathan did the same.

  When Cora finally exited the stage coach at the inn in Danbury, she had never felt more weary. She had planned to walk to Mooreston and speak to her parents directly, but Lady Harriett was already in the inn yard, waiting inside her carriage for her friend.

  "You are coming first to Langtry Park," Lady Harriett insisted as soon as Cora had climbed inside. "There you will eat, bathe, and change into a fresh gown before I will allow you to face your widgeon parents."

  Cora smiled at her frank speech and settled against the cushions. How she had missed Lady Harriett. "You will hear no arguments from me. Thank you, my friend, for writing to me and being here. I will be forever in your debt."

  Lady Harriett leaned forward and grasped Cora's hand. In a rare show of earnestness, she said, "Only promise me that you will not offer to take your sister's place."

  As the carriage jostled away from the inn and onto the road leading to Langtry Park, Cora looked out the window, wishing she could make such a promise. "You know I cannot. If Father refuses to listen to reason and Rose refuses to cry off, which is highly probable, I don't know what I shall do. Rose has not yet reached her majority and is not free as I am."

  "Only you would consider housekeeping freedom," said Lady Harriett wryly.

  Cora breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, thinking how much more joy she had felt at Tanglewood than all her years at home. "When you are happy you are free, no matter what you are doing or where you are. And for the most part, I was happy at Tanglewood."

  Cora had yet to tell her friend about all that had occurred between her and Jonathan. Lady Harriett knew nothing of his declarations, his kisses, or his goodness. She had no inclination that Jonathan was a romantic after all, and Cora could no longer enlighten her. Too much had changed since those wonderful, blessed weeks, and Cora did not know if she would ever know such happiness again.

  Lady Harriett sat up straight once more, her body swaying back and forth with the movements of the carriage. "Mark my words," she said. "We shall see you restored to Tanglewood as soon as humanly possible. If it takes kidnapping Rose and tying her up in my cellar to keep her from going through with this
wedding, so be it."

  Cora chuckled at the image of her sister shackled in Langtry Park's cellar. Perhaps Lady Harriett really should pen a novel. "Tell me of Lady Drayson," said Cora in an attempt to redirect the conversation. "Has your long-awaited niece made an appearance yet? I would love nothing more than to hold a newborn babe at this moment."

  Lady Harriett's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Not yet, but soon. She is due to arrive in four week's time and I cannot wait. I'm certain she will be perfect."

  "She?" said Cora.

  "Of course it's a she. A son would never dare to arrive first, not when Mother and I have already made the most lovely silk christening gown with flounces and rosebuds and white satin ribbons. It would look utterly ridiculous on a boy."

  "What if it is a boy?" said Cora.

  "Do stop," said Lady Harriett. "You sound too much like my brother, and I cannot tolerate such impertinence. It is a girl and that is final. Even Lucy agrees with me."

  "Very well," Cora said, grateful to have something amusing to think about. She had spent far too many days in a stuffy coach with disgruntled and downcast passengers. Not five minutes after being in Lady Harriett's company, she felt a lifting of her spirits. Perhaps the plan to kidnap Rose was not so outlandish after all. Anything seemed possible with Lady Harriett.

  The carriage finally arrived at Langtry Park, and Cora was swept up to a beautiful blue and gold bedchamber, where a petite and kindly maid awaited with a bath already prepared. Cora needed no convincing to slip out of her things and into the warm liquid, closing her eyes and her mind to everything else. But all too soon thoughts of Jonathan intruded, demanding attention. His green eyes, full lips, and that dimple that had not been nearly so elusive as of late. Would it go back into hiding now? Was he angry with her for leaving behind only a note? Would he come after her? Did he plan to wait and see if she returned? Would she return? Or would this time next month find her married to Sir Gowen?

  Cora shivered at the thought and sank deeper into the tub, hating that she did not know the answers to any of these questions. She only knew that she ached for Jonathan. She missed him like she had never missed another person. Before meeting him, she had thought she needed nothing more in her life. But now that she had experienced a taste of what it could be like with him, it suddenly felt as though a part of her had gone missing—the happy part.

  Knowing she could not dawdle indefinitely, Cora finally pulled her wrinkled body from the wash tub and allowed the maid to help her dress into one of Lady Harriett's gowns. It was a pretty blue dress with a contrasting white waistline and felt wonderfully clean. As the maid wrapped her hair into a lovely knot at the crown of her head, Cora stared at her reflection, wondering if the sadness would eventually fade from her eyes.

  Cora thanked the maid for her help and squared her shoulders, ready to move forward so that she could put this day behind her. She felt as refreshed as she possibly could under the circumstances, and the time had come for her to face her parents. Her heart pounded as she walked slowly down the stairs, feeling as though she were about to stand trial. Would her parents even see her? Probably not. They'd likely cut her off after she'd left, and even if they did acknowledge her, Cora's opinion on the subject would not amount to much. Yet she had to try for the sake of her sister.

  The butler was waiting in the great hall and led her to the drawing room, where the entire family was already gathered, partaking of afternoon tea. Cora smiled first at Lady Harriett on the sofa, then at the dowager countess at her side. Lord and Lady Drayson sat across from them, and Cora couldn't help but notice the woman's protruding belly. She looked ready to burst at any moment, yet she radiated joy. Cora tried her best not to be envious.

  At last, Cora raised her gaze to the gentleman standing beyond the group and next to the fireplace. The moment their eyes locked, her smile froze and her heart began thumping wildly. Jonathan. Could she possibly be dreaming? Her eyes drank him in as though she had been deprived of him for too long. From his whimsical hair and firm jaw to his strong arms and capable hands, he looked entirely too huggable. She wanted to run to him, throw her arms around his neck, and claim him as hers. But he was not hers and she was not his. Her ruined reputation and Sir Gowen's horrid title had put a division between them.

  Yet he was here. He had come.

  "You look far lovelier in that frock than I ever have," said Lady Harriett, sipping her tea as though nothing monumental was happening. "Perhaps you ought to keep it."

  Cora pried her eyes away from Jonathan and noticed that Lord Drayson was now standing as any gentleman would, obviously waiting for her to cease her gawking of Jonathan and take a seat in one of the chairs. But Cora couldn't move. Her gaze drifted back to Jonathan and his beautiful green eyes. She did not know what to say or do or even how to think. Cora's ears thrummed with every vibration of her pounding heart.

  "Do sit down, Cora, so I can tell you how cross I am with you," said Lady Harriett. "I had to find out from Mr. Ludlow himself what a romantic he is. Why did you not write, or at the very least fill me in during our carriage ride home from the inn? I had so hoped you would, and yet you said nothing on the subject. Can you understand now why I am so cross? I had thought we were friends. "

  Cora blinked for a few moments, trying to digest it all, only to stare at Jonathan once more. "What are you doing here?" she finally said.

  He rolled his eyes as though the question annoyed him. "Did you truly believe I would do nothing while you scuttled recklessly back home? And for what purpose, I wonder? To foolishly offer to marry Sir Gowen in your sister's place?"

  Cora frowned at his tone, not liking it at all. "I never scuttle, and if that is what it takes to free her, then yes. As the eldest daughter, it is my duty—"

  "Your duty?" he said, walking towards her. "To sacrifice your life? To pledge yourself to a man who will only bring you misery?"

  Cora pressed her lips together and clenched her jaw. Did he truly not know that a young woman's life was not her own? She had once thought she could make it so, but she had learned otherwise. "I cannot let Rose marry that man." Surely he could understand that.

  "Of course you cannot," he said, stopping directly in front of her.

  "Pray tell me, what other options exist?"

  "I can think of an obvious one." He grasped her hands and held them tight. "Marry me instead."

  Cora's breath caught and her heart ceased beating, only to race back to life moments later. She looked down at their clasped fingers, thinking how perfectly they fit together. Oh, how she'd yearned to hear him say those words. How wonderful, thrilling, and exquisitely easy it would be to agree and share the rest of her life with him. She wanted nothing more. And yet it was not so easy as that. Nothing ever was.

  "I assure you, sir, I would love that above all things, but—"

  "Deuce take it, Cora," he growled. "I can open far more doors to your parents than Sir Gowen ever could. Miss Rose could set her sights a great deal higher than him, I assure you."

  She shook her head, wishing it was so. "You overlook my low connections without a thought, but others do not. Mr. and Mrs. Notley will always be my parents, and what they crave most is for one of their daughters to marry into a titled family. Social standing means more to them than good breeding or intelligence or kindness. They will not willingly let this opportunity slip by, not when you cannot guarantee a better match for Rose." Cora's chest began to throb most painfully as she searched his beautiful eyes. "There's also you to consider. Surely you must see that forming an acquaintance with my father, to say nothing of becoming his son-in-law, will bring you nothing but embarrassment. Trust me, sir, you are better off without me in your life."

  Jonathan's jaw hardened, and an angry glint appeared in his eyes. "That is for me to decide and not you." He released her hands and turned towards the Draysons, executing a graceful bow. "If you would please excuse us, I believe Cora and I have some business to attend to at her family home. We will return shortl
y."

  "Please do," said Lady Drayson. "I feel as though I am in the middle of a delicious novel and someone is snatching it away."

  Jonathan held out his arm to Cora, which she stared at in surprise. "You wish to come with me?"

  His eyes widened as though he could not believe she would ask such a thing. "Of course I'm coming with you. How can such an intelligent woman be so thick at the same time? Honestly."

  Cora opened her mouth to argue, but Lady Harriett's laughter intruded. "I couldn't have put it better myself, Mr. Ludlow," she said, waving them away with a flick of her wrist. "Now off you go so that my brother may finally sit down. You'll find a carriage waiting just outside."

  Cora cast an apologetic look at Lord Drayson, who merely shook his head and smiled. "We wish you well in your endeavors and hope you will return soon with happy news."

  "Shall Mother and I begin wedding preparations while you are away?" teased Lady Harriett.

  "Yes," answered Jonathan at the same time Cora said, "No."

  She glared at him, and he pulled her out the door to the waiting carriage, where the maid who had helped Cora earlier was already waiting inside.

  "Lady 'Arriett said I was to accompany you," she said by way of explanation.

  Cora nodded and took a seat beside the girl. Jonathan sat opposite them and directed his gaze towards the window, saying nothing the entire drive to Mooreston. When the house finally came into view, Cora looked at it as she would a stranger. She felt no nostalgia or tender feelings or anything of the sort. All she felt was dread.

  "Hello, Evans." Cora mustered a smile for the butler when his kind eyes widened in shock at the sight of her. He looked older than when she had last seen him, as though he had aged a decade in only a few month's time. She wasn't too surprised by the change. Her father had that effect on people, most particularly his servants.