"Sorry kitty," she soothed, petting her.
"My, what a well behaved animal. Here, Miss Charlotte is the tag you ordered." He handed over a tiny gold heart with “Precious” engraved on it attached and dangling from a decidedly bright pink bow.
"Spoiled really, I cannot do anything without her coming along with me or being in my pocket. Soon she will be too big to do so!" She laughed and the toy maker looked over the fabrics with great care and delicacy.
"I can make toys to match this shade, dark woods are your preference?"
"Yes please!" she said clapping her hands together.
But before she could even decide on the colors of the fabric for a few other things, the bell tolled signaling a new arrival. “Charlotte? What are you doing in here? I saw you across the way...” It was Deirdre!
Charlotte all but set everything down and gulped. “Well, I came to get Precious a tag.”
“A tag?” Deidre's green eyes widened a bit as if in disbelief
“Cromwell said that I should get one like his family had for their dogs.”
“Well I guess, but hunting dogs are expensive. -” But Deirdre cut herself off and waved a hand. “What am I saying, let me see it!”
Charlotte was wary but handed it over. “I have not gotten the blasted thing on as Precious tends to squirm.”
Deirdre laughed. “Well here,” after she had looked at it and found where the engraving was on the heart, so it would be placed properly, she took and hooked the bow. The toymaker had been a genius in designing it. He had a button for keeping it on the cat and Deirdre made quick work. Precious was looking quite pretty, and meowing in protest of being handled so much.
“I know that you might not have wished to speak with me, after what happened. But I do feel awful, really.” Deirdre started after patting Precious.
“Oh?” Charlotte’s guard went up like stonewalls. “Why is that?”
“Anyone would be a fool not to see that Cromwell loves you. My mother can be tiresome- in fact the women in my family are all tiresome...” Deirdre murmured and she had seemed to say the latter to herself. Her eyes suddenly took on a new shine. “And, I met someone.” she whispered the last bit.
“No! Who?” Charlotte gushed as the Toy Maker was looking through the fabric as if he were just perusing.
“Mr. Whitmore!” Deirdre squeaked.
“You jest!” Charlotte laughed.“ And how did this happen with your mother bent on Alexander?”
“Well, after he an Alexander fought...I felt badly for him and escorted him to be attended to. He was so genteel with me. Mother dislikes him.”
I bet he was... Charlotte thought.
“And he also said I was quite a beauty. Then we started talking about that day in London, and he said that he quite fancied me. He thought I fancied Alexander...but I said that I really liked him better.” Deirdre continued hurriedly “So he proposed!”
At this Charlotte laughed. “Well I am glad that you two will be together, Deirdre, I am sure you will be very happy.”
Deirdre smiled widely. “Friends?”
Charlotte hummed, “Hmmmm, yes!” They hugged gently, appropriately and Deirdre squealed slightly with joy.
“My you are excited!” Charlotte giggled and Deirdre said her farewells and left after promising to go see Anne and give the same speech. Charlotte wondered what Anne would say.
She turned back to the Toy Maker who was looking at the Rabbit, Bun-Bun and trying to memorize its origins. “How curious,” he said softly.
“Beg pardon?” she said.
“I know the maker of these, though he worked in London nearly a decade ago.
“Really?” Charlotte gasped, “I am interested to know his name.”
“Sadly no one knew his name, but he worked in London and made specialty items, such as this for very well off families. This fabric is very hard to get. Look at the stitching here, only in age do you see them, but when first made they’d nearly be invisible."
“Well, I am happy you are doing my work!” Charlotte smiled and the elderly man grinned.
“As am I, Miss Charlotte. I would love to make the toys you wish to order in these colors. I think it will look lovely. You do have quite the taste for what goes together. Did he like the nursery?”
“He did!” Charlotte nearly twirled she was so excited. “He was so happy. He even said I could go get that small rocker in the shop you recommended. The one with the sweet little canopy?” The Toy Maker nodded as the bell had rung again.
“Oh, thank heavens Charlotte!” Oh dear, she knew that voice... it was Giselle! Charlotte spun around and was stunned to see the woman rushing to her. “I was so worried you had been in the carriage.”
“Giselle, what on earth are you here for?” she asked with suspicion. And Giselle simply waved her hand as if it did not matter. There was a man with her, he looked surprisingly familiar, but she could not quite put her finger on why.
"Oh, this is my good friend Richard." Giselle stepped aside and the man, with jet- black hair and dark eyes brooded at her wile his face held a smile.
"Hello, Miss Charlotte. Giselle has told me a lot about you. We happened to be going to tea and we noticed the carriage."
"Well I cannot imagine what happened. I should go check on my driver."
Charlotte started to leave, but Giselle caught her arm "Dear we were going to see Alexander, so we could bring you home."
Charlotte thought of this. She was rather lonely sitting in the carriage the whole way and sighed, looking at Precious. "Well, I am supposed to meet Francesca…"
"After then?" Giselle asked softly. Richard was waiting patiently on the sidelines. He looked so familiar! Charlotte simply could not understand where the similarly was coming from.
"Do I know you?" Charlotte asked.
Richard shook his head "I would never forget such a beauty as you, Miss Charlotte." He bowed, and she shook the feeling of dread off of her. They meant her no harm! And besides, she was healthy and could easily get away lest anything bad happen.
"Well I had best leave a note at the teashop...oh, dear I forget where- ah yes!”
Before they had taken the small shortcut to the teashop, she told the driver she was going with Giselle, much to it seemed both of her companions’ irritation. And then they set off to their destination. But before Charlotte knew what had happened, she was being steered away and down a strange road. “What? Where are we going?”
"Don't worry!" Richard smiled gaily. "We can take you there, I know of a quick short cut." He soothed her. "We have a carriage here," Richard said steering her, Giselle also steering her on the right, the carpetbag squished on her left side.
"Easy, please Precious is in the bag. And let me go speak to Francesca at least.”
"You have that cat with you?" Giselle was sounding abysmal. Something was not right. As they rounded the corner, Richard latched onto her arms.
"Hey! What are you-"
A hand clapped over her mouth and she nearly screamed, but a gun was shown "Don't move." But she did move, her hand reached out in claws and her legs swung in a fit of violence.
"Richard! Put that away!' Giselle hissed, but he would not listen.
"No, do you want her to scream?" Suddenly a spitting ball of fur flung itself from the bag, screeching to life. "Ack! Damn animal!" It was flung and Precious bounced off the ground with a squeak of pain.
Charlotte felt her throat clog with tears. "Please don't hurt her," she muffled into his palm. Giselle looked frantically at the gun as Richard tried to restrain the struggling girl.
"We need her alive." She said slowly. And Charlotte was forcibly dragged into the carriage, and promptly tied up and gagged.
The carriage was horrid, bumpy and she near crashed into the wall a dozen times. Where are they taking me? Giselle sat on her other side. Richard was trying to stop the scratches on his hand from bleeding. Precious had gotten in a good swipe and she inwardly cheered her little comrade. Alexander…oh no.
What will he think? What will he do? Who will tell him what has happened?
All of these thoughts went through her head and her eyes swam with tears. "Don't cry little Charlotte." Richard said her name as if it was familiar and she bit through the gag.
"Alex will kill you!" But it came out a muffled "mmhrf Mmmhmf mmhm hm!" that no one paid any mind to.
Giselle sighed, "I am sorry Charlotte but it's the only way we can get what we need."
"What I need." Richard said coldly.
"You said we were in this together Richard."
"We are, as long as you keep that mouth of yours shut." He bit out. Charlotte watched the exchange with scrutiny, poor Giselle. Her eyes showed pain, but she had been an accessory to kidnapping!
Charlotte began to struggle in earnest this time, which earned her a sound slap across the face and a finger pointed at her nose. "If you cause us any trouble, I'll cut off your fingers one by one got me?" Richard snarled. She nodded her eyes burning with tears and fear thundering in her chest. Giselle was tight lipped and Charlotte had a vague idea that she did not like how this had turned out.
She had no idea how much time had passed, but the carriage stopped and Richard dragged her roughly out. She heard the click of cobblestone under her feet and for one moment was blinded by the sun. Then a gate swung open, the sound of the city bustled about her. Where were they?
Charlotte was dragged into the house and thrown into a sofa. "Papa, I brought you tea I-” A scream and a crash sounded of a clattered tray, broken teapot and cups. "Papa! What is this!" Lottie screamed with her hands to her face.
"Papa is just having business handled dear, now don't worry. Go do something."
"Worry! Papa, you cannot do this!" Lottie screeched and looked at Charlotte. "Charlotte I am so sorry!" She rushed over, but was grabbed and shoved backwards.
"Lottie enough!" Richard roared and Lottie's expression went blank. "I swear to God I will send you back, if you cannot control your hysteria!"
All expression deadened in the young woman's face. "You wouldn't," she whispered to her father. And the man simply looked cold.
"I would, you know I would. There are those who think you belong there," he spat. Lottie closed her mouth and Charlotte saw red. She launched herself at Richard and before she even knew what had happened, she had been hit across the head.
Lottie screamed. Giselle screamed.
And she went into darkness.
CHAPTER 20
Alexander reined his horse in as he saw Kade on his mare not too far from him at the Essex estate. "Well, it's about time I saw you."
Kade smiled and Alexander was grinning from ear to ear. "I take it you had a good birthday."
"Best I've ever had." he puffed up in pride.
"Oh?" Kade's was startled and his pool like eyes widened and he tilted his head. "Why?"
"Charlotte is in confinement!" he crowed as he flung a leg off his horse.
Kade laughed as he dismounted, "You cad, you don't waste any time to you?" He clapped Alexander on the back and embraced him. "Congratulations dear friend. Wait till I tell Leroy!"
Alexander groaned in jest. "No, no he'll do something God awful, like writing her a sonnet!"
"So how did she tell you?" Kade raised a brow.
"I was shown into what she's been working on next to our room; a nursery. It's my old one. She's done quite a good job so far."
Kade just shook his head. "Fanciful. Cute way to tell ye." They both handed their horses to the stable boy and started heading up the steps to the house.
Essex’s butler stood quietly waiting for them. "Gentlemen! His Grace Essex awaits you." They nodded. Once standing in the sitting room Kade glanced at him.
“Alexander, you will never believe what I found. Your father was very close with Devisher, the one His Grace Essex and his wife mentioned?”
Alexander chuckled at the eagerness on Kade’s face. "Yes, this is why we are here to speak to him."
"Well you won't believe what I found out about them!" Kade was eager as a child.
“What about them?” He and Kade had recalled the Devisher family, but they had fallen out with them, when their daughter had died. In fact everyone had. The funeral was private, so no one joined.
Typhus he also recalled. He was around four or five years older than their daughter Sara, whom he had met prior to her death.
“But their daughter died…I was supposed to marry her. Kade we already figured this out. Charlotte is the sole survivor." Alexander said getting confused.
"She supposedly died. Sara may be alive, and her name isn't really Sara. That's her middle name."
"What?" Now Alexander was confused "How does one supposedly die Kade?" he asked disgruntled now.
His friend looked pleased with the knowledge he had, "Leroy said that a woman with the last name Klinroy apparently snatched a child and fled the country. A blond, blue-eyed girl stating she had been abandoned.
"What was the girl's full name?"
"No one knows. Her name was always just Sara on documents." Kade shrugged. "A lot of those files, without a police escort, just simply cannot be seen. And, unfortunately, I don't have access and neither does Leroy, even with his charm. Or myself with my legal connections."
Alexander chuckled lightly. "Well, this is good news, if Sara is indeed alive." They both agreed and Essex was there within a moment.
"Gentlemen." he nodded and they nodded back "Come, let's take a brandy and we can talk about Miss Charlotte. I understand you have questions. I was wondering when you'd come asking." They were ushered into the drawing room. Alexander gratefully took a glass of bourbon, as did Kade and they sat down across from Essex. "In fact I understand that there are many questions about Charlotte Devisher."
Alexander spoke up first. "Did you get what I sent you?"
"Yes." Essex pulled the stuffed rabbit from his nearby table drawer and the lockets that were bound together.
"I am amazed that Charlotte's cousin Lottie had this,” he said holding the Rabbit "It meant very much to the girl, and Sara."
"So Charlotte is her twin."
"Yes. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on her, but had heard that she had no memory. I don't think it's wise for anyone to tamper with that," the Earl said gravely.
"Indeed...but perhaps she will remember in time?"
Essex pondered this and nodded "In time yes. I also understand I owe some congratulations Cromwell." He shook the younger man's hand and grinned. "Make her happy."
"I will."
"Did you know that you were supposed to marry Charlotte, after her sister died?"
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, she was supposed to be among the women at your estate this spring. Well actually you were to have met her earlier but her mother was very protective." Essex looked amused, as Alexander's jaw had dropped inappropriately open.
He clamped it shut and gulped. "H-How?"
"How does the sun rise or set? How do people find each other like my wife and I?" the man's gaze was warm "Fate has a funny way of fixing what has been done wrong." He sighed deeply and fiddled with the rabbit. "I remember the girls, Charlotte was always so sick."
Alexander raised a brow as did Kade, and it was Kade who spoke up. "Is this why Charlotte was never seen?"
"No and yes." Essex thought for a moment. "Where to start..." He tapped his chin with his finger as if in deep thought. "When Lady Devisher had the girls, the doctor said that Sara was very, very strong and her sister unfortunately a bit weak. -"
"That sometimes happens with twins." Kade said thoughtfully and Essex nodded.
"Indeed, it does. It was very sad, due to the fact that Charlotte was often too sick to be let outside."
"She got sick when she went outside?" Alexander looked concerned.
"The air made her lungs harder to use, especially in the cold. But the doctors had seen that before, so they assumed that she would grow out of it." Essex shrugged. "Her mother was very weak and wanted to keep t
hem safe, especially Charlotte. Sara was a vivacious little thing, as you probably remember, Alexander. One day, I do believe, she had coerced Charlotte to play with you two. She got into a bit of trouble."
"Now that you mention it, I remember that vaguely...playing with a red head." Alex rubbed his jaw thinking hard. "She didn't look sick."
"Well, it might have been a good day. They both got ill later that year. Typhus...poor little kids were deathly sick. For heavens sake, tons of people were ill with Typhus. It was not an epidemic, but it struck the children the worst; high fevers, delirium, watching was awful enough.” Essex exhaled sharply
The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake) Page 25