Page 41 of Falling for a Footman

Twenty-three

“These are very seriouscharges that are brought against you, William,” Charlotte’s father stated with a grim look on his face. Even though Curtis had done his best to light the study properly this late into the night, the many flickering candles still cast eerie looking shadows on the walls.

Charlotte stood at the back of the study. Her mother was sitting in one of the comfortable sofas by the fire; James was standing behind her father’s chair, a grave look on his face. William was sitting in the chair in front of the desk, looking at his clasped hands. After his initial flight attempt that Charlotte had stopped, he had not tried to flee again.

“James has informed me that you have made a number of accusations, one of them involving a very serious one against one of my scullery maids. I will give you one chance to tell me the truth and if I for one moment believe that you are not telling the whole truth, I will have James hand you over to the magistrate immediately. Have I made myself understood?” Charlotte had rarely seen her father look so stern. The lines on his forehead were clearly drawn and it was written all over his face how serious the situation was.

Charlotte looked at James. His face bore a similar look of worry and concern. It was evident how invested he was in the situation. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see her mother looking at her. A slight smile playing around her lips. Charlotte quickly looked away while she felt heat creep into her cheeks and hoped that her mother had not guessed the reason, although she suspected as much.

James and she had not had a chance to talk about where they stood, and she would certainly not want to reveal anything to her parents before she had spoken to him. Him being an investigator certainly would make it easier to convince his parents of his suitability than if he was a footman. He had to at least come from a middle-class background, perhaps even upper middle-class. She did not know whether middle-class boys were expected to learn to play the piano or not.

That was of course if he was still interested in her. Or interested enough she supposed. They knew so little about each other and yet she felt such a strong connection to him.

William started telling how he and Miss Walker were in love and that Miss Walker had fallen pregnant. Charlotte remembered how Miss Walker had been feeling queasy one morning and that her mother had once let slip that this was one of the signs of pregnancy. She was glad that her mother was not prudish enough that she sent Charlotte from the room when talk of pregnancies occurred. Even though William did not go into any graphic details, she knew that the mere mentioning of a pregnancy would have been too much for many mothers.

A problem had of course arisen for William and Miss Walker with the pregnancy. Neither of them would be able to remain in their positions after they had married. William had grown up with his aunt and uncle, the scullery maid Judith’s parents. Miss Walker only had her ailing grandfather who lived in a small cottage that was not big enough for the three, soon four, of them. Besides how where they going to make a living?

William did not know whose idea it had originally been to take the two golden candlesticks. Charlotte felt quite certain that he was covering for Miss Walker on this part. Even though she was standing behind him, she could tell how he avoided looking at both her father and James. She looked to her father, who was considering William with a stern look, but not calling his lie. Charlotte kept her mouth closed and let William speak. If the information impacted on her father’s decision, she would speak up, but not before. Her eyes strayed briefly to James, but when she met them, she immediately looked back to William.

He was telling how they had seen the candlesticks in the guest bedrooms that they had used to conduct their tryst.

Charlotte felt herself blushing at the information, remembering her own heated meeting with James in a guest bedroom.

He and Miss Walker had wanted the money to start a shop. With all that Miss Walker had learned about women’s clothing and accessories the past year, they felt certain they could make a living with a small haberdashery. It reminded Charlotte of her own idea that she and James could start a shop, when she had still believed that he was a footman. Now it seemed he would have the means to support her, although she did not know whether he would actually want her. Somehow it had seemed simpler when she had believed him to be a footman.

“Now everything is ruined,” William cried out, making Charlotte pay attention to his tale once more, and started sobbing.

Charlotte’s father sent her mother a look that clearly begged her to intervene.

“Perhaps it’s best if we speak outside, Camborne,” her mother said gently and rose from the sofa.

Charlotte’s father nodded and rose from his chair. Charlotte noticed how he opened the door for her mother, then had his hand on the small of her back as she exited. She was neither surprised by the fact that her father showed her mother affection nor that he sought her advice. They had a partnership, made up a unit in the way that Charlotte could only hope she would one day. With James? Her throat constricted at the thought.

She looked at him and saw that his gaze was on her. She tried to smile but felt that it came out as a lopsided grimace. James moved around the desk, padding William on the shoulder as he passed him and came to stand beside her along the wall. William was still sobbing silently, his head hidden in his hands.

“We should talk later,” he whispered as he leaned towards her just a little. But still enough for her to feel his breath. It sent shivers down her spine.

Charlotte could only nod at his words, while she tried to rein in her emotion. A talk was not a proposal. It was not anything. He might simply want to explain himself and then... he would be out of her life forever. She gulped.

“The golden silk bedroom?” she asked, and he nodded once, before the door opened and he straightened and stepped away from her, although remaining by the wall. Charlotte’s parents entered with a stone-faced Miss Walker trailing behind them and a bemused looking Curtis making up the rear.

“Peggy!” William cried out and leapt from the chair.

James quickly rushed to stand behind him, a firm hand on his shoulder pushing him back down.

“Peggy!” William whispered but she did not look at him.

The door was still open, and Curtis was lingering there, clearly hoping that he would be invited to be part of the conversation. Charlotte’s father dismissed him however, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

William was sobbing but Miss Walker still showed no emotions. Charlotte was worried whether she was even aware of what was happening.

“Miss Walker, if you will take a seat over here?” Charlotte’s father asked in a gentle tone of voice, leading the woman to the chairs by the fire with a hand that hovered just above her shoulder blades. “Charlotte, if you would join Miss Walker?”

Charlotte nodded and came to sit beside Miss Walker. She cast a sideways look at the maid, but she was looking fixedly at the carpet in front of her as if she by not acknowledging the situation around her could make it go away. Charlotte knew she should want to comfort Miss Walker, but the woman seemed as spiky as a porcupine, and she was certain that it would not be welcomed.

Charlotte’s mother came to sit in the sofa opposite them and Charlotte’s father joined them.

“William, you may turn your chair around to be able to follow our conversation better,” Charlotte’s father said, as William started turning his chair away from the desk towards the chair and sofas before he had finished talking.