Page 75 of The Duke’s Christmas Redemption

“Are you certain about this?” her brother asked quietly as he handed her into the carriage. “Once we begin...”

“I have never been more certain of anything.” Charlotte settled herself against the squabs, smoothing her skirts with precision. “William would sacrifice everything to protect Alverton’s reputation. His pride, his happiness, perhaps even...”

She stopped, unable to voice her deepest fear.

Edmund settled opposite her as the carriage began to move.

“Perhaps even your marriage?”

“Yes.” The admission emerged barely above a whisper. Charlotte stared out of the window, watching snowflakes dance past like scattered diamonds. “He builds such determined walls, Edmund. Every time I think that I’ve found a way through them...”

“He retreats further?” Her brother’s voice held understanding. “Charlotte, are you quite sure that this confrontation will not simply give him more reason to withdraw?”

“What choice remains?” She turned from the window, meeting Edmund’s concerned gaze directly. “Allow Caldwell to continue spreading his poison through the neighbourhood? Watch William shoulder these burdens alone until they break him completely? Even after Mr Harrison has discovered so much, William still hesitates to act to prevent Caldwell’s actions, because it would expose so much to public scrutiny. I feel that I have no other choice left.”

The carriage swayed slightly as they turned onto the main road towards the town. Edmund studied his sister’s face with the keen attention that had always made him such a formidable ally in childhood schemes.

“You love him,” he said finally, the words holding neither question nor judgment. “Enough to risk his anger, his trust, perhaps even his regard - all to protect him from a threat he refuses to fully acknowledge.”

“Yes.” Charlotte’s fingers twisted together in her lap, then stilled. “Though sometimes I wonder if he will ever allow himself to...”

She trailed off as the carriage crested a small rise, revealing the town spread below them like a picture from a children’s story. Snow dusted the slate roofs and cobbled streets, and smoke rose in straight columns from countless chimneys. The marketplace had been transformed for the Christmas Fair - colourful awnings protecting merchant stalls from the weather, evergreen boughs decorating every available surface, ribbons and baubles catching what light filtered through the clouds.

“Lady Margaret will meet us near the milliner’s shop,” Edmund said as their carriage joined the steady stream of vehicles approaching the town. “When we’re ready, she’s agreed, if needed, to engage Caldwell in conversation while I fetch Harrison and his proof. Harrison knows that he needs to make his way back here as soon as possible. You need only...”

“I know my part.” Charlotte’s voice steadied as she focused on the carefully laid plans. “Though I confess, I never thought to find myself arranging such elaborate schemes. Sometimes I hardly recognise myself these days.”

“Love changes us,” Edmund observed quietly. “Though perhaps not as much as we imagine. The courage was always there, sister. This situation merely gives it purpose.”

The carriage drew to a halt near the marketplace, which was transformed by the Christmas Fair into a festive wonderland, despite the steadily falling snow. Charlotte accepted Edmund’s hand to descend, her poise masking the thundering of her heart.

Already the square bustled with activity - merchants arranging their wares beneath colourful awnings, local gentry examining goods with somewhat pompous dignity, servants hurrying on errands for their masters. The mingled scents of roasted chestnuts, evergreen boughs, and mulled wine created an atmosphere that would have delighted Charlotte in happier circumstances.

They wandered about the stalls for some time, knowing that Mr Harrison would need that time to spend with William, but, after what felt like an eternity, they made their way back towards the main shopping area.

“Lady Margaret, with her maid, awaits us,” Edmund murmured, gesturing subtly towards the milliner’s shop.

Indeed, William’s sister stood examining the ribbons displayed in the window, her dark hair and elegant bearing making her instantly recognisable despite the crowded square.

As they approached, Charlotte caught fragments of conversation from nearby groups that made her heart ache.

“...most peculiar situation at Alverton...” “...Sir Geoffrey claims the previous Duke...” “...such a shame about the new Duchess...”

Margaret turned at their approach, her expression calm and neutral, but doing nothing to mask the concern in her grey eyes - so like William’s that Charlotte felt the absence of her husband as a physical ache.

“My dear.” Margaret’s embrace held genuine warmth. “Such perfect weather for choosing Christmas ribbons, wouldn’t you say?”

The subtle emphasis on the word ‘perfect’ confirmed that their plans proceeded apace. Charlotte forced herself to respond with appropriate lightness, though her hands trembled slightly as she pretended to examine the displayed goods.

“Indeed, though I confess some anxiety about selecting appropriate gifts.” She pitched her voice to carry just far enough, noting how several nearby ladies turned subtly to listen. “One wishes to make a good impression during one’s first Christmas as Duchess.”

“Speaking of impressions,” Edmund interposed smoothly, “I believe that I see Sir Geoffrey by the bookseller’s shop. If you’ll excuse me, ladies...”

Charlotte watched her brother’s progress through the crowd, every nerve straining towards the confrontation to come. The carefully wrapped packet in her reticule seemed to burn against her hip - proof of Caldwell’s duplicity that would end his threats once and for all, if only she found the courage to use it.

“Courage, my dear.” Margaret’s voice dropped to barely a whisper. “William may not understand at first, but surely once he sees...”

“Once he sees that I’ve arranged this public spectacle?” Charlotte’s laugh held no humour. “That I’ve gone behind his back yet again, despite his explicit wishes?”