An Improper Situation (Sanborn-Malloy Historical Romance Series, Book One) (23 page)

“
I know what you’re going to say, Mrs. Belgrave. I know you have already mentioned to my aunt your concerns.”

Helen had the grace to look discomfited and Alicia gazed down at her tea and stirred absently.

“But things are different in Spring City,” Charlotte continued.

“
Morals are morals everywhere,” Alicia piped in.

“
Of course,” Charlotte agreed. “And I consider myself a highly moral individual, raised by decent parents.”

“
There can be no doubt that my sister, your mother, was above reproach in that area,” Alicia said.

“
Well then—”

“
But your father,” Alicia continued. “His parents were dead when he met my sister and the Sanborns were not known to our family at that time. And they have all died out.”

“
Except for me,” Charlotte said, “and my brother.”

“
I didn’t know you had a brother,” Helen said, and Charlotte could just about see the wheels turning in her head. Perhaps she intended to try to dig up some dirt on Thaddeus, too.

“
To the topic at hand,” Charlotte said, turning to Alicia, “my father was a good man, a quiet man, who neither drank nor smoked nor gambled. And he loved my mother.”

“
Your parents aside,” Helen interrupted this list of virtues, “it is your suitability to raise children that is in question.”

“
Really? By you?”

“
Of course not. It has nothing to do with me.” Helen’s face colored and Charlotte wondered just how eager she’d be to finish her cup of tea if Charlotte mentioned Helen’s questionable arrangement with Reed. But Helen was not yet scared off.

“
I just thought your aunt would want what’s best for her grandchildren, and I thought I saw behavior that was more appropriate for a single woman than a mother.”

“
For example?” Go on, Charlotte thought, I dare you.

“
Well, I could not help but notice that you had a single gentleman staying with you.”

She dared! Alicia set her teacup and saucer down with a clank. Apparently, they had gone beyond whether she’d danced indiscriminately at Drake’s barn and moved right on to the crux of the matter.

“Let’s not play games, Mrs. Belgrave,” Charlotte said more plainly than she had at first intended. But, good God, she would not be brought down by one such as Helen Belgrave, who didn’t mind sharing her favors for nothing more than a vague understanding. At least Charlotte had given herself to the man to whom she’d also given her heart, no matter how rash that might have been.

“
Aunt Alicia, the only man ever to stay in my house since my brother left was Mr. Reed Malloy.”

Alicia gave a good gasp and Charlotte hurried on.
“But it was out of necessity. He would not leave those children with me unless he was sure I was capable.”

“
Why didn’t he stay in town, at a hotel?”

“
Yes, why?” echoed Helen. “The accommodations were reasonably adequate.” She looked at Charlotte over the top of her teacup and added, “They fulfilled all my needs.”

Charlotte coughed.
“Because Thomas was having nightmares and Lily was scared of the move,” she said, not untruthfully.

“
The children were there to chaperone and my neighbor, a doctor’s wife,” she added for good measure, “dropped by regularly. In any case, Mrs. Belgrave, though you and I are unknown to each other, you aren’t questioning the behaviors of your own fiancé, are you?”

Charlotte saw Helen curl her left hand in a ball in her lap, hiding the lack of a ring. But she didn’t have to answer before Alicia stepped in.

“It was wrong of you, Charlotte. No matter the character of the man, you must think of your own reputation. I am sure my sister would not have approved.” She clucked her tongue and shook her head.

“
It’s actually worse than I thought. I believed we were only talking of a dance and your spirited display with not one but two men.” Alicia looked to Helen for confirmation. Helen only nodded, seemingly subdued by the whole discussion.

Charlotte addressed her aunt.
“I wish you wouldn’t trouble yourself so. Spring City is not Boston; it is much more,” she searched for the right word, “informal. In any case, Aunt, I can tell you this, I would never do anything to harm Lily and Thomas. And what’s done is done.”

“
What’s done is done,” Helen repeated softly and then looked straight into Charlotte’s eyes. She couldn’t help blushing and Charlotte was certain, in that instant, that Helen knew for sure what she and Reed had done.

Helen stood up abruptly.
“Thank you for an interesting afternoon, Mrs. Randall. I hope it was not too stressful for you.”

“
No, my dear. We shall do it again, I’m sure.”

Charlotte was unsure of the protocol. Should she be the one to show Helen to the door? Where was Gerald? Charlotte followed her into the foyer.

At the door, Helen paused to adjust her hat and slip on her gloves.

“
When are you returning to Colorado?” she asked without preamble.

“
At present, I have made no plans to return.”

“
Well, I suggest that you make some.” And she yanked the door open and stomped down the front steps.

Charlotte watched Helen’s swaying bustle as she sashayed to her carriage and was helped in by her driver.
Blazes!
Charlotte thought, it seemed as if she’d just made a more serious enemy than she’d had before.

When the calling card first arrived, embossed with a large gold F, Charlotte thought nothing of it. A number of them had been dropped off the previous day. At least superficially, people were interested in the long-lost branch of the Randall family.

Charlotte chalked it up to social boredom, but she also felt the tiniest bit flattered at being the object of so much curiosity.

Still no word from Reed, however. She tossed the latest card down on the table in the hall and went in to breakfast. It was only when Gerald brought the cards to Alicia on a silver tray after breakfast that Charlotte learned to whom the burnished letter belonged.

“Jason Farnsworth, III” Alicia exclaimed. “My word. What an honor to have the Farnsworths asking for an introduction, and the eldest son at that.” She fingered the card thoughtfully. “We must respond at once, Charlotte, then you will have an undeniably acceptable escort for the ball.”

Charlotte could hardly voice her desire that she hoped Reed Malloy would escort her, especially when her aunt lowered her voice a notch, as if the two squabbling children were even the least bit interested in the adult chatter, and added,
“and we can put all the unpleasant business of . . . of your previous indiscretions behind us.”

Charlotte could see the merit in having a proper, respectable Bostonian at her side. She had taken a grave chance in revealing to her aunt that Reed had been her houseguest. When she and Reed did cross paths again, her aunt would be watching them with extreme vigilance. They would have to be careful to give no hint of impropriety.

If all it took were a few respectable outings with this Mr. Farnsworth to clear her in the eyes of her aunt, Charlotte thought it was, indeed, worth it.

“
And how do I go about meeting—?”

“
Oh, no, dear.” Alicia looked aghast. “I will handle it all. Be prepared for some afternoon sightseeing, chaperoned of course, and maybe with the children along. Do wear the gray outfit for this first encounter.”

*****

Charlotte was calmer than she’d anticipated for her introduction to Boston’s highest echelon. Something in the relationship she’d begun with Reed had given her confidence in herself and in her ability to hold her own in a conversation with a man. Surely, she could pull off an afternoon with a stranger for whom she cared nothing.

“
Miss Sanborn, I am charmed, quite,” the tall, fair-haired man said, after Gerald showed him into the parlor and vanished. Unsure of the procedure or how she could possibly be charming when she had yet to speak, Charlotte stood up to greet him, meeting him in the middle of the brightly colored oriental rug. He touched her hand to his lips before releasing it.

“
It is kind of you to come by,” she said. He smiled broadly at that and she thought he should do so often, for it gave him a winsome set of dimples.

“
Mrs. Randall,” he said, approaching Alicia’s winged chair. “I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to enter your lovely home and to acquaint myself with your niece.”

It was a good start that only got better. Jason Farnsworth met the children with a boiled sweet for each of them. When they were all sufficiently satiated by tea and sandwiches, Jason invited Charlotte to go for a stroll. They started out along the length of the Common toward the business district, with Bridget walking discreetly behind with Lily and Thomas.

Charlotte marveled over the hundreds of suited businessmen, who seemed to be hurrying from place to place. Jason pointed out where the Farnsworths had offices.

“
I understand from my aunt that your family is in import and export,” Charlotte remarked, finding it easy to converse with her jovial new acquaintance. There was no undercurrent of tension, no feeling that she would sizzle if his arm brushed hers, just relaxed company.

“
For as long as Boston has had a harbor,” Jason replied, launching into a family history upon which Charlotte was devoting all her attention until she saw the street sign for Court Street.
Scollay Square was nearby.

Without intending to, she’d been searching for that street sign and the place where she knew the offices of Malloy and Associates were located—where Reed had practiced his profession for nearly a decade.
Was he there now?
She longed to know if she was truly within a hundred yards of the man who had so changed her life.

On his way back to Spring City
. John’s phrase had replayed in her brain again and again. Whatever was Reed up to? He had her head spinning and he wasn’t even there. She allowed Jason to direct her steps through the financial district until they were directly in front of Faneuil Hall.

“
The Cradle of Liberty,” she remarked, referring to the meetings that took place there in the previous century.

Jason arched an eyebrow.
“Are you interested in history?”

“
Much more so than in shopping,” said Charlotte.

He looked surprised.
“I don’t think I know many women who take an interest in this sort of thing,” he said. “Pardon me, that sounded rude.”

“
Not at all,” she said, blushing. It was probably unladylike of her to want to tromp through the building, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. If there was no meeting going on, they could wander around at their leisure.

“
Shall we go in?”

“
As you wish,” Jason said, holding the door for her.

“
I’ve spent many pleasurable hours reading the speeches of James Otis and Samuel Adams,” she explained, as they entered the great auditorium where the so-called Sons of Liberty met. In her mind, Charlotte conjured the image of the room filled to overflowing, the balconies lined with concerned faces, as voices debated the fate of a new country.

A shiver went down her spine. She was in the heart of a city that had shaped her nation. But, after a short while, Thomas yawned so broadly, Charlotte thought his face would split.

“Time to leave,” she said, making sure Bridget and the children were following.

“
You must be smart as a steel trap after reading so much,” Jason remarked as they exited, and Charlotte couldn’t tell if he was being condescending. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and smiled. After all, who could take offense or be cross when stepping out into the middle of Quincy Market. Street vendors were everywhere and Charlotte marveled at their liveliness.

“
Hot corn,” called out one woman. “Fresh apples,” yelled another. She couldn’t resist letting Jason purchase shaved lemon ice for each of the children. But she turned away with a shudder when a boy, not much older than Lily, screamed out, “‘Nother murder! Get your
Gazette
!”

“
How about we take a ride now?” Jason offered, smiling at her while gesturing in the air to his driver with a casual hand over his shoulder. Immediately, the vehicle that had been trailing them all afternoon was right beside them.

Charlotte arranged her skirts on the black Morocco seat of the stylish carriage with the large gold
“F” emblazoned on its plum-colored side. Lily sat next to her, with Thomas opposite, positioned firmly between Alicia’s maid and Jason Farnsworth.