Chapter Thirty-Six
A lady Charlotte judged to be in her mid-twenties was ushered into the parlor. She was dressed in a blue silk walking gown, and had light brown hair and blue-gray eyes that held a slightly concerned look.
“Lady Pierrepont,” Royston intoned.
Charlotte still held the card Royston had given to her. She set it down and stepped forward to welcome her unexpected guest. “Good afternoon, I am Lady Charlotte Carpenter. This”—she motioned to Louisa—“is my sister, the Duchess of Rothwell, and my cousin, the Marchioness of Merton.”
Lady Pierrepont curtseyed. “Your grace, my ladies.”
Louisa and Dotty smiled politely and inclined their heads. “Please,” Charlotte said, “join us.” She motioned to a chair next to the small sofa she shared with Dotty. “The tea tray will be here shortly.”
“Thank you.” The woman focused on Charlotte. “I should like to get straight to the point, if I may. You met my mother, Lady Litchfield, in Richmond a week or so ago.”
Dotty and Louisa straightened, their complete attention now focused on the lady. “Is this about Jemmy?”
“Yes.” She opened her reticule and drew out a small book. “Almost everyone in the Mooring family has birthmarks. Most of us have two. As my sisters and brothers and I had children, I made drawings of the marks.” Lady Pierrepont opened the book to a page marked with a blue ribbon and handed it to Charlotte. “I must know if the boy—if Jemmy’s birthmarks look like these.”
Dotty shook her head as if unable to believe what the lady was saying. “But your mother was positive that Jemmy could not be the child she thought he was.”
“Yes, well”—Lady Pierrepont pressed her lips together and sighed—“Mama is always very certain. Though I seriously doubt if she has seen any of us or her grandchildren without their clothing, not to mention being able to keep all the markings straight. There are eight of us, and we all have at least one child.” Charlotte looked at the drawing and handed the book to Dotty. “Please, if you could take that and compare the marks, I would greatly appreciate it. I spoke to my eldest brother and we agreed that we must know if he is a Mooring.”
Charlotte strode to the bell pull and tugged twice. “My maid should be here in a moment. She will be able to tell you if they are the same. Although”—looking over her friend’s shoulder she studied the drawing again—“they appear to match the description my maid gave of them.”
Walker arrived, followed by a footman carrying the tea tray. After he placed the tray down on the low table between the two sofas, she set out the cups and straightened. “Yes, my lady?”
“Do these look like Jemmy’s birthmarks?”
Charlotte held her breath and it seemed as if the rest of them did as well until Walker nodded. “They do, almost exactly.”
Charlotte’s breath rushed out of her. “Oh, thank the Lord.”
“You could not have received a better wedding present.” Dotty had tears in her eyes, and Louisa hugged them both. “I’ll pour while you talk.”
“No, I do not believe I could have.” Charlotte took out her handkerchief and dabbed the corners of her eyes. “Lady Pierrepont, would you like to meet him?”
“Thank you. I would love to meet him,” she said and promptly broke into tears. Louisa handed the lady her handkerchief. “Thank you, Your Grace. I do not know what came over me. We had almost given up hope of ever finding James.”
“Will your mother accept him?” Charlotte asked. Lady Litchfield had been so convinced when she had rejected the child.
“Yes, she will. If you must know, I abused her roundly for not bringing me with her.” Lady Pierrepont blew her nose. “But my youngest sister had just given birth, and my mother would not wait.” She gave a watery chuckle. “This will teach her.” The lady wiped her eyes. “When will we be able to take him home?”
“Let us take one step at a time, shall we?” Charlotte said.
Lady Pierrepont’s face fell.
Charlotte did not wish to hurt the woman, but Jemmy must feel comfortable about his new family. “My wedding is in the morning, and I know he will wish to be present for that.”
“Please do not mention the wedding to anyone,” Louisa said. “It is somewhat of a surprise.”
“You have my word,” Lady Pierrepont said. “All I am interested in is the child.”
“I’ll go fetch him, shall I?” Walker asked.
“Yes, if you would.” Charlotte took the cup of tea her sister handed her. “We will have a better idea after you’ve spoken to him. Perhaps you can tell him about his parents and the rest of your family.”
“Yes, of course.” The woman accepted a cup and plate of biscuits from Louisa.
“You should know,” Dotty said, “Charlotte found him in what is called a ‘kid ken,’ a place where young children are trained to be thieves.”
The woman’s hand went to her throat just like her mother’s had. “How long ago?”
“Only about three months.” Charlotte’s throat tightened and she sipped her tea. “He has been taking lessons with my brothers and sisters, and learning quickly.” She sought to reassure Jemmy’s aunt. It would not do for the family to reject him. “He has one of the best hearts I’ve seen in a person.”
“Thank-thank”—Lady Pierrepont’s voice broke as she blotted her eyes with the linen—“thank you for rescuing him. I cannot imagine how horrible that must have been.”
A knock came on the door, and Walker entered, holding Jemmy’s hand. He was chattering and grinning. Mary, Theo, and Phillip trailed in behind them.
“He is the image of my brother.” Lady Pierrepont gasped. “Jemmy, will you come here, please?”
He glanced at Walker, who nodded.
He moved slowly to her as if he was a little afraid. Once he reached her, he made his bow. “Good afternoon.”
“Who is she?” Theo asked in a loud whisper.
Louisa pulled Theo to the sofa and whispered something Charlotte couldn’t hear.
Lady Pierrepont started to reach out to Jemmy but must have thought better of it and placed her hands in her lap. “I am Amelia Pierrepont, your aunt. I believe Jemmy is short for James. You would have been about four when you went missing. Do you remember anything about your parents at all?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am.”
She took out a locket and opened it. “This gentleman and lady are your parents. They died two years ago. You look just like your father did at your age.”
Jemmy took the locket and sat on the floor, staring at it. Finally he looked up at his aunt. “Are you going to take me away?”
“If you will let me,” she said gently. “You have a very large family who have been looking for you for a very long time.” She took a miniature out of her reticule. “This was made when your father was about six years old.”
Mary, Theo, and Phillip crowded around him, looking from Jemmy to the portrait and back again.
“He does look like you,” Mary commented.
“If you want him to live with you,” Theo said, “you have to love him as much as we do.”
“And promise to be nice to him,” Phillip added.
Lady Pierrepont crossed her heart. “I am true blue and will never stain. I promise we will all love him and no one will ever harm him.”
Mary placed her hand on Jemmy’s shoulder. “You could try it for a little while, I suppose.”
“We’ll come get you if you don’t like it.” Theo glanced over her shoulder at Louisa. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, sweetie, it is.”
The door opened, and Constantine, Merton, and Rothwell strode into the parlor, making the room seem much smaller than before.
Constantine put his arm around Charlotte, then glanced at Lady Pierrepont. “What is this I hear about Jemmy’s family finding him?”
“I’ll tell you how it came about later, but yes,” she whispered. “Lady Pierrepont is Lady Litchfield’s daughter, and Jemmy’s aunt. His family name is Mooring. She would like to take him to meet his aunts, uncles, and cousins.”
Constantine studied Jemmy for a few moments. “You know, I always thought there was something familiar about him. I went to school with a Lord James Mooring.”
“He is apparently Jemmy’s father.”
Mary tugged on Con’s jacket. “They want to take him to meet his family.”
Recalling her manners, Charlotte said, “My lady, allow me to introduce you to my betrothed, the Marquis of Kenilworth. The gentleman next to her grace is my brother, the Duke of Rothwell, and the other gentleman is my cousin, the Marquis of Merton.”
Jemmy’s aunt curtseyed as the gentlemen bowed.
“I know you ladies are busy,” Constantine said. “But we are at loose ends for the moment. Why don’t we accompany Lady Pierrepont and Jemmy to meet his family?” Merton and Rothwell inclined their heads. “If you do not mind, of course.”
Charlotte would have liked to be present when the meeting took place, but Constantine was right. It should be done sooner rather than later, and tomorrow was their wedding, even if he did not know about that part. And, after all, she could trust him to ensure Jemmy wasn’t forced to do anything he didn’t like.
She looked at Dotty and Louisa. Both of them gave almost imperceptible nods. “That is an excellent idea.”
“Lady Pierrepont?” Constantine asked.
“I have no objection to anything that will make the meeting easier.” The lady set her cup down and rose.
“In that case.” He picked Jemmy up from the floor. “Let’s be off.”
“May we go as well?” Phillip asked.
For a moment, Constantine seemed at a loss for words, then said, “If Grace and Worthington agree, you may accompany us. I’m sure Jemmy will feel better having you there.”
Con opened the door for Lady Pierrepont, and the rest of them followed behind.
“Well,” Louisa said once the door shut behind them. “Kenilworth has certainly made himself part of the family.”
“He has, rather.” Charlotte smiled to herself, thinking of their less than auspicious beginning. “All of our husbands or, in my case, soon-to-be husband, have joined our family.” She slid a wicked look at Dotty. “Even Merton.”
“Stop it. Even Louisa must admit that he has changed a great deal since he first came to Town,” Dotty retorted.
“Indeed, I do admit it.” Louisa stepped over to the bell pull and tugged it. A moment later Hal entered the room and addressed Charlotte. “My lady?”
“Champagne, if you please,” Louisa said.
He bowed. “Right away, Your Grace.”
“I think a celebration is called for.” She glanced around the room, as if memorizing it. “To think, this will be the last time we shall be able to call this parlor ours.”
“Think of all the discussions we’ve had here,” Charlotte mused. “I suppose it will now be Augusta’s.”
“Until she weds,” Dotty agreed. “Let’s not become maudlin. We have a great deal for which to be thankful. I, for one, am thrilled that our husbands, or”—she grinned at Charlotte—“soon-to-be husbands, get on so well.”
“Let us agree to visit each other frequently,” Louisa added. “I shall make a list.” She ducked as Charlotte threw a pillow at her, and laughed. “Someone has to keep track of plans.”
The door opened. Hal entered with two bottles and four glasses, opened one bottle and began to pour. “Miss Turley is on her way up.”
“Another person who has become a good friend, despite our first impressions,” Charlotte said.
The evening Dotty and Merton became engaged, they thought Elizabeth had attempted to trap him into marrying her. Yet, since then they had become very close.
“Elizabeth,” Charlotte greeted the other lady, bussing her on the cheek. “How are you?”
“I’m doing well. I would ask you, but you look as if you are walking on clouds.”
“That is one way to put it.” She really had never been happier.
Once her sister and friend greeted their guest, they passed around the glasses of wine and arranged themselves on the sofas.
Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at Louisa, Dotty, and Charlotte. “I did wonder if your original plan to wait until summer to marry would last.”
Heat bloomed in Charlotte’s cheeks. “I discovered I was as unable to wait as the rest of my family.” Wanting to change the subject, she asked, “Do you have any prospects? There are still a few weeks left in the Season.”
“I have had my eye on one gentleman,” Elizabeth said cautiously. “As you are no longer on the market, he is looking in my direction.”
“Harrington?” Charlotte had thought from what Elizabeth said a few weeks ago that she might be interested in the gentleman. “You must put him through his paces before you agree to wed him. He is entirely too sure of himself.”
“I quite agree. At least, he used to be. He had a bit of a shock when he realized you were going to marry another gentleman.”
“I hope you’re right.” As far as Charlotte was concerned, Harrington needed to be taken down a notch or two.
Then again, if he had remained in Town, she never would have met Constantine and would not be as blissfully happy as she was now.
Elizabeth remained another fifteen minutes, before rising. “I’ll see you tomorrow at your breakfast. I just wanted to stop by and wish you happy.” She hugged Charlotte. “I could not be more pleased for you.”
And that was exactly how Charlotte felt. Everything was perfect.