Charlotte: The Practical Education of a Distressed Gentlewoman (24 page)

“
I suppose not. It might look a
little awkward foreclosing on my wife's brother?”

“
That can only happen if he can
prove he's still alive. Being dead has its drawbacks. Among them,
you can't hold title to property.”

“
True. The other thing that
bothers me, is how to arrange for your settlement.”

“
My settlement, what about
it?”

“
Normally Mr. Bayliss would have
talked with your solicitor about what part of my estate would
belong to you if I should die. Whether you could stay in the hall
afterwards, things like that.”

“
Since Mr. Cruise fled, I don't
have a solicitor, do I?”

“
No you don't and Mr. Bayliss was
looking forward to that negotiation. Compared to what I normally
have him doing, it's a pleasant and rewarding task.”

“
Why don't I ask Dr. Answorth?
He's the closest thing I have to family. At least to any family I'm
willing to acknowledge, and who won't try to steal from
me.”

“
That might work, at least he
could hire a solicitor for you.”

While they were discussing this Mr.
Bayliss entered the room. “Mr. Talbot?”

“
Yes.”

“
This might not be the best time,
but I need to tell you that Lady Chalfield's mortgages are clear of
entails. If you please I'd like to return home today.”

“
Excellent. I'll deal with her
this afternoon.”

Charlotte asked, “Deal with
her?”

“
Lizzy and Sam need somewhere to
live, don't they?”

“
Freddy, are you muscling her out
of her estate?”

“
Yes.”

Charlotte paused for a moment, then
smiled and added, “Good. That old harridan won't pluck any more
pigeons will she?”

“
That's the idea. Now Mr. Bayliss,
before you return to London there is one other thing I need you to
do.”

Mr. Bayliss sighed, “What
now?”

“
Miss De Vere and I will talk with
Dr. Answorth about posting banns this morning. She'll need some
help with a fair settlement.”

“
That would be my pleasure. But
then I really do have to return to London.”

That afternoon, Freddy, with Major
Travers in tow, knocked once more on the door at Chalfield Hall.
The same tired, somewhat scruffy retainer as before opened it and
inquired about his business. “I desire Lady Chalfield's attention,
we have a matter of business to discuss.”

“
Business?”

“
With her, not you. Unless you're
her solicitor.”

“
If you would wait here.” The
retainer directed them into the hall, and then slowly shuffled to
find his mistress. A few minutes later he shuffled back, and
saying, “This way, please,” led them to the parlor where they had
met her before. Lady Chalfield sat in her favorite, threadbare and
somewhat dingy stuffed chair.

“
So Freddy, to what am I indebted
for you company. Ready to purchase another of my
letters?”

Freddy pulled out the papers that
Mr. Bayliss had prepared. “No, Lady Chalfield, these papers are
foreclosure notices on your demesne and the farmland that surrounds
it.”

She read the notices, started to
chuckle, laughed, and then finally guffawed almost out of control.
Eventually she controlled herself and said, “You're too late,
deary, I've already lost them.”

“
Lost them. To whom?”

“
Me.” John De Vere walked in, “We
were playing piquet last night and I won. Lady luck finally smiled
on me.”

“
Then these are yours.” Freddy
handed 'Lord Staverton' the foreclosure notices for Chalfield.
Bayliss had carefully drafted them with 'Lady Chalfield or current
owner' to avoid this maneuver.

John looked at them, and laughed to
himself, “Easy come, easy go. You know I can't pay off these bonds,
any more than the bonds on my own estate.” He then straightened up
and stared Freddy in the face. “You won't have the chance to enjoy
them, you hopped up martin-jay.”

“
Why?”

“
This interference in my affairs,
and your continued attention to my sister, they are a gross insult.
An insult to my honor. Mine and my families.”

“
What honor?”

John reached forward and slapped
Freddy. “As if you would know anything about honor, you
counter-jumper, you, you common shopkeeper.”

Sam cautioned his friend, “Freddy,
he wants a duel as an excuse to kill you. You don't have to answer
him.”

Freddy silenced his friend, “But I
do. 'Lord Staverton' have you a second?”

John paled, his bluff was called,
leaving him unprepared to respond when Freddy answered him like a
man of honor. “A second? Do we need seconds?”

Freddy continued, “Certainly. It is
bad form for us to arrange the details ourselves, isn't
it?”

“
Y-yes.”

“
Major Travers, would you be my
second?”

“
Only with the greatest of
reluctance Mr. Talbot, but yes I will.”

“
Thank you. I don't have any
dueling pistols, having never seen the need to purchase a set. Do
you have a pair my Lord?”

“
Me? No. There's a pair of swords
in Staverton Hall, or at least there used to be. As I'm the
aggrieved party I choose those.”

“
I think you have that backwards,
but if all we have are swords, then swords it is. I'll see that
they are cleaned and sharpened. Tomorrow morning, at dawn, at Holt
Common?”

“
Tomorrow, dawn, Holt Common. I'll
be there.”

“
Good. Sam, let's go.”

On the way back to Staverton Hall,
Major Travers asked Freddy, “Are you out of your mind? There's no
reason to fight that souse.”

“
I have my reasons.”

“
Even though he's a souse, he's
had experience using a sword in combat, which you haven't. There's
no cause worth the risk.”

“
I know. But I don't really have a
choice do I? If I don't he'll keep bothering Charlotte.”

“
I suppose not.”

Freddy paused, then asked, “Sam,
when we get back to the hall, can you go and arrange for the Doctor
to be present tomorrow morning?”

That evening, after dinner,
Charlotte was surprised when Freddy declined to walk with her,
Elizabeth and Sam. These strolls, at least when the evening weather
was fine, and anything other than a drenching downpour was more
than fine enough weather, were an excuse for a small amount of
private time together. The four of them were supposedly chaperoning
each other. Freddy gave her the excuse, “I'm sorry, but I have some
business that has been neglected and must finish it.”

As they started down the footpath
by the Avon, Elizabeth asked Sam, “What business does Freddy have?
I've never known him to be forgetful or neglect business matters in
the past.”

“
His will.”

“
His will? What's going
on.”

“
He's been challenged to a duel.
Tomorrow morning at sunrise in Holt common.”

Charlotte almost fainted with
shock, “Freddy,
my
Freddy in a duel, with whom?”

“
I'm sorry to say it was your
brother who challenged him. He said it was over Freddy's attentions
to you, but I think he was shocked that Freddy accepted the
challenge.”

Visibly upset, Charlotte blurted
out, “No. This will not happen. I will not let this happen. If
you'll excuse me, I have to go.” She started running.

Sam yelled after her, “Charlotte,
where are you going?”

Charlotte stopped for a moment and
shouted back, “The vicar's, Dr. Answorth will know what to
do.”

Elizabeth, recovering from a
combination of shock and amazement that left her momentarily
speechless, snapped at Major Travers, “Sam, how could you let this
happen? I'm guessing 'Lord Staverton' was at Lady Chalfield's abode
this afternoon, wasn't he?”

“
Yes.”

Sam found himself on the receiving
end of one of Elizabeth's angry glares. It was a novel, and not
very pleasant experience for him. She told him, “I'm not pleased
with you Major Travers. We have to go home. Now.”

“
Yes Ma'am.”

She laughed, “I did sound like the
queen-mother just then, didn't I?”

“
A bit. I'm Freddy's second, so I
can't honorably do this, but maybe your father could tell the
parish constables about the duel? They would be willing to stop
it.”

“
Why?”

“
Duels are against the law, and
constables generally frown on breaking the law.”

The door knocker at the rectory in
Staverton banged repeatedly and loudly. When Dr. Answorth answered
it, he found a disheveled Charlotte standing there while she panted
for her breath.

“
Charlotte! What is
it?”

It took a bit for Charlotte to
finally catch her breath enough to say, “Freddy, John, they're
having a duel.”

“
What!”

“
A duel, tomorrow morning, at dawn
in Holt common.”

“
That's what they think. I'm very
much against duels. This is the 19
^th
century and not the
middle ages. Come inside and sup some tea with Mrs. Answorth while
I go visit the parish constable. We'll put an end to this
nonsense.”

Charlotte had barely sat down with
Mrs. Answorth and was starting to sup her cup of tea when the door
banged again.” It was the older Mr. Talbot. He was shown in and
immediately said, “Charlotte, good to see you're here. I'm glad I
found you.”

“
Did you hear about the
duel?”

“
Yes, Lizzy told me. I thought I'd
try to find you first. It's not wise or safe for you to shoot off
alone into the evening like that. Then we could find one of the
parish constables.”

“
Dr. Answorth went to find
him.”

“
Capital, I've long thought that
he was one of the more level-headed of the gentry around here. Why
don't you sup your tea while I go and meet with them? Mrs.
Answorth, can you please keep Miss De Vere here until I
return?”

“
It would be my pleasure. I
haven't had a chance to talk with her since we were in Bath
together. Something tells me that we have many things to discuss,
don't we?”

Mr Talbot respectfully bowed and
left.

It was about an hour later when he
and Dr. Answorth returned. They were in a surprisingly good humor,
and after entering the parlor, Mr. Talbot said, “Charlotte, if
you'd please come with me. I'd love to stay and talk some more, but
if we're to be active at dawn I'll need an early night.”

Charlotte accompanied him out to
the yard to find Henry holding the horse at the front of the gig.
She asked Mr. Talbot with a tremor in her voice, “Are you going to
drive me?”

“
Not tonight. There's room for us
all on the seat. Henry, if you'll do the honors.”

Dawn found Freddy, Major Sam
Travers, and the town doctor's locum waiting for John De Vere,
'Lord Staverton'. Sam was holding two recently sharpened swords.
The sun barely pierced the mists and fog that covered the
commons.

Freddy asked, “Do you think he's
decamped?”

“
Could have, wouldn't surprise
me.”

“
Sorry gents, I was running a
little late.” It was John, chirpy and irreverent as usual. “Had a
bit of a wet last night and overslept. Well Freddy are you ready to
meet your maker?”

“
Eventually, but not
today.”

“
If that's what you think, God
help you.”

They both removed their jackets and
were standing with their swords raised with points almost touching
while Sam stood in the middle holding his handkerchief. Sam first
said, in his role as second, “Are you both sure there is no
reconciliation possible?”

Both men firmly said no.

Sam raised his hand, ready to drop
his handkerchief when the parish constable, a deputy, Mr. Talbot
and Dr. Answorth came out of the mists. The constable shouted,
“Stop! This duel is illegal.”

Both Freddy and John De Vere
stepped back and put down their swords. Sam quickly took them and
replaced them in their scabbards.

“
Will you come
quietly?”

Freddy nodded yes, and while John
felt a strong urge to bolt, the presence of the constable and his
deputy made that a futile option. Trusting in his luck, he bowed
and said, “Of course.” In the meantime he could keep an eye open
for the main chance.

Mr. Cateford, one of the local
squires, was the local justice of the peace. He wasn't overjoyed at
having his breakfast interrupted by the inability of two young
bloods to settle their affairs peacefully. He listened
perfunctorily to the facts that the constable presented and gave
his judgment.

“
You two men are clearly guilty of
a breach of the peace. Arranging to fight a duel in Holt Common, of
all the places. Do you have anything to say for
yourselves?”