The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake) (26 page)

Soon, they were at the second floor and when the key landed home with a 
shunk-clack!  
Alexander’s eyes lit up like lanterns. "What is behind this door?"  He watched her bounce up and down her hair bobbing with excitement.

"Open the door," she whispered her dark eyes wide.

With an easy swing of the door, he did as she asked. There stood Francesca, James and Sophie. They were all standing by a beautifully darkened wood crib in a cream and gold room. His eyes widened considerably, and he walked in as if confused. The cream colors lightened the room, and he saw even his mother's rocking chair was in the room, redone the only change being the color of cushions.

"This was my...Wait..." his mouth fell open.

When Charlotte took his hand and guided him over to the chair, sitting down. She tugged him to kneel, which he promptly did. Then picking up a copy of Sense and Sensibility after putting his hands on either side of her belly, she began to read... "Chapter ten..." suddenly it started and his entire body jolted as if he had been struck by lightning.

"No," he whispered in awe, as if not believing it. She kept reading and again, the kick hit his palm like a small bump. "A baby?" she nodded and kept going. Again, again, again as if telling him 
Yes I'm in here!
 he shouted with absolute joy and swept her up.

It was then that the staff- waiting outside the room trying to peek in on the happy moment, finally came in. They congratulated him happily with hugs and well wishes. And soon, they left the couple to retire to their room...where many other ways of enjoying each other were discovered...As the Lord and Master of the house did not want to disturb or potentially hurt his new, and favorite birthday present that was being knitted together with love, protection and care.

C
hapter
19

Charlotte smiled as she exited the house tugging on her gloves. "Sophie I'll be back! Let Francesca know to meet me in a couple hours at the teashop in Combe Down! I want her to show me the ones for the baby that you mentioned! We also need to get fabric!"

Sophie waved at her smiling "I'll let her know dear, not to worry." Charlotte was grinning from ear to ear as she sat down on the carriage seat and opened her large carpetbag. With a "Merow", Precious popped her head out of the bag and looked around.

She exhaled and looked at the fabric swatches she had cut from the leftover fabrics that were left over from the curtains and the cushions. She wanted to find a lovely set and wood color to redo the crib. Alexander had said he wanted a final say as he apparently had some type of plan of his own, her skin goose pimpled with excitement.

Precious was on the excursion to acquire a new bow and an engraved tag. She had spoken to the toy maker also about the fabric for the room, and adored the gold and warm tints.

The ride was short lived and she sighed softly, as she tucked Precious away in her carpetbag and started to get out as the driver helped her. "Thank you so much." She smiled at him and he grinned widely.

"Ma'am whatever you need I'll be right here."

"Thank you, but do get yourself a cup of tea or something dear, it's a bit chilly today." she patted the driver on the arm happily and headed to the toyshop.

"Ah! Miss Charlotte!" the toy maker smiled at her from behind his desk. His spectacles showed her reflection; as he tilted his head down to see her off his high stool. His workshop was up on a step platform, with a large number of oil lamps. He was a gangly man and was busy painting a face on a wooden toy soldier.

"Beautiful. But I would expect nothing less."

"So, is Lord Cromwell here, dear?" the Toy Maker asked.

"No, sadly he is gone to the Essex estate, but I shall have him come by later if he is able!" Her eyes flashed with maternal delight. "I did bring the fabric!"

"Oh, let me see! Let me see it my dear." The man hopped from his stool and she opened the bag, scooping the fabric out from under Precious, who squeaked in protest.

"Sorry kitty," she soothed, petting her.

"My, what a well behaved animal. Here, Miss Charlotte is the tag you ordered." He handed over a tiny gold heart with “Precious” engraved on it attached and dangling from a decidedly bright pink bow.

"Spoiled really, I cannot do anything without her coming along with me or being in my pocket. Soon she will be too big to do so!" She laughed and the toy maker looked over the fabrics with great care and delicacy.

"I can make toys to match this shade, dark woods are your preference?"

"Yes please!" she said clapping her hands together.

But before she could even decide on the colors of the fabric for a few other things, the bell tolled signaling a new arrival.
“Charlotte? What are you doing in here? I saw you across the way...” It was Deirdre!

Charlotte all but set everything down and gulped. “Well, I came to get Precious a tag.”

“A tag?” Deidre's green eyes widened a bit as if in disbelief

“Cromwell said that I should get one like his family had for their dogs.”

“Well I guess, but hunting dogs are expensive. -” But Deirdre cut herself off and waved a hand. “What am I saying, let me see it!”

Charlotte was wary but handed it over. “I have not gotten the blasted thing on as Precious tends to squirm.”

Deirdre laughed. “Well here,” after she had looked at it and found where the engraving was on the heart, so it would be placed properly, she took and hooked the bow.  The toymaker had been a genius in designing it. He had a button for keeping it on the cat and Deirdre made quick work. Precious was looking quite pretty, and meowing in protest of being handled so much.

“I know that you might not have wished to speak with me, after what happened. But I do feel awful, really.” Deirdre started after patting Precious.

“Oh?” Charlotte’s guard went up like stonewalls. “Why is that?”

“Anyone would be a fool not to see that Cromwell loves you. My mother can be tiresome- in fact the women in my family are all tiresome...” Deirdre murmured and she had seemed to say the latter to herself. Her eyes suddenly took on a new shine. “And, I met someone.” she whispered the last bit.

“No! Who?” Charlotte gushed as the Toy Maker was looking through the fabric as if he were just perusing.

“Mr. Whitmore!” Deirdre squeaked.

“You jest!” Charlotte laughed.“ And how did this happen with your mother bent on Alexander?”

“Well, after he an Alexander fought...I felt badly for him and escorted him to be attended to. He was so genteel with me. Mother dislikes him.”

I bet he was...
Charlotte thought.

“And he also said I was quite a beauty. Then we started talking about that day in London, and he said that he quite fancied me.  He thought I fancied Alexander...but I said that I really liked him better.” Deirdre continued hurriedly “So he proposed!”

At this Charlotte laughed. “Well I am glad that you two will be together, Deirdre, I am sure you will be very happy.”

Deirdre smiled widely. “Friends?”

Charlotte hummed,  “Hmmmm, yes!”  They hugged gently, appropriately and Deirdre squealed slightly with joy.

“My you are excited!” Charlotte giggled and Deirdre said her farewells and left after promising to go see Anne and give the same speech. Charlotte wondered what Anne would say.

She turned back to the Toy Maker who was looking at the Rabbit, Bun-Bun and trying to memorize its origins. “How curious,” he said softly.

“Beg pardon?” she said.

“I know the maker of these, though he worked in London nearly a decade ago. 

“Really?” Charlotte gasped, “I am interested to know his name.”

“Sadly no one knew his name, but he worked in London and made specialty items, such as this for very well off families. This fabric is very hard to get. Look at the stitching here, only in age do you see them, but when first made they’d nearly be invisible."

“Well, I am happy you are doing my work!” Charlotte smiled and the elderly man grinned.

“As am I, Miss Charlotte. I would love to make the toys you wish to order in these colors. I think it will look lovely. You do have quite the taste for what goes together. Did he like the nursery?”

“He did!” Charlotte nearly twirled she was so excited. “He was so happy. He even said I could go get that small rocker in the shop you recommended. The one with the sweet little canopy?” The Toy Maker nodded as the bell had rung again.

“Oh, thank heavens Charlotte!” Oh dear, she knew
that
voice... it was Giselle! Charlotte spun around and was stunned to see the woman rushing to her. “I was so worried you had been in the carriage.”

“Giselle, what on earth are you here for?” she asked with suspicion. And Giselle simply waved her hand as if it did not matter. There was a man with her, he looked surprisingly familiar, but she could not quite put her finger on why.

"Oh, this is my good friend Richard." Giselle stepped aside and the man, with jet- black hair and dark eyes brooded at her wile his face held a smile. 

"Hello, Miss Charlotte. Giselle has told me a lot about you. We happened to be going to tea and we noticed the carriage."

"Well I cannot imagine what happened. I should go check on my driver." 

Charlotte started to leave, but Giselle caught her arm "Dear we were going to see Alexander, so we could bring you home."

Charlotte thought of this. She was rather lonely sitting in the carriage the whole way and sighed, looking at Precious. "Well, I am supposed to meet Francesca…"

"After then?" Giselle asked softly. Richard was waiting patiently on the sidelines. He looked so familiar! Charlotte simply could not understand where the similarly was coming from.

"Do I know you?" Charlotte asked.

Richard shook his head "I would never forget such a beauty as you, Miss Charlotte." He bowed, and she shook the feeling of dread off of her. They meant her no harm! And besides, she was healthy and could easily get away lest anything bad happen.

"Well I had best leave a note at the teashop...oh, dear I forget where- ah yes!”

Before they had taken the small shortcut to the teashop, she told the driver she was going with Giselle, much to it seemed both of her companions’ irritation. And then they set off to their destination. But before Charlotte knew what had happened, she was being steered away and down a strange road. “What? Where are we going?”

"Don't worry!" Richard smiled gaily. "We can take you there, I know of a quick short cut." He soothed her. "We have a carriage here," Richard said steering her, Giselle also steering her on the right, the carpetbag squished on her left side.

"Easy, please Precious is in the bag. And let me go speak to Francesca at least.”

"You have that cat with you?" Giselle was sounding abysmal. Something was not right. As they rounded the corner, Richard latched onto her arms.

"Hey! What are you-"

A hand clapped over her mouth and she nearly screamed, but a gun was shown "Don't move." But she did move, her hand reached out in claws and her legs swung in a fit of violence.

"Richard! Put that away!' Giselle hissed, but he would not listen.

"No, do you want her to scream?" Suddenly a spitting ball of fur flung itself from the bag, screeching to life. "Ack! Damn animal!" It was flung and Precious bounced off the ground with a squeak of pain.

Charlotte felt her throat clog with tears. "Please don't hurt her," she muffled into his palm. Giselle looked frantically at the gun as Richard tried to restrain the struggling girl.

"We need her alive."  She said slowly. And Charlotte was forcibly dragged into the carriage, and promptly tied up and gagged.

The carriage was horrid, bumpy and she near crashed into the wall a dozen times.
Where are they taking me?
Giselle sat on her other side.  Richard was trying to stop the scratches on his hand from bleeding. Precious had gotten in a good swipe and she inwardly cheered her little comrade.
Alexander…oh no. What will he think? What will he do? Who will tell him what has happened?

All of these thoughts went through her head and her eyes swam with tears. "Don't cry little Charlotte." Richard said her name as if it was familiar and she bit through the gag.

"Alex will kill you!" But it came out a muffled "mmhrf Mmmhmf mmhm hm!" that no one paid any mind to.

Giselle sighed, "I am sorry Charlotte but it's the only way we can get what we need."

"What I need." Richard said coldly.

"You said we were in this together Richard."

"We are, as long as you keep that mouth of yours shut." He bit out. Charlotte watched the exchange with scrutiny, poor Giselle. Her eyes showed pain, but she had been an accessory to kidnapping!

Charlotte began to struggle in earnest this time, which earned her a sound slap across the face and a finger pointed at her nose. "If you cause us any trouble, I'll cut off your fingers one by one got me?" Richard snarled. She nodded her eyes burning with tears and fear thundering in her chest. Giselle was tight lipped and Charlotte had a vague idea that she did not like how this had turned out.