Charlotte: The Practical Education of a Distressed Gentlewoman (20 page)

“
Come on man. You can't mean
that.”

Another farmer joined the first.
“This beer tastes sour.”

The rest put theirs down as
well.

The innkeeper came out from behind
the bar. “Lord Staverton, I'd appreciate you paying your tab. Fifty
pounds, tonight can be on the house if you pay up.”

“
I haven't got it. I told you this
was on what's his name, Freddy. I expect he'll be here momentarily
to negotiate my return to the hall.”

The scene started to turn nasty.
John, as a chummy young man who joked with them and stood the
occasional round of beer was accepted. John as a deadbeat Lord
Staverton who badmouthed the very people he claimed were paying for
the beer was not popular. Especially when the people he was
badmouthing had tried to improve the farmer's lots. As the farmers
prepared to forcibly eject him from the inn, Charlotte pulled
Elizabeth's bill from her reticle and handed it to the innkeeper.
“Here take this.” She turned to her brother, “John, go. Leave Holt.
I won't ever help you again.”

“
Thanks sis.”

“
John, I mean it, if I ever see
you again it will be too soon.”

He sauntered out, turned and gave
the crowd a wink before disappearing into the night.

The innkeeper asked her, “Miss De
Vere, what are you going to do now?”

“
I don't know, that was all of my
ready. Lizzy, Miss Talbot gave it to me so I wouldn't starve in a
ditch.”

“
I need a barmaid. My Betsy's gone
back to the hall. I know it's beneath you, but you can stay here if
you're willing.”

“
Mr. Hobbes, that maybe all I'm
worth. Thank you.”

The next day, in the mid-afternoon,
an express rider arrived at the hall from London. The butler paid
him off and brought the documents to Freddy. They were from
Bayliss. The foreclosure papers had been filed, and the bills
demanding payment were included in the packet. There was this minor
problem, neither the address of Miss De Vere or that of her brother
was known. They'd been delivered to the hall, and it was up to
Freddy to see that they were properly forwarded and served. Bayliss
also indicated that the fifty-thousand pound post-obit bond, should
properly be charged to the estate, and that he had sent notice to
Newman's bank to that effect.

Freddy, still fuming the interview
with Lord Staverton last evening, his temper not improved in the
least by his sleepless night, impatiently sought Elizabeth. She,
her father, and Major Travers were sitting in the front parlor,
evidently discussing something of mutual importance. Sam was doing
his best to convince Mr. Talbot that he would be able to support
Lizzy and wasn't just after her fortune. It was a difficult
proposition and Mr. Talbot was raking Sam over the coals in the
process. Freddy strode in, broke into the conversation, and
demanded, “Elizabeth, did that little trollop tell you where she
was going?”

Elizabeth spat back, “If you mean
Charlotte, she said she was going to the Royal Oak.”

“
Good. I have some papers to
deliver to her.”

Major Travers spoke up, “Freddy,
let me deliver them. You're in no fit state.”

“
No Sam, I'm looking forward to
it. I want the pleasure of seeing the smile wiped from her
face.”

Elizabeth pointed out, “I seriously
doubt she's smiling. She was crying to herself last night as she
packed.”

“
Then from her damned
brothers.”

His father intervened. “Freddy, no.
If these papers must be served, you should not do it. If you insult
one of them in the process, you can invalidate the bills.” Which
while not strictly true, was a powerful argument. It passed muster
in Freddy's confused and tired mind.

Freddy paused, “Sam, if you
would.”

“
I won't say it would be my
pleasure, but I'll do it.”

Sam rode off and found Charlotte
working in the Royal Oak. Having spent the morning cleaning mugs
and plates, she was wiping the tables down for the nighttime rush.
She looked ragged and red eyed, as if she hadn't slept much more
than Freddy. She looked up when Sam entered, “Major Travers, what
brings you here?”

“
Nothing good Miss De Vere. I wish
my friend weren't so damned pig-headed.”

“
What is it?”

“
I'm sorry, but here,
these.”

Charlotte read the bills with an
increasing sense of foreboding. “He's foreclosed on the estate.
Wants 25,000 pounds from me or my brother.”

“
It's worse than that.”

“
How?”

“
Your brother's post-obit bond. It
properly belongs to the estate.”

“
75,000 pounds? How does he expect
me to pay that! I earn my room and board here, maybe a few pennies
more.”

“
I don't think he expects either
of you to pay.”

“
Not debtor's prison?”

“
Yes. Do you have any idea where
your blasted brother is? These debts are properly his. He's the one
who needs to see the inside of Fleet Street Prison.”

“
No. I never want to see him
again.” She started to cry.

“
Please don't.” He offered her his
handkerchief.

“
It's, it's just that yesterday
afternoon everything seemed to be going so well.
Freddy.”

Sam was never his best with a
weeping woman, but he tried. “Miss De Vere, listen to me, I know
Freddy, went to school with him, you know. He'll calm down. It
might take a week, but he will.”

Charlotte sobbed, “I'm not sure I
want him to calm down, or that I want to see him again.”

“
Please, don't shut him out. That
would destroy him.”

“
I'll try, it's just he's hurt me
too.”

“
I know. I've never seen him so
angry and upset. He wasn't able to think straight.”

“
Stop apologizing for your friend,
he acted beastly.”

“
Yes he did. Freddy will need to
make his own apologies, but I can at least make some explanations.
He thought he was betrayed. There's very little that gets Freddy
angry, but disloyalty does. At least it did when we were in school
together. Can't believe he's changed much about it.”

“
Disloyalty?”

“
Disloyalty, betrayal,
dishonorable conduct, whatever you want to call it. He thought you
and your good-for-naught brother cooked this up together. That hurt
him very deeply.”

“
We didn't.”

“
I know. Miss De Vere, you still
have friends who want the best for you. Elizabeth, me, even
Freddy's father. Don't do anything silly and it will all be
fine.”

Charlotte raised her tear-streaked
face to Sam's, “Really?”

“
I or Freddy's father will come
and check on you every day. Now take those documents and file them
safely. You'll need them when we find John.”

“
I don't understand.”

“
Trust me on this. Those
foreclosure notices will force John's hand.”

Charlotte stiffed her sobs and took
the papers to her room. Meanwhile, Sam rang for the innkeeper who
promptly arrived, “Where is that dratted barmaid? She spent this
morning weeping while she did the dishes. I hope I didn't make a
mistake offering her a position.”

“
You didn't, I sent her to her
room with some important papers about her estate. She needs to keep
them safe. While she's gone I need to ask you to look out for
her.”

Mr. Hobbes staggered, “What do you
mean 'look out for her'?”

“
Keep her safe, I don't know how
rough your clientèle is, but she's affianced to Mr. Frederick
Talbot.”

“
Funny way to be affianced if you
ask me.”

“
They've had an argument. That's
all. Either old Mr. Talbot or I will be checking on her
daily.”

“
So that's what it is, is
it?”

“
Her brother said some things that
made it look like she was taking advantage of Freddy.”

“
That blackguard, as if Miss De
Vere would ever consider such conduct. I've known her since she was
a little'un. She was always a right one, a real lady.”

“
I know. Keep her busy, don't let
her mope or do anything silly.”

“
Never fear that sir.”

“
Good man, and don't let her dwell
on debtor's prison. Miss Elizabeth or her father would pay her
debts before that happens.”

“
Why not you?”

“
I'm the 'wastrel' Miss Elizabeth
wants to marry.”

“
You don't sound one to
me.”

“
I have to convince Mr. Talbot
senior that I'm not. It will take a bit of doing.”

Charlotte came back down, she'd
rinsed her face, and while her eyes were still reddened from
crying, she seemed calmer. “Major Travers, thank you. I'm sure you
must be off.”

The next morning Mr. Willis timidly
knocked on the door to Freddy's study. A sharp “Come in, damn you.”
greeted his efforts.

He quietly asked, “Mr. Talbot,
sir?”

Freddy snarled, “What is
it?”

“
Sir, I need to get back to Bath,
Mrs. Willis will be worried. I can be back in a few
days.”

“
Go blast you.”

“
I'll take the canal, might find
something interesting.”

“
Damn the canal and all who ride
it.”

“
Sorry sir, I'll be
off.”

“
Go Already! But be back by the
middle of next week. I'm likely to need your help when we start
foreclosing properly.”

“
Yes sir.”

Charlotte found the morning
similarly bleak, although she didn't snap anyone's head off. She
just tried to carry on and look happier than she felt. About
mid-day a large coarse man came to the Royal Oak. Charlotte did her
best 'cheerful barmaid' impression and smiled at him, “What will it
be, sir?”

He replied “Did you have a death in
the family? I'll have a pint and whatever the ordinary
is.”

She passed the word back to the
kitchen about the food and drew a pint. As she put it on the bar
for him, he passed her a shilling, and said, “Here love, why don't
you come and sit with me?”

Charlotte started “I, I couldn't.”,
but Mr. Hobbes nodded that she should, and so she took the pint to
the man's table and sat, very stiff, upright and proper, across
from him.

“
Don't worry, lass. It's just I
like pretty company when I eat, and you're a worthy
eyeful.”

The man looked vaguely familiar to
Charlotte, but then she had met so many new people in the last few
weeks that she couldn't be sure. The man noticed her searching his
face, then chuckled, “Think we've met somewhere. I'm called
'Gentleman Jack'. Newbury usually finds me, but I've come after one
John De Vere, sometimes 'Lord Staverton', or James Smith among his
other aliases. 'ave you seen him?”

“
He's my no good brother. What's
he done now?”

“
Just skipped off from Newbury
races owing more than we can write off. Lifted some blunt from one
of our bookie's cash boxes while he was at it.”

“
Sounds like him, he was here two
days ago. I hope I never see him again.”

“
What happened, lass?”

Another older gentleman, dressed
like a farmer, though possibly with cleaner clothes, came into the
pub. He asked, “Is Miss De Vere here?” Then he noticed her sitting
with her companion. “Jack, old boy! It's great to see you again.
Outside of the pleasing company of Miss De Vere, what brings you to
the Royal Oak?”

“
George, what are you doing in the
country? I thought you were a city boy.”

Charlotte looked at the two of them
in confusion. “Mr. Talbot, do you know this man?”

“
Jack and I go back a long time.
Why we started out in business together, didn't we?”

“
Yes, those were good times.” He
paused, “Wait, if this young moll is Miss De Vere, what is she
doing tending bar?”

“
Let's just say my future
daughter-in-law is taking a temporary position pending future
employment.”

“
You mean your young,” it took him
a second to remember, “Freddy and her?”

“
Lizzy told me they'd just agreed
to be married when that wonderful charmer of a brother of hers
showed up. Angered Freddy and now the whole thing's a big
mess.”

“
Freddy still has a temper does
he?”

“
Yes, he rarely shows it, but it’s
there. Anyway what brings you to Holt?”

“
Chasing one deadbeat, a John De
Vere.”

“
Sounds like a long story. Miss
Charlotte could you pull me a pint to share with my
friend?”

The two men were deep into
reminiscences about Mr. Talbot's early and not completely
respectable career when Charlotte returned with the pint and Jack's
ordinary. One thing bothered her as she listened, so she
interrupted them, “Mr. Talbot?”