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chapter one: a familiar face
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Things were changing. That much was very clear to Charlotte Wentworth as she made her way to Danbury Manor. This time around it would be another Wentworth sibling undergoing the duty of finding a husband. Amelia was the youngest of three, Charlotte being the middle child and their brother Daniel being the eldest. Charlotte had made it her goal to find the perfect man for Amelia to marry, and she would be very particular indeed. While she had her grandparents and older brother looking out for her during her season, Amelia would only have her two siblings truly looking for her best match.
The Wentworth's were a tight knit family. They genuinely liked each other, they had fun with each other. Most families only resided in places of duty and breeding when necessary. But with Charlotte's family, one thing set them apart from other bloodlines around them. Her parents were a love match. Her parents loved each other. They didn't get together out of pure duty to their respective households. They connected and fell in love. That was all Charlotte wanted for her sister coming into the season, more than ever. Especially because it was all Charlotte ever wanted for herself. She wanted Amelia to feel the love and adoration she never felt in her own marriage.
She could remember her own season like it was yesterday. In reality, it was not that long ago, though it felt like an eternity. Charlotte was courted and proposed to by a young man named William Cuttingham. He was born into a plethora of wealth that any woman, or her family, could ever dream of. It was only after saying I do did Charlotte get to know the true William and what his true intentions were to marrying her, but alas, it was far too late.
Charlotte did not know what to expect when leaping into a marriage not made of love, but she certainly did not expect the sudden change in William's demeanor. His words spitting from his lips that cut into her like knives on a cutting board. The palms of his hand striking her, the floorboards creaking underneath her as she dropped to the ground from every force of a slap or a kick. She did not know much about marriage, but she knew for certain it was not supposed to be like that.
Women were expected to marry and take whatever came with it, the good and the bad. But Charlotte was not strong enough. Her fear consumed her to the point of no return. She could never show her face in Paris again. But it was not just the fear that stopped her from going back, it was the shame that came along well after the fear set in. Every day, Charlotte is forced to carry around the overwhelming sense of shame of not being strong enough to fight back against the man who was supposed to love her. Supposed to take care of her. Paris, even all of France, would never look at or welcome her in their arms ever again if anyone ever found out. She had no choice, she had to leave.
Amelia's season came at the perfect time. Daniel was the only one out of her two siblings to know everything that went down with William and why they had to leave France so suddenly. Though, Amelia was not blind. She could see just how unhappy and drained Charlotte looked every time she saw her siblings, which had become less and less of an occurrence due to William's strict demands of where she could or could not go and who she could and could not talk to. Even when her siblings finally were allowed to move in with them did they barely see their sister without consulting with her husband first. Charlotte needed a way out, and her siblings gave her exactly that.
Lady Danbury's manor was exquisite. Tall ceilings with artwork on every crevice of every wall. Vases filled with blooming flowers, paintings of her and some of her family. It was beautiful, delicate, intimate. Charlotte had never met Lady Danbury, only knowing the woman was close friends with her parents and was glad to sponsor Amelia in the upcoming season. The three Wentworth's were eternally grateful for the helping hand. If only they showed it outwardly.
Charlotte tried her hardest to be as punctual as possible for her and her siblings' first meeting with Lady Danbury, but she was sure that was not going to happen. The sudden run-in with the handsome man outside the bookstore truly raddled her and caused a great stir in her plans for the day. Such a stir, Charlotte could hear her siblings trying to stall Lady Danbury as they waited for her in a room not far from where she was. She followed the voices, naturally. Though, once reaching the opened doors leading into the meeting room, the young woman halted her step.
She needed to breathe. Placing a hand on her stomach, Charlotte took a deep breath before pushing her shoulders back, tilting up her chin, and entered the room with as much feigned confidence as possible.
"Well, she did get off the ship with you last night, did she not?"
"Yes, I did," Charlotte stalked into the room, bringing every set of eyes to her, "apologies, Lady Danbury. I hope I did not keep you waiting long. I was admiring the gardens for a bit. After such a lengthy journey, I found that I wanted some freshness and morning air. But, I am here now."
A little white lie never hurt anyone.
Daniel held in a smirk, knowing his sister far too well, gesturing to his younger sister, "my younger sister, Lady Danbury. Miss Charlotte Wentworth."
Lady Danbury hummed in approval as she watched the young woman nod in respect to her, "well, now that we are all arrived—"
"Almost," Charlotte exchanged an almost mischievous glance with her siblings, "we have almost all arrived. There is also Angel. Is she still upstairs?"
Pending the young woman's question, Lady Danbury turned to the eldest of the Wentworth household in confusion and slight apprehension. Another member coming to stay with her was not brought to Lady Danbury's attention. Daniel, with his hands held tightly behind his back, chuckled nervously at the older woman's pointed stare. He knew he was forgetting to mention something. He just wished it was something a little more minor. And not the attendance of the beloved family puppy.
Angel was a gift to the siblings from their parents before their untimely passing. When the world seemed to be crumbling down around the Wentworth children, Angel was there to dry their cheeks and brighten their days. It was a no-brainer that their pet would be joining them on their journey to another country. Though Angel lived up to her name, Charlotte hoped their pet would not cause a stir in the Danbury household, especially since they were guests in another's home. The eldest Wentworth sister wanted to make sure this trip went smoothly for every party involved, mainly her younger sister.
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Sometimes, Charlotte truly desired to be selfish. Instead of Amelia being the possible diamond of the season, it was her. Her finding a husband and getting a second chance at happiness. Her being the one everyone wanted to be or be with. But alas, it was instead her sister. Though, there was no envy in her thoughts. Charlotte was excited for Amelia's debut into society, she would be standing right beside her through it all, looking out for her, just like their brother did for Charlotte. But looking at herself in the mirror with one of her mother's old dresses passed down to her, it sparked a kind of self-pity Charlotte never saw coming.