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Great Farleigh Hall, End of July 1811
Her mother had not needed to warn her so fervently before the start of the season, Charlotte thought as their carriage pulled into the long drive up to Great Farleigh Hall. She had not met a single man that she felt even remotely interested in kissing – nor any of the other activities that the pamphlet had mentioned.
She had received two offers of marriage which was always pleasant to be able to say when she was gossiping with the other debutantes in the ladies retiring room. But it was not something that gave her any sense of joy. She had been on friendly terms with both gentlemen, and they had both been titled and wealthy but there had been no magnetism. And when the idea of one of them laying on top of her, thrusting into her, came to her mind, she felt even more certain that she had done right by turning them down.
Great Farleigh Hall came into view when the road turned, and Charlotte sighed in unison with her parents and Lucy. Her three youngest siblings were in the other carriage with the nanny and the governess, while her younger brother Henry was at Eton.
"I always forget how much I miss this place but as soon as I see it again, I am reminded," Charlotte's father said.
He was sitting opposite Charlotte and was the parent she looked the most like. She was tall and robustly build like him, although his hair was lighter.
"Charles, that statement makes absolutely no sense," Charlotte's mother said and placed her hand on his arm.
The two of them looked at each other with a warm look that made Charlotte uncomfortable to be present.
"No, you're right," her father said with a small smile. "It's been a long journey."
Their mother hmphed with mirth but did not say anything as the carriage drew up in front of the house at that moment.
Her father stepped out first, then helped her mother out. He half turned to help Charlotte out, but his attention was then caught by a fight between her two youngest brothers Archie and Gregory. They had apparently already escaped the carriage.
"Stop it you two, stop it right now," she heard her father shouting as he ran towards them. "Will you behave with dignity?" Charlotte heard him start to scold as their mother was fussing over Charlotte's youngest sister Hester and talking to the nanny about how she had handled the journey from the inn to the estate.
Lucy moved to the bench that her parents had occupied and peeked out the door of the carriage.
"Do you think that anyone will appear to help us down?" she joked.
At that moment a footman appeared to help her down. Lucy alighted the carriage with his help and started walking up the stairs following their parents and younger siblings.
The footman extended his hand to help Charlotte down and she had every intention of doing so with all the grace that she had shown all season. But when she briefly glanced into his deep blue eyes, she lost her footing and practically tumbled out of the carriage.
She only avoided hitting the stone steps because the footman reacted swiftly and caught her in firm arms. A swirl danced in Charlotte’s stomach as she looked into his eyes and was only too aware of how close his hands in her armpits were to her bosom. She could not help but blush at the touch even though his fingers were only brushing her breasts completely accidentally.
"Careful, Lady Charlotte," the footman said good-naturedly as he helped her stand on the stone steps and quickly went around the carriage to the one carrying their luggage.
"Thank you," Charlotte murmured.
"Are you alright, Charlotte?" Her mother called.
"Yes, mama, I'm fine," Charlotte called and forced herself to walk up the steps and into the hall without looking back at the footman. Even though she felt the pull to turn around as if there had been a physical string between them.
"What happened?" Her mother asked, standing with three-year-old Hester on her hip.
"Nothing, I just missed a step. I'll go change," she said and made her way up to the bedroom, closing her door firmly.
This could not be happening to her. She had practically been presented to all the respectable young men of the ton - or at least those residing in London - and none of them had made her feel anything like the footman had just now.
Was he exceptionally handsome? Charlotte frowned as she tried to remember his features but all she could recall was the deep blue eyes under dark brown hair. Would she even be able to recognize him when she saw him around the estate?
There was a knock at the door and Charlotte quickly stepped aside and called: "Enter," expecting her ladies maid Miss Walker to enter but it was two footmen carrying her chest between them. Miss Walker followed them into the room.
"It's this way," Miss Walker directed the footmen and led them into Charlotte's dressing room. Charlotte only saw the back of the man entering the door but as he turned into the dressing room and put down the chest, she could see that it was the footman. She felt herself blush and quickly walked to stand by the window.
"I thought you'd want to change into the green muslin dress, so I had William and James carry your trunk up first, Lady Charlotte," Miss Walker said behind her. Charlotte could hear how proud she was of herself to have been able to arrange it. Miss Walker had been promoted to lady’s maid before Charlotte's season started and was still keen to go the extra mile to make an impression.
"Thank you, Miss Walker," Charlotte muttered, while all she could think was that she now knew his name. She knew William; he had been with them for several years. The other footman, her footman, no, not hers but the one with the striking blue eyes - he had to be James.
She turned to briefly look at the footmen as they were leaving her room. She had thought to be able to catch one last glimpse of the footman before he left but she found he had looked momentarily at her as well. Once again, she was captured by his dark blue eyes and could not turn her gaze away. She thought she caught a smile in the corner of the footman's eye before he turned his head and left her room, closing the door after him.
Charlotte turned quickly towards the window to hide her blush from Miss Walker. This was a catastrophe. It had never occurred to her that the magnetism her mother had talked about might draw her to such an inappropriate man as a footman. This could not be happening to her. She had to will herself to not notice him from now on.
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Want to read more? Falling for a Footman will be out April 1, 2023, find it where you normally buy your books.
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