Chapter 3As Charles had hoped, his schedule was almost cleared of pressing issues as November started, and his prospective trip to Bath fell into place. He was filled with fresh purpose to tidy up any final tangles, safe in the knowledge that all would run smoothly until his return.
I can assure any young lady’s parents that she would have a prosperous and well-run property as her new home, he thought with some satisfaction, nudging aside the lingering misgivings that his admirable, practical, and sensible plans left him feeling hollow and lonely.
It did not help that his mother had gone along with his scheme in the same manner she used to react to his short-lived boyhood crazes: benign toleration until the initial fit of enthusiasm faded. But none of this made him hesitate. He was deter
