Changing Kitty

Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty – Three

With a stop overnight, they’d arrived back in London by mid – afternoon the next day. The house, to Kitty, felt quite frightening. She loved it, it was home, but she knew that once she entered the doors there was to be a lot of friction, particularly from her parents.

William took her hand comfortingly. She was alarmed that it was actually him calming her and not the other way around. “I’m prepared,” he told her. “Whatever they want to say or do to me I’ll accept. Your father doesn’t own a musket, does he?”

Kitty shrugged her shoulders with a nervous smile. “I’m not sure, we never spent much time going through the cupboards. He won’t shoot you … I don’t think.”

“That’s reassuring.” He rolled his eyes.

Out the front of the gates was the carriage owned by her family that she had sent home when she had arrived. Considering William had already paid five pounds for Charlie’s services it seemed like a waste of money to dismiss him without getting their money’s worth.

Charlie helped them both down from the carriage and then proceeded to unload Kitty’s trunk and William’s small bag. Kitty cuddled her son to her chest as William put his arm around her waist. Together they walked through the gates and up the stairs towards the house. Before they reached the door it was opened by Mr Carter who was looking at William with an astonished expression. “Lady Kitty,” he coughed. “Captain Aubrey.”

“Hello, Mr Carter,” Kitty smiled kindly, trying to appear as normal as possible. She was still wearing her black mourning clothes as she brought no others with her to Kent, but if she got to opportunity she would change.

“Mr Carter,” William nodded respectfully.

They walked through the doors into the foyer where her family had all assembled. Like Mr Carter they all wore the same expressions. Kitty had explained to them what had happened in her letter, detailing the fact that William had lost his leg and he was trying to save her from a life of nursing him by ‘dying’ in the attack. She didn’t know how her family felt about it though … they could have been murderously angry for all she knew.

Her father’s eyes were the ones she caught first. He wasn’t glaring per se but he was looking at William with quite a look of fury. Her mother didn’t share the same look, she looked quite relieved to see him there. Her brother just looked surprised to see his brother – in – law standing there alive and Little J was beaming. Maybe she saw the noble side of the story.

“I couldn’t believe it until I saw him with my own eyes,” Emilia breathed, gesturing to her black dress. “It’s good to have you back, William, I am so glad you’re alright.” She came over hurriedly and gave him a tight hug, the kind a mother would give her son. James shook his hand and Little J hugged him as well.

Sebastian remained where he stood. His arms folded across his chest and he breathed deeply.

“Lord Ethridge,” William said, trying to sound confident. “You may not approve of what I did, but it was what I thought Kitty would want in the moment. I see now it was the wrong decision and I’m grateful Kitty was able to forgive me.”

Sebastian arched one of his eyebrows and sneered. “You and I need to have a little conversation,” he said intimidatingly. “Alone.”

Kitty knew he was to be berated. “Papa, might I come with him?” she asked quietly.

“No,” he said firmly.

“Sebastian,” Emilia hissed. “It’s very romantic.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Yours and my opinions on what is romantic differ quite substantially, Em. I would never leave you voluntarily.”