A Marriage for Three
By Ellie Thomas
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About this ebook
At twenty-three, Charlotte Grenville has resigned herself to spinsterhood. With no dowry, she works as a lady’s companion to support her widowed mother and younger siblings who live in the country town of Marlborough in Wiltshire. When family friend Anthony Wallace proposes to her out of the blue, she is perplexed.
Not only does Anthony have the habit of ordering everyone around, convinced it is in their best interests, but he is also devoted to his Anglo-Indian partner and estate manager, Simon Walker.
Lottie is aware this prospective marriage is purely a business arrangement to rescue her and her family from financial hardship. But should she accept? And will her growing attraction to Simon destroy the delicate balance between the trio?
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A Marriage for Three - Ellie Thomas
A Marriage for Three
By Ellie Thomas
Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords
Visit jms-books.com for more information.
Copyright 2021 Ellie Thomas
ISBN 9781646568932
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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com
Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.
All rights reserved.
WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.
This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published in the United States of America.
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A Marriage for Three
By Ellie Thomas
Chapter 1
Bathampton, Gloucestershire 1798
Dashing down the stairs, clutching a book in her hand on her way into the parlour, Charlotte Grenville caught sight of herself in the hall mirror. The dull and shapeless clothing and smothering mob cap had become a familiar sight in her time as a ladies’ companion, but what made her hesitate was her utterly extinguished expression.
As she stared at herself, transfixed, she realised she could be any one of the army of harried, dependent spinsters between the ages of twenty and sixty, anxiously hanging onto their jobs for survival. It was a frightening glimpse into a bleak future. But I’m only twenty-three, she thought with a tinge of despair.
Grenville, what’s keeping you? And where is my novel?
came the petulant cry from the parlour.
Charlotte gathered herself and arranged her features into a subservient smile as she entered the room.
I have it right here, Mrs. Everleigh,
she said, attempting to placate the plump and pampered middle-aged lady whose pop-eyed, scrunched up features resembled those of the spaniel at her feet, although the animal had a much sweeter nature. As her employer reclined in a well-upholstered armchair, she pettishly directed Charlotte to place everything around her for her comfort and convenience.
A dish of bonbons was arranged on a small table within easy reach, as well as a glass of cool lemonade. Then a footstool had to be brought closer and an extra cushion to support her back fetched. Once these items had been arranged to the lady’s exacting preference, Charlotte was directed to a hard-backed chair, with no refreshment for her dry throat, as she read aloud a chapter of the latest Gothic novel by Mrs. Radcliffe.
She had always been encouraged to follow intellectual pursuits as a girl. As a result, she could read fluently in French and Latin and in her teens she had translated some of Catullus’ poems simply for pleasure. It was not that she sneered at enjoying popular novels, but to subsist on them only added to her sense of frustration.
Charlotte wondered that her prosaic and narrow-minded mistress had such a taste for the fantastic. Her main worry while reading was to not burst out laughing at the increasingly ridiculous plots to which Mrs. Everleigh listened with saucer-eyed wonder. She carried on calmly retelling the farcical adventures of the headless monk, but after a few chapters Charlotte noticed Mrs. Everleigh’s eyelids start to droop and a soft snore was heard from the depths of the soft furnishings.
Span looked up hopefully, knowing that the sound heralded his daily walk. Charlotte continued to read until it was certain that Mrs. Everleigh was truly asleep and she wouldn’t be upbraided for stopping too soon. Laying aside the book, she rose and the little dog sprang eagerly towards her. It was a bright spring day. Her need to escape from the stifling house overruled taking the time to run upstairs for her cloak. She took the lead from the hall stand and attached it to Span’s collar as his tail wagged in eager expectation.
They went out into the fresh air. A light breeze danced about her, soothing her frayed nerves. This was the one part of the day when Charlotte had some much-needed time to herself. From the moment Mrs. Everleigh woke, until she retired to bed, Charlotte was compelled to be at her side, obliging her many whims and getting a sharp-tongued reprimand if she