Too soon to tell

"I'll HANG the damn peasant if I want to!" Lord Marlton was in his office but even through the thick door Charlotte could hear her father's angry retort. Major Talbot and Lieutenant Easton had been in with Lord Marlton for nearly an hour now and from her father’s tone she knew the meeting wasn’t going to last much longer.

Oh how she wished she could plead with her father for Mr. Fuller’s life. However, unlike in the fairy-tales where the princess can beg the king and save her hero - not that Mr. Fuller was in any way her hero - Charlotte was sure that any interest she might show in the case would only arose suspicion. The best she might do for Mrs. Fuller’s son was to marshal any forces that might restrain her father’s vindictiveness. Yesterday once the news had officially reached Marlton manor about Black Brand’s identity she had ridden down to the village and spoken to Reverend Edwards expressing her concern about her father’s desire to make an example out of Black Brand.

The elderly vicar had agreed with her and in the morning a letter had been delivered to her father from the Reverend expressing his opinion that in this circumstance that an alternative to a public hanging might be the Christian thing to do. Lord Marlton had stormed about the house spluttering in outrage, but the idea had been planted in his mind well before Lieutenant Easton had arrived to meet with Lord Marlton and determine when he, as the county justice, would formally hear the case. Charlotte had however underestimated her father’s burning hatred for Black Brand and the last six months of his flaunting Marlton's dominion over his own lands. Now, after nearly an hour closeted with his secretary Major Talbot and Lieutenant Easton, Charlotte still didn’t know if she had condemned Mr. Fuller to **** by the gallows.

When the Lieutenant in his best dress uniform left Lord Marlton’s offices Charlotte drew the young officer aside hoping he could give her some words of encouragement.

“I did my best Lady Marlton.” Was all the serious young man would say as he waited for his horse to be brought from the stables. Neither of Charlotte’s aunt’s failed to notice Charlotte’s attentiveness to the young officer as he left and both made ‘tut, tut’ noises about the dangers of handsomely uniformed officers around ladies of marriageable age before returning to the stack of RSVP’s from the hastily invited guests.

With most of the notables from the surrounding county invited to celebrate the capture of Black Brand the household buzzed with activity. The great hall table was set with a fine serving of silver - a present from John Marlton’s family on the occasion of their son’s marriage - and one hundred beeswax tapers were carefully set into the great chandelier that hung over the table to be lit just before the guests were seated. In the early morning hours several gleaming salmon were caught from the very brook that Charlotte had first seen Mr. Fuller, and a great fat goose and a huge beef roast were set to roasting in the kitchen.

The butler personally carried dozens of dusty bottles from the cellar, and spent a good deal of the servants’ time stressing the proper way to fill the blown-glass goblets. With every hand in the manor house busy, Charlotte knew she too would soon be put to work. Sure enough her aunts insisted that she help decide the seating for the dinner. Charlotte graciously allowed the pair of gossipy spinsters to instruct her yet again in the complex calculus that determined who sat where at the great table. The place of honor they both agreed must be for Colonel Touring.

“After all, that young Lieutenant was simply carrying out the Colonel’s orders when he captured Black Brand.” Explained Aunt Elizabeth when Charlotte suggested that it was Lieutenant Easton who was actually deserved the recognition. By way of a compromise they agreed to let Easton sit by Charlotte’s side. “Surely that is more than enough recognition for an impoverished infantry officer.” And on it went as the merits of each guest were discussed as well as other concerns such as “That young Standish boy must be kept well away from Sir Henry after that most unfortunate incident with his wife.”

Charlotte had hoped to corner Major Talbot before dinner and try to coax some information from her father’s man but her aunts kept her bustling from one task to the next always reminding her than when she is married she will have to do this all by herself. Then as the sun began its summertime descent she was whisked away to bathe, dress, and "for heaven’s sake do something with her hair!"

The dinner should have been a joyous affair. However neither the fine banquet nor the many toasts raised to the Colonel, the 43rd Foot, Lord Marlton and of course King George himself were sufficient to assuage the affront to his station that Lord Marlton felt. His irritability was mirrored by Lady Charlotte's concern for Mr. Fuller and the guests soon picked up on the tension in what should have been a festive dinner. None of the guests of course commented on the colder than expected social climate and the five removes followed by and drinks and cigars in the parlor for the men and sweet pastries in the music room for the women passed with only a few awkward silences and stilted conversations.

None-the-less the guests all made their excuses at the earliest possible convenience and Charlotte was able to retire to her chambers slightly earlier than she had anticipated. Marlton had formally announced that he would hold court tomorrow afternoon and that all would be welcome to hear him try the case. So as Charlotte lay on her bed yet again she knew that the suspense could not last for much longer.