Charity Read Online Free

berate herself. She felt a twinge of remorse for second-guessing her sister’s headstrong ways. “Don’t even think about apologizing to me, Charity. There’s no way I was staying in that horrible woman’s class after she kicked you out.”
    Charity smiled gratefully, but the guilt didn’t leave her eyes. “She hasn’t liked me since the day we learned how to dance, anyway.” She scuffed at the dirt with the toe of her shoe, sending up little puffs.
    Mercy laughed. “Well, you showed up dressed as a boy!”
    Charity looked indignant. “Because there are only girls in the class. How would we ever learn to dance with a boy if someone didn’t play the part?”
    Amity smiled. “Come on.” She tugged Charity’s arm. “We’d better get home and face Patience.” Their older sister was not going to take this well. “I’ll go in first and tell her. Maybe she won’t be quite so angry if I give her the news and explain what happened instead of you.”
    They all turned when they heard a vehicle coming down the lane. It was Madame Capdepon’s curricle. She’d obviously decided to let class out early, and was now apparently headed to the Ackerly home.
    The sisters stepped aside to let it pass, then stood in the swirling dust and watched the vehicle disappear around a bend. Mercy linked an arm through Charity’s. “Maybe, when we get home, you can ask her to stay to dinner.” Her lips twitched. “You can tell her it will be no trouble to set an extra place.”
    Charity lunged and swatted at her, but Mercy ducked and took off running, musical laughter trailing behind.Charity chased her a few steps, then gave up and returned to her twin.
    Amity hid a smile and tried to keep from laughing as they walked. She glanced at Charity out of the corner of her eye and bit her lip. Her blue eyes danced. And then, because there was nothing else they could do, both girls succumbed to the hilarity of the situation and continued on their way home, wiping away tears of mirth.
    “She is a hoyden, entirely undisciplined, and I will not have her in my class! Furthermore, Mr. Ackerly, I have to say that I despair of her ever making a decent match, despite the fact that her older sisters have been so fortunate in their marriages. I can’t imagine anyone of breeding accepting her as his wife.”
    Charity pressed her lips together in an effort to control her temper. Seated on a bench outside her father’s study with Amity and Mercy, she held herself stiffly erect, her head high. In her mind, however, she was drowning in mortification at the etiquette instructor’s harsh description.
    They couldn’t hear their soft-spoken father’s reply, but the modulated, gracious voice of Patience came to them quite clearly. “I’ll be happy to show you out, Madame Capdepon.” The doors to the study opened and Patience appeared with the still quite indignant woman. Neither spared a glance for the trio seated on the bench.
    After a few moments, Bingham Ackerly stepped out and stopped, regarding the three girls steadily for a moment. He shook his head and smiled. “Well,” he said. “I suppose that is that.”
    Charity chewed on her lower lip and stared up at her father, her cerulean eyes filled with remorse. “I’m sorry, Papa.”
    He smiled fondly and shook his head. “It was likely amistake to send you to those classes in the first place. Patience meant well.”
    “I don’t have to go to London, Papa. Amity can go without me.” Even as she said the words, though, Charity felt a pang of regret. She really did want to have a Season, to dress up in beautiful gowns and be presented to Society. And she knew—she knew —if she tried hard enough, she could manage to play the part of a demure debutante for three whole months in a row.
    Bingham reached down and rumpled her hair. “I have every confidence that Faith will steer you in the right direction. Of course you can still go to London.” He wandered back into his study, his mind