August 6th, 1763

We are preparing to go to Wortham. I had a letter from my brother informing me, that he will come to Leyland and accompany us there. Lord C and Clive will meet us at Cresford and from there we will go together. It is most mysterious as neither Jeremiah nor Harriet told me what all the stealthiness is about. I know when someone is keeping something from me. They act strange and it is so obvious they are hiding important information. But I am not yet worried. They are all well and they come together. So no duel between Max and Lord C or Clive. We all will be reunited and all will be well.

The only thing I am not looking forward is to see my family again. They surely will besiege me with thousand inappropriate questions!

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Letter to Harriet

The Five Bells, Harmondsworth Village

July 30th

My darling Harriet,

three days we have been here and after some misinterpreted directions, we found your brother and are now negotiating with him his return to your family and him issuing a statement what happened, after which we will leave him with your father to unravel their problems.

I miss you and it will take us some days to come to Cumberland. I will send you notice on time to meet us, so we can go to Wortham together.

I don't know how much I should tell you so far; everything is quite a mess and scandalous. I beg you, as does Lord Cartwright, not to consign anything to her Ladyship until we know the whole story and can prevent anything becoming public knowledge.

When we came to the village, we first went to the wrong house, presuming your brother to stay with a respectable family of somehow his own state. But no one at the Manor Farm had any idea of who Max was and we returned to the Inn.
Lord Cartwright and Mr. Porter were discussing further steps with Mr. Tredwell, when I went to the shop across the road to buy some writing supplies (I forgot mine in town, being muddleheaded as usual). There I heard a maid asking for something her master had ordered and how she had called him Mr. Maxwell. I pretended to know him and told her what a surprise it was to find him here as I was on my way to town. She was quite an innocent creature and asked me, if my friend was really Mr. Fred Maxwell. - Darling, I am dumb-funded at his impertinence to change his name so abominably.
I had a boy in front of the shop running to call for my friends to meet me at the address the girl had given me. I didn't want to lose time and immediately went with her.
We came to a halt in front of a small, but respectable looking house and the maid let me in to the tiny hall. Not two minutes later I was to enter a salon and stood in front of your brother, holding an infant.
Do not be alarmed, my dear! Though he was speechless and stared at me changing colours instantaneously, nothing worthwhile happened, as the other gentlemen knocked and were let in forthwith. - After some minutes of calming down the strange situation and the woman presumably mistress of that house ordering tea (from the same simple-hearted maid), we learned the baby-girl wasn't your brother's child. But it is worse actually, my love, as it is probably Frederick's and Tredwell post-haste went to find out if they were really married, like the mother vouched (and your brother!)...

Well, my darling, you see now, how important it is not to say a word yet to Lady C. - I will write to you very soon and look forward to embrace you again.

Your loving husband,
CO

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August 1st, 1763

When Nancy got up this morning to look over the linen in the storeroom, she must not have trust her eyes, as there was clearly some amount of her work missing.
I had it brought up to my parlour to mend my lords shirts myself. Though I am not at all talented in mending anything beyond past-time stitching, I'll try this part of housewifely duties now. - I also advised Mrs Lewis to let me look after her masters neck clothes and earned a not very skilfully hidden but still approving smile from her. (I don't know yet, if I should let her get away with it...)

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July 31st, 1763

Today at service I caught myself praying for the gentlemen to succeed and coming back soon. Though I heartily enjoy spending time with Harriet in my own house and being at leisure to do what we like, their absence is nonetheless governing the atmosphere.
We took the girls out today in our small coaches and the misses enjoyed themselves tremendously. They were cheering at any turn of the road and urged Higgins to go even faster. Harriet, though sometimes a bit pale, and I, had at least the same amount of girlish fun on this adventure.
I had Mrs Lewis prepare some picnic and Tom and Neville were there in time to set it up for us on a small clearing near the stream.

No word from town or Harmondsworth yet...

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Letter to Emmeline

32 Bedford Row, London

My lady,

let me at first assure you, we are all well and are conducting this business as fast as possible. Your brother joins us at our house the day after we arrived and had since supported us in finding Mr F. He wishes me to tell you, that neither your parents nor Mrs O's family was or is involved in any of this. - He will write to you himself.

On the same day we arrived, Mr Tredwell called and we planned our next steps in pursuing Mr F. Our first attempt at Boodle's was fruitless and the only information we acquired was his absence from town. We had Elliott looking everywhere about Mr F's possible whereabouts, as his house is not occupied by any member of his family at the moment and the number of servants limited to the living-ins.
When we met Tredwell yesterday again, we were luckier. Your friend's brother is supposed to be a guest at some place near Harmondsworth, where we will depart to as soon as we have finished all business here in town, Tredwell accompanying us too.

Your brother informed us, that the F's have not heard from their son for at least two months and he hadn't visited since last winter (also not at Mrs O's wedding?)

I sincerely hope, my dear lady, you're well and beg you to convey my warmest regards to Mrs O.

FC

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