CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE – COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING

One evening, as Charlotte helped Lady Griffith prepare for a social gathering, Lady Griffith spoke, her voice low. "Miss Emerson," she began, "about your… attachment to Richard." Charlotte froze, her breath catching in her throat. Was this it? Was Lady Griffith finally going to dismiss her? To her surprise, Lady Griffith continued, "I won't lie, I disapprove. A servant and an heir… it's simply not acceptable." Charlotte felt a flicker of defiance. "Love doesn't recognize social standing, my lady." Lady Griffith's lips thinned. "Perhaps not," she conceded, "but reality does. This… infatuation, as I suspect it is, will not last. However," she continued, her voice colder than usual, "given the current state of affairs, a dismissal would be… inconvenient." Charlotte stared at her, unsure of how to interpret this cryptic statement. Was Lady Griffith tolerating their relationship out of necessity? Or was there something more? "Consider it… a temporary reprieve," Lady Griffith said, he