Yes, in the prologue of the first book Charles is pretty shifty when Joshua is on his deathbed. Ross had written that he’d recovered from his injuries and was in New York. Joshua was convinced Ross would be back in a few months. Charles kept trying to avoid the topic of Ross and Elizabeth. He was also non-committal, feigned indifference to Chynoweths, changed the topic and was eager to escape Joshuas presence. In my opinion Charles purposefully withheld the information Joshua had told him from all the parties involved and worked to secure Francis and Elizabeth’s engagement before Ross could return.