Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
“What is it?” Benjamin was feeling completely disconcerted now, and his voice came out harsh.
“Nothing! It seems like a sensible move.”
Benjamin scowled at that. “No, it does not. It was a foolish use of leverage for the useless debt of a useless earl. I cannot even fathom why I did it.”
Elkington’s countenance had not dimmed a fraction. “Completely foolish. Likely the most dimwitted tactic I have ever seen you take.”
“Then what do you two find so bloody delightful?” He was close to bellowing now, but he could not stop himself.
“You did it for her,” Wells answered, with a foreign twinkle in his eye. The cynical facade he usually wore momentarily cracked.
Benjamin felt as if he had just crashed a carriage head-on into a brick wall.
Of course they were right. He had done it for Charlotte.
The idea of Deering having something over her had driven him to distraction, and he had sacrificed all the years of blackmail, over a decade of carefully curated information that he had meant to use for the downfall of the man who had killed Delia.
And he had thrown it all away for Charlotte.
The realisation was like a bucket of ice thrown over his head.
“You can never tell her. She cannot know,” Benjamin said sternly.
While he already knew the only reason Charlotte had condescended to their agreement was because she felt indebted to him—an impression he had encouraged, damn him—the idea that she would feel tethered to him by her brother’s debt any longer than already agreed upon made his stomach roil.
Truth be told, it made him no better than Deering, the scumbag.
At least Deering had offered her the respectability of marriage, even a title.
Jesus, in that way, Benjamin was worse than Deering. The thought was nauseating.
His only comfort could be found in the fact that he knew she enjoyed their liaison as much as he did. It may have come about through sordid means, but he had given her pleasure in return.
Knowing how deeply her brother was indebted to him, Charlotte would certainly insist on repayment.
The idea of their arrangement continuing indefinitely made Benjamin feel almost lightheaded.
But no, he would not have her stay because she felt she had to.
Though if she chose to of her own free will, Benjamin would never deny her.
Perhaps in these next short weeks, he could convince her of the benefits of maintaining her position as his mistress. Of staying with him.
Wells’ face had grown serious again. “Ben, you are playing a dangerous game.”
∞∞∞
The Wylde townhouse was positively buzzing with activity. When the butler let her into the foyer, Charlotte could already hear the animated chatter of feminine voices.
“No, Helen, you absolutely cannot join us downstairs.” One voice could be heard over the banister above.
“But why?” a higher-pitched voice whined plaintively.
“I am sorry, dear. Children can not join a meal when guests are present.”
The third voice was more conciliatory. “I only just got to join formal dinners, pet. You will have to wait a while longer.”
The first voice again. “I promise you can join us for tea tomorrow.”
“Can I please come down to see the ladies after dinner? I just want to see all the gowns. We never have just fancy dinners in Edinburgh!”
“Maybe, pet.” One of the two older voices.
The butler motioned Charlotte toward the hall as if the conversation audible through the front of the house were not out of place at all.
Just as Charlotte turned to follow him, a small, chestnut-haired head peeked over the banister. “See! What a beautiful gown!”
Charlotte could not help but smile and gave the small girl a little wave.
Two more chestnut heads popped out from behind the girl and seemed surprised to see her, then mildly embarrassed before disappearing along with the first. It was immediately clear that the three were Wylde daughters.
Lady Elsie shared their twinkling eyes and silky chestnut curls.
“I told you guests were already arriving. We must make haste; otherwise, Mama will have our heads. Helen, no sneaking, do you hear me?”
Charlotte could not hear the reply as she and the butler arrived at a well-appointed drawing room already half-full of people.
When she was announced, a pause fell over the milling group as all eyes turned to her.
While she had been bracing for this moment all day, she was surprised to be met with what seemed like only passing interest—nearly polite indifference.
It might have taken the wind out of her sails if it were not such an overwhelming relief.
She had not been to a dinner party such as this in years.
She had been invited, of course, but once the clumsy mending of her dresses became more pronounced, she had found it easier and easier to decline invitations.
Until they stopped coming altogether. That, combined with the notoriety that was surely being attached to her name after being linked to Benjamin Scarsdale, was enough to have her pacing her chambers in her moments of downtime since Lady Elsie had sent the formal invitation earlier that week.
As if conjured by her thoughts, Lady Elsie appeared from the side of the room and rushed forward to greet her.
Suddenly, Charlotte could well imagine how a family of spirited ladies with their looks could quickly come to some notoriety.
It made Charlotte stand that much straighter. She was in good company.
“Charlotte, I am so happy you could join.” Elsie had dropped the honorific immediately, and Charlotte felt flattered but a bit dazed. What had she done to invite this woman’s obvious warmth and affection?
“Thank you so much for inviting me, Lady Elsie.”
“Just Elsie, please. I detest titles on principle.” Charlotte stopped herself from pointing out that the woman was on the cusp of marrying a duke and was not likely to be able to brush off the heavy title of duchess so easily.
“I know it sounds very disingenuous of me considering my position, but I could never stomach the thought of a whole swath of society being revered and rewarded for an accident of birth.”
She spoke with such forthright conviction, almost as if she were a man.
It was quite refreshing for Charlotte after years of playing the respectable lady in person and dropping the very same pretences in her writing.
Not that she even half believed the majority of ladies of her acquaintance could not hold their own in discussions of substance, it was that they were never given the chance, and if they were, the consequences of their daring were usually far too dire to be worth a single dialectical victory.
“Well then, Elsie, I am happy to be here.” The words were truer than she had expected, and she smiled as Elsie looped arms with her and began making introductions.
“These two here are my sisters, Corinne and Joanna.” The two women bore a striking resemblance to Elsie, though Corrine was smaller and Joanna had slightly darker hair than the other sisters.
“The other two should be making their way down to join us any minute—ah, speak of the devils.” Two young women appeared at the doorway, and Charlotte immediately recognised them as the ladies in the foyer.
Both were taller than Elsie, nearly as tall as Charlotte.
“Jane, Loretta, please come meet Lady Charlotte Aston.”
“Oh, we saw her as she came in. Your gown really is beautiful, Lady Charlotte.” The one named Jane curtsied and looked almost abashed at their earlier pseudo-interaction.
“Jane is making her debut this season; that is why the family is down from County Durham.”
“It is rare to see us five in one place.” Corrine gave Elsie a playful jab in the arm.
“The Wylde sisters are too busy causing scandal to settle in one place long.” Joanna gave Charlotte an audacious wink, and Charlotte had to stifle a laugh.
Their cheery mischievousness as a group was highly infectious, and she felt herself relaxing into the evening by greater and greater increments.
“Has Elsie told you about her school? I think she has taken the cake for the most audacious scandal yet with that one,” the youngest, Loretta, piped up—eager to contribute something to the exchange.
“I think that is hardly a scandal at this point,” Joanna said placidly, scanning the room’s occupants.
“Not nearly so much as chartering a yacht to ferry you to the continent unchaperoned.” Jane beamed at Joanna.
“Do not be absurd, Jane; it was not a yacht. It was a schooner.”
Elsie scoffed at that. “That is nothing compared to the way Corrine ended up with a husband.”
“Oy!” Corrine made an unladylike interjection and gave her sister a pointed glare. “The less said about that, the better.” Her countenance softened when she turned back to Charlotte. “My apologies; we tend to get a bit competitive.”
“I imagine all our antics will pale in comparison to the scandal of Mama having an outright conniption when she realises she has both the most eligible gentleman bachelor and the richest rogue of London at her table tonight.” Joanna smirked over to the doorway, and Charlotte turned to see Wells and Benjamin enter beside Elkington.
Her heart stuttered, skipped a beat, and then started thumping in double time—just his presence in a room was enough to have her completely elated and absolutely out of sorts.
“Goodness, what a handsome pair.” Jane sounded as if she could not contain the thought, and Charlotte was reminded of the breathlessness of being a new debutante swamped with all the handsome young bucks of the ton.
It was a sweet memory of girlhood, but it paled in comparison to the thrill racing through her veins now, a woman grown, looking upon the man who made her world turn upside down.
“Your Elkington is handsome too, of course, Else. But my, those dark features are striking.”