Chapter 7
That evening, Charlotte sat at the small writing desk in her chamber, though the letter before her remained unfinished for nearly half an hour. Her thoughts refused to settle properly, drifting instead toward the duke with irritating frequency.
She dipped the pen into ink once more before realizing she had not written a single new word.
“This is absurd,” she muttered softly to herself.
The truth was, she had begun seeing Victor differently.
Not entirely differently, certainly. He was still arrogant, infuriating, and far too aware of his own charm for any reasonable person’s comfort. Yet his effortless agreement to sponsor her sisters had shaken something loose in her understanding of him.
A selfish man would not have done such a thing so easily. Would he?
Charlotte frowned slightly as she stared toward the window. Perhaps she had judged him too quickly upon first arriving at Mulford Manor. She had assumed his teasing concealed cruelty, his confidence concealed indifference, but now she was no longer entirely certain.
Which was dangerous.
Worse still was this growing awareness she felt whenever he entered a room.
Since they had begun pretending to be betrothed, she noticed everything about him far too sharply, the sound of his voice, the warmth of his hand against hers, the way his eyes lingered on her when he thought she was not looking.
It unsettled her thoroughly.
A knock sounded at the door, and Charlotte straightened so quickly she nearly knocked over the ink bottle. Foolishly, absurdly, her first thought was Victor.
She hurried to smooth her skirts before opening the door. Instead, Hannah stood there with polite composure. Charlotte felt strangely disappointed for precisely one second before scolding herself internally.
“Miss Brown,” Hannah said with a curtsy, “the dowager duchess has asked for you.”
Charlotte immediately smiled. “Of course,” she replied. “I shall come straight away.”
She followed Hannah through the quiet corridors toward Elizabeth’s private sitting chamber. Upon entering, she found the older woman seated comfortably beside the fire with embroidery abandoned in her lap.
“There you are, my dear,” Elizabeth said warmly. “Come sit beside me.”
Charlotte obeyed at once. “Did you require anything, Your Grace? It is nearly time for bed. Are you not tired?”
Elizabeth sighed wistfully. “I have been thinking,” she said. “It has been ever so long since I last visited Hyde Park. Not one promenade in such a long time.”
Charlotte’s expression softened. “You miss it.”
“Terribly,” Elizabeth admitted. “I should like to promenade tomorrow. I miss society dreadfully.”
Charlotte hesitated slightly. She remembered what Victor had said about Elizabeth’s previous outing and the embarrassment it had caused. Yet looking at the older woman now, so hopeful and eager, Charlotte could not bear the thought of denying her outright.
“Let me see what I can do,” she said gently.
Elizabeth brightened immediately. “You are such a good girl.”
Charlotte smiled faintly before rising once more. “I shall speak with the duke.”
Elizabeth waved her away happily. “Convince him,” she said. “Victor can be terribly stubborn.”
Charlotte nearly laughed. “On that point, Your Grace, we are in complete agreement.”
She found Victor exactly where she expected, in his study, standing near the window with papers spread across his desk and a glass of brandy in his hand. He looked up as she entered, his expression unreadable.
She noticed that his cravat had been loosened around his neck and a few buttons had been undone. She forced herself to not allow her eyes to linger.
“Miss Brown,” he said. “To what do I owe this pleasure, at this hour?”
Charlotte ignored the slight warmth his voice caused in her chest. “I wish to discuss your grandmother.”
Victor’s posture shifted immediately, attention sharpening. “Has something happened?”
“No,” Charlotte said quickly. “Nothing is wrong.” She stepped further inside. “Elizabeth wishes to promenade in Hyde Park tomorrow.”
Victor’s expression hardened at once. “No.”
Charlotte blinked. “You refused remarkably quickly.”
“Because the answer is remarkably simple,” he replied.
“She misses society,” Charlotte argued. “She hardly leaves the manor.”
“And for good reason,” Victor said coolly.
Charlotte folded her arms. “Your Grace, she is lonely.”
“She is protected.”
“She is imprisoned,” Charlotte corrected sharply.
Victor’s gaze narrowed. “You overstep.”
“And you overprotect,” she returned immediately.
He moved away from the window slowly and poured himself another glass. He gulped it down.
“The last time she went out, she mistook a stranger for my grandfather in the middle of Hyde Park. Such a thing would have tongues wagging if it happened again.”
Charlotte’s expression softened briefly. “That must have been difficult.”
“It was humiliating,” he said flatly.
“For whom?” she asked quietly.
Victor said nothing.
Charlotte stepped closer. “She is still a person,” she said gently. “Not merely someone to be hidden away whenever her memory falters.”
“You think I do not know that?”
“I think you are afraid,” she replied.
His eyes flashed dangerously. “Careful.”
“No,” Charlotte said. “You cannot keep her locked inside forever simply because you fear gossip for her.”
Victor scoffed softly. “Easy for you to say.”
“Yes,” she snapped. “Because unlike you, I actually listen to what she wants.”
The room fell silent.
Victor stared at her with an intensity that made her pulse stumble slightly. He moved from around his desk toward her. “You are becoming remarkably bold,” he murmured.
“And you are becoming remarkably impossible.”
He took another step closer. “You enjoy arguing with me far too much.”
Charlotte lifted her chin. “Perhaps because you deserve it.”
His gaze dropped briefly to her mouth. Charlotte’s breath caught. Neither of them moved for one suspended moment. His eyes moved back to hers, locked in.
“Charlotte…” he whispered.
“Do not do it,” she replied quietly, though she was unsure if the words left her mouth at all.
He stepped even closer. She noticed that he licked his lips and found that she could not pull her eyes from staring at him.
“Do what?” he asked, his voice thick with desire.
Her breathing made her bosom heave up and down, and she suddenly felt very aware of that fact, especially when his eyes moved down to her neckline.
Then suddenly he placed his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.
“Your Grace…” she whispered so softly the words were barely heard.
Then he kissed her.
It happened so quickly, Charlotte scarcely had time to think before his mouth was against hers.
The kiss was heated and startling and entirely consuming in a way she had never imagined possible.
Her anger vanished beneath pure sensation as she kissed him back without meaning to, fingers tightening instinctively against his coat.
For one horrifying moment, she lost herself completely. Her knees went weak, and she felt almost faint, causing her body to crash against him. This only encouraged him more, and his kiss deepened. Both hands moved on her back, holding her against him.
The warmth, his scent, his strength.
Then reality crashed back all at once.
No, I cannot let him. He does this to all women. He is a rake!
Charlotte pulled away sharply, breathing unevenly as shock flooded through her. “You…” she began furiously.
Victor looked maddeningly calm. “You were talking too much.”
Her eyes widened in outrage. “You kissed me to silence me?”
“It was moderately effective.”
Charlotte stared at him in utter disbelief before realising something even worse.
He kissed me not cause he wanted to. He kissed me as a means to an end.
He looked pleased with himself.
“You are insufferable,” she hissed.
“And yet,” he replied smoothly, “you kissed me back.”
Heat rushed violently to her cheeks. “That is entirely beside the point.”
Victor’s mouth twitched faintly. “Perhaps.”
Charlotte glared at him with all the dignity she could gather. “You are a rake and a… a…menace.”
“And you remain stubborn.”
She opened her mouth to continue the argument, but Victor lifted a hand slightly.
“You may take my grandmother to Hyde Park tomorrow,” he said.
Charlotte blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.”
Suspicion immediately crossed her face. “You only agreed because you kissed me.”
“No,” he replied calmly. “I agreed because you are annoyingly persuasive.”
Charlotte stared at him for a long moment before letting out a frustrated breath.
“I truly do not know what to make of you,” she muttered.
Victor’s gaze lingered on her a second too long. “Neither do I,” he said quietly.