Chapter 14 #2
Charlotte’s stomach dropped. Elizabeth turned toward her expectantly. “Well? Hurry upstairs and put on a proper dinner dress.”
Charlotte instinctively looked toward Victor in mild panic. Surely he would stop this madness.
Instead, the rogue merely nodded once. “Yes. We shall wait for you in the drawing room, Charlotte.”
Charlotte stared at him in betrayal. He looked entirely too amused. Charlotte quietly went to her room, and as she dressed, she realized she did not protest the invitation.
I simply do not have it in me anymore to argue.
“This fake betrothal is becoming entirely unmanageable,” she muttered while fastening the final ribbon of her gown.
She had selected one of her nicest evening dresses, a soft ivory silk with modest gold embroidery across the bodice. It was elegant without appearing too grand, though Charlotte still worried it looked terribly plain compared to the splendour of Mulford Manor.
Then again, Victor would probably tease her regardless of what she wore.
That man seemed to derive genuine joy from making me blush.
Charlotte pressed cool fingers briefly against her heated cheeks before forcing herself downstairs.
The drawing room doors opened immediately upon her arrival. Victor rose first.
His eyes found her at once, and Charlotte hated the way her breath caught beneath the weight of his gaze. He looked her over slowly enough to make warmth crawl embarrassingly across her skin before one corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“There you are,” he said softly.
Charlotte instantly suspected the man knew precisely what his voice did to her nerves.
Elizabeth beamed proudly. “You look lovely, dear.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Victor offered Charlotte his arm with infuriating elegance. “Shall we?”
She hesitated only briefly before placing her hand upon his sleeve.
Mistake. A terrible mistake.
Even through layers of fabric, she felt the solid warmth of him beneath her fingertips, and Victor glanced downward with entirely too much awareness before escorting them both toward dinner.
The formal dining room looked magnificent beneath candlelight.
A glittering crystal chandelier hung high overhead while gold-trimmed walls reflected soft light across polished silver and fine china. The long mahogany table gleamed beneath elaborate floral arrangements, and Charlotte immediately understood why people found aristocrats intimidating.
One required a map simply to locate one’s spoon.
Elizabeth settled herself and said, “Charlotte, sit beside Victor, naturally.”
Charlotte nearly sighed aloud. Victor pulled out her chair like the perfect gentleman while she took her seat beside him as gracefully as possible. Unfortunately, grace became difficult when the duke sat close enough for her to catch traces of his manly scent and expensive brandy.
“You appear nervous,” Victor murmured quietly once the servants began pouring wine.
“I wonder why,” she whispered to him.
“You fear me?” he arched a brow at her.
“I fear your grandmother marrying us off before dessert,” she said in a low voice.
Victor nearly laughed into his wineglass.
Elizabeth looked delighted with everything around her. “This reminds me of dinners when the boys were younger.”
Victor groaned lightly. “Grandmother.”
“Oh, do not look alarmed,” Elizabeth scolded. “You were adorable children.”
“I was never adorable,” he said.
Charlotte smiled despite herself. “I confess I find that difficult to imagine.”
Victor turned toward her slowly. “Careful, Charlotte. That sounded suspiciously flirtatious.”
Heat immediately climbed up her throat. “It did not.”
The first course arrived shortly after, delicate soup with fresh cream and herbs served alongside warm rolls and butter. Charlotte tried focusing entirely upon the meal rather than the man seated beside her.
A hopeless effort.
Victor lounged comfortably in his chair, looking sinful beneath candlelight while casually devastating her peace of mind every few minutes merely by existing.
Elizabeth dabbed delicately at her lips. “Victor, you ought to compliment your fiancée.”
Charlotte nearly choked on soup. Victor looked delighted by her suffering.
“Must I?” he asked lazily.
“Indeed, you must, for you should be grateful for such a rose,” Elizabeth said.
He turned toward Charlotte fully then, green eyes warm with mischief. “Very well.” His gaze drifted meaningfully over her. “My fiancée looks exceptionally beautiful this evening.”
Charlotte’s spoon slipped slightly against her plate.
“Your Grace,” she muttered warningly.
Elizabeth sighed dreamily. “How romantic.”
Victor leaned subtly closer. “You are blushing again.”
“I am merely mortified,” she said.
“How affectionate you two are,” Elizabeth chuckled.
Charlotte wanted desperately to kick him beneath the table.
The second course consisted of roasted fish with herbs accompanied by asparagus and potatoes. Conversation flowed easily between Elizabeth’s stories about past seasons and Victor’s dry observations that continually made Charlotte fight laughter.
“At my first ball,” Elizabeth announced proudly, “three gentlemen requested the same dance.”
Victor looked unimpressed. “You accepted all three?”
“Certainly not. One had unfortunate ears,” Elizabeth said.
Charlotte laughed before she could stop herself. Victor’s eyes immediately flickered toward her again.
There it was once more. That look.
That unbearably intent expression that made Charlotte suddenly aware of every breath she took.
“You laugh very prettily,” he murmured.
Charlotte nearly dropped her fork. “You cannot simply say things like that.”
“And yet, I just did.”
Elizabeth smiled knowingly into her wine.
By the third course, Charlotte had become entirely too conscious of Victor beside her.
Roast pheasant arrived with vegetables and rich gravy, though Charlotte scarcely tasted any of it because the duke had apparently decided tormenting her was his evening’s entertainment.
“Tell me, Charlotte,” he said smoothly. “Have you decided where we ought to spend the summers after we are married?”
Charlotte stared at him in horror. Elizabeth positively glowed.
“Victor!”
“What?” he asked innocently. “It is an important discussion.”
Charlotte could actually feel heat burning across her face now.
Elizabeth waved her hand dismissively. “Young couples always squabble over such things.”
Victor nodded solemnly. “Terribly passionate creatures.”
Charlotte wanted the floor to open and consume her entirely. Instead she forced herself to smile sweetly. “Your Grace, if you continue speaking nonsense I shall inform your grandmother about the visitor you had that I mistook for a burglar.”
Victor nearly inhaled wine.
Elizabeth blinked curiously. “Visitor?”
Victor narrowed his eyes at Charlotte. “You fight dirty.”
“You began it,” she said.
His mouth curved slowly then.
Good heavens.
That smile ought to be outlawed.
Dessert finally arrived in the form of lemon tarts, fresh berries, and cream. Charlotte thought she might survive the evening after all until Elizabeth spoke again with complete sincerity.
“I have not seen Victor this happy in years.”
Silence settled briefly over the table. Charlotte looked instinctively toward Victor only to discover him already watching her. Something shifted suddenly in the atmosphere between them.
The teasing faded. The laughter softened. And for one alarming moment Charlotte forgot entirely that this engagement was false.
Victor’s gaze held hers steadily across candlelight while something warm and dangerous curled low inside her chest. He looked almost startled himself, as though Elizabeth’s words had unsettled him too. Charlotte quickly lowered her eyes toward her untouched tart.
This is becoming far too real.