Under the Seductive Lady's Charm: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

  “Do be careful, Lars,” Katrina called. “That has Her Ladyship’s personal items.”

  The boy she was talking to grumbled something that Charlotte could not make out. If Katrina took exception to it, she did not let on. Charlotte chose to stay out of the way. There were four carriages lined up outside and Charlotte shook her head at the sight.

  “At least someone is on time,” Lord Easterly said with an amused grumble as he came down the steps behind Charlotte.

  She turned to look at him and had to shield her eyes from the morning sun that was cresting the top of the house. “How long will the trip be?”

  “We should be there late tomorrow. We’ll stop at an inn on the way, and then continue in the morning.” Lord Easterly did not seem at all disturbed by travelling so far. Charlotte felt her confidence buoyed by his matter-of-fact attitude. “You have never been very far away have you not?”

  Charlotte cast her eyes down. She dared to only glance back up at the man as she spoke. “No, I really have not.” She shrugged lightly. “I suppose I must seem very backward and silly with you having travelled so much.”

  “A lot of my travelling was not pleasurable, so I do not hold anything against those who do not favour a fanciful ride about,” Lord Easterly said with a smile.

  Charlotte looked at the horses fidgeting in their harnesses as if they were very much eager to leave. “I would prefer to ride a horse.”

  “Ah, I forgot that you were so fond of them. You did quite well in your lessons if I remember correctly.” Lord Easterly gave her a look of approval.

  There were birds singing somewhere overhead, but Charlotte could not locate them. She busied her eyes by trying to find them to keep her mind off the nervousness in her tummy. “It was a very long time ago. I have not ridden much in the last few years.”

  “That is a shame,” Lord Easterly said. “It is too bad that we will not be here at the estate. The horses do not get enough exercise.”

  Charlotte noted the way the sun had painted Lord Easterly’s face. It was not fashionable for a lady’s face to be tinted so by the sun. Ladies held to keeping hats on and their skin covered. “You like being outside, do you not?”

  “I do,” Lord Easterly agreed. “Nothing is more constraining than what most call outdoor or riding clothing.”

  Charlotte laughed behind her hand at the man’s look of disturbance. There was a slight bump in his nose, but it did not look like the leftover of some accident. It looked like it belonged there, was sculpted that way on purpose. It was the most perfect imperfection that made the man all the more attractive.

  She blushed at her thoughts and looked down at her shoes. “Are you well?” It was Lord Easterly’s voice.

  Charlotte looked up at him through her lashes. He was tall, so much taller than she remembered. He was bigger than in her memories, his shape seemed all the larger when he was close. “I assure you that I am fine.”

  Amanda’s presence was announced by clicking boots and her voice reached Charlotte before she even saw her through the doorway. “Goodbye, Mrs. Sullivan! I do hope you can manage without me.”

  Amanda came through the door along with Mrs. Sullivan. Charlotte’s heart leapt for one dreadful moment that perhaps the woman was going to change her mind and come with them. Mrs. Sullivan simply gave Lord Easterly a curtsey. “Godspeed, Your Lordship,” Mrs. Sullivan told him.

  Lord Easterly smiled at the woman. “Take care, Mrs. Sullivan. We shall be back in a few months’ time. As always, Edward can reach me if need be.”

  “Of course, Sir,” Mrs. Sullivan said with a crisp nod.

  Most of the household staff had wandered out of the house to see them off. Charlotte had never really seen the staff all together and it really was quite an impressive group of people. She could scarcely imagine that there was a whole other set of staff at the London residence. No wonder Lord Easterly needed stewards and housekeepers.

  “We had best be off,” Lord Easterly said. At the sound of his voice, the last of the luggage was placed and secured, and even Amanda hurried along to her carriage followed by Katrina. Charlotte did not mind having to ride with Katrina. She was just relieved that Mrs. Sullivan would be staying here.

  Perhaps the housekeeper at the London residence would be kinder. Then again, Charlotte thought, Mrs. Sullivan had not been cruel. The strict housekeeper just might have come by her disposition due to having to work with difficult people over the years. All the same, Charlotte was still glad to wave goodbye to the woman.

  Katrina and Amanda settled down, as did Charlotte. She had not slept well and if the ride was as long as Lord Easterly said then she would be grateful to spend it sleeping. She leaned her head against the side of the carriage and soon knew no more as sleep overtook her.

  *

  The inn where they stayed was the most frequented on the road. Graham had tried to get Miss Browne her own room, but the inn had only had so many rooms available. She took the news that she would be sleeping in the room with Katrina fairly well. Katrina seemed more put out by the situation than Charlotte.

  Graham walked outside to check on the carriages. “Richard, how is everything with the carriages?”

  “Good. The teams should hold up well after a good night’s sleep,” Richard said with a smile. “The lads and I are going to sleep here to keep an eye on the luggage and such. Heard a rumour there are some rogues around the roads of late.”

  Graham nodded. “Best to be careful then. Room for one more?”

  Richard chuckled. “I do not think it’s a proper place for a gentleman.”

  “It is if you have cards,” Graham gave him a grin. “I simply cannot sleep at present.”

  “I could stand a hand of cards,” the footman called. “My knees are killing me.”

  They set about getting a table in the corner cleared off enough that they could play. The other carriage crews soon joined them. Graham regretted very much when he had to go inside and be responsible again. After all, he had people to meet in London and he could not really be completely sleep deprived. “Do not stay up too late. I want to stay on the road tomorrow, Richard.”

  Richard nodded. “I shall be in Dreamland soon, Your Lordship. Sleep well.”

  Graham came into the inn just as the innkeeper was about to lock up. “Good timing,” the man said with a chuckle.

  “I have been told that before. Perhaps it is true after all,” Graham said with a smile. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Your Lordship,” the innkeeper called after him. Graham heard the doors lock and made his way up the stairs with legs that felt heavier with every step.

  When he fell into bed that night he did not even dream. The next thing he knew was that he was being roused by his valet, Victor. “Good morning, Your Lordship. Are you ready to get yourself presentable?”

  “I do not suppose I truly have a choice,” Graham grumbled. He stretched and yawned. “I do hope breakfast is edible.”

  Victor laid out a suit of clothes next to him on the bed as Graham sat up. He stood and began disrobing as there was little use in wasting time. The daylight was a precious commodity when one was travelling. The grey suit that Victor had laid out received Graham’s approval.

  It had taken the man a good deal of time to understand that Graham truly did not like the current fashion trends. Older and more classic styles suited him better. It was one of the many reasons his sister insisted he was well on his way to becoming their father.

  Graham simply did not like the fuss of the newer styles. They all looked as though they took ages to get in and out of, and the impracticality of that was unacceptable. It still took him far too long to dress as it was.

  The ladies were not yet downstairs, but Graham did not expect them to be. For however long it took him to get ready, he always anticipated that ladies took at least three times as long, and that was with help. He chose a table at random and sat down.

  The innkeeper’s wife came bustling over. “Good morning, Your L
ordship. Did you sleep well?”

  “Very well, thank you,” he replied. “Would you mind setting up breakfast for my companions here and some for the carriage crews?”

  The woman assured him, “We have already delivered warm meals to your boys in the carriage house as we anticipated you would be in a rush. Most travellers are who take this road.”

  “Splendid,” Graham said with a pleased smile. “Then please bring me some coffee and you shall be praised from my lips to all of London.”

  The woman seemed to like the idea of that very much. She bobbed her head and was off to get his requests ready. Graham looked up as Miss Browne made her way down the stairs. Graham stood up as she came over to where he was seated.

  “Please take a seat,” he said as he pulled a chair out for her.

  Miss Browne’s cheeks coloured such a fetching shade that Graham could not help but smile, even if the woman did not see it as she was staunchly looking at her lap. “The others should be along soon. Katrina was just finishing Amanda’s hair.”

  “We are in no rush. The food is on its way as well as coffee. Would you rather have tea?” Graham asked the latter question at the look that crossed Miss Browne’s face at the mention of coffee.

  Miss Browne laughed. “I can drink coffee, I just need a good deal of sugar.

  “I am sure they have plenty, but tea would likely be no trouble.” Graham motioned to the innkeeper and the man came over swiftly from behind the counter. “Would you make sure that there is tea as well as coffee for the ladies? I am afraid that I failed to mention tea to your wife.”

  The innkeeper laughed. “I assure you that she will put tea on the tray. She does not much like coffee herself and I think she just assumes most women are like herself.”

  “That is fine,” Graham said with a smile. The innkeeper went swiftly to see to another traveller.

  The tray containing the tea and coffee was delivered a little before the meal and they sat in companionable silence. The silence swiftly evaporated as soon as Amanda came down for breakfast, with Katrina right behind her. She swept through the main room as if she were making a grand entrance.

  “Are you practising for your debut at the balls?” Graham teased his sister, which earned a glare from her. He sipped his coffee to show her how much he cared for her glare.

  Amanda looked over the meal. “I suppose an egg will be a good breakfast. What shall you have, Katrina?”

  “I do not know, Miss,” Katrina said. “It is a good deal nicer than the breakfasts we get in the kitchen.”

  Miss Browne sipped her tea and ate a slice of peach, watching but not participating in the breakfast discussion. “Eat up,” Graham encouraged. “It is a long ride to London yet, but we should be there today.”

  “I have missed the noise of London,” Amanda said with a wistful tone. “Do you ever miss that, Graham?”

  He gave that some thought. “No. I cannot say that I miss that about London. I miss some of the people at times, or some of the places.”

  “What places do you miss?” Miss Browne asked him as she cradled her teacup.

  Graham was surprised by the question but glad to see the girl opening up a bit more. He thought he had better tell her something, and not any of the taverns that he and his gentleman friends ventured to at times. “I like the docks,” he said after a moment.

  “I think I would too,” Miss Browne replied. “I have never been to the ocean and it might be a wonder to see it.”

  Amanda assured her, “You have missed nothing. The docks smell of fish and men stuck for too long on ships.”

  “Well, acquainted with it?” Graham gave his sister a wink.

  Amanda shook her spoon at him. “Yes. That is where I go to get sailors, Brother.”

  “Miss, someone might hear you,” Katrina said, her voice a scandalised whisper.

  Amanda giggled at her maid. “I doubt anyone here cares.”

  “They might,” Graham said as he looked over at the innkeeper. “I have heard innkeepers like to gossip.”

  With a sigh, Amanda gave up trying to talk and ate her breakfast. Graham considered that a small victory. He was thankful that he would have a carriage to himself other than Victor. Speaking of the valet, Graham looked around. He assumed that Victor had decided to go out and eat with the menfolk. That seemed like a lovely idea in hindsight, but he had to be here to escort the ladies.

  As soon as they had eaten, Graham ushered them all outside where the carriages were waiting. “Ready to go, Richard?”

  “All set, Your Lordship,” Richard called down cheerfully from his seat.

  The road ahead of them was going to be long enough. Graham took a head count and then determined that everyone was where they should be before he got into his carriage with Victor. Victor had settled down with a book and Graham thought the man might have the right idea.

  The carriages lurched as the horses got going. They would reach London by nightfall and Graham would be grateful to have his charges safe and sound at their destination. As much as he would have liked to have slept at least part of the way, he knew very well that his dreams would not be pleasant. All he seemed to dream of was his wife and son or the war unless, of course, he was so tired that he dreamed of nothing, which was quite preferable.

  He watched trees go by and contented himself with simply enjoying the silence. It would be fleeting once they made it to London. Part of him was looking forward to London, but a good bit of him simply wished for it to be over.

  If all went well his sister might make a match. That would be good for her, and hopefully good for the family as a whole. But then things rarely were straightforward. Perhaps this would be the exception to the rule that something had to always go wrong.

  Chapter 3

  The dining hall at the London residence of the Easterly family was as much a mansion to Charlotte as Berwick Manor had been. Amanda, from what Charlotte could see, seemed to be enjoying her first season. Charlotte did not share her enthusiasm.

  Despite Amanda’s words about the gilded world of society, all Charlotte really saw were the same hallways. Katrina seemed to be enjoying the change of scenery thoroughly. Charlotte supposed that it probably seemed like heaven to the maid.

  Amanda had instated Katrina as her lady’s maid but had also kept Charlotte in the role. So Katrina got the raise in station and less work. Charlotte tried to be grateful that at least Katrina got to do most of the sewing related things. Meanwhile, she was stuck with mostly doing the mundane little tasks for Amanda that she did not deem to do herself, which was pretty much everything.

  She only got the benefit of eating with the family at what she assumed was Lord Easterly’s request. Charlotte sometimes wondered if the man knew how his sister treated her but did not deem it worth bringing up. After all, her situation was still better than it had been.

  The sun glinted against the silverware in the conservatory. Amanda was sprawled out on a sofa and sighed as if she were lovesick. “I really do wonder how I will make any sort of choice.”

  “It is good that you have choices,” Charlotte said. Amanda had been waxing on for some time about how many splendid men she had met that would love to marry her. Charlotte did not doubt the validity of her words. After all, Amanda was a pretty girl with a good pedigree.

  Amanda rolled over onto her side and popped a grape into her mouth. Charlotte said, “You really should not lie so. What if someone came in?”