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

by Henrietta Harding

  She now understood why her instructor had been reluctant to teach Amanda and herself this dance. She was thankful that Amanda had been so annoyingly persistent and won the day. Yet, part of Charlotte agreed with the instructor in that the dance was far too intimate.

  The smell of the Earl of Atcham was a sweet and spicy scent that Charlotte rather enjoyed. She had never truly noticed the smell that clung to the man, or how strong he was. His strong arms guided her easily through the motions of the dance.

  “The dress suits you well,” Lord Easterly whispered as they came together once again.

  Charlotte did not know what to say. She just stared at him as they separated again and circled each other. He smiled as he pulled her back to him.

  Her hand on his shoulder slid down just a little more than was proper. Charlotte did not do this on purpose, but she saw his eyes and knew he had noticed. She looked away but glanced back at him.

  “Not all women consent to dancing the waltz,” he said conversationally, his voice low enough for just her to hear.

  Charlotte looked away and smiled. She whispered, “I did not know it was a waltz until you had me on the floor.”

  “So I trapped you?” Lord Easterly seemed quite amused by this.

  Charlotte cut her eyes to him as they separated briefly in that teasing way the waltz has. Their arms still linked, they circled each other as they gazed at each other. Charlotte enjoyed the interplay with Lord Easterly. It was easy to forget herself with him.

  He gave her a challenging look and she answered by staring right back at him. His fingers slid over her wrist and Charlotte wondered what game they were playing. This world was not her own, but she could pretend for just the moment.

  The music was slowing down and Charlotte was sad as reality returned. Lord Easterly stepped out of the dance and gave her a bow. She remembered to curtsey before he led her off the dancefloor. Charlotte let him guide her through the crowd.

  “Refreshment?” he asked as Charlotte noted the table before them.

  Charlotte smiled. “That would be lovely.”

  She gladly took the glass of punch that he offered her. “I daresay you shall be busy dancing now that you have made your debut,” Lord Easterly said with a gentle smile.

  It dawned on Charlotte that he had danced with her so that she would not be stuck along the wall simply watching the ball. She blushed. “I do not know if that is a good thing. I am not as good a dancer as everyone else.”

  Lord Easterly scoffed, “You seemed to do quite well for yourself.”

  Charlotte whispered, “I do not belong here. It is beautiful, though.”

  “I can see nothing that sets you lower than those here as far as manners go.” Lord Easterly gave her a light shrug.

  Charlotte frowned. “I just do not feel at ease. Despite your faith, Lord Easterly, I do not know how my betters behave, as you do.”

  “They are not your betters,” Lord Easterly told her. “I cannot say that I approve of your and my sister’s game, but as you are here, you might as well enjoy it, Miss Browne. It is a fancy-dress ball and people tend to be bold and withhold names on occasion. Use that to your advantage.”

  Charlotte was about to say something else but a young man approached them. Lord Easterly inclined his head to the man. The young man gave Lord Easterly and Charlotte a bow. “I have come to intrude and ask for a dance,” the young man said boldly.

  Lord Easterly’s smile told Charlotte that he found it amusing and not offensive that the man was cutting his time with Charlotte short. He bowed out of the situation with another smile to Charlotte. She gave the newcomer a hesitant look.

  “Would you like to dance?” The young man’s nerve appeared to be wearing somewhat thin as even Charlotte could hear his voice tremble. Apparently approaching the much older nobleman had taken its toll on the boy.

  Charlotte gave him a curtsey. “I would, but I must warn you that I am not the best dancer.”

  “Neither am I,” he said with a chuckle as he held out his hand to her.

  Charlotte relaxed a bit. “Then we are on level footing.”

  Despite their words, Charlotte found the dance enjoyable. She was pleasantly surprised. She began to relax a bit despite herself. She was still not completely comfortable, but at least the young man was nice.

  By the time the dance ended, she was quite winded. She really was not used to dancing much and some of the dances were a good bit livelier than the waltz, even if not as intimate. She was quite grateful for the latter.

  To Charlotte’s absolute surprise there was another young gentleman waiting to escort her to dance as soon as she was refreshed from the last one. As exhilarating as it was, Charlotte found that she missed Lord Easterly’s company. She shrugged the feeling off. All of the men she danced with were above her station in life, but she intended to take Lord Easterly’s advice to heart and have fun.

  *

  Amanda tossed her head back and laughed while trailing her gloved fingers down her throat for the benefit of her enthralled audience. The best part of the season thus far was that she had finally found men who viewed her as the jewel she truly was. Lord Cecil Allerton, a rather wealthy officer, said, “You have not spoken of your companion this evening.”

  “Companion?” Amanda stared at Lord Allerton in confusion before it dawned on her that he meant Charlotte. Charlotte had ridden with Amanda and her aunt to the fancy-dress party. “Oh, she is no one of any consequence.”

  “I saw her dancing with Lord Easterly, another of the young man commented.

  Lord Allerton folded his hands behind his back and nodded at the young man who had spoken. “I doubt your brother would dance with just anyone with everyone knowing he and the duchess may very well be betrothed soon.”

  The idea of Charlotte at the ball had been one of amusement. This was not amusing. Ire rose in Amanda as she was forced to share her spotlight with the spectre of her friend. “Well, if you must know…” Amanda said with a wicked grin. “No. I must not gossip.”

  A young merchant lad begged, “You can say whatever you want. We will not tell.”

  Amanda bit her lip and decided on a new game. “I trust you, gentlemen. Very well, I shall tell you under the strictest of confidences that she is an orphan, an heiress from the north.”

  “The north?” Lord Allerton asked with a look of curiosity.

  Amanda nodded slowly. “That is all I shall say. It would not do for some unscrupulous rogue to get wind of it and attempt to woo her out of her fortune. I am the protector of the girl.”

  “That is very noble of you,” Lord Allerton said with a smile.

  Amanda smiled back. “I do try to be kind when I can.”

  While the others chatted, Amanda noted that two of the young men had already wandered off and she smiled. The rumour would be spreading soon. It would be quite hilarious to see how Charlotte reacted to someone trying to woo her thinking she was an imaginary heiress.

  After a time, Amanda grew tired of holding court. She retired and went to see what the young ladies were talking of in the fainting room. Amanda stretched out on the couch and breathed out a deep sigh.

  “Did you hear about that heiress?” It was Lorna Tennison, Lord Tennison’s youngest daughter, who had debuted along with Amanda this season.

  Amanda opened one eye. “Do tell.”

  Lorna sat down and whispered, “They say she has a fortune that rivals a duchy and she holds lands so plentiful that you could never see them all.”

  “That sounds a bit far-fetched,” Amanda said, sitting up.

  Lorna giggled. “It does, but still, there must be a core of truth in there. I heard your brother danced with her. I bet the duchess did not like that.”

  “I doubt the duchess is wounded so easily by a woman my brother barely knows.” Amanda shrugged off the very idea of it. If Graham caught wind of her fib, he might prove angry at ruining his chances with the Duchess of Windham. Truly, Amanda thought the woman quite smitten with he
r brother.

  Still, the very idea that Charlotte had been forced to dance the waltz with Graham was so humorous that Amanda giggled just thinking of it. “Surely it is not that absurd,” Lorna said in response to Amanda’s giggle.

  Amanda assured her, “I was not giggling at the idea of the duchess scorning my brother. I was just reminded of how bad a dancer my brother is.”

  “He seems quite graceful to me,” Lorna said with a frown.

  Amanda rolled her eyes. “That is because you are silly in the head and think that somehow my brother is attractive.”

  “There are quite a few ladies here who share that opinion of your brother. Perhaps it is you who are silly.” Lorna straightened her shoulders and gave Amanda a haughty look.

  Amanda did not take offense she just smiled. “I cannot account for what madness takes hold of women during the season. I think it is his military career that makes people view him so.”

  “I suppose it is different if he is your brother. You grew up with him.” Lorna turned toward the mirror that hung opposite the sofa and dabbed some powder on her face. She slid the powder back into her bag and sighed. “I should go. I have a partner waiting.”

  Amanda nodded and gave the woman a little wave, which she returned. She left the room soon after Lorna, satisfied that her rumour had spread successfully. Amanda knew how society worked.

  “Can I speak with you?” Graham appeared at her side. Although his words were spoken as a question, she could tell that he was not really asking.

  Amanda mumbled, “Of course.”

  Graham turned on his heel and led Amanda out of the ballroom. She was beginning to worry that perhaps he intended on making her leave as he walked further and further away from the party. He finally held the door for her to enter a room, which ended up being the library.

  “What is this all about?” Amanda turned to face her brother, hands firmly on her hips and prepared to stand her ground.

  Graham shut the door and asked in a low voice, “Have you lost your mind?”

  “No, why? What are you going on about?” Amanda was taken aback by the fury in her brother’s eyes. “Is this about Charlotte being here?”

  Graham shushed her. “Keep your voice down.

  “Very well,” Amanda whispered. “I thought she might need some fun, Graham. She has been moping for ages.”

  Graham retorted, “Perhaps that is because you have her indentured to yourself. Do you not think that might get old?” He raised his hand to stop whatever Amanda was going to say. “That is not the point I came here to make. Your little rumour about Miss Browne is irreprehensible.”

  “So, you heard it?” Amanda giggled at the look on Graham’s face. “Oh come off your high horse, Brother. You danced with her. Do you not think that drew attention to her?”

  Graham rubbed his face and Amanda shook her head at him. He growled, “You could ruin people’s reputations with games like this, Amanda. Take heed that the reputation you ruin is not your own.” With that, Graham stormed out of the library leaving a vexed Amanda behind.

  Had Graham really just scolded her? He could be condescending and critical of her, but he had never scolded her. Amanda huffed. “I think the duchess deserves better,” she muttered to the empty room.

  She collected herself then left the library to return to the party. She was met by her aunt. “Where have you been?” Lady Henderson’s face was settled into the lines of old frowns and creases.

  “I was in the library. Graham wanted to speak to me.” Amanda folded her arms at the questioning. Surely her reputation did not make her prone to such things.

  Lady Henderson eyed Amanda as if weighing her soul. She must have deemed her at least somewhat worth,y because the woman relented in her hard stare. “What did your brother want to speak to you about? It is not like Graham to interfere with your time at events.”

  Amanda sighed in long-suffering. “Despite what you may think of my brother, Great Aunt Beatrice, he is prone to overreact at times.”

  “So, you did something to him?” Lady Henderson did not seem to be having much trouble with that concept, Amanda noted.

  She gave up trying to win her great aunt over to her side. It was clear that the woman had determined Graham to be the more responsible of the two of them. Amanda marked that down to the fact that Graham was the first-born son, and really, did they not always get treated specially?

  “He was a teensy bit irate about a remark I made. He thought it might get back to his beloved duchess, no doubt. But we have sorted it all out.” Amanda shrugged. “Now can I get back to the party? I have suitors waiting.”

  Lady Henderson relented and let Amanda go back to her knot of suitors, who were waiting for her return. Amanda gave her aunt a curtsey of thanks before she sauntered away. Everyone was making such a fuss tonight for no good reason. It was as if people did not know how to have fun anymore.

  She was still flummoxed when she reached her suitors. “Miss Easterly,” Sir Chatham said with relief. “We were beginning to worry that you had grown tired of us.”

  “Never,” Miss Easterly said with a smile. “I was delayed by my aunt. Now, what shall we do to pass the time? Oh, Miss Tennison, have you met Sir Chatham?”

  Lorna Tennison, who had been passing by, came over to Amanda. “We have been acquainted, yes.”

  “Good. Will you join us? We just were going to come up with a game or something to pass the time until the next dance.” Amanda patted the cushioned seat next to her. The room was arranged with chairs along the walls and such for people to use during resting periods. There were little groups of young people here and there as they all talked and socialised.

  Lorna seemed pleased with the invitation and assented with a nod. “That is most kind of you. I was just on my way to find a nice group to chat with.”

  Sir Chatham teased, “And here you have found us. Are you acquainted with all of us here?”

  “Not all,” Lorna said with a shy smile.

  Sir Chatham went around the group of young men and introduced them. Lorna seemed to know most of the men, other than Lord Allerton, who she greeted enthusiastically. Amanda noticed the way the woman leaned forward when the officer talked.

  She supposed that Lord Allerton did have a nice voice, but he was her suitor and she was regretting inviting the perky Miss Tennison now. She had thought she would liven things up with another female in the mix.

  It was a good way to see which men were interested in ladies other than herself. Amanda made a note that Lord Allerton might be one of those suitors. She felt a touch of hurt, but she pushed it away as she gave everyone a bright smile. “Let us think up a game. Come now, give us suggestions.”

  Chapter 4

  Charlotte did not know what had happened but she found people looking at her and whispering. Was all of this really because of her dancing with Lord Easterly earlier? She thought the attention she was getting now felt quite different.

  No one openly approached her, but she could see people talking and, clearly, she seemed to be the subject. Charlotte went toward the refreshment table and was startled out of her thoughts by a young man who appeared beside her. “I apologise. I did not mean to cause you a fright.”

  Charlotte waved off his words and laughed at herself. “I think I caused that all by myself. My mind had me elsewhere.”

  “Must be a wonderful place that elsewhere to make you long to go there so badly.” He gave her a smile and Charlotte noticed how handsome he was. He looked every inch the dandy, his fashionable clothes making him stand out amid the gentleman she had seen. “I know that it is forward of me to approach you without first receiving an introduction, but I fear that I did not know whom to ask for one. I was afraid that if I waited you might get away from me.”