“I pay her,” Graham reminded Charlotte.
She giggled. Graham had never heard a truer giggle from the young woman. He looked at her with a smile.
Charlotte whispered, “I forget who you are. It is quite a horrible way you have about you that makes women forget themselves.”
“I have a way about me?” Graham thought it a humorous thing, but he was curious as to what Charlotte meant.
She nodded and said, “Of course you do. It is probably why the duchess clings to you so. I have seen other women do it as well. Their eyes follow you.”
“They sound as if they need spectacles.” Graham teased.
Charlotte waved off his teasing. “Think what you want, Lord Easterly,” she said the name with great effect and Graham smiled, “But you cannot stop how people see you.”
“Very true, Miss Browne,” he said with the same emphasis on her name.
It had been a miracle that they had not met anyone on the way to their rooms to change. He imagined the look on Charlotte’s face and chuckled to himself as he went into his own room. He pulled the rope to summon Victor.
The valet appeared a few moments later from a side door. “What on earth happened to you?” Victor had blurted out the question, but added, “My pardons, your lordship, but you are drenched.”
“I am vaguely aware of that fact,” Graham assured him. “I got caught in a rainstorm while I was out for a walk.”
Victor shook his head and paced around Graham. “The way that fabric clings, it might be easier to cut it off,” Victor complained, but dutifully began to help Graham undress.
Graham ignored the man. At least Victor did not walk on eggshells around him. Several of the household staff that were not familiar with him nearly jumped out of their skin as soon as he walked into a room.
“And where did this come from?” Victor stood up and waved a light-purple thread in front of Graham.
Graham chuckled. “It is probably Miss Browne’s. She got caught out in the rain while looking for me. I helped her get back to the house.”
“If that is the story we are going with,” Victor said with a wink.
Graham waved off the man’s foolishness. “I would not take advantage of Miss Browne.”
“Oh, I know,” Victor said. “I heard that Lord Stanhope was here?”
Graham nodded as Victor went in search of a new outfit. “He came by to propose marriage to Miss Browne.”
“Tell me she did not say yes to that blowhard,” Victor said with vehemence.
Graham laughed at his words. Graham had not been quite that generous to the man in his own thoughts. Victor laid out a shirt and some trousers. “That’s what she was coming to tell me. She has decided against marrying Lord Stanhope.”
“Thank the lord,” Victor said.
Graham allowed Victor to delegate the outfit without interference. He had come to trust his fashion sense and thus far it had proven a wise decision. Once the clothes were on hand, Victor helped him to dress.
Graham sighed. “That feels better.” He stretched and waved off the cravat that Victor held out to him. “I am expecting no visitors and I do not wish to be choked.”
“Sure as you say that someone is going to drop in,” Victor said.
Graham begrudgingly waved for the man to go ahead and put the cravat on. As soon as Victor had him suitably dressed, Graham took his leave. He wanted to see if he could talk to Charlotte before his sister had a chance to.
He headed down the hall with a clear purpose but hesitated when he stopped outside her door. How would it look if he just showed up at her room? He certainly could not talk to her in there, and it really was not a discussion for the hallway.
He turned away, but as he did so he heard the door open. “Lord Easterly,” Charlotte’s voice said behind him.
Graham turned back to the door. He smiled at the woman, who wore a white muslin dress that brought out her complexion. Her blonde hair was plaited in a braid that hung over her shoulder.
“Were you coming to see me?” She looked around the hallway as if checking to see if they might be overheard.
Graham started to lie and tell her he had been going to the kitchen. However, when he looked into her brown eyes, he remembered her words about honesty. He sighed. “I was, but I thought better of it.”
“You may have to explain that,” Charlotte said as she clasped her hands in front of her.
Graham thought for a moment then he cleared his throat. “I just thought perhaps the conversation would be best in private. This is not exactly a place that is without the risk of interruption.”
“True,” Charlotte agreed. Graham could tell she was curious about what his intended topic could have been. “Perhaps we could walk to the library?”
Graham nodded. “That sounds fine.” He offered her his arm and she accepted the intimate gesture without hesitation.
He guided them to the stairs as the library was on the ground floor. As soon as they started down the stairs Amanda appeared in the foyer. She looked up at them and gave them a wave. “Are you going to the kitchen?”
“You seem in a good mood,” Graham noted.
Amanda shrugged. “I have nothing to be sad about. I might end up a spinster, but if I do I can just annoy you until you die.”
Charlotte covered a laugh behind her free hand. Graham was in no mood to argue with his sister. “Sounds lovely,” he said, as he and Charlotte made it to the last step. “We are not, however, heading to the kitchen.”
“Oh? Where are you going then?” Amanda folded her arms and looked like she was digging in her heels to not be moved.
Charlotte answered before Graham could form his sarcastic remark. “We are going to the library. I wanted to show Lord Easterly a book on history that could put an end to a disagreement we were having.”
Graham cut his eyes to Charlotte. Amanda frowned. “What disagreement could you have over history? It’s history.”
“Rome, actually. We cannot agree on when it was founded.” Charlotte said and Graham felt a nudge of her elbow in his side.
Graham agreed, “That is right. She is completely wrong, and I intend to prove it.”
Amanda rolled her eyes at the pair them. “You have to be the most boring people in England. I am going to get a snack.” She spun on her heel and stalked off towards the kitchen, still muttering about history being boring.
Charlotte whispered, “She always despised our history lessons. And you are going to prove me wrong, are you?”
“Well, my sister knows me, and I do not like losing.” Graham gave her a smile and led them on to the library. Fortunately, the rest of the way was clear of any other obstacles.
Graham held the door open so Charlotte could go through. He followed her in and made shut the door. It was not exactly proper, but he needed to talk to her without interruption. Graham watched her wander into the room a few feet before she turned around to face him.
“So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?” Charlotte slipped her hands behind her back as if she was unsure of what she should be doing.
Graham could understand her nervousness given their earlier encounter. He came further into the room and stopped a couple of feet from her. “I wanted to ask you something and it was important that it was just between us no matter the answer.”
“And what was it you wanted to ask?”
Graham drew in a slow breath and raked a finger through his hair. He had left his hat in his rooms, but it was not a cardinal sin. “I was wondering if you would do me the honour of marrying me?”
Charlotte stared at him dumbfounded. He could tell he had caught her completely by surprise. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish for a moment.
“Surely the notion that a proposal was due was somewhere in your mind,” Graham ventured.
Charlotte shook her head. “We … you … it is just that you said it was not proper.”
“I also pinned you to a tree and did unseemly things to you, Charlotte,”
Graham said in a slow measured voice.
Charlotte’s mouth made an O shape, as if she had just grasped what he was saying. “This is not necessary, Graham. I know that you are trying to protect me, but I do not need that protection. No one saw us, and my virtue is intact.”
“That is not what I meant,” Graham tried, but Charlotte was already walking past him towards the door. “Charlotte,” he said as he grabbed her arm. “Wait.”
She faced him hesitantly. Her lips trembled and Graham wished he was not so dull-brained. “What I meant was that I know what I said, but it also did not stop me from kissing you. It does not stop me from wanting to pull you to me right now.” He drew in a breath. “No matter our stations or places in this world, it does not change how I feel.”
“Is that really enough, Graham? Think of your position in society.” Charlotte put her hand on top of the hand that had held her arm. “Do not risk your reputation for me any more than you already have.”
Graham growled, “I do not give a damn about my reputation.”
“That is not true.” Charlotte’s eyes searched his face. “I love you. I will always love you. I think I always have in some fashion. You are up for a new title, Graham. You are a war hero.”
“And you are the woman I love,” Graham reminded her. “You are the one who said I should speak up for myself when I want something. Well, this is me doing that. I want you, Charlotte.”
Charlotte watched him for a moment before she said, “Perhaps you should try proposing to me again, this time properly.”
He could not stop the chuckle at her words. He released her and gave her a bow to show that he accepted her terms. Graham went down on one knee before her.
Taking one of her hands in his, he cupped her delicate fingers in his hands. “Miss Charlotte Browne, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
Charlotte smiled down at him and nodded. “Yes. Lord Graham Easterly, I will.”
Graham rose up and pulled her into his arms. He could not find the words, so he simply kissed her and trusted it to convey his emotions. He felt her press against him and she kissed him with equal passion.
The voice in his head told him he should stop, but Graham was thinking only of the woman in his arms. Charlotte was all too eager, it seemed, to allow him to have his way, and Graham’s brain was beyond trying to restrain his body.
“What on earth are you two doing!?” It was Amanda’s shriek from the library door that made Graham and Charlotte break apart as if scalding water had been tossed on them. Amanda looked between them and Graham had the good grace to look at least look guilty. Charlotte looked miserable at being caught in such an act.
Graham interceded, “It was my doing.”
“I was equally at fault,” Charlotte scolded. “You are doing that thing where you take more than your own worth of responsibility, Graham.”
“Graham,” Amanda repeated. She put her hand on her forehead. “I actually believed that you two were having an argument over history!”
Charlotte sighed and folded her arms across her chest. “People do argue over history, but that is not the point. We merely wanted to have a private discussion.”
“I can see why. I am simply glad that I was the one who walked in.” Amanda turned to Graham. “What if it had been one of the staff? What were you thinking?”
Graham rubbed his beard. “That is a fair question, but you might want to hear what we were actually discussing first.”
“Should I sit down?” Amanda walked over to a chair. “I feel as if I should sit down.” She dropped into the overstuffed chair. “Go on.”
Graham looked over at Charlotte who nodded. “I just asked Charlotte to marry me.”
Amanda’s eyes went wide. She looked over at Charlotte. Charlotte nodded and added, “I said yes.”
There was a moment where Graham was not sure if Amanda was going to recover. She stared at them blankly with her mouth hanging open. Then as if something clicked into place, Amanda jumped up and threw her arms around him.
“I knew she liked you,” Amanda whispered to him. She then turned toward Charlotte and gave the woman a hug. “I am so happy! It’s so odd that I am actually thrilled.”
Graham chuckled. “I am so glad that you are not throwing a tantrum over it. And what did you mean that you knew?”
Amanda waved him off and carried on talking to Charlotte. He looked between the two women. Had Charlotte confided in Amanda and she actually managed to keep a secret?
“Well, I am starved. I came here to make fun of you two and I still can. You are marrying each other. I get to make fun of Lotte forever now for marrying my dolt of a brother.” Amanda pirouetted and left the room, waving for them to follow her. “Come on. Let us go get my snack now. We shall make it a celebratory feast tonight.”
Graham looked at Charlotte, who smiled. She leaned up on her tip-toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
He whispered, “How long do you think it will take her to realise that we have not followed her?”
“Graham, you are not thinking what I think you are thinking,” Charlotte scolded playfully.
Graham pulled Charlotte to him. He was indeed thinking exactly that. He gave her a grin before he kissed her again. Despite her scolding, Charlotte returned his kiss and matched his enthusiasm.
“What are you two doing back there?” It was Amanda’s voice and Graham groaned.
Charlotte gave him a smile that somewhat eased the pain of having to put up with his sister, but only somewhat. He offered her his arm and she eagerly leaned close to him as she slid her arm through his.
Chapter 14
Since their betrothal, Charlotte had scarcely seen Graham. She had purposely set a date that was close so they would not have to wait long, and now she was glad of it. She came downstairs and peered around the foyer, which appeared empty, but Charlotte did not trust it.
Sure enough, as soon as she put a slippered foot on the stone floor, Amanda’s voice rang out. “Good Morning, Lotte!”
Charlotte sighed and turned toward her friend. “Do you hide down here all night just so you can startle me?”
“Of course not!” Amanda brushed away the idea along with a piece of imaginary lint from her shoulder. “Have you given any more thought to what I said? I have several candidates in mind.”
Charlotte wondered if Graham would hate her for murdering his sister. “Amanda, I do not see the need of me having a maid.”
“You are about to be the lady of this house. It is only right that you should have a lady’s maid. Especially when you give up wearing those childish frocks of yours,” Amanda waved to Charlotte’s simple dress.
Charlotte’s eyes went down to her dress. It was a very pale yellow, soft and understated, but made in a simplistic design. Perhaps Amanda had a point. “Do you think this style is not good?”
Amanda sighed and put her arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. “I will admit that I am bewildered by why you would want to draw my brother’s eye. However, if you wish to, then you perhaps should dress more as you did in London, as a lady would and not some wild country bumpkin.”
“That was not insulting at all,” Charlotte drawled at her friend as she was led towards the dining room.
Under the Seductive Lady's Charm: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 26
