The School of Charm: Books 1-5

by Maggie Dallen

“I’m looking for proof,” he said. Again, not a total lie. He had been given a hint from one of his friends down at the dock that a shipment was coming in soon. A man like Everley could have stopped with the illegal trades years ago. He no longer needed the money now that he’d acquired a fortune…along with his cousin’s title.

  But men like Everley never knew when to stop. They always pushed too hard, too far—and Rupert was betting on the fact that he was doing the same thing now. He hadn’t given up his criminal ways just because he’d gotten himself a title. If anything, Rupert guessed that Everley had only grown more ambitious given his new status in society.

  It was a bet he’d been willing to bet his life on by coming here tonight.

  Looking at this little queen standing there in all her regal glory, it occurred to him—she might just be the in he needed.

  Wariness crept over him. It was one thing to bet his own life, quite another to rope a young debutante into helping him.

  No. He could not. He would not, even though he was certain that all it would take was a challenge. A subtle prick to her pride followed by a not-so-subtle dare…

  She’d do his job for him and with ease since she had free reign of this home…or would soon enough.

  “What is it?” she demanded. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Like what?” He grinned before she could respond. It was rather diverting to make her scowl. Yes, Everley had chosen well. He’d been looking for the belle of the ball and he’d found her.

  He’d taken Rupert’s best friend to score a title and estate, had nearly taken his life when he’d gotten close to catching him, and now…

  Rupert took one last look at the enchanting little minx with the upturned nose.

  And now Everley had gotten the girl.

  Life, as Rupert already well knew, just was not fair.

  She planted her hands on her hips, not even turning to look when a hand rattled the doorknob. “Why that look?”

  She hated not having all the answers, but she wouldn’t get any more from him. He’d do his best to keep her out of this. Whether she liked it or not.

  “Do yourself a favor, Princess,” he said as his feet landed on the ground and only his eyes peered over the edge. “Stay out of my way. Stay out of his way. And whatever you do, do not cause trouble.”

  Her eyes widened in outrage. “Do not cause trouble? Says the man who means to ruin my life.”

  “No, I mean to ruin his. I already told you, it is you I hope to save.”

  That made her furious, which made him feel like laughing. A real laugh. The kind of laugh he hadn’t reveled in for an age.

  “Stay safe, Princess,” he said as he backed away.

  She came closer to keep him in her sights.

  “If you need me, I will save you.”

  She frowned. “How would I find you?” Then, just as quickly, she seemed to remember herself. “Not that I will need your help.”

  “When you do…” He grinned, despite the circumstances. “I will find you.”

  Chapter Five

  I will find you.

  Conceited man. She scowled at the window even after he disappeared, only spinning around when the door flew open and her fiancé strode in with two men she did not know behind him.

  They all stopped short at the sight of her. Everley recovered first. “Delilah. My dear.” He strode toward her with a brilliant smile that did not reach his eyes and left her cold. She forced a smile of her own as he approached, and they basically reenacted their first meeting earlier this same evening.

  Which was to say, they said all the correct things as onlookers watched. They made pleasantries and pretended to be happy to see one another.

  “What are you doing alone in here?” he asked.

  As he did, his gaze moved to the open window. She took a step to the left to block his view, gesturing to the window as she did so. “I’m afraid I became overheated.” She fluttered her lashes and smiled sweetly. Her stepmother had taught her how to give this look many years ago and it was a skill she called upon often. The look said soft, sweet…innocent.

  Everley’s look said concerned. At least, that was what he’d apparently aimed for. His eyes said curious. “Are you well or—”

  “Oh yes,” she said with a little laugh. “I am just not used to such lavish parties, I’m afraid. The crowd became too much.”

  His smile softened as he took her by the elbow and led her toward the hallway. “That is my fault, my dear. I should have been attending to your needs this evening.” He gestured toward the strange men who were watching her with matching fatherly smiles. “I am afraid I have been distracted by business endeavors.”

  “Oh, please, do not let me interrupt you,” she said. “I was meaning to find my friends. I am certain they are wondering where I am.”

  This, she knew, was very true.

  His grip on her arm tightened as he smiled down at her, the sound of music swelling as they drew closer to the center of the action. “I expect they are,” he said. “You must not keep them waiting.”

  She tried to match his smile and faltered. When her gaze met his, her skin crawled. Her stomach sank at the coldness she saw there, barely hidden beneath a smiling façade.

  Lord Evil.

  Silly nickname. But even as she thought it, Mr. Calloway’s accusations were swirling through her mind, making her doubt everything.

  Murderer. The word flashed through her mind and she stumbled a bit as she kept pace with her fiancé. When they spotted her friends, gathered together nearby, Lord Everley’s grip on her loosened.

  Louisa was waving madly as the others openly stared.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” her fiancé said smoothly. “I must attend to business. Why don’t you enjoy some time with your delightful young friends and be sure to save me a dance, hmm?”

  He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, and Delilah was left to face her friends.

  Her very enthusiastic, much too curious friends.

  When Miss Grayson gave her a kind smile, she knew there was nothing for it. She might have been able to ignore Louisa, and Addie…even Prudence who was no doubt miserable this evening.

  Pru hated crowds and deplored dancing.

  But Miss Grayson’s kindness was impossible to ignore. Only a beast would snub their teacher by walking past and pretending not to see them.

  With a sigh she headed toward her friends who welcomed her warmly.

  “At last!” Louisa exclaimed, as though Delilah had been lost at sea.

  “We’ve missed you,” Addie said with a smile.

  Prudence wore a scowl that Delilah knew well. Her friend tended to be sanctimonious and a bit of a mother hen, but when all was said and done, Prudence had a big heart. Perhaps too big. She worried far too much about those she loved, and Delilah—for reasons still unbeknownst to her—was on that list.

  She gave Prudence what she hoped was a reassuring smile before turning to Miss Grayson. Always kind, forever graceful, Miss Grayson was that sad example of a lovely young lady who was bound to be a spinster because of reasons outside her purview. Miss Grayson’s smile was gentle and understanding. “You have been missed,” she said, her eyes warm with amusement as Louisa chose that moment to launch into a round of questions that would never be answered.

  Addie stepped in once more to temper her friend’s loud questions about why she was marrying Lord Evil, and why she hadn’t been back to the house to see them.

  “As you can see, we’ve been curious to hear the details of your engagement,” Addie said mildly.

  Delilah rolled her eyes at the understatement just as the first notes of a waltz began to play.

  “Were you kidnapped?” Louisa hissed in a loud whisper.

  “What?” Delilah laughed. “Of course not, silly.” Her gaze never quite focused on any one of them as she looked around. “I have been busy, that’s all. Planning a wedding on such short notice has taken up all my time, I’m afraid.”

/>   Her response was met by silence all around.

  Luckily, Delilah was saved by two smitten gentlemen. Lord Tolston and Lord Tumberland joined their group to claim their fiancées for a dance. “We will be back,” Louisa said as her future husband dragged her away toward the dance floor.

  Delilah watched with a jolt of disgust as the two couples went off with nauseatingly sweet smiles and soft laughter that spoke of private jokes and happy plans.

  “Love matches,” Prudence said with a weary sigh before her. “Is there anything more sickening?”

  Miss Grayson laughed lightly, opting to take Prudence’s comment as a joke, though Delilah knew it was not.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Miss Grayson said, looking from Delilah to Prudence. “I believe I see an old acquaintance.” She fooled no one. Miss Grayson was hoping to give Delilah and her closest friend a moment alone, and Delilah hated her for it.

  She did not wish to answer questions, not when her heart was still pounding from that run-in with a burglar. Not when her mind still raced with questions after hearing his accusations.

  Miss Grayson leaned toward her. “We are all relieved to see you safe and well,” she said. “You know you are always welcome at the school…for any reason.” She hitched her brows slightly. “We all care about you, and we are here if you need us.”

  Delilah nodded, her throat temporary choked with emotion as she watched Miss Grayson walk away.

  “Well,” Prudence said with a sigh. “I suppose you’re pleased.”

  Delilah stiffened at her friend’s casual remark. “Pleased?”

  Her friend shot her a sidelong look. “You’re about to marry a man as rich as Midas. Isn’t that what you’ve always dreamt of?”

  “It was what I was born to do,” she quipped, her tone filled with a bravado that made Prudence laugh, as she’d hoped. This was an old joke of theirs. From the first day they’d met at the school, Pru was the one to see that not all of Delilah’s snobbery was genuine.

  Some of it was…just not all.

  “Yes, yes,” Pru said. “You were born to be a queen.”

  Delilah’s smile felt more forced than ever since it was aimed at a friend. Perhaps not born to be a queen, but raised to be a trophy. From the moment she could walk, she’d understood that her sole purpose in life, in her family, was to marry well.

  It had always been her dream.

  Her father’s dream.

  It had been both of their dream. It was all she was good for, and everyone knew that.

  She sighed as a sort of lethargic weariness stole over her. The energy that had been coursing through her after that bizarre encounter was starting to fade, leaving her limbs weighted and her mind foggy with exhaustion.

  Pru shot her a sidelong look. “What’s wrong?” she demanded.

  “Pardon me?”

  Pru’s lips pursed and her expression said ‘don’t even try to fool me.’ “You sighed just now as though you’d just ruined your best gown.”

  “Did I?” she murmured.

  Pru turned to face her. “Are you going to tell me what’s happened?” When she didn’t immediately respond, she continued. “Are you going to tell me why you’re suddenly betrothed to Lord Evil?”

  “Hush,” she said quickly, peeking around to see who might have heard. “I do wish you all would stop using that name.” She arched her brows. “I understand Louisa and Addie saying it as a joke, but that sort of immaturity is beneath you, Prudence.”

  Prudence just stared at her evenly, scrutinizing her expression. “What is going on, Dee?”

  Oh nothing. I’ve just been alone with an overbearing oaf who believes my fiancé to be a murderer and a smuggler.

  She frowned. It was the smuggler bit that had gotten to her. Murderer? The very accusation had felt too far-fetched. Murderers did not exist amongst the ton. He might have been a bit fearsome, but really…accusing Lord Everley of murder had just been melodrama on Mr. Calloway’s part.

  That man ought to be the one engaged to Louisa, not the proper, practical Lord Tumberland.

  The thought of the stranger and Louisa made her inexplicably angry.

  “Delilah, do try and smile,” Prudence murmured. “You look like an evil queen from a fairy tale, ready to smite the townspeople.”

  Delilah blinked and looked around to see that indeed she had been garnering some stares from passersby. She plastered a small smile on her face and lifted her chin.

  “You know we all have questions,” Pru started again.

  “Why do you think I haven’t returned to the school?” she returned.

  Pru huffed. “We’re just worried about you.”

  “You have nothing to fear.” Delilah’s voice was pleasingly cool, wonderfully collected. “I was born and raised to marry someone of great fortune. My father has chosen Lord Everley.”

  “And you are all right with that,” Prudence said, doubt clear in her voice.

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Addie said—”

  Delilah waved aside the protest. “Oh please. Addie is nearly as dramatic as Louisa, and of course she was beside herself when her brother was in danger. Can we really trust her word on the matter?”

  Delilah didn’t have to look over to know Prudence was scowling at her. “Do you really believe that? Do you truly believe you have nothing to fear or do you just not want to admit that you might be wrong?”

  Delilah opened her mouth to verbally smack down her friend but no words came out. She blamed it on the strange encounter back in Everley’s office.

  Of course she’d been rattled by a run-in with a burglar. The thought of his large frame behind her, holding her tight… She shivered, but not from fear.

  “Are you all right?”

  Delilah huffed. “I wish people would stop asking me that. What will it take to prove that I am fine?”

  Prudence was silent for too long before turning to face the dance floor with a sigh. “I do not know, Dee. What will it take for you to believe that?”

  She shot her friend a glare. She hated when Pru got all high and mighty on her like this.

  She hated it even more when Pru was right.

  She’d been in a fog of disbelief these past two weeks as she let her stepmother arrange the wedding, and avoided seeing the people who might make her doubt her new future.

  Delilah sniffed as she watched Addie and Tolston smiling at one another like lovesick fools. Louisa and Tumberland had already left the dance floor and were headed toward the balcony.

  She had never expected a love match, and as such had never hoped for one. Why dream of something one cannot have? It would only lead to disappointment. She’d always known the day would come when she would marry a man who did not fit any girlish dream for a husband.

  She ought to be grateful that Everley wasn’t old enough to be her grandfather, or so overweight he could hardly move, or so unattractive he made women flee the room.

  No, as far as all that went, she was quite lucky. As far as looks and age went, her fiancé was better than she’d expected.

  But his character…?

  She found her gaze flitting back toward the hallway. He had not yet reappeared. What was his business, exactly?

  Was she allowed to ask?

  It was Prudence’s question that clung to her now and made her mind race. What would put her at ease?

  She knew better than to trust Addie and Louisa’s suspicions, and she shouldn’t let some stranger’s accusations get to her either.

  But they had.

  Mr. Calloway’s words and his voice and his touch. Everything about him had gotten to her. The whole experience had rattled her. It had shaken her out of her fog. And now, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t go back. His grin just before he’d disappeared from view haunted her.

  Stupid, arrogant man.

  His attitude was one of challenge, and she had always risen to a challenge.

  So, he thought she needed saving? She would s
ee about that.

  “You have a look about you, Dee…” Prudence was watching her closely.

  “Oh yes?” she asked mildly. “And what look is that?”

  “It’s very similar to the look Louisa gets when she’s about to stir up trouble.”

  Delilah gave a huff of indignation. “I am nothing like Louisa. I do not seek out mischief.”

  But she did seek out the truth. She’d never been one to sit by meekly and watch her life unfold, and she certainly wouldn’t start now.

  She had no idea what his murder allegations were about—likely a duel gone wrong, or something to that effect. It was the smuggling charge that stuck with her and made her uneasy. Such an odd thing to accuse a gentleman like Lord Everley of, particularly without proof.

  She pursed her lips as she glanced toward the hallway. Of course, that was likely why he was here. Looking for proof.

  An idea took root and began to grow.

  “Oh yes, you definitely look like Louisa right now,” Prudence said quietly beside her.

  Delilah shushed her halfheartedly. This wasn’t mischief or mere curiosity. This was her duty…to Everley. She’d seek out the proof that the burglar was seeking, and when she failed to find it, she would know it with certainty.

  She could put her own mind to rest and if she ever had the misfortune of running into Mr. Calloway again she would be able to put him soundly in his place.

  She smiled.

  “I’m worried about you,” Prudence said when she’d turned back to face her friend.

  “Don’t be,” she said. “I’ve never felt better.”

  This, she realized, was the truth. Despite the startling events of this evening, or perhaps because of them…she had a mission. An agenda.

  She had a challenge.

  For the first time in weeks, she was beginning to feel like herself again.

  Chapter Six

  Delilah’s smile never faltered as she confronted her stepmother in the family’s drawing room. “Oh, but I should very much like to join you.”

  Her stepmother stared at her, her eyes blank as always. She likely hadn’t expected a battle, not after Delilah had sat by so meekly throughout wedding plans to date. But today everything was different.