Regency Romances

by Grace Fletcher

  “Let me show you some of the pleasures you’ve been missing, then!” Alexandria giggled.

  Bitter disappointment filled Charlotte’s lungs. For just one moment she had believed that the earl truly cared for her, yet Alexandria’s arrival broke the spell. The earl obviously cared nothing for her. He was trying to find Ludlow as fast as possible so that they could be done with this charade of engagement. Alexandria was transparently throwing herself at him, and the earl seemed to be lapping it up. Jealousy coursed through Charlotte’s veins. Couldn’t he see Alexandria’s true character? It was readily apparent to Charlotte within minutes, yet men were notoriously incompetent when it came to understanding women. Unable to bear anymore, Charlotte curtsied and took her leave.

  Chapter 6

  A Few Days’ Respite

  With nothing to do until the day of the vicomte’s party, Aunt Agatha insisted that Charlotte enjoy herself in the company of the other young people inhabiting the villa. While her aunt enjoyed the library with its large selection of books, Charlotte found herself going on a picnic with the earl and his “set.”

  Alexandria, who seemed determined to treat Charlotte about as politely as she would have treated a dormouse, took great pleasure in sitting as close to the earl as possible, a fact that did not escape Charlotte’s notice. To her gratification, the earl seemed determined to play his role as Charlotte’s “fiance” and showered her with attention instead, which had the effect of greatly annoying Alexandria. From helping her off the saddle, suggesting the foods that she might like, to ensuring her inclusion in discussions, the earl seemed to take great care to ensure Charlotte was comfortable. Charlotte knew it was all a sham and yet her heart couldn’t help but feel the warmth as he bestowed her with his glorious smile yet again.

  They were seated under the cypress trees at the edge of the estate now, with a platter of cold meat and fine cheeses spread in front of them. Henry Carruthers, a portly young man with muttonchops and a devilish sense of humor, said, “A fine thing to see you out and about, Earl Eaglehook. I’d quite thought we’d lost you to the world of business, but it seems like this young lady has bought you back from the precipice of becoming an old bore.” Much laughter greeted his words.

  Compelled to say something, Charlotte defended him, “I doubt that the earl would ever be boring, especially when surrounded by friends such as yourself, Mr. Carruthers.”

  Chuckling, Carruthers beamed his approval at her. “Why thank you, Lady Charlotte. I’m rather afraid that I might be one of the reasons he’s becoming such a bore.”

  “Get on with it, Carruthers.” The earl chided his friend with a smile on his face. “If you accuse me of this most heinous of sins, I’ll have to challenge you to a duel.”

  “Is it a sin, in Your Lordship’s eyes, to be boring?” Charlotte asked.

  “My Lady, I truly believe it is. The earth is vast, and much knowledge is waiting for us. There are a wealth of experiences, and objects, just waiting for a man with grit to pluck from the earth’s welcoming bosom. So, to me, being called boring is indeed a sin. It implies a man so lost in his own routine that he shuts out the grandeur of creation.”

  Charlotte nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “Do you not agree?” He pushed her. “Or do you perhaps a prefer boring routine?”

  “I believe human beings are creatures of habit, My Lord.” Charlotte said, “And while there may be a breadth of experiences in the world, to truly know something, one must explore its depths. It is merely routine, and boring work that enables us to do so.”

  The earl looked impressed with her answer, a new respect showed on his face as he looked at Charlotte. But before he could reply, Alexandria had interjected, “Well, I agree with the earl. One must always try new things, and endeavor to be engaging.”

  “Oh is it things or people that you like to try on for size?” Carruthers teased. “I declare I see twenty new suitors by your side each time we meet.”

  Glaring at him, Alexandria said, “The earl and I are both social creatures and consequently we are in the habit of making new friends constantly.”

  “Ah yes, but I do rather think that the best friends I have are ones who I’ve known for ages.” The earl said.

  “Such as me, perhaps?” Alexandria asked boldly.

  Irritated, Charlotte found herself saying, “I believe the earl was referring to Mr. Carruthers, Your Ladyship.”

  “I was referring to you, actually.” The earl looked at her with a warm smile. “We are old friends, are we not Charlotte? Childhood friends, in fact.”

  Oh. Charlotte felt a jolt. Did he mean that? Did he truly consider her one of his closest friends because she had helped him as a child? Or was he only acting this way in order to fool his friends into believing that the engagement was not a sham?

  Flustered, she looked away, and the earl helpfully guided the conversation onto other topics. Occasionally, she found herself glancing at him, always careful to do so while he was looking away. His strong profile set off little sparks in her heart, and she admired the careless yet firm way he spoke. He was clearly the leader of the group, and yet he was down-to-earth, letting Carruthers occasionally rib him, giving back as much as he got.

  As the afternoon wore on, the men began to get restless and practiced fencing with each other. The earl chose to sit out most of the sessions until he was pushed into a match by Carruthers. As he took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up, Charlotte noticed all the women in the group admiring his fine form. Though he was lean, his hands were powerful, and his stance, though relaxed, was as dangerous as that of a panther’s.

  He bent the blade on his sabre to test it, then bowed to his partner. A whistle from Carruthers indicated the beginning of the match.

  While his opponent chose to test him with jabs that he successfully blocked, the earl himself stayed very still, like a python coiled and waiting for his prey. For a minute, all the earl did was defend himself, and stare at his opponent, assessing his weaknesses, gauging where to strike. Charlotte could see from his face that he treated this as much as a mental exercise as a physical one.

  His opponent was no match for him. When the earl did strike, he had disarmed his opposer within three seconds. There were gasps and cheers from the onlookers, while Carruthers shook his head. “What did I expect? He has always been a champion fencer.”

  The earl, for his part, gave an easy smile and shook hands with his opponent; a true sportsman indeed. He came back to sit next to Charlotte, as though he had performed a simple operation like swatting a fly, instead of a tense, physically exhausting match. While the other men were breathing a little heavy and were red in the face, the earl had not a single hair out of place. Indeed, once he wore his jacket again, he looked fit to dine with the King.

  “Did I gain your admiration, My Lady?” He asked Charlotte.

  “I doubt you need it, My Lord,” Charlotte said. “But I pity a man who takes you on as an enemy. You’re clearly very dangerous even if you don’t look it.”

  “I don’t look dangerous?” He teased. “Yet I sense sometimes that you are afraid of me.”

  “I am,” Charlotte admitted boldly. “If only because your face never reveals what’s on your mind. You have a disconcerting habit, My Lord, of always looking as though you are in command.”

  “Well, isn’t that a man’s job?” The earl asked, “To always be in command of himself?”

  “Perhaps it is.” Charlotte nodded. “Yet it is difficult to then judge what that man is truly feeling.”

  “Ah, but feeling things is a woman’s prerogative.” The earl said. “A man’s job is to rush to action, do you not think?”

  “I do not think so.” Charlotte said, “And though you may tease me, My Lord, I do not think you think so either.”

  “Oh?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Other men might opt for brute force or speed while engaged in fencing.” Charlotte said, “But you are a master strategist, that much was apparent
to me. You were calculating each move you wished to make, and then ruthlessly, efficiently, you executed your plan.”

  His easy charm slipped off for a second, and he stared at her with the look of a man who was not used to a woman being so perceptive. “I blush.” He teased her. “At this praise, you are showering on me, My Lady.”

  “Oh, that’s her duty,” Alexandria said in a sickly sweet voice from next to him. “She’s obliged to praise you, is it not so My Lord?”

  The earl blinked as if he had forgotten about Alexandria, but being a polite host, he included her in the conversation. “Would you not agree with her words, Alexandria?”

  “Of course not,” Alexandria said. “Whoever heard of a man thinking when he is engaged in a sport! Sport is about the fitness of the body, not the mind.”

  “I believe it is both.” Charlotte said, “But I would not care to contradict Your Ladyship.”

  “Yes,” Alexandria said, and there was a warning in her voice. “You’d do well not to counter me, Lady Charlotte.” She placed a possessive hand on the earl’s forearm. Charlotte felt a red filter of rage come over her eyes. What was it about this woman that riled her so! Or was it just that Charlotte couldn’t bear it when the earl’s affection was given to a woman other than herself?

  With a start, Charlotte realized that she was dangerously close to forgetting all her reasons for being here; after all, it was Ludlow who mattered, not her! She would be a fool if she ended up truly falling in love with the earl when all the while he was only waiting for the day their engagement ended. Yet the more time she spent with him, the more she hated to think that he might someday marry Alexandria. Alexandria would surely be a terrible wife to him! He was a brave, thoughtful, intelligent man, and he should marry a woman who could encourage and support him. He could indubitably do far better than a feeble minded chit like Alexandria. He needed a woman who would match him in intelligence, and yet give him a home to come back to. He needed…

  She stopped herself. It was not what the earl needed that she was thinking about. It was what she wanted, and she wanted him. That was clear now. Very clear. She was utterly in love with the man! Miserably, she wondered if the earl had guessed it too. Alexandria certainly had, and it was no wonder she was antagonistic.

  Yet Charlotte had no choice, surely, when Ludlow was found, she would break her engagement as she had promised. She could not bear the thought that she might be forcing the earl into a marriage that he had not wished for of his own free will. Regardless of what she thought, no matter how thoughtful and kind he was, their engagement was an arranged convenience. The only reason he had proposed to her was from some ridiculous sense of duty, or of feeling as though her reputation needed protection. The truth was, he had not asked to be engaged to her because he had any fondness toward her and if she forced him to marry, he would spend his life gradually growing to despise her.

  Feeling quite ill, Charlotte excused herself from the group. She was determined not to be drawn in again by his friendliness. She was aware that she was in great danger of totally losing her heart.

  Chapter 7

  Vicomte Legrand

  and the DuVilles.

  The Vicomte Legrand’s parties were known both for the variety and amusement they provided. Indeed, he had been one of the first to bring masquerades back into fashion, after a trip to Venice. He was also known for bringing exotic animals and musicians from other countries to aid in the entertainment.

  On this particular day, the vicomte had decided on an “Arabian Nights” theme, and so, sand had been imported and dumped onto the fine gardens, creating a temporary desert. Camels lounged about, scrunching up their faces as they ate hay while giggling ladies lined up for a ride. The vicomte himself was near the buffet, whose centerpiece included a slowly roasting lamb.

  “Ah!” He exclaimed, as their coach drew up. “If it isn’t my old friend, Earl Eaglehook himself!”

  “Legrand, old chap.” Earl Eaglehook shook hands with the vicomte and then introduced him to Charlotte.

  “My fiance.” He said, drawing her forward.

  “Ah! So this is the lovely creature who has captured your heart!” The vicomte smiled. “My dear, don’t let his stern features betray you. His heart is rather delicate, and you must handle it with care. I’ve known this man a long time now, and I could tell you stories…”

  “Oh, I doubt she’d want to hear them.” The earl said.

  “On the contrary, I’d be fascinated.” She said.

  “Well, how about that time when we were in India, and I got bitten by a snake?” Vicomte Legrand said. “Eaglehook and I were hunting in the Himalayas, and we’d managed to lose our prey and our guides. He picked me up like I was a feather and ran all the way to a nearby monastery. I would have died out there without him.”

  “It was inconsequential.” The earl said with a frown. “I’d honestly forgotten.”

  “But of course, My Lord,” The vicomte beamed. “To you, it was just a Tuesday. To me, it was the day I was reborn!”

  Charlotte looked at him with admiration in her eyes. “That was rather brave of you.” She said.

  “Anyone else would have done the same.” He dismissed.

  “Has anyone told you, My Lord, that virtue in excess is akin to vice?” She teased. “You are a brave man, and it would do you well to admit your virtues instead of being excessively humble.”

  A smile crept onto his face. “If you insist, madam, that we should admit to our virtues, perhaps you would admit that your beauty is a rare gem in this particular desert.”

  “Oh!” She colored.

  “Or perhaps, you should admit that your eyes seem designed to capture a man’s heart and trap him in their depths.” The earl continued, relentless.

  Never again would she dare tease him! Charlotte thought. He was far too adept at the game for her to compete. Yet he tossed his compliments at her with such speed and nonchalance that she had to wonder whether he even meant them. Did he simply see this as conversational dalliance? Or was he genuinely interested in her?

  Once again, Alexandria appeared, this time with three admirers flocking around her. Now there was a woman who could match the earl at any game he wished to play, Charlotte thought with a trace of jealousy.

  “Ah, Earl Eaglehook, there you are.” She said. “Settle a wager for us, would you. These young men think that the best marriages occur when a man and a woman are opposite in nature. I, for one, feel that they must be kindred spirits for a marriage to succeed.”

  The earl smiled. “My dear Alexandria, surely that is a wager you’d need a husband to settle for you.”

  “Alas, since I have vowed never to merely settle, that looks well nigh impossible.” She said with a tittering laugh. What was it about this woman that grated on Charlotte’s nerves so? Even as Charlotte was reprimanding herself for her uncharitable thoughts, Alexandria’s eyes fell on her. She glanced up and down, trying to find fault in Charlotte’s outfit; but her mouth had to settle into a sour frown when she was unable to do so.

  Indeed, dressed in a deep rose colored silk gown with a Swiss embroidered hem and a boat shaped neckline, Charlotte was the most simply dressed of all present there. Yet the teardrop pearls that dangled from her ears and the roses that were woven in her flaxen hair made her look like some sort of wood fairy from a Norse tale.

  Alexandria hadn’t failed to notice how every eye in the vicinity was drawn to Charlotte’s form. She had especially noticed the earl looking positively smitten as he smiled down at Charlotte. Fuming, she wondered if she could initiate some discontent.

  “Well, Charlotte? Settle that wager for us.” Alexandria said.

  “My Lady, it is most definitely not my place to comment on what does and does not work in a marriage,” Charlotte said.

  “Oh, are you one of those women who has no opinions of her own in order to please men?” Alexandria fanned herself and gave a little sigh. “How dreadfully boring, my dear. Perhaps that is common in your s
ocial circles, whatever those may be.”

  The earl was about to interject angrily when Charlotte replied. “Civility is common in my social circles, My Lady.” The earl let out a roar of laughter on hearing this, as did the vicomte and the two suitors who surrounded Alexandria. Rebuked, Alexandria angrily flounced away.

  “Vicomte Legrand, this is your title, but not your family name, is that correct?” The earl asked.

  “Absolutely.” The vicomte said. “My family name, as a matter of fact, is DuVille.”

  Charlotte gasped. “Are are you related to the Bordeaux DuVilles?” She asked.

  “I am a nephew of the grand earl.” The vicomte nodded. “Why do you ask?”

  “Then that makes you my cousin,” Charlotte said. “My mother was Emily DuVille. My father was Hug…”

  “Baron Denbrough.” The vicomte said. “Of course! I should have seen the resemblance immediately.”

  “Did Ludlow come to you?” Charlotte asked. “Is he here right now?”

  The vicomte frowned. “Your brother? He wrote to me and visited a week ago. He had his new wife with him. Rather irregular, I thought. But he seemed a good chap, and he was eager to settle the family’s differences. Personally, I was fine with it too. After all, your mother had a long and happy marriage. What sense does it make to hold on to old grudges?”

  “I’m happy you think so,” Charlotte said. “But are you sure Ludlow is not with you?”

  The vicomte hesitated. “Ludlow was very clear that I was to not divulge his whereabouts to anyone who was looking for him.” He said. “You’ll understand if I can’t tell you, I’m sure.”

  “Oh, you have to!” Charlotte exclaimed. “His life is in danger, and he just doesn’t understand!”

  “As far as I can see your brother takes after your father.” The vicomte smiled. “Rather romantic, eloping like that. I’d always wished I could just whisk away a girl and marry her rather than have to endure a large and boring wedding. Of course, my dear wife Kitty had other ideas.”