“To make certain you are doing as I demanded, of course. I have reason to doubt, you know.” Lord Waverly crossed his arms over his chest. “Not to mention that I had a visitor late last night. Rather unexpected. He tells me that you did as I asked and utterly enchanted him. Then you threw him over in favor of that cur who is likely on the other side of this door.” Her father made a tisking sound. “How could you, Charlotte, when Noah has made it very clear you never have to occupy the duke’s bed? Only his. I am told the two of you kissed. I know you, daughter, and you’d not have done that if you did not fancy the man.”
Charlotte blanched. She did not wish to be discussing this with her father, though she was well aware that he viewed her as little more than a broodmare these days – if he had ever seen her as anything else, which she sincerely doubted.
“Father, I am certain that whatever Lord Snowly said…”
“Was the absolute truth.” Noah finished her sentence for her as he stepped out from a small alcove where he had been hiding. Probably waiting for his chance to shock her she guessed. Except that she wasn’t really shocked. Disappointed in him perhaps, but not shocked. “You did entice me, Charlotte. Very much so. With your clever words and fluttering eyes, your low-cut gowns and your teasing manner. You told me you wished to be free to know your own mind. You enjoyed my company and I yours. Whether it was your intention that I do so or not, my darling, I did come to desire you. I still do.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at both men. She had no wish to deal with them. Not now. However, it seemed that she must. “Except that I do not want you, Noah. I made that clear last night. I require more from a marriage than just the marriage bed.” Charlotte then turned to her father. “Nor will I allow you to order me about any longer, Father. I am through playing the obedient daughter to plump your pockets so that you can continue to live as if you have coin to spare. I am going to marry Lord Underhill and that is the end of things.”
Charlotte did not like the look in her father’s eyes. She was fairly certain she could manage to cajole Noah into letting her go. After all, he wanted her in his bed so he was unlikely to do anything to her if he had even the faintest of hope that she might allow such a thing. Not to mention that she still believed that at his heart, Noah was a good man. Lost right now, perhaps, but still a good man.
Her father, on the other hand, had little to lose and would gladly hand her over to Noah without question, even if it meant becoming physical with her. She had seen him do no less to her mother. That was, at least in part, why her mother medicated herself as she did.
“Unless, of course, the marriage contracts between you and Lord Springford are signed first,” her father replied smoothly. “A messenger is already on his way to the ducal estate, papers in hand and bearing my signature. Your fate is sealed, my dear. You will be the next Duchess of Springford.” He smirked. “Twice over, for I am told the man is nearly at death’s door and, of course, you will wed Noah here after your period of mourning ends. And I will be a wealthy man once more.”
“I won’t wed to suit you,” Charlotte spat, determined to fight her father on this. Except that she knew from experience that he would not change his mind, so she instead turned her appeal to Noah, hoping that something of the man she had met only a few days ago remained inside of him. That his pretensions to being a gentleman of propriety had not been completely misleading. That she wasn’t wrong in her belief that beneath everything, he was still a decent man. “Noah, please. Stop this! It is madness.”
“It is the only way I can have you, Charlotte,” Noah replied stepping around her father who was only too eager to remove himself and allow Noah to grasp her hand. “I desire you. I also desire to retain my claim upon the Springford dukedom. Marrying you will give me both. We could be good together. I know that we could be. You’ve only to give me the chance. Underhill can never give you the sort of pleasure I can.”
Charlotte snorted in derision, knowing that was a lie. She had found more pleasure in Francis’ arms – not to mention in his bed – than she had ever dreamed possible.
She also tried to remember where there might be some sort of weapon lying about though she doubted she could bash both of these men over the head before the other stopped her. For this was not going particularly well for her at the moment. She could scream, she supposed, but also wondered if the sound would carry through the thick oak doors. Even if it did, given the sound of excited chatter coming from the other side, she doubted she would be heard.
“And what of me, Noah? What do I receive from this plan?” Charlotte decided to appeal to the part of the man that cared for her – or at least claimed to care.
Noah looked at her, baffled as if he could not understand why she would ask such a foolish question. “Why, unlimited wealth and pampering, of course. You may have whatever your heart desires once you wed into the Springford line. Gowns. Jewels. Estates. There is a bloody great fortune at your disposal. Not even the most lavish of women could make a dent in what I will have to offer. Whatever you like is yours.”
“All in exchange for my body,” she snapped irritably.
Once more, Noah looked confused though not angry, unlike her father who was still all but growling in the background. “Well, yes. That is the way of things. I possess your body, you provide an heir, and I gift you with whatever you desire. That is generally how these arrangements work. Come now, Charlotte my love. You are certainly not that misguided, are you? You were raised in Society after all.”
Charlotte laughed. She laughed at the absurdity of the entire situation. She laughed at both Noah and her father, men who still believed they could control her. They could not. For she had discovered what it was truly like to love someone and that discovery had given her the strength to plot her own course, no matter the cost.
“What is so funny, gel?” her father snapped as he glared at Noah, obviously not understanding why the younger man did not simply drag Charlotte away with him. “Let us go. We need to be on the road back to London before Fullbridge learns we are here. I doubt he will give us a warm welcome.” He glanced at Noah’s injured face that had only just begun to heal. “You especially.”
“My differences are with the duke. Not you,” Noah sniffed, obviously annoyed. “And I’ll thank you not to speak to my future duchess that way. No matter what, she is a lady and deserves to be treated with respect. She is not property.”
“She’s still my daughter and my property, Snowly. Don’t you forget that!” Her father’s face was purple now.
Perfect. The two men hoping to decide her fate were squabbling with each other. She did not take that as a hopeful sign. Unless, of course, she could use their bickering to her advantage – and acted quickly.
Charlotte took a step back as Noah and her father continued to glare at each other, pressing herself firmly against the study doors, her hands clasped behind her so that she might grip the knob firmly. She knew the doors opened inward, so if all else failed, she would try to fling herself against the doors and hope for the best.
“Forgive me, Father. You and Noah are both deluded if you believe I will go along with this mad plan. The only man I will marry is Lord Francis Deaver, and you will see me long gone from London – possibly even all of England – before I allow any Springford man to touch me again.”
“We shall see about that,” her father replied archly as he reached for her.
Just as he did so, Charlotte pushed backward, twisting the doorknob. Except that the door had not been fully closed so she, her father and Noah, all tumbled into Phin’s study – and directly at the feet of a very angry looking Duke of Fullbridge.
The Duke of Fullbridge’s ballroom sparkled under the glow of hundreds of candles, all glittering from their perches high above in two enormous chandeliers. The dancers twirling beneath the twinkling lights seemed to move in slow motion, at least to Charlotte’s eye.
In the far corner, she could see Lord Buxton glaring from behind his
domino half mask. Cilla, her mask mostly covering her face, waltzed with a man Charlotte suspected might be Dr. Longford, though she had no way to be certain. She could also pick out Phin and Violet in the crush as the duke led Francis’ sister out for the set. There were others she recognized in the masked crowd as well, including Miss Worth, not to mention many that she did not.
However the only thing that mattered to Charlotte was that she was in the arms of the man she loved, the announcement of their upcoming nuptials had been made, and the world seemed a hazy, lovely, glorious place just then. Everything was perfect. Or nearly so. Though not everyone was likely having as splendid a night as she was.
“It was humorous when Phin blackened Noah’s other eye, wasn’t it?” Charlotte looked up into the face of her husband to be with something akin to adoration, not to mention with a lightness in her heart she could not remember feeling before.
“I dare say he took that whole ‘defense of a lady’s honor’ thing a bit too far,” Francis replied softly as he pulled her closer and moved them into the steps of the dance. “Though it was nice to see your father put in his place, I will admit.”
Charlotte shivered in spite of herself. “I can only pray he does not darken our doorstep again. Today is not a day I would wish to repeat. At least not the part in Phin’s study.”
After Charlotte, her father and Noah had tumbled into Phin’s study, there had been more than a few moments of chaos and a real fear of bloodshed. Especially when her father had lunged at Francis, his hands aiming for his throat.
It had only taken Lord Buxton a moment to restrain the man, given that her father was not quite as young as he imagined himself to be. Even though her father had continued to rant while being secured by the younger man, Noah had at first managed to keep a clear head. At least until, for some bizarre reason, he insulted Violet after it was revealed that she was Francis’ adopted sister rather than his wife. He had referred to her as a fortune-hunting trollop, something that had not sat well with Phin who had already taken a liking to the girl during the brief time they had been acquainted and viewed her as something of a younger sister as well. One a good deal less precocious than his blood sister, Cilla.
No one in the room had been aware of Phin’s feelings on the matter or that he even had any feelings at all, actually. At least not until Phin’s fist had met Noah’s undamaged eye. Then, Phin had shrugged rather casually and mentioned that he considered Violet his sister as well for she seemed a good sort – and those were his exact words. When he had added “not to mention that the bloody bastard deserved it” that had broken the remaining tension in the room and everyone had laughed a bit. Francis had anyway. Charlotte wasn’t certain about anyone else.
After that, Phin had summoned several of his footmen to remove Lord Waverly from his home, sending him off with a warning against interfering with Charlotte and Francis again. When the marquess had challenged Phin’s authority, Phin had simply reminded Charlotte’s father that he was a duke and that dukes could generally do as they pleased. He also mentioned that he was friends with the archbishop and, as they were not all that far from London, he could obtain a special license for his new friends in a trice so that they could be wed as soon as tomorrow – long before Waverly’s messenger reached Springford with the marriage settlement papers. If the messenger even reached him, that was.
Charlotte’s father had growled and grumbled but he had not challenged Phin further. He might have but it was then that he noticed Count Marino lounging about in a dark corner of the study. When the count, who was still enjoying his celebratory glass of scotch, had given the man a rather jaunty wave, Waverly had immediately clamped his lips shut and allowed himself to be led from the room without another word.
“He won’t disturb us,” Francis assured Charlotte pulling her closer, almost far too close than the waltz they were dancing dictated. “Even if he was inclined to, the moment he saw your Uncle Cris today, he changed his mind. I have to imagine that your uncle’s presence in our lives will be a rather effective deterrent against further interference from your father.”
“I had no idea my father was afraid of the count,” Charlotte confessed. “I always assumed that he did not care enough about Mama to be concerned whom she spent her time with. Now I wonder if he was merely afraid of Uncle Cris, so Papa did not object overmuch when she chose to be with him.”
“I am not certain we will ever know. Just as I am not certain we will know the truth about a good many things. But we know enough for now and that is what matters.” Francis had no idea about the inner workings of Charlotte’s family, but he hoped that he would learn in time. For the moment, however, he had other things to occupy his mind. Namely the discovery of Violet. His sister and not his wife.
“Yes, we do, and I am thankful that we know the truth about Violet as well.” Charlotte rushed to fill in the silence. “I know we’ve not had much time to speak about the matter, but I am so very glad she is your sister, and not purely for selfish reasons. Though there is that.”
Francis glanced to where she was still dancing the waltz with Phin. “You like her.”
“Yes. I do. She seems like a lovely girl.” Charlotte was sincere in that compliment. Though she had only spent a few hours with Violet that afternoon, it was evident that the woman had been raised with both manners and grace, as well as a sense of decorum. She was witty and intelligent, not to mention beautiful and Charlotte could easily understand how Francis had adored her when he believed she was his sister.
Charlotte was no relation to the woman – at least not yet – and she already adored Violet as well. It was evident from the way Francis spoke of Violet that he did as well.
“I was thinking she might live with us.” Or so Francis hoped.
He desired a chance to get to know Violet as he had come to know Eliza over the last year. That afternoon, he had reconciled himself to the fact that his life had essentially begun anew the day he had awoken in the boarding house. Whatever his life had been before that day, it was gone and would never return. As he had told Violet, he needed to start making new memories with her, ones to fill the void where she had once been. He wanted to do that, for, despite their lack of familial ties, he felt deep inside that Violet was his sister.
Once more, his gut knew what his head could no longer remember.
Francis had recalled Dr. Longford’s wise words just then and knew that the physician had been right to offer that advice. His past was gone. He could not bring it back. He could only move forward and that included a life with Violet in his future. He would not abandon her. She was his sister, after all.
Charlotte smiled dreamily, her mind drifting as she imagined what tomorrow would be like. The day she would marry the man she loved. “Unless she is wed in the near future, as well.”
Francis didn’t wish to think about that possibility just then, though he knew that outcome was likely. Very likely given what he had witnessed that afternoon in Phin’s study.
“Speaking of marriage,” Francis continued, not bothering to reply directly to Charlotte’s comments, “are you certain that you are ready to be wed tomorrow? I know that you said you wished to wed quickly but that was when your father was pressuring you. We can wait if you like.”
Charlotte shook her head. “I am more than ready. I love you, Francis, and I cannot wait to be your wife.”
“Only if you are certain.” He was certain, but he wanted this to be Charlotte’s choice.
“I am. I love you.” Francis could see the truth of her words shining in her eyes. “Are you?”
He nodded. “I have been ready for quite some time. I wished to carry you off to Gretna so many times before. You cannot know how many.”
“But there was Violet.” Charlotte understood now. She truly did. “Until you were certain who she was you could not wed me with a clear conscience. I know that.” She bit her lip. “Still, I feel as if I have to ask again, considering all that we have been through. Do you still wish to
wed me? You can change your mind if you like or delay if that suits you.”
“I would not dare.” Francis reached up and stroked Charlotte’s cheek. “I love you, Charlotte. Until the very end of my days, I will love you and I want you as my wife. Now. As soon as possible. I swear it.”
“And I love you and want you for my husband. I do not wish to wait.” Charlotte wound her arms around Francis’ neck. “I am ready. Finally. I know my own mind.”
For she did. Charlotte, the woman who had fallen in love at first sight with a man with no memory, was more than prepared to make up for all of those missing years. He was the man she desired. The man she loved. Just as she was his, and she was more certain of that now than she had ever been.
Epilogue
Epilogue
Early August 1821
Seldon Park
Sussex
Warm late morning sun spilled across Francis’ face as he slowly came awake. He had no idea what time it was, but given the position of the sun in the sky, it was likely at least half eleven in the morning. Well past the time he and his wife should have been gathering with the others to break their fast.
Given that this was his brother-in-law’s estate, however, he doubted that anyone would complain about their absence. Not even on such a happy occasion would anyone wish to cross the Bloody Duke.
“Is it time to awake already?” Beside him, Charlotte yawned and stretched her still-lithe body that showed no signs of pregnancy yet. Though she had missed her courses last week so there was, he believed, reason to hope, even though they would not be certain for some time.
“Long since past time,” Francis replied, rolling to his side so that he could see her better. “I am certain most people are already up and about to play lawn games. I believe that battledore was on the schedule for today.”
A Lady to Desire Page 26
