by Abby Ayles
* * *
“I don’t think it is in use,” Lady Charlotte said, craning her neck on her tiptoes. “I haven’t heard the sounds of babies to be sure, and no mother has appeared. I must confess I have been here for some time,” she added with a slight giggle. “I am so glad you came upon me as I was just about to give up all hope.”
* * *
Raven had a sinking suspicion that her hope had nothing to do with finding a treasure in the nest.
* * *
“If you will just step down, I will inspect the nest for you,” Raven said, motioning for the lady to remove herself.
* * *
The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could go and find Lady Alexandra. Lady Charlotte gave him a satisfied smile. This was just what she was hoping for. Reaching down with her gloved hand she took his and held it there for just a second longer than he would have liked.
* * *
He had to admit that Lady Charlotte was a beautiful woman. She was dressed in a soft cream cotton gown with a pattern of rosettes that brought out the warmth in her cheeks. She always had a pleasant face and knew the right things to say in any situation. If he hadn’t already given his heart to another, he was sure she would have been a good choice. In fact, he could only say that one day he knew she would make someone a very lucky man. He was just not that man.
* * *
There was a pang of guilt at the thought. Raven had led her on in the beginning, not out of malice of course, but had none the less given the impression that he was interested in her. As of yet, Raven hadn’t really made it clear that he thought otherwise now.
* * *
He determined that thought this moment was an annoyance, at least it would be a chance to set the record straight with the lady before he gave his heart away entirely to another.
* * *
In that moment’s hesitation where their hands touched and the lady didn’t move, he watched as her dark eyelashes fluttered upward and she looked at something beyond him. A small smile curled at the sides of her lips as she stepped forward.
* * *
It all happened so fast, Raven struggled to even replay the moments slower in his head after the fact. First, the lady’s sipper must have caught on the hem of her dress.
* * *
He hadn’t seen it but heard her sharp intake of breath as she began to fall forward off the bench. Instincts kicked in. He removed the hold of her hand and grasped her fully in his arms around her waist. She came tumbling down, the whole of her light frame collapsing into his chest.
* * *
He felt her hands grip tight to his jacket as her legs went weak beneath her. She looked up at him with shortness of breath and shining eyes. He heard the small breath of an “oh dear” float across the air.
* * *
It took him a second of watching Lady Charlotte and ensuring she was all right to realize the words had not passed her lips but another’s. He spun his head around, still holding the lady in his arms, to see both Lady Eagleton and Lady Alexandra had come upon them at that very moment.
* * *
Lady Eagleton must have been the one to call out the exclamation as her hand was covering her mouth in shock at intruding on what looked like a very compromising moment. Lady Alexandra just merely stared at him.
* * *
For a woman who had little room for dishonesty or filtering of her thoughts, she was a pool of emptiness in that gaze. Raven looked back down at Charlotte and then again to Alexandra realizing in that second what she must be thinking behind her mask of an expression.
* * *
He swallowed hard, willing his mouth to speak but couldn’t seem to find any words. Before Lady Charlotte had even gained her footing, all of this happening in a matter of seconds, Lady Alexandra turned on her slippered heels and walked determinately away from him.
* * *
Lady Eagleton stood watching them a few moments more. Lady Charlotte clamored to her own feet, at least having the dignity to look embarrassed at the audience before them.
* * *
“It’s not…” Raven tried to stammer out motioning between him and the lady he was now trying to put distance between.
* * *
Lady Eagleton simple turned and followed behind her friend already out of view.
* * *
He didn’t blame either lady. He wasn’t sure how he would have reacted had he come upon such a similar situation. It was entirely accidental on his part, however, and not at all the moment he was hoping to share with Lady Alexandra today.
* * *
Lady Charlotte and Raven stood in silence, luckily with more distance between them as she took to making sure she was righted all around.
* * *
“You didn’t hurt yourself, I hope,” Raven said after several seconds of silence.
* * *
He was sure he would have much rather liked to run after Lady Alexandra and find a way to explain to her the scene she had witnessed. He was sure the conclusions currently running through her head was not at all accurate.
* * *
“Yes, I think I am fine,” Lady Charlotte said slightly breathless. “Thank goodness you were there to catch me, Your Grace. I fear I would have twisted my ankle otherwise,” she said with gratitude and he sensed a hint of something else.
* * *
Though the moment had all happened so fast, he was almost sure that the lady had either planned such a thing or taken an opportunity as it came upon them quite suddenly to produce the scene purposefully.
* * *
“I must go and apologize to Lady Eagleton, I am sure it was quite a shock for her to see us entangled so,” Lady Charlotte said, emphasizing their intimate embrace.
* * *
“You will say it was a mistake, of course,” Raven clarified, narrowing his eyes on her.
* * *
“I mean certainly it was an accident,” Lady Charlotte corrected. “Would you truly call it a mistake though, Your Grace?” she asked batting her eyes at him.
* * *
“Yes, I most certainly would,” Raven quickly responded.
* * *
He saw his words had offended the lady and took a steadying breath to calm his rising anger at the mischief a simple moment was already causing in his life.
* * *
“Yet, what’s done is done,” she said softly.
* * *
Raven didn’t speak, he knew what she was talking about. Though nothing had actually transpired between the two of them, they had just been publicly caught in a compromising situation. For all Lady Eagleton and Lady, Alexandra knew they were holding each other in a lover’s embrace.
* * *
Honor would dictate that he take the woman’s hand in marriage for the sake of her reputation. He rolled the thought around in his head. Obviously, it was what the lady had intended all along from the start. She must have noticed how all his attentions had turned to Lady Alexandra and wanted to make her claim now.
* * *
“Lady Charlotte,” Raven said slowly. “It was just a slip. I naturally couldn’t just let you fall from such a height. I don’t think we should make more out of it than it is?”
* * *
“But we were seen. What will people say?” she scoffed at his response.
* * *
“I suppose that will all depend on what you say when you explain to Lady Eagleton the situation that caused you to fall into my arms,” he said with a huff.
* * *
Indeed, accidents like this happened. Though it wasn’t proper contact that they had shared, it certainly was a scandalizing compromise of Lady Charlotte’s reputation. A simple explanation should have sufficed. He knew both Lady Eagleton and Lady Alexandra would never gossip beyond what reason was given.
* * *
It was all in Lady Charlotte’s hand if she wanted to make this moment more than it was. Raven was sure that if he made it clear that he had no
intention of making a connection with her, she would lose inclination to spread her own version of the story. It would only hurt Lady Charlotte’s own reputation in the end.
* * *
“I know that we met a few months ago at the start of the season,” Raven said slowly and delicately. “I think you are a wonderful lady. I must confess to you, however, my heart has been taken by another.”
* * *
He wanted her to be completely clear on this fact with no questioning his determination to marry Lady Alexandra. He didn’t need to say the lady’s name for Lady Charlotte to know to whom he referred.
* * *
“But…” she hesitated.
* * *
“I know,” he said interrupting her. “I gave an impression, and at the time I did mean it. But I guess the only reason I can give you for my change of mind, is that the heart has a mind of its own. I didn’t decide this course of action, I must follow it or else be miserable all my days. Certainly, someone as kind and understanding as you can forgive me for this?”
* * *
Lady Charlotte stood staring blinking up at the duke for a few seconds. Perhaps she was debating if she was really willing to give up on him. Finally, he saw the resolve melt across her face, and he sighed with relief.
* * *
“Of course, I would not want to stand in the way of someone else’s happiness,” she said weakly.
* * *
“I thank you for that,” Raven said with a smile. “I am sure the rest are done with their scavenging. Would you like me to check the nest for you before we make our way back,” he asked as a sort of recompense.
* * *
“No,” she said her eyes floating back to the waiting party.
* * *
She pulled out of her skirt pocket a small blue feather.
* * *
“I found this here on the ground. It’s what made me look up to the nest. I am sure it will do,” she added sadly.
* * *
Raven nodded his understanding to together they walked back to the picnic in silence.
Chapter Thirty-One
The following afternoon, Lady Alexandra sat in her friend's private drawing room. They hadn’t spoken much as they waited for the small sandwiches and tea service.
* * *
Once it arrived, Lady Eagleton set to work serving the tea. It wasn’t until both had cups in their hand with the ringing of stirring silver spoons that Lady Eagleton broke the silence.
* * *
“Lady Charlotte did approach me as we were leaving,” she said without any introduction into the conversation they both had on their minds already.
* * *
“Did she?” Lady Alexandra said half-heartedly as she studied the ripples in her cup as the spoon made its rotation.
* * *
She hadn’t forgotten the scene that she had beheld not more than twenty-four hours earlier. Even now she was sure she could see it in the reflection of her tea.
* * *
They had just come around the corner on their way back to the picnic blankets. Lady Eagleton had chosen a violet flower, and Lady Alexandra picked an iridescent shell that decorated around one of the gardens.
* * *
Hearing voices up ahead they lowered their own conversation. Lady Alexandra was just confessing to Lady Eagleton, in their complete privacy for the first time that day, that her dear friend was in fact right. Lady Alexandra had no doubt that she has fallen completely for the Duke of Raven.
* * *
Of course, instead of lingering on the fact that she had known it first, Lady Eagleton clapped with joy at the notion that her friend had found happiness. Naturally, Lady Alexandra had cautioned her friend's excitement. Though she knew her affections to be true, she still wasn’t one hundred percent certain of Raven’s.
* * *
“I dare say, you will not believe it until you are walking down the aisle with Raven waiting at the other end,” Lady Eagleton had teased just as they turned the bend.
* * *
The giggling had turned into stunned silence at the scene that was before them. Lady Charlotte was embraced in Raven’s arms her hands clutching his jacket for support as he looked down at her affectionally.
* * *
She was hard of breath, which no doubt meant the girls had only been moments behind seeing their kiss. The way that Lady Charlotte was looking up at him, wholly supported by his sturdy frame, was just enough to send Lady Alexandra’s heart shattering to the floor.
* * *
Raven’s eyes followed the appearance of the intruders. He looked surprised at being caught and seemed to have no words to even explain himself.
* * *
Even if he had tried, Lady Alexandra would hear nothing of the sort. She promptly spun on her heels not waiting for her friend to follow. She seethed with her own stupidity as she circled back around the cottage the longer way and came back to the waiting blanket.
* * *
Lady Eagleton had caught up to her side. Wisely she had spoken nothing to her friend. It was a good choice as Lady Alexandra wasn’t sure if she would go spinning in a rant of rage or melt into a puddle of sorrow.
* * *
They reached the picnic party just in them to see Lady Charlotte walking up next to Raven.
* * *
The only thing worse than seeing them together after such an intimate moment was the smug look on Lady Derber and Lady Rebecca’s faces at their companionship.
* * *
Clearly, this had been the plan all along, and nothing had derailed it. Lady Alexandra hated herself forever considering that she would take the duke’s attention when compared to Lady Charlotte.
* * *
The declarations of treasured items proceeded but a very different mood could be felt by the whole party. Well, that was except for her two youngest sisters who were none the wiser.
* * *
As the party concluded and they all rose to return to waiting carriages by the cottage, Lady Josephine came to her sister’s side.
* * *
“What’s the matter, Alexandra? You were a ray of sun all day, and since returning from the hunt, you look as if grey clouds now cover your soul?”
* * *
Lady Alexandra couldn’t convey how accurate her sister's summation was. Instead, she informed her sister she would discuss the matter in private later that night.
* * *
She had refused to even allow herself to look at either the duke or his companion. Walking back down to the cottage, she did so at a much slower pace so that she could still see the party ahead but not well enough to see the couple in all their joy.
* * *
“Lady Alexandra,” a dark voice said startling her from her sorrow.
* * *
She looked up to see that the duke too had hesitated to leave. Perhaps he wanted to explain himself now to her. Part of her would have liked that. She wanted to make him say that he was leading her on, making close connections to her father and his family all for the sake of a malicious joke.
* * *
She remembered the banquet in two days’ time, however. Accusing the duke and forcing him to show his true colors wouldn’t do now. Certainly, after such an altercation he would remove his use of the building. She would bite her tongue for a few more days.
* * *
“Yes, Your Grace? Is there something you need? Perhaps some final requirements for your event? I would be happy to speak to you over business matters,” she said trying to sound as pleasant as possible.
* * *
“Alexandra,” he said again this time in a pleading voice.
* * *
He gently gripped her arm forcing her to stop her progression back to the carriage. Raven wanted her to look at him, but she wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
* * *
Instead, she stopped walking but took a step away from him and crossed her arms, eyes straight ahead.
She had no desire to hear him out for she knew that the likelihood of keeping her thoughts to herself would be impossible.
