“Very well,” she responded. “What is this concerning?”
“That gentleman, that Mr. Worthington,” Moriah began, leaning in closer to Charlotte, “how disagreeable he is.”
“Indeed,” Maud agreed, “I did not think it possible for a person to possess such a frown.”
“Nor I. And what a pity it is, for he is handsome, I daresay.”
“Oh, certainly, but most unpleasant.”
“To be a guest and conduct oneself in such a way. Why, it is extraordinarily cruel.”
“Or is he simply vain?”
“Yes, with such a look, vanity must be the answer.”
“Has he behaved so since joining you at Brightwood?”
“And what excuse has he for behaving in this manner?”
“Ladies,” Charlotte said, managing to break through their chatter at last with a hurried whisper of her own.
She glanced to Mrs. Worthington, relieved to see the woman seemingly unaware of their words and still in conversation with Mrs. Seabrook.
“I assure you,” Charlotte continued in a hushed tone, “Mr. Worthington is not as unpleasant as you assume.”
As the words escaped her mouth, she frowned.
Now you defend him, she thought, though you have had the very same objections to the gentleman?
“How can you say such a thing, Miss Rosebury?” Maud asked. “We have observed his unpleasantness for ourselves.”
Charlotte’s mind raced for an answer, again wondering why she did not simply tell them the truth.
“He may frown, but he is still a gentleman,” she answered.
Though his words may suggest otherwise.
“But how unkind he seemed.”
“And how reserved he appeared.”
Charlotte felt her already-weak defense waning.
“Even still,” she said, “he is in unfamiliar surroundings with people he has not met before. I am quite certain his behavior is a revelation of his mere discomfort being away from…his home…”
Her sentence trailed off as the truth in her words struck her heart, understanding filling her soul in an instant.
Mr. Worthington is in unfamiliar surroundings, she repeated to herself, and because he assumes he has been duped into coming here, of course we would behave less than favorably.
Charlotte wondered if Mrs. Worthington had, indeed, an ulterior motive in bringing Gabriel to Brightwood, as he had suggested, but Maud’s words interrupted her before she could think further.
“Well,” Maud said, “he may be anxious at Brightwood, but you must admit, his frown is excessive.”
“I completely agree, sister,” Moriah said. “I, for one, am glad we do not have such a guest in our household.”
“Indeed,” Maud said, “especially for so long. It is fortunate he has fallen under Brightwood’s care, for the Rosebury family are the only family with enough tolerance for such behavior.”
“Quite. I feel vexed even thinking of entertaining such a man in our home.”
“Let us speak of other matters then,” Charlotte suggested lightly, though the realization she had made concerning Gabriel caused her smile to weaken, “for I should like to see you both happy before our visit ends. I have heard Mrs. Hunt has put in a new order for the latest ribbons. We must visit her shop soon to see for ourselves.”
After a much more pleasant ending to their call, the Seabrooks took their leave, and Charlotte slipped away from her mother and Mrs. Worthington to see how Julia faired.
“I am dying to leave this room, Charlotte!” Julia exclaimed the moment Charlotte appeared before her, so the sisters devised a plan to walk the halls, slowly and away from their mother, in order for Julia’s anxiousness to be relieved.
They spoke of the Seabrook’s visit, as well as Gabriel’s lack of manners, until they were distracted by a tune drifting toward them from a hallway nearby.
“Who is playing the pianoforte?” Charlotte questioned with a furrowed brow, pausing to listen to the tune she did not recognize.
“Perhaps it is Mrs. Worthington,” Julia suggested, but Charlotte frowned.
“She has never before mentioned any ability to play.”
They shared a curious glance before following the melody to the drawing room, pausing outside the door to enjoy the music before Charlotte, intent on expressing her admiration of Mrs. Worthington’s playing, peered around the wall.
However, when she discovered the performer to be none other than Gabriel, her heart skipped a beat.
“Mr. Worthington?” she said aloud as Julia gasped, remaining hidden in the hallway.
Gabriel’s playing came to an abrupt, discordant end as he stood from his seated position behind the instrument, an instant and angry glower upon his face.
“I am sorry to have interrupted your playing, sir,” Charlotte said, unnerved under his darkened gaze, “but I only wished to discover who was playing such beautiful music.”
“Who else would have been playing?” he asked shortly.
Embarrassment flushed throughout her.
“I…I thought perhaps it was your mother,” she stammered.
“You must have known she does not play.”
“Yes, that is what I thought,” Charlotte responded, “but—”
“Then how could you have sensibly assumed it was her?”
Charlotte could sense Julia’s widened eyes upon her, so she squared her shoulders and faced Gabriel with a frown.
“Excuse me,” she began, “I have done nothing wrong. And if you possessed a single drop of decency in your soul, you would not rebuke me for my simple curiosity.”
She glared at him as fiercely as she could before reaching for the handle to slam the door shut behind her.
“Why was he so angry?” Julia asked, her frown as fierce as Charlotte’s as they stomped away in the direction of Julia’s room.
“It is beyond me!” Charlotte exclaimed, flinging her hands in the air. “Oh, to think I defended him to the Seabrooks. Well, I shall not make that mistake again because I refuse to speak of the insufferable man a moment longer!”
And she stayed true to her word until the privacy of Julia’s room, where both sisters vented once more about the man and his ungentlemanly actions.
Chapter Four
Days after the Seabrook’s call, the Roseburys and Worthingtons gathered in the drawing room after dinner, Charlotte staring lazily into the warm, crackling fire as her mother and Mrs. Worthington discussed plans for their visit to the village the next morning. Only when she heard Mrs. Worthington address her son did her gaze flicker toward the brooding man gazing out of the darkened window.
“Gabriel,” Mrs. Worthington began, “will you not reconsider? I am certain you would enjoy Stratford.”
“No, thank you,” he replied without looking away from the glass, though Charlotte was sure he could see nothing but his own reflection mixed with the darkness. “I have already agreed to spend the morning with Mr. Rosebury.”
“I have been meaning to speak with you concerning our plans, Mr. Worthington,” Mr. Rosebury said. “Would you mind if we rescheduled? You see, I have been looking into purchasing a particular horse but have been quite uncertain. However, I am afraid I can no longer delay, so I shall be joining the others tomorrow.”
“Very well,” Gabriel said. “I shall find something else with which to occupy my time until you return.”
“Well,” Mr. Rosebury continued, placing his cup and saucer upon a nearby table, “I was rather hoping you would join me so you might have a look at the horse yourself, as I know how skilled a horseman you are.”
“I am certain you do not need my assistance,” Gabriel said, and Charlotte exchanged a frowning glance with Julia, who sat next to her.
“Yes, but I should like a second opinion on the matter,” Mr. Rosebury pressed.
“Oh, Gabriel,” Mrs. Worthington added, “surely you cannot refuse him.”
Charlotte’s frown grew as Gabriel remained silent.
“I shall not press you further on the issue,” Mr. Rosebury added, “though the offer still stands.”
Charlotte bit her lip in an attempt to silence the unkind words she longed to say to the gentleman, however, she did not have to prevent her words for long, for Gabriel let out a sigh and finally faced the others.
“Very well, Mr. Rosebury,” he said. “I should be glad to join you and assist you in any way I can.”
“Excellent,” Mr. Rosebury said as he picked up his cup and saucer again.
“It is settled,” Mrs. Rosebury said. “We shall all go to Stratford tomorrow.”
The conversation continued, though Charlotte did not hear another word, for her frustration with the gentleman who had yet again turned to stare out of the window had peaked.
Is it really so difficult for him to help Father, she wondered, frowning directly at him, though she could only see his profile, even after the kindness my family has continually shown him?
Suddenly, Gabriel looked toward her, and their gaze met across the room. Charlotte had every intention of glaring at him to reveal her frustration, however, as their eyes locked, she saw a flicker of uncertainty in Gabriel’s light blue eyes, and surprise filled her.
Before she knew what was happening, her frown softened and a small smile spread across her lips, and though she had not expected him to return her smile, when he abruptly left the room without a word, his scowl even fiercer, Charlotte could not help but wonder how much longer she could handle such a disagreeable person in her home.
Gabriel stormed down the hallway, his boots stomping against the floor as he fled from Charlotte’s unassuming smile, for though he longed to feel indifferent, he knew his behavior toward the woman had been deplorable from the start, and the guilt continued to rush over the walls he had spent so long building around his heart.
“Gabriel!”
Gritting his teeth, Gabriel slowed his step only slightly before hearing his mother call again, her tone even more fierce.
“Gabriel, you wait for me this instant!”
With a sigh of great restraint, he slowed his steps but kept his back toward his mother as she approached.
“Are you in need of something, Mother?” he asked.
“Oh, indeed, I am,” she growled, moving around to face him with an angry stare. “An explanation, if you would be so kind.”
“An explanation?”
“Do not feign ignorance with me, Gabriel,” she said, both hands upon her hips. “What do you mean by leaving us so abruptly?”
“I was feeling a little warm, that is all.”
Mrs. Worthington stared at him in silence for a moment. “Am I to expect this same answer if I ask you the reasoning behind your blatant disregard for the feelings of my friends, the Roseburys?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Gabriel glanced over his shoulder to ensure they had not been followed, and he was grateful for the distance between them and the drawing room so their conversation would not be overheard.
“Perhaps I have other reasons,” he muttered, staring at the floor between them.
“And will you tell me these reasons?”
He looked up with hardened eyes, pushing aside his guilt before asking, “Have you forgotten your lie so soon?”
“What a thing to accuse your own mother of doing,” she replied, though her steady gaze had faltered.
“Mother,” he said shortly, “you said the Roseburys had two young daughters. I would hardly place Miss Rosebury as a young girl.”
“Of course she is not young,” Mrs. Worthington said as she smoothed down the front of her dress. “Surely you must recall the Roseburys being mentioned by me when you were a boy. How could both of their daughters still be young after all this time?”
Gabriel frowned at his own lack of perceptibility, but he shook his head nonetheless.
“I did not think to question Miss Rosebury’s age for I had no reason to doubt your words,” he said.
“Oh, what does it matter if she is young or old, Gabriel?” she asked, her chin raised.
“Her age matters,” he began, leaning forward with lowered brows, “because you knew I would not have come here had I known the truth.”
To his surprise, Mrs. Worthington softly smiled. “Of course I knew that, son,” she said, “hence the reason I kept it from you.”
His eyes narrowed. “What is your true reasoning behind your deception?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Gabriel,” Mr. Worthington said with a sigh as she looked to the ceiling, “yes. Yes, I admit to it. I had hoped, in your coming to the Roseburys, you might see how amiable Miss Rosebury is, perhaps even enough to…well, I am sure you know.”
“Of course I know,” he said, “but did you not promise me you would accept my decision to remain single?”
“Oh, but I have, Gabriel,” Mrs. Worthington said with a nod. “Only, I promised to do so after we had already departed Greyston Hall.”
Gabriel kept silent.
“And I have kept my promise here, have I not?” she asked. “Have I attempted to bring the two of you together in any way?”
He glanced away, shaking his head as his shoulders slumped forth.
“There, you see?” she said. “I have kept my promise.”
“I suppose you have.”
Mrs. Worthington’s expression grew serious. “I must ask you now to do something for me, Gabriel.”
“And what is that?”
“I will not ask you to marry Miss Rosebury,” she began, “nor anything of the sort. However, you must promise me, from this point forward, to behave like the gentleman I know your father and I raised you to be, particularly around the Roseburys.”
Gabriel sighed. “I will agree to that.”
“This, of course, includes Miss Rosebury.”
He averted his gaze. “I shall do my best.”
“This is difficult for you, Gabriel,” Mrs. Worthington said gently, “however I know Miss Rosebury to be an intelligent woman. I am certain she will not assume your kindness to be anything more than an offer of friendship, as her kindness is to you.”
“Yes, I know this now.”
“I only wish…” Mrs. Worthington stopped, looking at him with a sudden, wary gaze. “What do you mean?”
When Gabriel’s frown increased, Mrs. Worthington took a step closer to him.
“Gabriel?” she pressed.
“I…” he hesitated. “I told her.”
“You told her,” Mrs. Worthington repeated, brow furrowed. “You told her what exactly?”
“I simply told her my resolution,” he said, attempting to appear nonchalant though the guilt consuming him once again caused his words to weaken, “that I had no intention of marrying anyone, herself included.”
“Oh, Gabriel,” Mrs. Worthington said, her disappointed tone increasing his shame, “how could you be so cruel?”
He shrugged his shoulders, for he had asked himself the very same question time and time again.
“Did Miss Rosebury give you cause to speak such things to her?” she asked.
“I had assumed she was acting with you in an attempt to receive an offer of marriage from me,” he said. “It was easy to believe, what with the excessive attention I received from her.”
“What arrogance!” Mrs. Worthington exclaimed, her voice again raising.
“I was perfectly justified in thinking—”
“No, Gabriel,” she interrupted, “your actions were uncalled for because the only feelings you considered were your own. Miss Rosebury’s excessive attention was merely her behaving as any amiable young person ought to behave. Her kindness, I am certain, was to help you feel at ease in her home, not to encourage an attachment between the two of you.”
“I know, Mother,” he said defensively, “Miss Rosebury has already said as much.”
“And what was your response?” she asked.
He looked away. “I do not remember exactly,” he lied. “I only know our words w
ere heated.”
“I can only imagine,” Mrs. Worthington said, shaking her head. “You told her this on our first day here?”
Gabriel nodded. “I did,” he said softly, “though I never meant to offend her.”
“But you did, son,” she said. “You did offend her. Of that, I am certain.”
She shook her head as she walked past him, briefly pausing behind him to say, “You should know, the Roseburys have not uttered a single word of complaint against you. When the Seabrooks called, days ago, I overheard the young ladies criticizing your behavior. However, Miss Rosebury did not hesitate in coming to your defense more than once, though I am certain I would not blame her had she agreed with their words.”
Gabriel’s stomach churned, and his brows pulled together in regret.
“I am sorry for omitting Miss Rosebury’s age before,” Mrs. Worthington continued, “but I must ask you to not allow my own actions to affect the way you treat her. She is, in no way, at fault. I only pray it is not too late for you to right this wrong. Goodnight, son.”
He listened to her soft footsteps disappear down the hallway, remaining where he stood as guilt washed over him until, at last, his resolve strengthened.
I must apologize, he thought, no matter the consequence.
And he made his way to his room, praying he might be forgiven for such callous behavior toward someone as kind and good as Charlotte Rosebury.
***
After the Worthingtons had left the drawing room the previous evening, Charlotte had, at last, informed her parents of her quarrel with Gabriel, and though they had encouraged her to forgive the gentleman, Charlotte was determined to stand her ground.
When the families gathered to leave for Stratford-upon-Avon the next morning, however, Charlotte was most surprised to discover Gabriel’s ever-present frown absent and an almost pleasant look upon his handsome face.
What has happened to him, she thought with a frown as she watched him ride his horse next to their carriage on their way to the village, to have him so agreeable this morning?
Upon reaching Stratford, the gentlemen headed for the center of town while the women moved slowly from shop to shop, visiting with one another before finally joining Gabriel and Mr. Rosebury for a stroll along the banks of the River Avon.
To Warm A Wintered Heart (Regency Romance) Page 4
