by Regina Darcy
“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” Charles said at once, as William pressed the lady’s hand. “We have not met before now, I think?”
William glanced back at him, a wry smile on his face. “No, you have not. Ladies, this is my elder brother, Charles, the Marquess of Astor.” He chuckled as Charles bowed quickly. “You were busy playing cards when I first had the pleasure of meeting Miss Theodora Cadogan,” he continued, now smiling at the lady in question. “And this is her sister, whom I have only now just met.”
“Miss Charlotte Cadogan,” Miss Theodora introduced, as Charles bowed in her direction this time.
“How very lucky we are to meet you in the park today, Miss Theodora!” William continued before Charles had a chance to speak.
She blushed, her eyes sparkling. “Quite lucky indeed, my lord,” she murmured, never taking her eyes from William. “Shall we walk for a moment?”
Much to Charles’s consternation, the couple linked arms and began to walk away together, leaving him standing alone with the other sister.
“I suppose we had best follow them,” he muttered, feeling a little sheepish given the glare that Miss Charlotte Cadogan was sending in his brother’s direction. He waited for her to begin to step forward before joining her, wondering why she was so abysmally dressed in comparison to her sister.
“I did not know that Theodora planned this,” she said, crisply. “Do forgive us for intruding on your walk, my lord.”
He shook his head. “No, not at all. I believe my brother had the same thing in mind, although he should know better than to chase after young ladies who make calf’s eyes at him!”
She stopped then abruptly. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, frowning. “My sister does not make ‘calf’s eyes’, as you put it, at all and any gentlemen. She is quite particular, I will have you know.”
“Come now!” Charles exclaimed, his eyes twinkling. “You cannot tell me, in all truthfulness, that she has not been simpering and smiling at all eligible gentlemen?”
“No!” came the furious reply. “She has not! I would thank you not to be so insulting!”
Charles paused, the mirth gone from his expression. Much to his surprise—and consternation—he found the lady quite exquisite, even in the midst of her anger. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks red, and even though she frowned, Charles thought she was one of the loveliest creatures he had ever seen. He could not help but wonder why she dressed so, as well as what she might look like were she to dress in the height of fashion.
Clearing his throat, he tried to centre his thoughts.
“I apologise, Miss Cadogan. However, I will tell you now that I will not allow my brother to lose his heart to the first young lady he takes a fancy to, even if he believes her to return his affections.”
Miss Cadogan lifted her chin.
“I believe your brother is old enough to make his own decisions, my lord.”
Irritation rippled up Charles’s spine.
“Yes, well,” he muttered gruffly. “That may be so, but I will not allow him to go through the same experiences I have had.”
Miss Cadogan opened her mouth to speak but after a second or two closed it again, eyeing him carefully. Charles cursed himself for speaking so freely, placing his hands behind his back and turning away from her.
“I had better hurry after them,” he muttered, wishing desperately to get away from her so as to regain some of his composure. “Do excuse me. I shall bring your sister back here.”
Striding away, Charles muttered darkly under his breath, frustrated with his own reaction to the lady and angered by what his brother was doing. This was not a good situation. His brother would have to be warned about what young ladies were like. Charles had long thought that a marriage of convenience would be best for his brother. In fact, he could arrange a marriage for William, if that was required. Marching along the path, he spotted his brother and Miss Theodora still walking arm in arm, their heads bent together. Frowning, Charles shook his head. He would have to put a stop to this.
On their return home, free from the company of the Cadogan sisters, Charles launched into a tirade against his brother, frustrated with how idiotic he had been in arranging such a meeting.
“I have done nothing wrong,” William protested calmly, clearly still taken with the lady. “I took a short walk with Miss Theodora and enjoyed every moment of it. You will not spoil this for me, Charles. I have every intention of courting the lady.”
Charles snorted. “Do not be so ridiculous, William! You hardly know the lady.” He shook his head, his jaw setting. “No, this will not do. It is best if we find a suitable young woman for you, make sure of her connections and character, and arrange a betrothal. That is the easiest and surest way to a happy life.”
To his frustration, his brother simply laughed aloud. “Charles, you may arrange such a thing for yourself if you wish, but I will not be shoehorned. I, for one, hope for love and affection from my wife, not merely a general acceptance of our matrimony!”
Charles stopped short and turned on his brother. Anger was burning in his chest, as visions of his eternal shame, Miss Sarah Douglas, crawled through his mind.
“Need I remind you, brother, what I endured with such fancies?”
His brother gave him a sympathetic smile. “And I am truly sorry for that, Charles, even though it was some years ago now. However, I will not allow your one terrible experience with a woman who claimed to love you, but clearly did not, to supersede my hopes and dreams of happiness.” He stepped forward and put one hand on Charles’s shoulder, a look of pity in his eyes. “I do not believe that all women are as Miss Douglas was. Mayhap it is you who needs to reconsider things.”
Charles looked away, irritated beyond measure. His brother had little to no experience of the ways of women and was running headlong into what was sure to be a disastrous situation. Charles kept his mouth closed and did not respond, all the while planning how he might convince his brother to turn from this foolish scheme and leave Miss Theodora Cadogan alone.
THREE
“You did that on purpose!”
Theodora laughed aloud, her eyes practically glowing. “Of course I did!”
“Why did you not tell me?” Charlotte asked crossly. “I do not like to be deceived.”
Theodora’s smile softened, although a calculating look came into her eyes. “I did not deceive you, Charlotte. I simply did not tell you that I was to bump into Lord William Markham.”
Charlotte could not argue with that but still grew frustrated over her sister’s deliberate act of dishonesty. A sudden thought struck her, and she gasped, staring at Theodora in horror.
“That is why you broke my spectacles!”
“Of course it was,” Theodora replied, quite matter of fact. “I did not want to appear with an old dowdy creature by my side!” She glanced at Charlotte, her gaze travelling up and down the length of her. “I must say, the absence of the spectacles certainly helps matters, although you could still do something with your hair.”
Her temper flaring, Charlotte pulled her arm from Theodora’s.
“How dare you!” she exclaimed, glaring at her younger sister. “You treat me with nothing but disrespect, using me for your own ends!”
Theodora’s face paled, her eyes widening slightly.
“You want me to appear less dowdy so that you can advance your own cause with Lord Markham and so that I am less of an embarrassment to you!”
Her sister lifted her chin a notch and fixed her gaze on Charlotte.
“I will not pretend that such sentiments do not hold some truth, but I have told you repeatedly that I think you do yourself an injustice by hiding your beauty so. In some way, I am trying to help you as well as myself.”
“I do not want to attract a husband!” Charlotte protested loudly, not caring that others around her could hear her speak. “I have been through the entire situation before and would not wish it on anyone again. You are quite ridiculous if
you believe that Lord Markham intends only good for you.”
“And that is unfair,” Theodora replied softly. “You have only just been introduced to the man and now you believe him to be a rake?”
“All good-looking gentlemen are,” Charlotte declared, ignoring Theodora’s sceptical look. “An arrangement for matrimony is always best. That way, we can know the man’s character, his family, the company he keeps, his habits—”
“You talk about matrimony as though it is some kind of transaction!” Theodora interrupted, her expression incredulous. “There is affection and kindness, even love! I will not settle for anything less, even if you refuse to allow yourself such things in your own life.”
Theodora turned on her heel and marched along the path, leaving Charlotte standing alone, frustration racing through her. Her sister could never truly understand, not when she had nothing but happiness in her life.
Sighing heavily, Charlotte closed her eyes for a moment before setting off along the path after her sister. She was simply not getting through to her. She would have to think of a different way to put an end to this nonsense with Lord Markham. Soon, Theodora would see that an arrangement was the best choice for her future.
As she walked, Charlotte could not help but think of Lord Markham’s brother, the Marquess of Astor. She could not deny that he was handsome, nor that her heart had fluttered when he had smiled at her—but Charlotte had felt such things before and knew they were of no particular consequence. There were a great many handsome men in the world. She tucked back an errant curl and started chewing on her lower lip.
She could not pretend she had not been caught by the warmth in the Marquess’s eyes when he’d greeted her. He had looked her over, seen her plain dress and tightly coiled hair, but had allowed his eyes to linger on her regardless.
It had been some time since a man had looked at her in such a way, and Charlotte, even now, felt her cheeks burn with a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure.
It was not as though she missed being noticed in such a way, rather than that she was a little unused to it. It was as if the Marquess had been able to see past her disguise, imagining her dressed in an entirely different manner. The thought brought fresh warmth to her body, something settling deep in her core as she recalled how he had smiled at her, his gaze thoughtful.
But with that thought came the realisation that he had repulsed her with his manner. Perhaps having a handsome face was all she could declare in his favour! Her brow furrowed as she recalled how he had spoken so carelessly about Theodora. The man was clearly arrogant, believing Theodora to be something of a flirt when Charlotte knew she was quite the opposite. Theodora had never flirted with a gentleman in her life!
The thought gave her pause.
Theodora had never shown any particular attention to a gentleman before, even though they had been out in society for some time. She was always very proper, smiling and conversing with wit and ease. Although she enjoyed both conversing and dancing with a great many gentlemen, there had never been any happiness in her eyes over any one man, not as Charlotte had seen today.
Did that mean that she should, perhaps, not interfere with her sister’s continued acquaintance with Lord Markham instead of attempting to pull them apart? Her steps slowed as she considered how Theodora had smiled into Lord Markham’s eyes, her delight on seeing him again more than evident.
But, then again, her sister had not known Lord Markham for long, so she could have no real understanding of his character, nor know whether or not he was a gambler, a wastrel, or worse! After all, had Charlotte herself not been caught up with exactly the same kind of man? A man who had shown himself to be everything she thought she wanted, only for her uncle to discover that he hid a great many things away, behind the scenes, in the hope that by the time she discovered them, it would be much too late.
No, she was not wrong in her intentions to put this attachment to an end. She would not give Lord Markham an opportunity to prove himself, as Theodora had requested, for she knew the kind of man a titled gentleman such as he would be. His brother, for example, had proven her theory simply by talking! He had disregarded Theodora almost immediately, evidently believing that his brother might do better, or that he had a great many ladies vying for his attention.
And to think that she had thought the man attractive!
Charlotte shook her head and continued on her way, hoping to catch Theodora before entering the house. She would have to ensure that she did not lose her temper when appealing to her common sense. Charlotte clenched her fists, she was determined to get through to her.
FOUR
“No, Charles, you cannot convince me!”
Charles bit back his harsh retort and let out a long breath. “You should not have invited them, William.”
“But invite them I did,” his brother replied with a quick grin. “I am very much looking forward to seeing Miss Theodora again.”
Charles shook his head and left the drawing room immediately, thinking that he had best ensure that all the preparations for this evening were going ahead as planned. There seemed to be no way to convince his brother that carrying on such an attachment with a lady he barely knew was quite the wrong approach. Charles had even gone out of his way to discover some other eligible young ladies and had proceeded to describe their backgrounds, but William, on hearing this, had simply laughed.
He was quite set on courting Miss Theodora.
Shaking his head, Charles tried to listen to his butler as he went through what was planned for this evening’s soiree, but his mind was entirely elsewhere. It was only when he saw his butler’s enquiring glance, as though waiting to hear what he had to say, that Charles realised how little he was paying attention.
“I’m sure you have everything in hand,” he murmured, drawing in a deep breath. “Take any concerns to my brother, given that he is the one meant to be organising all of this.”
The butler bowed and stepped away, leaving Charles alone. He wandered to the window, a deep sigh escaping his lips. He felt as though he was watching his brother rush headlong towards the edge of a precipice, and he was unable to stop him.
Charles’s experience with Miss Douglas had not made even the tiniest difference to his brother’s intentions. Leaning his hands on the windowsill, Charles dropped his head and drew in a long breath. No matter where he went or what he did, the hurt of her betrayal was carried with him still.
Once, he had been as William was now. He had thought himself in love, had believed himself lost forever. Miss Douglas had been beauty itself, both lovely in face and in character…or so he had thought. She had presented herself as a most eligible young lady and had declared herself deeply in love with him.
Ah, how happy he had been back then. He had believed she was the love of his life, had dreamed of their marriage and their future together.
Children, an heir to carry on the title, and a happiness that he had never truly known before. He had proposed and she had accepted. They had clung together, sharing sweet kisses and secret whispers, his heart overflowing with love.
How passionately he had declared his devotion to her! He had promised her a lifetime of happiness, swearing that he would remain true to her no matter the cost—and she had sworn the same to him.
That dream had lasted only a few weeks. The banns had been called only the once, when he had walked into her parents’ drawing room to find her embracing another man.
They had jumped apart immediately, and she had gazed at him with a horrified expression, stammering some kind of explanation.
The gentleman in question had raced past him, his fingers trying desperately to do up the buttons of his shirt.
Charles had left soon after him, declaring that their engagement was at an end.
She had cried and wailed after him, telling him that the gentleman had pressed himself on her, that she had been unwilling—but Charles had not believed a word of it. He had left her standing in the hallway, telling Lord Douglas
that his daughter could explain the reason for the cancellation of their engagement, before striding from their house.
His heart had never recovered.
Now, he thought all women to be of the same ilk. None of them were true, none were loyal. They each sought their own ends. Soon after the engagement ended, he had discovered that Miss Douglas had, in fact, had many gentlemen wrapped around her little finger, promising each of them an arrangement once she was wed. Charles had never been more relieved to escape from the shackles of what would have been a most unfortunate marriage, and even more thankful that he had lost his false ideas about love.
If only his brother could be as prudent!
Miss Theodora could not be trusted, that was for certain. He would simply have to find a way to detach her from his brother or to show his brother that Charles had been quite right in his assessment of her. He paused for a moment, thinking hard. That was, perhaps, the best idea he had come up with. After all, he was the marquess, was he not? Markham was only the second son and, whilst wealthy, would never carry the title unless the worst happened. Not that he thought less of his brother, but it would be a good way to prove to Markham that this lady was fickle and not worthy of his attentions. Then, once his eyes had been opened, he could suggest to his brother an arranged marriage, and he was quite sure Markham would agree.
A slow smile spread across his face, his eyes lighting with a fresh hope. This evening’s soiree would be just the opportunity he needed.
***
“I am not sure about this in the least.”
Theodora chuckled. “Now, now, Charlotte! You cannot go changing your mind now, not when it is time for us to prepare!”
Charlotte sighed, closing her eyes briefly. “Yes, I am well aware of that, Theodora. Do excuse me, will you?”
Theodora nodded, squeezed Charlotte’s hand, and hurried from the room, leaving Charlotte to climb the stairs to her room. Theodora had already had her hair prepared, which meant that it was to be Charlotte’s turn next. Theodora had told the maid that Charlotte would not require a great deal of preparation, given that she fully expected Charlotte to dress in the manner she usually did.
