by Wolf, Bree
Lord Ashhaven shook his head. “Not any time soon. There still is urgent business to attend to.”
Pierce nodded knowingly, then slapped the man’s shoulder in delight. “Well, you’re welcome to visit us any time you’re free.”
Lord Ashhaven nodded, then proceeded inside in order to give the next guest a chance to offer their congratulations.
Another half-hour passed, and then finally Nathanial arrived.
Charlaine could not deny that her heart skipped a beat or two when she saw him, for the thought of a kind pair of eyes looking into hers had made her all but yearn for his arrival.
Dressed in his finest, Nathanial still looked a bit uncomfortable as though he feared he would be shown to the door right away and asked to leave. Charlaine smiled, knowing the vulnerable heart that beat beneath his somewhat unapproachable exterior.
Offering his congratulations to Caroline and Pierce, Nathanial made to walk inside, but then stopped. His head rose and then turned…until his eyes settled upon hers. How on earth had he known she was hiding behind this pillar?
A deep smile claimed her face and, without another thought, Charlaine rushed forward to greet him. “Hello, Nathanial, it is so good to see you.” And it was. So very, very good.
Frowning at her, he offered her his arm, then glanced over her shoulder at her hiding place. “Were you standing behind that pillar?”
Charlaine nodded. “I was.”
His frown deepened. “Why?”
“So no one would see me.” Since Charlaine didn’t care to discuss the ton’s disapproval of her, she quickly added, “How did you know I was there?”
Nathanial shrugged. “That, I cannot say. I suddenly felt as though…someone was watching me.” His brows rose. “Were you…waiting for me?”
“Of course,” Charlaine exclaimed as they walked out onto the terrace where most of the guests were assembled. “You’re my dearest friend. Of course, I was longing to see you.”
His gaze remained on hers as he inhaled a slow breath, clearly overcome by her words.
“Does that shock you?” Charlaine asked with a grin. The dear man was so easily shocked!
Trying to hide a smile, he nodded. “I’m afraid it does. Few people express themselves in such a…frank manner.”
Indeed, Charlaine doubted it was her frank manner that had shocked him, but rather that which she had expressed. For a reason Charlaine could not fathom, Nathanial could not seem to accept that someone—anyone—would value his company, would long to see him, would feel saddened when he was not there. It would seem his former fiancée had broken him in more ways than one.
“Well, I promised you brutal honesty, did I not?” she asked him with a grin as they ventured off the terrace and proceeded down into the gardens.
Nathanial chuckled. “Did you not define brutal honesty as speaking the truth even when it hurts?” He eyed her carefully.
Charlaine nodded. “Well, revealing one’s affections for another makes one vulnerable, does it not?” She held his gaze, seeing with perfect clarity that he understood, that he, too, had been hurt because of it. After all, love brought the risk of loss.
Remembering the loss of her family, Charlaine looked up at him, her hand tightening upon his arm. “Don’t hurt me,” she pleaded, knowing that she would have to offer trust in order to receive it.
Nathanial swallowed hard, his gaze betraying the deep emotions that lived hidden within. Then his other hand rose and gently settled on hers. “I won’t,” he promised her. “Not ever.”
Charlaine smiled at him. “I knew I chose wisely.”
The serious look in his blue gaze vanished, and he chuckled. “Indeed, no one can deny that it was your choice.”
“We all make choices,” Charlaine told him. “All the time. We can only ever hope that they’ll be good for us.” She held his gaze. “You chose to come here today.”
Nathanial nodded.
“Do you regret it?”
“No.”
“Then that was a good choice as well.”
Slowly, his head bobbed up and down.
Over his shoulder, Charlaine glimpsed Daphne and Susan headed their way, their faces flushed and their eyes wide with excitement. “I believe another choice will be upon us in a matter of seconds.”
Frowning, Nathanial turned to follow her gaze.
“Charlaine!” Daphne exclaimed, panting as she glanced over her shoulder at Susan, equally out of breath.
Charlaine laughed. “Who are you two running from?”
Pulling to a halt at their feet, the girls looked at Nathanial with curiosity. “Who are you?” Daphne asked, looking him up and down. “Are you Charlaine’s friend?”
Charlaine could feel the muscles in Nathanial’s arm tense. For a second, he glanced at her before looking back at the girls. “I…suppose I am.”
“You suppose?” Daphne asked with a frown. “You don’t sound very certain.”
Susan giggled, then pulled on Daphne’s arm and whispered something in her ear.
Again, Nathanial turned back to her. “Who are…?” His brows rose before he glanced at the two girls.
Charlaine laughed. “Ladies, may I introduce my dear friend, Nathanial Caswell. Nathanial, these are Daphne, Pierce’s daughter, and Susan, Emma’s daughter.”
Again, he frowned. “Emma?”
“The governess,” Daphne supplied helpfully with another wary-looking glance over her shoulder. “Miss Glass.”
Nathanial’s eyes widened ever so slightly before he leaned closer once again. “Pierce hired a governess who has a child?”
Knowing that old habits died hard, Charlaine met Nathanial’s gaze with a challenging one of her own. “Is there any reason why he shouldn’t have?”
His gaze narrowed, and she could see his mind churn. Then he sighed and shook his head, the hint of a smile upon his face. “None I can think of.”
Charlaine could have hugged him. “Now, about you two,” she said turning back to the girls. “Who are you running from?”
“My mother,” Susan answered without hesitation.
“Why?”
Daphne made a face. “Because she wants us to change, but those fancy dresses itch.”
Charlaine laughed as she looked at the two rather forlorn-looking girls. “Did you try them on?”
“No,” Susan admitted openly, which earned her an elbow-jab from Daphne.
“Then how can you know they itch?” Charlaine inquired.
Daphne sighed rather theatrically. “Fine, they don’t itch, but they look ugly.”
“And Mother says if we don’t change, we can’t have cake,” Susan exclaimed, her little arms gesturing wildly toward the terrace.
Charlaine nodded. “That is a problem.” Noting the way Nathanial stood rather stock-still beside her, she asked him, “What do you think?”
Clearly shocked, he stared at her, his mouth opening, then closing. “I…don’t…well…”
“We want cake,” Daphne stated vehemently, “but we don’t want to wear those dresses.”
“Well, if you want cake,” Charlaine said, “then you’ll have to dress up. After all, it’s Pierce and Caroline’s engagement celebration.” The girls pouted, their little arms crossing over their chests. “But perhaps we can find other dresses.” She looked from Daphne to Susan. “Pretty ones. Or we could add a few pretty accessories?”
The deep frowns upon the girls’ faces seemed to lessen a little. “What accessories?” Daphne asked, her brown eyes beginning to glow.
Charlaine grinned. “I’m certain we can find something.”
“And I want to bring Mary,” Daphne threw in as an afterthought.
“Mama said Daphne couldn’t bring her,” Susan explained. “She said she was too ugly.”
Again, Daphne’s little arms crossed over her chest. “She’s not ugly! She’s…one of a kind.”
“Mary?” Nathanial asked with a frown.
“Her doll,” Charlaine whispered so
the girls couldn’t hear. “Unfortunately, she had some sort of accident, which rendered her rather…hairless.”
“Oh,” was all Nathanial said.
“Very well, here is what we’ll do,” Charlaine said as she leaned forward and gestured to the girls to come closer. “Nathanial and I will smuggle you back upstairs without your mother noticing. Then I will help you get changed, and Nathanial will check my jewelry box for something fitting, all right?”
Grinning from ear to ear, Susan nodded.
Daphne, however, still had a bit of a glower in her eyes. “What about Mary?”
Charlaine thought for moment. “How about a compromise? Mary can attend, but we’ll find her a good hiding spot from where to watch. That way, she’ll no doubt pick up all the gossip and can share it with us later.” She held her hand out to Daphne. “Deal?”
Reluctant to give in this easily, Daphne hesitated. Indeed, if she kept this up, the girl would one day be a negotiator that would bring others to tears. “Deal,” she finally said, “but only if we can have two pieces of cake.”
Chapter Nineteen
A Cake Conspiracy
Nathanial wanted to sink into a hole in the ground. Unfortunately, there was none around.
Instead, he was marching arm in arm with Charlaine around to the servants’ back door with two little girls hiding behind them. Charlaine’s skirts provided better cover compared to his own silhouette. However, together, they managed to reach the house undetected.
Not counting a few odd glances here and there.
“Why are we doing this?” Nathanial whispered to Charlaine as they stepped into the hall. Never in his life had he felt as foolish as he did in this moment.
She cast him a teasing smile. “Because it’s fun.”
“Is it?” Nathanial croaked as the tip of Daphne’s shoe connected rather painfully with his heel.
“Faster,” the girl hissed, her little hand curled into the side of his jacket, allowing him to all but drag her along.
Fortunately, the entry hall lay deserted as all guests had arrived and the betrothed couple had joined them in the back of the house. “The stairs are clear,” Charlaine whispered. “Run! Now!”
With a mad dash, the girls flew up the stairs.
Relief welled up in Nathanial’s heart before Charlaine’s hand closed over his wrist. “Come. Quickly.” Then she, too, rushed up the stairs, leaving him no choice but to follow.
Upstairs, they glanced up and down the corridor, then proceeded down to a door that opened up to a large, light-filled chamber. Dresses lay everywhere, on beds, over the backrests of chairs as well as on the floor. “Don’t tell me you tried all of these on?” Charlaine looked from one girl to the other.
Daphne shook her head. “We said we did, but we didn’t.”
“That’s when Mama got angry,” Susan said with a bit of a shiver.
“I’m certain we’ll find something fitting,” Charlaine told the girls before she once more grasped Nathanial’s arm and pulled him back out into the corridor. “Can you go to my chamber and find two necklaces for them in my jewelry box? My chamber is around the corner, three doors down on the left.”
Nathanial felt his jaw drop. “Me?” he croaked yet again. “I cannot go into your chamber, let alone go through your jewelry. It would cause a scandal if I were found. What would people think? What—?” His thoughts ran wild, and his pulse seemed inclined to catch up.
Charlaine pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine,” she told him with a smile. Her eyes were luminous as they looked into his, not even a hint of concern in them. Instead, they sparkled with excitement and adventure. “Don’t think too much. This is supposed to be fun.”
Nathanial shook his head. “Are you certain? I cannot imagine—”
“Did you never play these games with your brother when you were young?” She grinned at him. “Remember the boy you once were.” Then she slipped back inside and closed the door.
Completely at a loss, Nathanial briefly considered simply taking his leave. Still, the thought of disappointing Charlaine when she was counting on him stopped him. After all, he was her friend, and she had asked him for a favor. A ludicrous favor! A potentially scandalous favor! But a favor nonetheless!
Inhaling a deep breath, Nathanial cast a quick glance up and down the corridor before quick steps carried him to Charlaine’s door. With another look over his shoulder, he slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
Nathanial was not certain what he had expected. The simple, brightly colored chamber was a perfect fit for the woman he was getting to know. Straightforward, honest and cheerful. A book rested on her nightstand, and charcoal drawings lay rather cluttered upon her vanity.
On them, Nathanial glimpsed smiling faces: an elderly couple, children playing upon a long beach, a young couple gazing upon one another with utter devotion. The black charcoal stood in stark contrast to the cream-colored parchment, giving the images a bit of a sharper edge that raised goosebumps on Nathanial’s skin. A strange sense of unease fell over him as he looked at them, noting a slight resemblance here and there to the woman who had drawn them.
Without a doubt, Nathanial knew that these people were Charlaine’s family.
The family she had lost.
The family she still mourned.
Running a hand through his hair, Nathanial marveled at the notion of what she had to have gone through. On her own. Without anyone there to hold her hand. At least not until she had arrived in England. Now, she seemed to have found a new family. Still, no family could ever be replaced by another, and Nathanial wondered if there were still moments when the grief over this loss was too much for her to bear.
Shaking off this thought, Nathanial carefully moved the drawings aside to reveal a small, wooden jewelry box with delicate carvings of birds and flowers upon its lid. He slid it open to reveal a few necklaces and rings, simple, and yet, elegant. Nothing the ton would treasure, but Nathanial knew they represented the woman who wore them perfectly.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed closer from the other side of the door, and Nathanial felt his pulse stumble over itself. For a second, he froze before his body seemed to act without thought. His hand reached inside the small box, closed over what he hoped were two necklaces and then quickly withdrew, dropping them into his pocket. Then he darted across the room toward the door just as the handle was being pushed down.
For a second, Nathanial feared his heart would give out.
Yet, his feet moved and he found himself pressed to the wall behind the door the moment it swung open, shielding him from whoever stepped across the threshold.
“Charlaine?” an unfamiliar female voice asked, a hint of impatience in her tone. She hovered on the threshold for a moment but, fortunately, did not step inside. Then she left and the door closed.
Nathanial exhaled a deep breath, and his eyes closed as he rested his head against the wall. “The woman is mad,” he mumbled to himself, realizing that it was not the first time he had thought of Charlaine thus. “She’s utterly and completely mad.” Still, the hint of a smile tugged on his lips, and rather unexpectedly, Nathanial found himself reminded of how he and Zach had tiptoed downstairs the night before their tenth birthday and surprised their mother as she had prepared their cake. She had just finished—something she insisted on doing every year, refusing to hand over the task to Cook—and their sudden appearance had frightened her so that she had dropped the treat.
It had hit the floor and been destroyed upon impact.
Nathanial remembered well the glower in his mother’s eyes, but it had lasted no more than a moment. Then she had broken down laughing, sinking onto the floor with tears streaming from her eyes. In the end, they had all settled on the kitchen floor that night, eating bits and pieces of their birthday cake from the floor.
It had been the best birthday Nathanial could remember.
Shaking off this bittersweet memory, Nathanial inhaled another deep breath and t
hen carefully opened the door, praying that whoever had come looking for Charlaine was not waiting outside in the corridor. Fortunately, it proved to be empty, and so Nathanial quickly returned to the girls’ chamber, giving their door a sharp knock.
“Who is it?” came Charlaine’s hushed voice from inside.
Nathanial glanced up and down the hallway, his skin crawling with tension. “It’s me.”
In an instant, the door flew open and Charlaine’s hand reached out to grab him by the front of his jacket before she all but yanked him inside, closing the door behind him the moment he tumbled through.
Nathanial almost lost his footing.
“Did you find any?” Daphne peeped up from behind him, her little voice full of eagerness.
Straightening, Nathanial found himself looking into three rather expectant faces. “Well, I…” He reached inside his pocket and withdrew his bounty. The golden necklaces glittered in the light, and he saw the girls’ eyes grow wide with awe.
“I want the one with the pearl,” Daphne declared as her little fingers ran along the small orb’s shiny surface. “It’s so pretty.” Then her face scrunched up. “There are three.” She looked up at him. “Why did you get three?”
Hesitant, Nathanial turned to look at Charlaine. “Well, I…” She smiled at him with that knowing glow in her eyes, but refused to come to his rescue. Instead, she asked, “Yes, why did you get three?”
Nathanial could have strangled her. “Well, I thought…” he began as his eyes swept over the girls dressed in more appropriate attire considering the occasion. “I brought three because…” he swallowed, and then his gaze landed on a remarkably ugly doll with no hair to speak of.
Smiling, Nathanial looked at Daphne. “I thought Mary would like to wear one as well.”
Instantly, the girl’s face brightened. “Oh, what a wonderful idea!” She swooped the ugly doll into her arms. “Did you hear that, Mary? He brought you a necklace as well. Isn’t that sweet of him?”
Nathanial felt a hand settle upon his arm and turned to see Charlaine smile at him. “Indeed, it is very sweet of him.” Her gaze held his, and Nathanial felt his insides tingle at the warm glow in her eyes. “Thank you.”
