Page 73 of The Duchess' Replacement

“What did you say?” Charles leaned forward in interest, resting his arms on the table.

Sarah waved her hand in front of her, dismissing his question. “It was nothing.”

Nora shook her head. “No. It was sage advice.” She turned to Charles. “She said that if believe in something it controls you. So, if you’re afraid of something, then it controls you, and nothing should control me but me.”

Charles smirked. “Is that so?”

Sarah licked her lips. Her mouth always seemed to run dry around her husband. “I did say that, yes.”

He tilted his head to the side. His eyes roamed over her face causing another blush to form on her cheeks. She took a deep breath to try and control her breathing.

“And who is control of you, Sarah? Are you afraid of anything?” Charles’s voice was low with a note of seduction she had hoped Nora did not pick up.

Sarah lifted her chin. “I control myself, Your Grace. And I am afraid of nothing.”

Charles brought his cup of tea up to his mouth. “Fascinating,” was all he said.

Something in his eyes told her she was very wrong to admit she was in control of herself. Especially since with one look, or one word, from her husband and she was a quivering mess of want and need.

Unfortunately for her, he knew it.

“I’ve seen this before.” Sarah’s voice whispered, in awe of the landscape in front of her. It was the lake from the painting she found in the studio. Her instinct was right. Charles’s mother had truly loved this place for she captured the serenity and beauty of it perfectly.

Charles looked down at her as Nora walked ahead of them to place a blanket underneath the hanging willow tree.

“You looked at my mother’s paintings.” It wasn’t a question.

Sarah shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry for snooping. I was just so curious and I couldn’t wait for answers.”

Charles smirked. “Yes, I found your impatience to be somewhat of a nuisance.”

Sarah wrinkled her nose. “Do I get to list traits of yours that I find annoying? If so, we best go sit down, it will take a while.”

Charles’s smirk widened into a full blown smile and it nearly knocked Sarah over. His smile was dazzling. His green eyes lit up and there were slight crinkles at the corners of his eyes that made him look refined.

“I think we should sit down before I decide to punish you here and now for that tongue.” Charles whispered into her ear.

Goosebumps sprung up all over body at his words and the memories of what his tongue could do to her.

She took his arm as he helped her cross the last bit of grass to the blanket Nora was now sitting on.

“I looked in the basket Mrs. Bates put out. She made some of my favorite sandwiches. Oh, and look,” she exclaimed as she pulled out little jars. “She put my favorite jelly in here with some extra biscuits!”

Sarah sat down next to Nora. Charles remained standing, looking out over the water.

She followed his gaze and once again took in her surroundings. “It truly is beautiful here. I can see why it’s your family’s favorite spot.”

Charles looked down at the ground and smiled. “Yes. My mother would bring me and Eli here when we were young to go swimming in the summer months.”

Nora sighed. “That sounds divine. I wish I could go swimming.” The young girl began to chew her bottom lip. Sarah noticed Nora would often do that when she was about to say something she didn’t know if she should say. Sarah had the same affliction. It was one more thing that drew her to the girl.

“What is it, Nora?” Sarah prodded.

Charles’s eyes darted to Nora. “What is it?”

Nora shrugged. “Nothing. I just often wonder if Mama was still here if she would have brought me here to go swimming when it was hot or would I have always ended up at her cousin’s home.”

Her eyes squinted as she looked up to her older brother who stood at the water’s edge looking back at her.

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