Page 30 of Charming Artemis

Charlie turned his attention to Hestia. “Will you be my partner, darling?” He brushed a wisp of her thin, baby hair back away from her face and past the stub of an ear she’d been born with. His eyes darted to the girl’s parents.

Artemis held her breath. Adam was sensitive about any unkindness or insult in the matter of Hestia’s missing ear. Charlie might find himself torn limb from limb.

“She has the green Lancaster eyes,” Charlie said.

Persephone nodded. “And the Lancaster curls, both of whichIdidn’t inherit, though most of my siblings did.”

Charlie was fully focused on his armful once more. “I hope you will be my friend, Hestia. I suspect you are an absolute sweetheart.”

“You’re supposed to close your eyes,” Oliver called out from beside the sofa his parents were sitting on.

“My deepest apologies.” Charlie cuddled Hestia to him and closed his eyes.

Oliver began running about, searching for the best hiding spot. Artemis’s attention was fully on her very confusing husband.ThisCharlie, with his tenderness and gentleness, could win her heart with hardly any effort. Why was it, then, she only ever seemed to cross paths with the one who drove her mad?

Chapter Eleven

Charlie loved being an uncle.While at Cambridge, he’d not been afforded as much time with his brothers’ children as he would have liked. But Oliver and Hestia didn’t live very far from Brier Hill. And the rest of the Lancaster family gathered at Falstone Castle now and then. Charlie would have nieces and nephews close by again.

The second day of Their Graces’ visit offered a spot of gorgeous weather. Charlie wasted not a moment and not only obtained permission for the little lord and lady to join him on the back lawn for games but also secured the duchess’s participation.

They began with lawn bowls, but that proved too confusing for Oliver and far outside Hestia’s ability. The space was too wide open for hide-and-seek, a game Oliver had adopted as his absolute favorite after their impromptu round on his first day at Brier Hill. Shuttlecock and battledore would be too complicated for such young children.

There was a game Charlie grew up playing with his brothers. It would not at all be beyond Oliver’s capabilities. With her mother’s help, Hestia would be able to participate as well. But they’d need at least one more person.

He spotted Artemis at the terrace door.

“I have an idea,” he said to the duchess and the children. “I’ll be back directly.”

He rushed over to Artemis, excitement building. He loved seeing children’s faces light up. Such small things managed it. Made a fellow feel like a regular hero.

“We’re going to play a game,” he said to her without preamble. “And we want you to join in.”

“Truly?” She eyed her family over his shoulder. “What game?”

“Catch us, catch us.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know that one.”

“You’ll recognize it. My brothers and I didn’t invent the game, only gave it our own name.”

Little Oliver’s voice called over to them. “Is she going to play with us, Uncle Charming?”

He turned his head enough to call back. “She hasn’t said yet.”

“You have to look cute,” Oliver said.

Laughing and a bit confused, Charlie turned back to Artemis. She grinned as broadly as he’d seen in ages.

“Adam is forever telling him when they are trying to convince Persephone to agree to something, ‘Look cuter, Oliver. She can’t resist you when you look your cutest.’ It seems Oliver is convinced that is an applicable approach in many situations.”

So Charlie assumed a babyish, innocent, pouty-lipped expression, complete with hands clasped in a posture of pleading.

“He saidcute, notpathetic.” She was being far too dramatic for the evaluation to be a sincere one.

“I was aiming for cutely charming. Must live up to my name, after all.”

“Oliver seems to have enthusiastically adopted it,” Artemis said.

---