Page 21 of The Truth about the Rogue
“She might have been speaking of theotherhallway,” Charlotte pointed out, quite certain that the dark hallway with only one or two candles was not where they were meant to go. “Might you go to look, Lillian? I do not want to make my way there for nothing, for fear that someone will see the state of my gown.”
Her sister nodded.
“Of course. If I find the parlor where the maids are, I will come to fetch you. It might be best if you remain here for a few minutes. I will be as quick as I can be.”
“Thank you, Lillian.”
Smiling, Charlotte watched her sister hurry away, finding her spirits lifting as she did so. Lillian was so very different in natureto her and yet, despite that, there was still a bond between them; a bond which Charlotte did not always feel, or even sense but, during moments like this, it was a comfort. Turning back to the hallway, she began to meander slowly along it, straying not too far from where Lillian had left her. The music and laughter from the ballroom still echoed towards her, but Charlotte slowly grew to appreciate the quietness surrounding her. She still did not particularly enjoy balls and the like, and though Lillian was eager for her to dance again, inwardly, Charlotte knew that she would prefer to stay back from it all.
A slight frown darted across her forehead as she recalled seeing – and hearing – Lord Kentmore’s conversation with one lady whom Charlotte had not been acquainted with. She had not overheard everything that he had been saying, but the parts she had overheard simply by standing near him, had been very flirtatious indeed. It was quite clear to Charlotte that Lord Kentmore and that lady had been hopeful of some kind of encounter, and that Lord Kentmore was eager to facilitate it. She had found her stomach tightening, her heart thumping hard against her chest as she had overheard them, and was a little surprised at the flush of jealousy that had rushed through her. She had quickly broken apart that reaction into tiny pieces and thrown it aside, refusing to let it linger, and finding that she felt nothing but disgust at the notion. She did not want to have Lord Kentmore’s interest pushed towards her! And nor did she want him to consider her with any sort of interest. As far as she was concerned, that gentleman was nothing but someone to be avoided.
Just as that thought came and went, the door near where she was standing opened and a figure stepped out. Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat, and she made to back away, only for strong arms to grasp her tightly, hauling her against a very solid figure indeed.
Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.
“There you are! And here I was thinking that you had abandoned me.”
Charlotte opened her mouth to say that she had no knowledge of what he meant, trying to ask him to remove his hands from her, only for his head to descend and his lips to press against hers.
At that moment, everything shifted. It felt as though the ground was no longer solid beneath her feet, and her heart was pounding furiously as a wonderful sense of heat and fire burned through her. She was helpless against him, her need to step away vanishing into smoke as he held her tight, his embrace filling her with a sense of such astonishment and delight that she did not ever want it to fade.
“Charlotte? I think that we have come the wrong way. I – oh, good gracious!”
Lillian’s voice seemed to come from very far away, though the moment that her voice broke through the empty space, the gentleman dropped his hands and backed away as though he had burned himself. Charlotte, dizzy and blinking furiously, looked at him, trying to make out his face, but the shadows kept that from her. Heat filled her all over again but, this time, it came from a sense of shame that she had ever let herself be so foolish as to let a gentleman – a stranger, no doubt – kiss her!
“I – I beg your pardon,” the gentleman stammered, his voice sounding vaguely familiar. “I–”
“Whatever were you doing to my sister?” Lillian rushed close to Charlotte, one hand going around her shoulders. Charlotte shook her head wordlessly, wanting her sister to say nothing more, to draw back rather than push forward. The words stuck in her throat, her mortification binding her lips closed as she battled a sudden surge of tears. Whatever had she been thinking?
“It was nothing short of a mistake, I assure you. You must forgive me.” A slight pause followed, only for the gentleman to speak again, his voice more fervent this time. “Please, forgive me. I will take my leave of you now and–”
“I hardly think so!” Lillan began to stride forward but Charlotte reached out and caught her arm, trying to pull her back. “This is disgraceful!”
Charlotte’s heart pounded.
“It was a mistake, Lillian.” Her heart slammed hard against her ribs, fear beginning to take hold of her now. This matter could be easily dealt with, she considered. She did not know who this gentleman was and, no doubt, he did not know whoshetruly was, given the darkness of the hallway. All she needed to do was leave and the matter would be at an end. “Come, we should return to the ball. I–”
Lillian pulled her arm away.
“Just who are you?” Free from Charlotte’s grasp, Lillian walked across to the other side of the hallway, picked up one of the nearby candlesticks, and brought it close to the gentleman in question. Charlotte closed her eyes, hearing her sister’s exclamation. There was no escaping this now. Lillian had taken the decision from her, it seemed, determined to discover who this fellow was, despite Charlotte’s urge to return to the ballroom. Silence filled the hallway for a moment and, despite her uncertainty, Charlotte’s heart pulled apart with two equally strong desires – the desire to know who this gentleman was, who had kissed her with such passion, and the desire to set it all aside and return to the ballroom, pretending that nothing had happened. “Charlotte, it is Lord Kentmore!”
Unable to prevent a strangled exclamation breaking from her lips, Charlotte took a step backward, one hand to her heart.Lord Kentmore?Her mind began to whirl, dizziness coursing through her as she swallowed hard, her other hand going to her lips. LordKentmore, the rogue, the scoundrel, had been the one to kiss her? There was nothing worse than this, she considered, nothing more dreadful than learning that it had been he who had clasped her in his arms.
“As I have said, this was nothing but a mistake. I can do nothing else other than beg your forgiveness. Please, permit me to take my leave so that nothing more occurs.”
Lord Kentmore’s voice was filled with a desperation that Charlotte could well understand, and she forced herself to step forward, trying to take hold of her sister before she could do any more.
Again, Lillian was more determined than she was.
“Do not think for a single moment that I will let you walk away from my sister after what I just witnessed. My sister’s reputation is utterly ruined, and you will do as you ought, Lord Kentmore.”
No.Tears welled up in Charlotte’s eyes, seeing what Lillian meant and shrinking back from it.
“Lillian, wait.”
Her voice was only a whisper, making no impact upon her stubborn sister.
“Well?”
