Page 17 of The Seduction of Lord Sin
Under his breath, he cursed. He might have alienated the only person willing to help him, and now he had to think of an ‘outing’ by himself. He needed to distract Charlotte long enough for Dharma and Devlin to come together. How he’d make that happen he’d yet to surmise, but at least she was here. Charlotte would be fine married to Toobury—she would have children to love and care for.
He wracked his brain as to an appropriate first outing for a lady who was battered and bruised—in both body and soul, it would seem, given the revelation about her husband. A short walk of some sort, but she was sore from the fall and with her ankle? Just then, Lady Flora stepped out of the shadows of the doorway.
“She’s very partial to the rose garden in the afternoon. It’s warm and filled with fragrance. I’ve asked Cook to make a basket for you and you could sit out in the garden for tea. It would be a lovely way to get to know Lady Charlotte, don’t you think?”
He let a smile grace his lips. Perhaps not the only ally. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll just freshen up and then I wonder if you would help me. While the garden sounds lovely, I have a few ideas about how I’d like the afternoon to look,” Sin replied furtively.
He followed her inside and headed to his room to freshen up and change. He only had an hour before he was due to enjoy time with his hostess. How extraordinary that he was looking forward to a sedate, proper outing. He would behave himself and act the gentlemen he hadn’t been this past year. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ‘walked out’ with a lady, and the thought of it unsettled his well-ordered and protected heart. His wife… he would not think of her and her treachery.
His mood turned on that thought. The last lady he’d ‘walked out’ with was his wife, Arianna. He briefly closed his eyes. At her memory, it was as if a hand reached in and squeezed his heart until he might pass out. He had loved her so much. Whenever she walked into the room, his world had brightened. She’d been kind, intelligent, beautiful beyond words, and so passionate… or so he’d thought.
As it turned out, she was an adulterous bitch.
She’d been having an affair with his brother—since before they married. She’d been in love with George, but wanted the title. In the end, it had been too much for George… and he’d…
He shook his head until the memories faded. Never again. He would not contemplate losing his heart or being fooled again. Trust—how could he ever trust someone—a woman—again? Without trust, how could there be love?
But of course, society and his mother and sisters expected him to forget the past and move on. To forget the pain and nightmares of that day, to do his duty, as his mother kept telling him.
They sorely overestimated his bravery.
He brushed a lonely tear from his cheek and rose to change. He understood his duty, but he’d not pay the same price. This time he married for a son only. This time he’d know upfront that the woman married him solely for his title and money. His heart would remain safely chained inside his chest. It was far better that way.
He stood and finished changing. The thought of having the afternoon in the sun with Charlotte chased his ghosts away.
ChapterSix
Charlotte’s internal objections to Lord Sinclair's attendance were growing louder by the minute. They rumbled deep inside, turning her stomach to a quivering mess. Namely, because she was looking forward to this outing far too much.
She was supposedly concentrating on finding a husband, not a lover, and she wasn’t stupid enough to fool herself into thinking a man like Lord Sinclair would want to marry her. She wasn’t a beauty; he didn’t need money, and worst of all, for a man in desperate need of an heir, the world thought her barren.
This was the first outing she’d ever had with a man who was not her husband. Her husband had never courted her. They had arranged their marriage. The first time alone with Clayton had been on her wedding night and what a disaster that turned out to be.
She had to remember that this outing with Lord Sinclair was not part of her plan.
But she was happy. Her heart, light and warm, pulsed in her chest. The excitement stirring her soul.
If not for her injuries, she might have skipped down the stairs like a giddy debutante.
She slowed as she rounded the final landing, trying to recover some self-assurance. She walked down the final few stairs as if she were nonplussed about this outing.
Her composure almost crumbled when she saw he was waiting for her with a posy of wild flowers.
She stepped onto the foyer floor and reached for the flowers. “A lovely touch, thank you. But hardly necessary.”
“When are flowers ever necessary? They are simply a way to spread beauty.” He held out his arm. “Shall we?”
As she placed her hand on his arm, she asked. “Where are you taking me?” Why did her words have to come out so breathless?
“Bearing in mind your fall, I have organized for us to take tea in the Rose Garden. I hope that meets with your approval.”
They walked through the drawing room to the back of the house, moving out onto the terrace, and made their way slowly towards the rose garden.
She suspected Flora had a hand in this, but still; it was a lovely afternoon, and shewassore. No riding for a few days yet. “I’m sure it will be delightful. I suspect you’d rather have been out riding on an afternoon such as this. The coastal breezes are refreshing.”
