Page 89 of Winterset
I closed the study door more abruptly than I’d intended.
Charlie raised his eyebrows. “You all right, Granger?”
“What did you mean by your last remark to Miss Lockwood?” I asked. “About the silver spoon?”
“Nothing.” Charlie laughed. “Just a line from one of my ridiculous poems that she found funny.”
“I see.” It would be problematic if they weren’t getting along, so part of me was glad they were, but another part of me disliked how Charlie already seemed to know Kate in a way I didn’t.
“What was it you needed to talk to me about?” Charlie asked.
“I wanted to tell you that I didn’t learn anything more about Mr. Cavendish in town today.”
“That’s all?” Charlie asked.
“I thought you would want to know, seeing as I enlisted your help inprotectingKate.”
He studied me intently but said nothing.
“You may go now, Charlie. I’m sure we both have plenty to do before dinner.”
I lingered in the study after Charlie left, staring at the closed door. Our conversation had done nothing to soothe my agitation; it had only inflamed it.
Hoping to clear my head, I returned to the drawing room, intending to find Kate and suggest a walk. But she wasn’t there. I quickly searched the common areas in the house, but I couldn’t find her.
I returned to my study and forced myself to focus on work, drowning out my unsettled emotions with calculations and correspondence. The hours slipped by, and finally, evening shadows signaled it was time to dress for dinner.
When I entered my bedchamber, Charlie looked up from brushing my dinner coat.
I shrugged off the coat I had on, but it stuck on my arm. I struggled for a moment, but my shoulders were too tense to make much progress.
Charlie moved to help me, but I held up a hand, stopping him. I finally slipped my arms from the sleeves, then balled up the blasted garment and threw it on the bed.
Charlie glanced at the coat and then at me.
“You look like you want to say something,” I said.
“You would not like what I have to say.”
Because he had feelings for Kate?
“Doyouwant to say something?” he asked.
To him? “No.” I moved to the mirror.
Charlie sighed. “We were reading poetry to pass the time, Granger. And only because you asked me to watch after her while you were gone.”
“If you’re insinuating that I’m jealous, I’m not.”
“Aren’t you?” Charlie challenged.
“No,” I said with all the energy of a sulking schoolboy. “But you’re right. I don’t want you to court her.”
“Thatmuch is obvious. Your reasoning, however, is not.”
“She’s been through a lot,” I explained. “If you pursue her and it ends badly, she has nowhere else to go.”
“That isn’t why,” Charlie said. “And just so we are clear, I would never do that to you.”
