Page 37 of One Scandal Too Many
“No sweet talk for you?” She frowned. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Shouldn’t I be?” He lifted a brow. “Do you want me to be unpleasant?”
“Not at all,” she said quickly. “It’s just that...” Charlotte sighed. “I feel as if none of this is real. Youwereunpleasant in the beginning. I am having trouble understanding what is happening with you.” Charlotte ran her hand over Kallippos. “It’s... unsettling.”
“I thought we had already discussed this.” Hadn’t they? Hell, he couldn’t really remember. All Declan could think about was the feel of his lips over hers.
“Perhaps we did,” she said. “I cannot recall exactly. As I said, it’s been unsettling, and I want to understand this.” She motioned between them. “Without kisses muddling my thoughts.”
Declan understood that. Some of the conversations they’d had were a little fuzzy in his own memory. “You’re right,” he said. “We should have a frank conversation.” He glanced around them. “But not here. There are too many individuals that could overhear us speaking, and I’d rather not give gossip to anyone tospread.” He frowned. “We have already said far too much in the open.”
He wanted to tell her the truth. Declan needed her to know exactly what he wanted with her. He also hoped that she would want to be with him just as much. There was so much they had to discuss, and there never seemed to be a good time to have that conversation. He would have to tell her everything, and soon.
“If you’ll pardon me, my lord, my lady,” a stable hand said, interrupting them. “I’ll take Kallippos out and saddle her for Lady Charlotte.”
“Very well,” Declan said and led Charlotte away. “We will meet you outside the stables. Have my horse readied for me as well. I will ride along with Lady Charlotte on the hunt.”
“Yes, my lord,” he said and led Kallippos out of her stall.
Declan took Charlotte’s hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm and led her out of the stable. The stable hand would lead the horse to a mounting block for her. He glanced down at her skirts. “Are you going to be able to ride in that gown?”
She grinned. “There is a split in the middle.” She showed him. It was designed like pants in a way, but it looked like a skirt when she walked. The overlay pulled apart and revealed a skirt that was separated into two, each wrapping around a leg individually. It was a neat design.
“Good,” he said. “I want you to be safe as you ride.”
“I had them designed when my father wanted to forbid me to ride. He thinks side saddle is too dangerous and wouldn’t allow me to learn to ride at first.” She sighed. “And some riding costumes he also deemed unladylike. This was our compromise.”
“Side saddle is dangerous. A lady cannot get a proper seat.” He frowned. “I’m glad you found a way to learn and be safe.” Ladies’ garments were not always cohesive for riding, though some were better than others.
“Me too,” she said. “I do love riding.”
The stable hand brought Kallippos out to the mounting block. Declan helped her on to her horse and then waited for his own to be brought out. Once he was on his horse, they rode together to join the hunting party. They would begin the hunt soon. Declan couldn’t wait, because that meant soon, he would have Charlotte all to himself. He was also glad to see some other ladies had decided to join. That meant Charlotte would not be the only lady and catch anyone else’s attention for her decision.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She would be his. There was nothing he was more certain about, and it should have terrified him. Instead, he felt exhilarated. He had never wanted anything more than Charlotte. He promised he would never take anything for granted, and she would always know how much he adored her. Declan just had to convince her that she belonged with him. It sounded simple enough, but he knew better. Nothing would ever be simple where his Charlotte was concerned.
Chapter Seventeen
Charlotte had neverhad any desire to hunt anything, and that had not changed now that she was actually participating. Chasing down an animal and killing it held no appeal to her. In fact, she wondered why many gentlemen found such a sport entertaining in the least. What she had hoped to gain from this excursion was more time in Declan’s company. He’d ridden a little ahead of her to give the appearance he cared more about the hunt, but he’d told her he would return to her side as soon as he was able to. She hoped he would join her soon. Truthfully, she would rather return to the house for the parlor games now. Riding Kallippos had been fun in the beginning, but now she’d grown tired.
“Not what you thought it would be?” Melisande asked.
She would not roll her eyes. It would only encourage Melisande’s awful behavior. Charlotte had been surprised to discover Melisande had decided to join the hunt as well. Once Miss Spencer had given Charlotte permission to go, it hadn’t been difficult for the other girl to get consent to ride along as well. Where Kallippos was a gorgeous black, Melisande’s horse was pure white. They were in near contrast to each other. The horses complemented each other well in their opposite coloring.
“I did not have any expectations other than being able to have the opportunity to ride,” she told Melisande. That was all she had hoped for. Well, of course, that wasn’t the truth.There was also her desire to be near Declan. She would not tell Melisande that, though. She had her own motivations, and they were probably in direct opposition to Charlotte’s.
Melisande shrugged and laughed. “Balderdash,” she said in a mischievous tone. “No one will actually believe that is the truth.”
“Pardon me?” She stared at Melisande with wide open eyes. What was happening here? What did the other girl know?
“You’re here for a man,” she said.
How could she possibly know that? She’d been so careful. “I don’t know what you mean.” She kept her tone as light as possible. Charlotte could not allow her to realize how close to the truth she had come. Melisande was the type of woman to use information such as that against her. They were not friends, and she would not aid her in any way. Not unless she benefited from it as well.
Melisande met her gaze, then turned away to keep her attention on the path. They were not at a full gallop like the rest of the riders in the hunting party, but they were still keeping a brisk pace. It allowed them to still talk, but not lose too many of the others in their group. “There is only one reason for a lady to join a hunt, and it isn’t to actually chase an animal. We’re on a different sort of pursuit, aren’t we?” She grinned, and that was more impish than Charlotte liked. Melisande had plans of the wicked sort. “We want to trap a man, or at the very least catch their attention. Perhaps you don’t wish to tie yourself to one in marriage.” She turned her head and stared at her for a hard, but brief, moment. “Are you just hoping for a spot of pleasure, then?”
Charlotte swallowed hard. God help her. This woman saw right through her. She didn’t really know what she wanted from Declan. No, that wasn’t entirely true. She did know exactly what she wanted, but she didn’t dare hope for everything. Charlotte had been settling for scraps of his attention and a few deliciouskisses. She desired him and had from the very beginning. Not once had she fully believed he would offer for her, though. That was why so far, she’d kept some distance between them. That way, she could honestly say that they had not gone too far, and that one day, when she did marry, she would still go to her new husband a virgin. Not an innocent, though. Declan had already shown her too much to claim that, and she had a feeling there was much more to learn. Charlotte wanted as much as she could with him before she had to walk away and never look back.
“You’re wrong,” she insisted. “That may be why you’re here. Do not color me with your own aspirations. I’m not you.”
