Page 5 of One Scandal Too Many
“I didn’t do that for you,” he said in a gruff tone. “I don’t need a naïve schoolgirl as a wife. Be careful where you tread, darling; you might find yourself caught in a fire you cannot escape from.”
She gasped but didn’t protest. “I’ve never been good at following advice,” she admitted. “Besides, sometimes the heat is worth the potential burn.”
He stared at her for several heartbeats. Declan couldn’t have heard her right. Did she actually match his innuendo with a retort as carnal as his own? He’d never been dumbstruck before. How did he respond to her? Should he ignore her or test her willingness to share erotic barbs?
He decided to test her a little. Surely she wouldn’t continue down this path if she knew how treacherous it would be. He tilted his lips upward into a wicked half smile. “You’re correct, darling.” Declan stepped toward her, but she didn’t back away. There was little distance between them. If he wished to, he could pull her into his arms and let her feel his growing hardness. That might actually frighten the innocent into running from him. “The burn can feel exhilarating when done right.” He leaned down so she could hear his words, but if anyone else were nearby they’d strain to make them out. “Did you enjoy watching us? Are you always that bold? I’m sure you could find a man willing to rid you of your innocence if that’s the path you wish to take.” He stepped back and turned away from her. “But that man is never going to be me. Stay away from my property, Lady Charlotte. You are not welcome there.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond. Declan mounted his horse and rode away from the school. When he reached the abbey, he might have to jump into the bloody pond to cool his heated blood. What was it about Lady Charlotte Beckett that made desire erupt through him with one glance? How could oneinnocent miss ruin his carefully constructed demeanor? If he allowed her into any part of his life he’d completely fall under her spell. Hell, he’d nearly done so already. A haze of lust had clouded much of his sensibility, and he already craved what he knew he could not have.
Declan rode his horse hard until the abbey came into view. He slowed the horse to a walk when he noticed a carriage at the entrance. This could not be happening to him. Surely his mother hadn’t decided to visit the abbey. Had she learned about the finishing school nearby and taken that as a sign to assist him in finding a wife? There were several eligible young ladies at the school she could present to him as potential prospects.
He closed his eyes and hoped he could convince her to return to London. Lately, she had been urging him to marry more and more. She wanted grandchildren, but he didn’t want the wife required to give them to her. He had to make her understand now was not the time for him to hunt for a wife. Declan would make a terrible husband. No lady should suffer through his apathy.
There was no helping it. He had to face her sometime, and he’d rather have it done with than put off the inevitable. Maybe fate would be on his side and she only intended a brief stay at Easton Abbey. He snorted. That was as unlikely as him waking up and deciding marriage a grand idea indeed. He could never allow her to realize how attractive he found Lady Charlotte Beckett. If his mother hoped to trap him into marriage, she’d make a pretty package to tie himself to. One he already had difficulty resisting.
Chapter Three
Charlotte cursed underher breath as she stared out the window of her bedchamber. He’d banned her from going near his estate. How dare he taunt her and act as if he could order her about. Didn’t he realize that she was the daughter of a duke? If anything, he should give her far more respect than he’d done at their first official meeting.
And the things he’d said to her . . .
Her cheeks burned every time she thought about their earlier conversation. He’d been crude, and she’d responded in kind. That man brought out her worst inclinations. She should stay away from him. Clearly, he was a dreadful influence and she’d only do something she’d come to regret if she spent any time in his presence. He was not a good man.
Then why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?
Because the marquess had to be the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid her eyes upon, and he had a gloriously decadent mouth that tilted upward in the most sinful half smile. It sent shivers down her spine every time she imagined him gifting her with it. One devilish glance, and she was a puddle of mindlessness. She should stay away. She really, really should remain in her bedchamber. He’dorderedher to stay away.
Which was exactly why she fully intended to do the opposite.
He told her not to go to his estate, so of course she was going to sneak over there. She’d have to do it under the cover of thenight sky and be as quiet as possible. Charlotte didn’t intend to get caught. That would make her punishment worse, and she already couldn’t utilize the paths in the woods for a week. It also wouldn’t help her cause that she was going to use those very paths to sneak onto the marquess’s land. She wouldn’t go all the way over to his estate. Charlotte wasn’t a fool, after all. The chances of him catching her would rise exponentially the farther she breached his domain.
Charlotte grinned. She’d go to the pond and perhaps dip her toes into the cool water. They were unlikely to go there this time of night, and it was far enough away from the abbey that she would feel safe. She glanced over at Jaclyn. Her friend slept hard and wouldn’t notice she’d left. Once asleep she wouldn’t wake again until morning, and even then she wouldn’t wake up willingly.
She sat on her bed and slipped on a boot and secured it in place. Charlotte hadn’t bothered to undress earlier. Luckily, Jaclyn hadn’t questioned her and she hadn’t needed to lie. Once she had her boots on both feet, she grabbed her cloak and headed to the door. She glanced down the hallway and then stepped out and went toward the stairs. Without making a sound she tiptoed down, keeping vigil with each step she took. The castle was encased in darkness and could be treacherous if she didn’t use caution. It would bloody hurt, and possibly be deadly, if she lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs.
Finally she reached the end and then rushed toward the foyer. She flipped the bolt, opened the large door, and sneaked outside. It would have to be left unlocked so she could return with ease, but she didn’t think anyone would notice. No one ever came to the school unless they were dropping off another student. They would all be safe while she had her little adventure.
She walked slowly toward the garden, and then slipped quietly into the woods. The only light she had available was from the full moon shining above her. The trees looked so different underneath the dark sky above. Charlotte had never dared to traipse through the forest during nighttime. She probably shouldn’t be daring to do so now either, but she had something to prove to herself even if no one else knew what she’d done. This was all for her.
Admittedly, it would be nice to be able to tell the marquess she had dared to disobey him, but she also knew that would be a foolish endeavor. He wouldn’t appreciate her sneaky behavior any more than the headmistress would. Charlotte would only make her life far more difficult by confessing her misdeed.
She had to walk slowly through the paths so she wouldn’t get lost, or stumble over some wayward branch and fall face-first into the cool ground beneath her. Charlotte pulled her cloak over her head to ward off some of the chill that enveloped her. Shouldn’t it be warmer outside? She shivered and pulled her cloak closer.
She exited the path and came onto a clearing that led to the pond. Finally, she had arrived. She was starting to rethink her desire to dip her toes in the water, though. When she started out on this adventure, she hadn’t realized how cold it would be outside. The pond would be even cooler than the night air. It would be silly to take her boots off and freeze her toes in the water.
Charlotte sighed and moved closer to the pond. She reached the edge and stared down at the water. If only she were brave enough to do as she’d originally intended, but alas, she liked her toes to be warm and cozy. Some risks were not worth taking. This had to be enough. It wouldn’t do to catch some sort of illness because she wanted to secretly boast she’d failed to listen to the marquess and his dictate.
Since she wasn’t going to dip her toes into the water, perhaps she could do something else instead. Did she dare go farther and explore the marquess’s estate? Could she go into his garden and steal a flower or even walk into his stable and pet some of his horses? No, the latter wouldn’t be a good idea at all. What if one of the stable hands caught her and alerted him? She could steal a flower, though. That was something that she could do quietly under the cover of darkness. It didn’t matter that she could get a flower from the garden at the school. This would be a flower he wouldn’t want her to have, and therefore, she had to have one.
Charlotte smiled to herself and strolled with a purpose in the direction of Easton Abbey. She had a new task, and she would complete this one. The only thing she had left to decide before she reached the marquess’s garden was whether she should take one or two flowers, and what kind of bloom did she fancy on this lovely night.
*
Declan couldn’t sleep.His mother had been difficult, and he’d escaped to his bedchamber so he hadn’t been required to listen to her harping any longer. She wanted him to marry and didn’t understand he wouldn’t find a wife just because she dictated to him her desires. When he married, it would be his decision, not hers. He loved his mother, but there was only so much a man could handle.
He ran his fingers through his hair and cursed under his breath. There was another reason he couldn’t seem to sleep. That damned girl and her churlish attitude kept invading his thoughts. What was it about Lady Charlotte Beckett that meant he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering in her direction? He had to find a way to exorcise her from his mind, but he feared the only way to do that required giving in to his desires. Somethinghe knew very well was not an option. Bloody hell. She was proving to be a temptation he wouldn’t soon forget about.
Declan shook his head in an attempt to dislodge her from where he didn’t want her, but it didn’t seem to help. He sighed, then stood to glance out his window. His bedchamber overlooked a section of the massive garden at Easton Abbey. The moon was full and highlighted the flowers below. Primroses of every shade had been planted. He couldn’t make out the variety of colors from his bedchamber window; however, he could make out the dark shadow of someone moving through the garden. Who the blazes was skulking around?
