Page 56 of Tempted By an Unconventional Lady
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“I do hope you girls had a nice walk this afternoon. Hyde Park is beautiful in the sunlight,” Aunt Lydia said later that night.
The three women were sitting in the parlor, each with their embroidery draped across their laps. Charlotte focused on her stitching, not wanting to be drawn into conversation. The afternoon had been acceptable, she supposed.
She’d been overjoyed to see the duke at her door again, especially after the events in the library of the ball, but the walk had been staid, stilted. Lady Lucille had dominated the conversation, and Charlotte had hardly any time to speak to Alexander at all.
Nor to gaze into his eyes or caress his arms.
“It was wonderful,” Lucille gushed.
Charlotte glanced at her from under her lashes, silently examining her. She oozed beauty and sophistication, different in every way to Charlotte herself. Lucille was typically elegant, the woman everyone in thetonwanted to be.
Not uncouth and clumsy like Charlotte, and certainly not so unconventional. In truth, she was everything that Charlotte hated in the ladies of theton,and yet she feared that she was the only one. That everyone would hateherrather than the arrogance of women like Lucille.
It made no sense to her, either, that she was staying with them at all. Aunt Lydia normally hated house guests, claiming them to be a nuisance. And Charlotte had never once heard her mention Lady Lucille nor her mother, Lady Veil. It all rather came out of the blue, and Charlotte wondered about it.
“I’m so glad. It’s good for you both to get out of the house now and then. And the Duke of Ashbourne seems such wonderful company.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows, her eyes focused on her embroidery in front of her, but she said nothing. It was only the day before when Lydia reminded Charlotte of her dislike of His Grace, insisting that she not dance with him, even if he was in attendance at the ball.
“It was good to see him again, I must admit,” Lucille said with the hint of a contented sigh. “It has been too long.”
“You used to be friends, didn’t you?” Aunt Lydia asked.
Charlotte’s back tensed, and she listened carefully, curious about Alexander’s past. Had he spent time with Lucille in the same way that he had spent time with Charlotte herself?
“More than friends,” Lucille said. “We courted for a while.”
Charlotte sucked her breath in between her teeth, her needle slipping and pricking her finger.Courted?
“Whatever’s the matter, Charlotte?” Aunt Lydia snapped, her tone entirely different with Charlotte than Lucille.
“Nothing,” she said quickly. Her cheeks reddened, hot and embarrassed. “I pricked my finger, that’s all.”
Courted?She raised her finger to her lips and sucked the tip, enjoying the pulling sensation.
Aunt Lydia tutted. “You never were that adept of embroidery.”
Charlotte glared at her, finger still in mouth, but said nothing more.
Courted?The word swam around in her head, repeating itself over and over. Surely it wasn’t true. Surely he would have said something!
“Alas, it didn’t work out,” Lucille said, her voice almost dreamy, “but seeing him again today reminded me of my fondness for him.”
Charlotte risked a sly glance at her from under her lashes, and she wasn’t entirely surprised to find Lucille watching her in return, her lips upturned in the beginnings of a smirk. Charlotte lowered her eyes and refocused on her embroidery. She didn’t want to hear any more.
She had been right to dislike the duke in the first place, and foolish to allow herself to develop feelings for him. Hecould never like someone likeher. Not when he could so easily have a lady like Lucille. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but she disliked the woman her aunt had invited into their home intensely.
“Perhaps there is still time,” Aunt Lydia said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls again here soon enough, and then perhaps you can rekindle what you once had.”
Charlotte gritted her teeth.
“Perhaps, though do you think he could really like me?” Lucille flicked her perfect, golden hair over her shoulder, her bright blue eyes shining in the light.
“How could he not?” Aunt Lydia declared. “You are one of the most beautiful ladies of theton, are you not?”
“Mm, yes, I suppose I am.”
