Page 64 of Tempted By an Unconventional Lady
“Green suits you.”
Charlotte jumped at the sound of Arthur’s voice. He was such a boring man that she found herself tuning him out often, and then remembering him suddenly whenever he spoke. He was perfectly likeable yet utterly forgettable.
“Thank you, Arthur. That’s most kind of you to say.” She returned her attention to the food on her plate: guinea fowl and roast potatoes covered in a rich meat gravy. She painstakingly cut her meat into the smallest pieces, then nibbled at it. “I hear you have invested in a new business?”
“Not a business as such, but railway stocks,” he explained. His eyes had lit up at the same rate that Charlotte’s heart sank. “And consols—you know, government bonds. Such a prudent investment, of course. Anything issued by the Crown is a sure thing, don’t you agree?”
“I’ve never really thought about it,” Charlotte admitted.
“Oh, but you must,” Arthur continued. “It is the epitome of stability and security, ensuring that one's capital is preserved while providing for future needs. The government pays the fixed interest annually, you know? I would have thought an intelligent lady like yourself—and one of your means, too—would know all about it.”
Charlotte smiled weakly as she chewed on a piece of guinea fowl. “I leave all that to the accountant,” she explained.
As Arthur droned on, Charlotte risked a painful glance across the table. Alexander had promised her there was no longer any feeling between him and Lady Lucille, but it seemed now that was a lie. The pair had hardly come up for air, their conversation so deep and engrossing. And Lucille seemed to edge closer to the duke with every word, and she looked at him as if he were her entire world.
What an utter fool I have been.
She thought of the day before, when Alexander had held her so tenderly after their lovemaking. She thought of the things he had whispered into her ear, the way he had kissed her neck, the sensation of him filling her to the very core. She hadn’t expected anything from him, but she likewise hadn’t expected to feel so badly used and hurt. She looked down at her plate, her chin crumpled with sadness, Arthur’s voice providing a steady hum beside her.
To her surprise, Arthur lowered his voice to a whisper and ducked his head. “Are you quite all right, my lady?”
His kindness made Charlotte’s heart melt, and she looked up at him gratefully. “Yes, thank you. I suppose I just get a little overwhelmed at such events as these,” she lied. “I am glad to have such an understanding and thoughtful man at my side.”Her gaze flicked to the duke, though it didn’t rest there. She couldn’t bear it—seeing him nor her own emotional weakness. Instead, she embraced the kindness of the man sitting next to her.
“You flatter me too much,” he replied simply. He paused, searching for something to say, and then he chuckled. “Did you hear about Lord Fairfax’s littlefaux pasat the Somerset ball last weekend?”
“I can’t say I did, no.” Charlotte hadn’t even realized the event was happening. She had been far too tied up in her own emotions to pay attention to atonshe had little interest in to begin with, but she appreciated Arthur’s attempts to distract her.
“It was the funniest thing,” he said in a whisper. “He was dancing with Lady Annabelle, and you know the sorts of gowns she opts for.”
“Long and flowing?” Charlotte suggested. “And I hear Lord Fairfax isn’t the best of dancers. Oh, I suspect I know where this is going, and I could just cringe for the pair of them!”
“Exactly that,” Arthur confided. “They say Lord Fairfax has two left feet. Well, at least one of them got caught in Lady Annabelle’s preposterously long gown, and the silk ripped almost to her knee!”
Charlotte gasped before breaking into giggles. “Oh dear. I’m not sure who I feel the most sorry for, him or her.”
“Her, surely,” Arthur continued. “If only for the fact that Lord Fairfax followed her around for the rest of the evening, reiterating his apologies over and over again. They say it was enough to drive the poor woman mad.”
“But the poor man was probably mortified.” Charlotte glanced again at the duke and this time, he was watching her and Arthur. She smiled at the darkness she saw in his eyes.Is he jealous?Turning back to Arthur, she said, “Tell me more. I feel I have missed much this season!”
“Well,” Arthur said. “There was the incident with Lady Margaret.”
And so their evening continued, Charlotte’s mood much improved.
***
Lydia fell onto the couch with a large sigh and an even larger glass of wine. “I’m glad that’s over,” she muttered. “I’m getting far too old for all this drama.”
“But our plan is going exceedingly well,” Lucille said. She sat primly on the edge of the couch next to Lydia, her own glassof wine held near her lips as if she couldn’t be too far away from it. “I believe I’ll have the duke back in the palm of my hand in no time at all.”
Lydia chuckled. “I must admit, I saw Charlotte throw you a few daggered looks across the table. I’m not sure she realizes how obvious her feelings are.”
She shifted in her seat and took another gulp of wine. It wasn’t that she wanted to see her niece unhappy, of course. Charlotte had been part of her family for so long now, and she hoped that she would remain part of the family for many years to come. That was why she was doing this, after all. She couldn’t bear the thought of Charlotte marrying outside the family, though her reasons were admittedly less altruistic than she liked to proclaim.
“Indeed. It did make the whole thing a touch sweeter,” Lucille said. “Is that a truly cruel thing to say?”
Lydia shot her a look. “Yes, it’s terribly cruel, though I expect nothing less of you now that I know you. Never before have I met someone so ruthless.”
Lucille pursed her lips and looked away. “I am only ruthless when it comes to getting what I want. What I deserve. And you want this too, don’t you?”
