Page 15 of When I Loved a Charmer

Seven

Callie wasn’t sure what she should do. It had been a couple weeks since she’d last seen Lord Goodland at the theater. After he departed her brother returned with Iris. If they had asked her what she wanted she’d have asked to leave the theater. She no longer had any interest in watching the play, and doubted she could even tell anyone what it had been about. Not that she would try to…

Every waking thought she had was how to get through to Lord Goodland but it seemed impossible. He’d left her alone and hadn’t looked back. He didn’t seem capable of loving her. Perhaps she should give in and do as he asked and let him go. Some men apparently couldn’t find it in themselves to love another. The viscount may be in their ranks, and therefore Callie’s cause was hopeless.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Nothing was ever truly hopeless and she wasn’t ready to give up. She felt something for Lord Goodland and she wanted to explore what it meant. That meant she would have to find some way to see him again and force him to admit he wanted more with her too. He claimed he didn’t want to hurt her and that he wasn’t good enough for her. Shouldn’t she be allowed to make that decision for herself?

She should go inside and dance with a few suitors. Her excitement for balls had dimmed over the past couple weeks. It was unlikely that she would find Lord Goodland in polite society. As the last remaining scandalous gentleman of the infamous five he was likely in some den of sin. So instead of dancing a waltz or quadrille she was outside on a balcony obscured by the night sky. A cool breeze rolled over her and she shivered. The chill wasn’t enough to convince her to go inside.

Instead she went to the nearby stairs and wandered down. There was a garden below and she had heard there was an interesting fountain. Iris was lax in her chaperoning duties and would not search for her. She’d told her she was going to the ladies’ retiring room and then exited through a side door while Iris had been preoccupied. As long as she returned in a reasonable time she wouldn’t give any of the gossipmongers anything to discuss.

She walked along the path until she was in the heart of the garden. There was a fountain as promised. It was a breathtaking caving of Eros and Psyche in a romantic embrace—Eros wings spread high as he leaned over to kiss the woman in his arms. Callie sat on the edge of the fountain and dipped her fingers in the pool.

A female giggling caught her attention. Callie turned toward the sound and cursed under her breath. She wasn’t alone, and it was also likely she would find herself in the middle of an assignation of some sort. The last thing she wanted was to witness a romantic interlude. Especially when her heart was already bruised by Lord Goodland’s rejections.

“My lord,” the lady said in a husky tone. “I’m ready for you. Kiss me and give me the pleasure you’re reported to be an expert at dolling out.”

“I have made no such promises,” the man said. Callie gasped…it couldn’t be. “But I can be persuaded to with the proper incentive.”

Lord Goodland was at the ball and he was having a tryst with another woman. What little hope she had left had dissipated with that realization. He clearly wasn’t pining for her. What a fool she’d been. That was all she needed to bring her fully in to reality. If only she could make her legs work so she could walk back to the ball. She couldn’t see them…

As they walked the path toward the fountain they came in to clearer view. Callie somehow managed to take several breaths and find some sense of calm. She stood as they neared and intended to walk past them as if they meant nothing to her. When they saw her they both stopped short.

“Pardon me,” she said under her breath and pushed past them.

“Callie…” Lord Goodland called out.

She ignored him and kept walking. Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. Callie would not let him see how much his disregard hurt. She should have taken him at his word. He wasn’t a good man and she did deserve far better than him.

“Callie,” Lord Goodland said as he grabbed her arm. “Stop. Please.”

She glanced up at him. “Let me go.”

“Not until you agree to listen.”

She tilted her head to the side. “There’s nothing you have to say that I want to hear.”

He sighed. “I never…”

“Wanted to hurt me?” she finished for him. “It’s ironic isn’t it? No one ever truly wants to cause someone pain, and yet, we often do that very thing. Our carelessness and indifference for those around us does that.”

“I’ve only been honest with you.”

“You have,” she agreed. “I can respect you for your candor, but that is no excuse for being rude. When you left me alone at the theater your exit and words were offensive and discourteous.”

He nodded. “Then you realize that we would never have been a good match?”

As if that gave him the right for how he had treated her… “I concede your opinion may have been correct. Especially considering your actions told a tale better than any words may have.”

It hurt. There was no mere bruise on her heart now. She was close to shattering and if he didn’t let her go soon it might fall to pieces at his feet. Callie couldn’t pinpoint the moment it had happened, but she had gone and fallen in love with the fool. She inwardly snorted. No, she was the fool. He’d tried to tell her he was unworthy and she chose to believe she knew better than he did.

“My companion…”

She glanced at the lady in the garden. “Is no concern of mine.” Callie would find Iris and insist they go home. She hadn’t felt like dancing before and she certainly didn’t want to now.

Jonah didn’t knowwhy he was at the picnic the Marchioness of Merrifield was throwing. Yes, he was friends with the marquess, but he didn’t do social events. He never should have gone to that ball the other night. There was only one reason for him to have gone. Jonah wanted to catch a glimpse of Callie. His Callie. When Lady Dryden had suggested a tryst he’d said yes without thinking it through. He had hoped by following her out to the garden he’d be able to forget, even for a moment, about Callie.

He’d been wrong.

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