Page 57 of The Tenacious Lady Blackmore

Charlotte placed a hand on her hip. “I asked you to come here to help me with matters of business, and as far as I can tell, those matters are not yet resolved. I’m afraid I have to insist you stay.” Her tone held a fair amount of teasing in it, and yet he could also hear the sincerity. Shewantedhim to stay.

“Am I your hostage, then?” he asked, teasing in return.

“Absolutely,” she said with a smile and a glint in her eyes.

A footman entered the room, and Charlotte quickly handed the letter over to him, instructing him that it be delivered directly. Once the man had left again, Charlotte returned to the writing desk and pulled out another sheet of paper.

“In all seriousness,” she said after staring at the blank page for a moment, “if you have other matters you must attend to, I shall be all right.”

Seth waited until she looked up at him to respond. “In all seriousness, there is no other place I’d rather be right now than here.” It wasn’t that she needed him—she had everything well under control. But she was the one person whose company he could never get enough of.

Charlotte’s smile returned, but more sincere this time. “I rather like having you here as well.”

Seth’s heart skipped a beat. He used to be able to shove such emotions down and out of the way. Now, though, he worried the truth was evident in his manner.

He leaned forward and refilled his teacup, using the time to compose himself. “It is lucky, then,” he said, trying to return to their previous teasing, “that you took me as hostage. Could you imagine how miserable you’d be if you’d taken for a hostage a man you couldn’t stand?”

Charlotte laughed lightly—which wasn’t helping him keep emotional distance in the least.

“I’m far too clever to do such a thing as that,” she said, returning to her letters once more.

Far too clever. That was Charlotte. Clever and smart and tenacious.

Gads, but he loved her.

* * *

Charlotte spent the next long while writing letters. Between her and Seth, they came up with a long list of individuals to whom they could reach regarding a position such as the one Emma needed.

By the time she was done, Charlotte’s hand was cramping and her back hurt. She would have to see about finding a different chair for this writing desk. The one she sat in now was doing her no favors.

But, for all the aches, she would have gladly spent many an afternoon in such a fashion. Working with Seth, thinking through options with him, even just sitting in the same room as him.

It was ridiculously perfect.

Just as Charlotte finished her last letter—to a new modiste in Bath, one Charlotte had only ever heard of but never met—a footman walked into the room with a letter for her.

“This just arrived, my lady,” he said with a bow.

Charlotte picked it up and flipped it over. “It’s from Lord Finch,” she told Seth.

He set down the book he’d taken up while she wrote and crossed over to her.

Charlotte broke the seal and shook out the letter. Instead of reading it aloud, she chose to angle it so that they might both read it at the same time.

Lady Blackmore,

I was quite shocked to receive your letter. Indeed, I am appalled that such has happened under the very roof of our asylum—a place dedicated to the safety and protection of girls. I am off to see Lord Windham at once. I will inform you of what he says after tomorrow’s committee meeting.

Charlotte shut her eyes for a brief moment and just breathed. All would be right soon enough. With Lord Finch on her side, Lord Windham would soon be gone and his diabolical scheming with him.

Seth wrapped an arm around her waist. The touch instantly brought comfort. Charlotte leaned against him as she continued to read.

If you could focus your efforts on securing a new position for Emma, that would be most helpful. The sooner she is removed from Lord Baxter’s house and settled elsewhere, the better.

“Of course, the sooner the better,” Charlotte muttered. “She’s never returning to Lord Baxter’s again.”

There was nothing more to the letter than a closing after that, and Charlotte skimmed over it, then refolded the paper.

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