Page 30 of A Virgin to Tame the Duke
A foolish thought. He dismissed it as soon as it arrived and took himself upstairs. The sooner he found his sister, the sooner this charade would be over, and the better for both their sakes. The last thing he needed was an attachment to Lady Charlotte, no matter her attractions.
ChapterEleven
As instructed by Aaron, Charlotte rose early, and they breakfasted together before the other two ladies were up. There was something disconcertingly easy about sitting opposite him at a table made up of every conceivable breakfast item while he buttered his toast and partook of bacon. The most frightening thing about it all, she reflected, was that it wasn’t frightening at all.
“How did you sleep?” he asked after a moment, looking at her as though he’d all but forgotten she was there.
Charlotte allowed herself a small smile. “You don’t need to make small talk with me, Aaron. I quite understand your preoccupation.”
“Your consideration does you credit,” he said with an amused look, “but I had in fact asked you because I cared about the answer.”
There was no one but a footman and the butler before whom they were obliged to put on a show, but Charlotte smiled anyway. “In which case, you’ll be delighted to know I slept very well.”
“Excellent.” Aaron glanced at the lashing rain. “I had originally thought we would walk to the village and stop off at the farm on the way, but I fear it would be more sensible to take the carriage.”
“If you had rather walk, I don’t mind the rain,” Charlotte said. It wasn’t strictly a lie; she had spent many a childhood hour wandering around their estate’s grounds before someone had found her and warmed her by the fire. There was something so compelling about the rain and its power—the power to purge everything from her, so she needn’t think nor feel. When her father had died, she had stood outside in a rainstorm and let the rain wash away her grief in a way tears couldn’t.
“While I appreciate the spirit of the offer, I suspect it would be more prudent to make inquiries while dry,” Aaron said with his customary wryness. She hadn’t previously noticed that wryness and the humor that lay behind it. “Are you ready to depart?”
Charlotte finished the last of her tea. “I am.”
He rose and offered her his hand. “Then let us set off in search of my sister.”
The carriage ride into the village was, mercifully, short though it stirred all sorts of memories Charlotte had no wish to revisit. If she delved too deep into them and the shameful desire they evoked, she would no longer be able to look at Aaron without blushing.
“We’re here,” Aaron said after a moment, looking out of the window. “This is the house my old nurse lives in.”
The house in question was a tiny cottage, roof slumping at one end and strangled roses crawling up the wall beside the front door. It was a combination of quaint and derelict, and it was plain its inhabitant had little money but cared deeply about its appearance. The stone flags leading to the front door were free from weeds and carefully brushed, and when they went inside, the dark interior was plain but exquisitely clean.
“Mrs. Brookes,” Aaron said with clear delight at the hunched woman who waved them inside. Her gray hair was neatly pinned under a white cap, and she wore a plain dark dress. Still, her face broke into a wide smile.
“Your Grace,” she said, holding out gnarled hands to him. “What a pleasure. How wonderful to see you. Come in; come in. Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“Not at all,” he said smoothly. “Please, call me Aaron. How are you?”
“Oh, you know, not too bad. I get by.” She beckoned them into a very small parlor. Charlotte squeezed beside Aaron as they sat, awkwardly, side by side. This was not the home of a woman who had the means or space to hide a runaway lady.
“Please forgive me,” Aaron said, gesturing to her. “This is Lady Charlotte, my betrothed.”
“Oh my, Your Grace.” Mrs. Brookes’ wrinkled face deepened as she looked between the two of them, her smile widening. “What happy news.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Charlotte said.
“I couldn’t bring my dear Charlotte into the area without showing her my origins,” Aaron said with a smile.
The old lady shook her head. “Tosh. You ran rings around me.”
“And you always brought me to the kitchens for a snack once I tired myself out.”
“And that took quite some doing,” she said, waggling a finger at him. “You never wanted to nap.”
“As you can see,” Aaron said to Charlotte, “I was quite a charge.”
Charlotte smiled. “I would have imagined nothing less.”
“And in comparison, my sister was the perfect child,” he said, turning back to Mrs. Brookes. Although Charlotte was largely certain Constance was not here, she couldn’t help sitting a little tighter. If Aaron had been her mother or her friend, she might have reached out a hand and taken his. As it was, she merely laced her fingers together on her lap.
“Ah yes, after you, Constance was a very easy child,” Mrs. Brookes sighed, a distant look on her face. “Biddable, eager to please, obedient. Very different from you, Your Grace.”
