understood?”
“What?” She was still having trouble grasping the fact that Denbigh’s intense gaze, his gentle touch, had all been part of the lesson. He had not been affected in the least by her presence. He had not been moved at all by the touch of her hand, as she had been by his. She rose abruptly.
“Oh, I understand, all right,” she said. “All you’re interested in is seeing that some man—with the correct heritage and birthright—is fooled by an act long enough to be tricked into marriage. Have I got it right?”
He rose to face her. “I did not mean—I suppose it must seem—Damn and blast, Charlotte. You’re twisting everything.”
“You mean I’m not supposed to flirt? I thought that was what this lesson was all about.” She batted her eyelashes at him.
“Stop that. You look ridiculous.”
“I can’t be what I’m not,” she cried. “I refuse to put on an act that I wouldn’t be able to keep upforever. What do you suppose would happen after I married a man whom I had deceived as to my true nature? What would happen when he woke up after the honeymoon and realized who—and what—he had married?”
Denbigh had the grace to flush.
“Don’t you think it might be better if I choose a man to suit me, rather than try to change myself to suit a man?”
Denbigh’s jaw tightened. “Choosing your husband is my prerogative.”
“How can you know who would make me happy?”
“Happiness is not the purpose of marriage. Marriages are alliances where property and bloodlines are considered foremost.”
“No wonder Lady Alice left you at the altar,” Charlotte blurted out. “I don’t blame her for fleeing from a loveless marriage.”
Olivia’s knitting needles clattered into her lap. “Oh, Charlotte, please don’t say such things!”
The blood drained from Denbigh’s face. He stood rigid for a moment longer before he turned and left the room.
Charlotte felt wretched. She had never purposely hurt another human being in her life. Accidentally, yes. Through carelessness, yes. But she had wanted to make Denbigh feel the same pain she was feeling at his rejection. She had said what shethought would wound him the most. Her unerring aim had hit a very vulnerable mark.
She saw Olivia through a blur, and realized Olivia’s eyes also welled with tears. She crossed and dropped to her knees in front of the earl’s sister. “I’m sorry, Livy.”
Olivia brushed her hair back from her face soothingly as she looked out the window past Charlotte’s head. “You must never, ever say such things again. You will never know how much Lion suffered when Lady Alice abandoned him. It was a love match. At least on his side. Something happened … It was awful.”
“What happened?” Charlotte asked.
Olivia shook her head. “Please don’t ask. He told me once. When he was in his cups. It was awful.”
“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said again. “I promise I won’t ever do such a thing again.”
But she was more than ever convinced that the choosing of her husband should not be left to the Earl of Denbigh’s discretion. He did not have the same values as she did, or embrace the same ideals. She would be better off choosing a husband of her own.
Or staying single. That idea also had considerable merit.
The only problem was, Charlotte did not think she could last four years as the earl’s ward.
4
“May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
There was nothing demure about Lady Charlotte’s gaze as she examined the blond Adonis standing before her. He was older than the young bucks of the
ton
who had crowded round her ever since she had entered Almack’s. Lines webbed his piercing blue eyes and creased his sharp-boned cheeks. He was broad-shouldered and lean-hipped, altogether an admirable male specimen. Before Charlotte could accept the gentleman’s offer, Denbigh answered for her.
“The lady’s dance card is filled, Your Grace,” her guardian said in clipped tones.
Charlotte’s
“What?” She was still having trouble grasping the fact that Denbigh’s intense gaze, his gentle touch, had all been part of the lesson. He had not been affected in the least by her presence. He had not been moved at all by the touch of her hand, as she had been by his. She rose abruptly.
“Oh, I understand, all right,” she said. “All you’re interested in is seeing that some man—with the correct heritage and birthright—is fooled by an act long enough to be tricked into marriage. Have I got it right?”
He rose to face her. “I did not mean—I suppose it must seem—Damn and blast, Charlotte. You’re twisting everything.”
“You mean I’m not supposed to flirt? I thought that was what this lesson was all about.” She batted her eyelashes at him.
“Stop that. You look ridiculous.”
“I can’t be what I’m not,” she cried. “I refuse to put on an act that I wouldn’t be able to keep upforever. What do you suppose would happen after I married a man whom I had deceived as to my true nature? What would happen when he woke up after the honeymoon and realized who—and what—he had married?”
Denbigh had the grace to flush.
“Don’t you think it might be better if I choose a man to suit me, rather than try to change myself to suit a man?”
Denbigh’s jaw tightened. “Choosing your husband is my prerogative.”
“How can you know who would make me happy?”
“Happiness is not the purpose of marriage. Marriages are alliances where property and bloodlines are considered foremost.”
“No wonder Lady Alice left you at the altar,” Charlotte blurted out. “I don’t blame her for fleeing from a loveless marriage.”
Olivia’s knitting needles clattered into her lap. “Oh, Charlotte, please don’t say such things!”
The blood drained from Denbigh’s face. He stood rigid for a moment longer before he turned and left the room.
Charlotte felt wretched. She had never purposely hurt another human being in her life. Accidentally, yes. Through carelessness, yes. But she had wanted to make Denbigh feel the same pain she was feeling at his rejection. She had said what shethought would wound him the most. Her unerring aim had hit a very vulnerable mark.
She saw Olivia through a blur, and realized Olivia’s eyes also welled with tears. She crossed and dropped to her knees in front of the earl’s sister. “I’m sorry, Livy.”
Olivia brushed her hair back from her face soothingly as she looked out the window past Charlotte’s head. “You must never, ever say such things again. You will never know how much Lion suffered when Lady Alice abandoned him. It was a love match. At least on his side. Something happened … It was awful.”
“What happened?” Charlotte asked.
Olivia shook her head. “Please don’t ask. He told me once. When he was in his cups. It was awful.”
“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said again. “I promise I won’t ever do such a thing again.”
But she was more than ever convinced that the choosing of her husband should not be left to the Earl of Denbigh’s discretion. He did not have the same values as she did, or embrace the same ideals. She would be better off choosing a husband of her own.
Or staying single. That idea also had considerable merit.
The only problem was, Charlotte did not think she could last four years as the earl’s ward.
4
“May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
There was nothing demure about Lady Charlotte’s gaze as she examined the blond Adonis standing before her. He was older than the young bucks of the
ton
who had crowded round her ever since she had entered Almack’s. Lines webbed his piercing blue eyes and creased his sharp-boned cheeks. He was broad-shouldered and lean-hipped, altogether an admirable male specimen. Before Charlotte could accept the gentleman’s offer, Denbigh answered for her.
“The lady’s dance card is filled, Your Grace,” her guardian said in clipped tones.
Charlotte’s
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