“Then they shall think I am a harlot,” Amanda said as if that should be obvious. She rolled over onto her back and sighed. “You sit around here with your long face and you make me feel as if the sun will never shine. You should go out and do something.”
Charlotte’s eyebrows furrowed together. “And how am I supposed to do that?”
“I know,” Amanda said with a grin as she sat up straight. She leaned forward with that impish twinkle in her eyes. “You could go to the ball.”
Charlotte reminded her, “I am not your chaperone. I am just a maid.”
“Forget all that. You could go to a ball for real with a dress and your hair done up prettily. I bet you would look like a normal happy girl if you were given the incentive.” Amanda swung her feet back and forth as she thought of her plan.
With a sigh, Charlotte shook her head at Amanda. “I am not a lady and have no business at a ball.”
“I know a ball that you can attend, and no one would know,” Amanda said with a wicked grin. “There will be a fancy-dress ball, masks and all, at Lord Tennison’s estate. It will be so much fun to show you what the season is really like.”
Her stomach tied up in knots at the very thought of it. “I do not know about that. What would your brother say?”
“What would it matter to him?” Amanda shook her finger at Charlotte. “For once in your life just do something fun.”
Charlotte wondered how long Amanda was going to keep on at her about this before she let it drop. She looked into her friend’s eyes and judge that the woman was willing to go on about it forever. “I really do feel as if we should tell your brother.”
“Let him figure it out,” Amana said with a laugh. “So you will go?”
Charlotte pondered for a moment then relented. “I suppose I could.”
“Fantastic!” Amanda clapped her hands together and Charlotte wondered if she had done the right thing. “I shall arrange for you to be escorted to the ball separately and I shall meet you outside. First, let us get our costumes. I need to go look for some today anyway.”
Charlotte looked down at her hands. “Costumes?”
“Mostly a mask, but they have some of the most wonderful dresses to match the masks sometimes.” Amanda reached over and gave Charlotte’s hand a squeeze. “You look as if you will be sick.”
Charlotte agreed, “I think I might be.”
“Well, you had better pinch your cheeks and hope for the best, because we have a ball to go to, my darling.” Amanda was never more dangerous than when she was chipper.
Charlotte took a sip of her tea and grimaced because it had grown cold while they spoke. “There is no way I can get out of this, is there?”
“Not a chance.” Amanda stood up and plopped the last of the grapes back on the tray. “I shall go and make arrangements for us to go to the shops. Do you think that my dearest brother will count you as a chaperone for shopping?”
Charlotte chuckled. “He might.”
“That would be even better. That dreadful old great aunt of mine is driving me crazy. She interrupts me. Can you imagine?” Amanda gave her a look of disgust at the very notion of such a thing.
Charlotte made a noncommittal noise that Amanda took for sympathy. When Amanda was out of the room, she whispered, “So it does run in the family then.”
*
The ball at the Tennison estate was well under way by the time Graham arrived. He had left his sister in the capable hands of their great aunt, who thrived on such things. Lady Henderson was nothing if not studious in her duties to her family. Being that the woman had no children of her own, she enjoyed chaperoning far more than Graham did on the occasions when he had to accompany his sister by himself.
Amanda liked crowds and vivid stories that kept a court of eager suitors surrounding her. Graham spotted Amanda’s knot of admirers as soon as he entered the great hall, despite the large number of attendees at the event. The masquerade balls brought out even those who usually did not attend seasonal affairs.
Graham had to admit that it was fun, even if he could tell who everyone was – well mostly. He nodded towards a group of young ladies and their chaperones, some of whom he was acquainted with, and felt an obligation to acknowledge them. He had taken no more than two steps before he was accosted by Lord Tennison himself.
“Graham,” Lord Tennison called out in his rusty and gravel-strewn voice that Graham thought was probably due to all his yelling in his naval captain days.
Graham mustered a smile for his old friend. “George, I cannot believe that Margaret finally talked you into holding a fancy-dress party. Good on you.”
“I thought I should allow her a little fun. She has been under the weather and has only now just begun to feel herself again.” Lord Tennison slapped Graham on the back altogether too hard, but Graham chuckled and shook his head. “Never understood these things. Quite obvious who everyone is, is it not?”
Graham nodded and looked around. He spotted a figure sitting among the spinsters that drew his eye. Was that Miss Browne?
“What is it? Find someone who catches your eye?” Lord Tennison craned to look in the direction of Graham’s gaze.
With a wave of his hand, Graham dismissed Lord Tennison’s words. “Not at all. I simply thought I recognised someone.”
“Ah, the intrigue of these events. You shall just have to see if your guess was correct.” Lord Tennison gave Graham a wink before he lifted his hand to flag down another guest. “Pardon me, Graham.”
“Have fun, George,” Graham said with a salute, which made Lord Tennison laugh merrily as he went to find his next conversation.
Graham looked back towards the spinsters. The lady in question was sipping a drink that a servant brought her and Graham watched the way she held the glass. He was all but certain it was indeed Miss Browne, but what on Earth would she be doing here?
His gaze swept back to his sister. He was sure this was one of Amanda’s whims. Graham set his mind to have a word with his sister about it, but his thoughts were interrupted by yet another acquaintance.
“Lord Easterly,” Baron Beasley bellowed. His wife gave a nod to Graham as she clung to her husband’s arm. No doubt to keep him from running off to the card table.
Graham gave the couple a polite bow. “No need for such formalities among old soldiers.”
“Indeed,” Baron Beasley declared. “You are looking well. I am glad to see that not all the returning war heroes have encapsulated themselves in these new dress trends.”
Graham chuckled and replied, “I do not think ruffles suit me very well.”
“I think they can be the most fun,” Lady Beasley said with a smile at her husband.
Clearly, the two of them seemed to have some sort of amusing debate going about the new dandies of London and Graham shook his head as Baron Beasley disputed his wife’s words hotly. “I take it you two are of differing points of view.”
Baron Beasley assured Graham, “We are on most things, but is that not what makes life interesting?”
“He says that until he gets the worst of a discussion,” Lady Beasley said with a light, teasing tone.
Baron Beasley lifted his wife’s hand off his arm and gave it a kiss. “That is probably true as well.”
Graham smiled. “Forgive me for slipping away so soon, but I must go and pay my respects to someone. Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” Baron Beasley assured him. “Go on with you.”
Graham gave Baron Beasley’s arm a pat as he walked away. They had only served together briefly before Baron Beasley was injured and returned home. Graham never did know what exactly the injury was, but he was glad to see no residual effects on the man. Perhaps his injury was more one of paying money to the right people to simply get out of the war.
The sound of the musicians drew Graham’s eye. It was unusual enough for there to be so many playing, but the combination of violins and violas intrigued him for a long moment. He made a note to find out where Lord Tenni
son had hired the musicians. His revelry was interrupted as someone came to stand near him.
He turned his gaze to the striking woman to his right. A smile crossed his lips. “Your Grace.” Graham gave the red-clad Duchess of Windham a bow.
The raven-haired duchess curtseyed to him in return. Her graceful movements drew the eyes of all the men near her. Her eyes, however, stayed on Graham. “Lord Easterly,” she replied.
“Rather enthralling music, is it not?” Graham said with a small gesture at the musicians.
The Duchess of Windham smiled and turned her eyes toward the musicians. “They are splendid. If only it were suitable to dance just yet.”
Graham and the duchess fell into companionable silence as they listened to the musicians. The two of them had struck up a friendship quite by chance after his return from the war. The duchess had been a friend of his wife’s and Graham had been grateful for the woman’s gentle presence.
He knew it was rumoured that she was his intended bride, but Graham did not see her that way. Any other man would think him a fool for not taking the opportunity to woo such a lady, but Graham was not interested in the duchess’s fortune or title, which had been bestowed upon her by the king as she was a favoured cousin.
Lord Tennison drew everyone’s attention to him as he walked to the centre of the floor. “I am honoured that all of you have chosen to attend us tonight. We will begin dances soon.” He turned and gave a bow to the musicians, who fell silent.
“Shall you accompany me?” The Duchess of Windham’s smile was teasing and light.
Graham inclined his head and held out his arm for her. “It would be an honour.”
She put her hand lightly on his arm and he guided her towards the floor, where those of higher rank were forming up to begin the first dance. The Duchess of Windham nodded to one of the other ladies who nodded back at her with a smile.
She settled into Graham’s embrace. The music swelled up and they waited for the beat that they would signal for them to dance. The dancers began and Graham and the duchess moved as one around the circle.
Graham shared a smiled with the duchess. The dance was a country dance that Lord Tennison favoured. Graham was not surprised that the man had included it.
The country dances were always rousing events and the duchess seemed to be enjoying herself. Graham had to admit that he was having a good bit of fun himself. The woman was easy to dance with and she followed his movements with no trouble.
The music slowed and Graham took the moment to whisper, “I think Baron Beasley almost tripped on that last round.”
The Duchess of Windham bit down on a smile. Her eyes cut over to the Baron and his wife. She leaned slightly toward Graham and whispered, “Perhaps he has started at the punch early.”
Graham chuckled and they fell into silence as the dance picked up its pace again. Around the circle they flowed as the duchess moved in and out of his arms with the dance. Every time she returned, she smiled at Graham with a soft invitation, that he politely paid no attention to.
*
The music and the twirling dancers mesmerised Charlotte. She had never seen anything so beautiful, the shimmering gowns and candlelight putting even her most ethereal dreams to shame.
Lord Easterly was easy to find amid the crowded dancefloor. He moved with such grace that Charlotte could not stop her eyes from following his every move. He wore no frills, but simple straight lines, his grey jacket swishing with his dance.
He held the Duchess of Windham with such tenderness that Charlotte felt a soreness in her chest. She frowned down at her hands before looking back at the dancers. The duchess was smiling at Lord Easterly, her ruby lips moved as if she were speaking to him. What was the duchess saying, Charlotte wondered?
She silently chided herself for being so fascinated by the man. She had thought herself quite over her passionate infatuation for him, yet at odd moments she found that she was still drawn to him in the most devilish of ways. Should she not have left behind this old childhood fascination with a man who was out of her reach?
She had certainly thought she had grown beyond such things. Yet here she was wishing that she was the Duchess of Windham. Oh, if only she were such a regal creature as the duchess, then she might be worthy of Lord Easterly. She closed her eyes behind this ridiculous mask that Amanda had picked out for her.
Charlotte tried to ignore the gossip from the ladies around her. The spinster women had little to do but share titbits with each other. Soon enough Charlotte, quite against her will knew the gossip regarding each dancing couple.
When the dance came to an end, she lost sight of Lord Easterly. She sank back into her chair and scanned the room. Amanda was still holding court and looked to be having a wonderful time.
Charlotte had to admit that the balls were much as Amanda had described. She was surprised that no one much had talked to her. She had no idea what she would say if someone did talk to her, and she supposed that it did not really matter as long as she did not link herself to the Easterly family.
After all, no one here knew anything about Charlotte or her family. They would just think her some random lady they had not been acquainted with. With no one to introduce her, Charlotte wagered that she would spend the entire ball with the spinsters.
She was resigned to that, and really at least she had been able to see society in all of its glory. It was more than this poor vicar’s daughter had dreamed she would achieve. Charlotte looked down at her hands.
“May I have this dance?” A warm, deep voice asked the question and Charlotte looked up in surprise to see Lord Easterly standing before her with his hand outstretched.
Charlotte did not know what to do and froze. He gave her a smile and Charlotte, against her better judgment, slid her hand into his. He drew her away from the safety of the spinsters and out towards the dancefloor.
She was trembling by the time they reached the smooth floors where the dancers were assembling. Lord Easterly leaned over slightly and whispered, “Why do you tremble so?”
“I have not danced in some time,” Charlotte whispered back as she glanced at the poised couples around them.
Lord Easterly lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug. “It is a simple waltz. I know that you learnt that during the lessons you took with my sister.”
Charlotte looked at him in surprise. “You knew it was me.”
“Of course,” Lord Easterly told her with a smile. “What are you doing here?”
Charlotte stilled as Lord Easterly slid his hand into position at her side. She had forgotten how intimate a dance the waltz was. It did not seem so as a child when she had learnt the dance. Yet when Lord Easterly held her, she had to fight the flush of heat that came to her face.
She realised he was waiting on her reply. “Your sister thought it would be fun for me to see a ball.”
“I see,” he said simply. The music began and they stepped off into the dance. The steps came back to her thankfully, and with Lord Easterly leading she found she began to relax.
When she did not have to concentrate on where her feet were, it left her an uncomfortable amount of time to focus on how Lord Easterly’s hand felt against her back as they went around in the dance. They stepped back, their arms linking. Lord Easterly was mere inches from her, and they gazed at one another as they twirled around.
They stepped away from each other, their hands slipping along the other’s arms. For just a moment it felt as though they might truly separate, but they grasped hands and he pulled her back into his embrace. Charlotte was quite a willing captive to this dance.
Under the Seductive Lady's Charm: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 7