Under the Seductive Lady's Charm: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

  Miss Browne waved off his question and Graham had no choice but to let his questions go unanswered, or he would be forced to pry. He really did not want to pry. If she chose to keep her secrets, he would allow her to do so.

  He glanced up at the lovely park behind them. “Since we are here at Hyde Park anyway, and I have no real desire to spend an hour with Lord Stanhope and my sister, would you care to take a turn around the gardens with me?”

  Charlotte looked at him in surprise. She took the arm he offered her. “That would be nice.”

  They walked around the park’s walking path, which circled the park and was really quite a pleasant respite in the middle of London for a good constitutional. Graham felt wholly better once the shadows in Miss Browne’s eyes were replaced with genuine glimmers of amusement at his observations.

  “I saw a green rose once,” Graham told her.

  Charlotte hid a laugh behind her free hand. “Surely you jest?”

  “No. it was as green as its leaves. It was quite disconcerting actually.” Graham laid his hand on top of Miss Browne’s hand on his arm. “You know, you really do have the loveliest hair.” He lifted his hand and pushed a sprig of hair behind her ear.

  The most fetching colour rose to Miss Browne’s cheeks and thrilled Graham with his discovery of how easily he could make the girl flush.

  Miss Browne said, “I think my hair rather dull compared to yours.”

  “Nonsense. What makes my hair so grand?” Graham was genuinely curious.

  Miss Browne lifted her shoulders lightly, and her smile was teasing. “It is very dignified, especially when accompanied by the grey in your beard.”

  “Ah, so you are jealous of my beard then?” Graham teased. “I think you would look a bit odd with a beard.”

  Miss Browne did not try to hide her laugh this time, or perhaps she was so lost in mirth that she did not have time to do so. She shook her head at Graham. “I think it looks considerably better on you than it would on me.”

  Graham felt younger around the woman, maybe because of her age, but she simply made him feel as if there was plenty of life left in him. Graham laid his hand back over the hand that rested on his arm. They caught each other’s gaze for just a few seconds before they both looked away.

  When he dared glance at her again she smiled at him, that shy smile she had sometimes. It was as if she held a secret that Graham very much longed to know. What was behind that smile?

  They walked on in silence for a while. Just as it seemed they might begin talking Graham saw the Duchess of Windham approaching them with another lady at her side. “Your Grace, what an unexpected pleasure,” Graham said with a smile to the noblewoman as she came to a stop near them.

  “Lord Easterly, it is indeed a wonderful surprise to run into you here. Allow me to introduce my cousin, Lady Stewart.” She motioned with a gloved hand to the brown-haired beauty beside her.

  Lady Stewart gave Graham a curtsey and he returned the greeting with a bow. “Lovely to meet you, Lady Stewart.”

  “And you, Lord Easterly.” Lady Stewart gave him a bright smile before she turned her gaze toward Miss Browne.

  Lord Easterly motioned to Miss Browne with his hand as he said, “Allow me to introduce my companion. This is Miss Browne. Miss Browne, this is the Duchess of Windham, Lady Stewart.”

  Miss Browne gave the women a curtsey. “It is an honour, Your Grace and Lady Stewart.”

  “She is precious, and she looks familiar. Is she out at season this year?” Duchess Windham eyed Miss Browne with interest.

  Graham did not know exactly what to say about that, but since the question had been directed to him and not Miss Browne, he felt compelled to answer. “She has attended a few functions. Mostly she has been with Mrs. Lennox while studying.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Lennox is a grand woman,” Duchess Windham said with approval. She turned towards Miss Browne. “You have a good teacher in her. How have you liked what of the season you have seen?”

  Miss Browne hesitated then said meekly, “I have found it rather entertaining.”

  Duchess Windham clearly thought that amusing and so did her cousin. “You will do just fine, especially if Lord Easterly is looking out for you. He is such a kind man.” Duchess Windham’s eyes lingered in Graham.

  He smiled at the woman for her compliment. “You just say that because you have never earned my ire,” he teased.

  “Is it possible for me to earn such from you?” Duchess Windham fell into her old banter and Graham chuckled.

  He admitted, “It would probably be quite difficult for one as lovely as you to irk me enough for that.”

  After a few moments more of friendly conversation, they parted ways and Graham guided Charlotte towards where he had spotted the carriage. The driver looked relieved to see him. “Take us back to the estate, would you? I think I have had all the excitement that I care to today.”

  *

  After they had returned to the estate, Charlotte spent a good deal of time alone in the library. Her thoughts were not on the tea party that she had missed, but more on the walk with Lord Easterly. She had enjoyed it very much.

  Charlotte supposed to be completely truthful, she should say that she had enjoyed it up until the Duchess of Windham had arrived on the scene. She really did not like the duchess. At first, Charlotte had admired her, but now something about the woman irked her.

  While Lord Easterly may not be able to find fault with the woman, revealed by his words to the duchess, Charlotte certainly found the woman grating. Lord Easterly was a dear, kind man. She wished the best for him, but was the duchess really the best pick for him?

  Charlotte remembered the way his blue-grey eyes had lingered on her gaze. She could still feel the touch of his fingers on her hand. Charlotte clasped her hand and held it to her chest. What was this strange tightening of her heart?

  She had never felt that bizarre squeezing of her chest at the thought of someone. Was it fear or panic? It did not feel like fear. She was not anxious in the way that a dark shadow across the bedroom window would set her pulse racing.

  No. This was a different kind of anxiousness that settled over her at the thought of the man’s tanned skin and his easy smile. Charlotte dropped her hands to her side and hurried up to her room.

  Once there, she eyed herself in the mirror. Sure enough, there were blotches of colour appearing along her cheeks. Either she was getting ill or she was embarrassed. Charlotte put her hands against her face and looked at herself.

  “This is silly,” she whispered to her reflection. “I am quite over that infatuation I had on him as a child. He shows me a little warmth and I collapse into a puddle of emotions. How absurd.”

  She straightened and smoothed her dress. Perhaps Amanda had been right. Maybe Charlotte really did not belong here.

  Charlotte tried to put it out of her mind and decided to spend the rest of the day and evening in her room. She certainly did not want to hear anything that Amanda might have to say after her disappearance from the tea party. Charlotte pondered if Amanda had even noticed?

  *

  The next morning, despite not wanting to, Charlotte found herself driven by hunger to go down to breakfast. She went to the kitchen instead of to the dining hall. The cook, who was definitely not the cheerful Henrietta from the country estate, gave her a curious look.

  Charlotte asked, “May I eat in here?”

  “I don’t think this is any place for a young lady to eat breakfast,” the cook muttered.

  Charlotte frowned and assured the woman, “I am no lady.” The comment only earned a raised eyebrow from the cook. It was not worth trying to explain. Charlotte turned and left. She made her way to the dining hall.

  Amanda’s eyes came up as Charlotte entered. To Charlotte’s dismay, Amanda seemed to be the only one here. “There you are,” Amanda said with a bright smile. “What happened to you yesterday?”

  Charlotte was surprised that Lord Easterly had not said something to Amanda ab
out finding her the day before. She chose to ignore the woman’s question and asked one of her own. “Lord Easterly not joining us today?”

  “He is out, as always lately.” Amanda popped a piece of orange into her mouth. She eyed Charlotte with open interest, and absolutely no guilt over what had transpired the day before.

  Charlotte sighed, “Why are you staring at me?”

  “You disappeared from a party yesterday and you have yet to tell me why. But fine, let us just move on.” Amanda took a sip of tea before she leaned forward. “We are having a dinner party here tonight.”

  Charlotte did not know what she was expected to say about that. She nodded and picked up a piece of toasted bread. “That sounds like it will be fun.”

  “Be sure to check in with the housekeeper to see exactly what you need to do,” Amanda said in that imperious tone she had always used when assigning Charlotte a new ordeal.

  Charlotte stared at Amanda. “I am not your maid any longer, Amanda.”

  “We are short,” Amanda said with a shrug. “I told the housekeeper you could help out.”

  Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. “You did what?”

  “You are always eager to help and pitch in. I just assumed that you would do so without question,” Amanda said as she folded her arms. “It will not even be that big a party. Lord Stanhope and the Duchess of Windham will be here. There may be a few more, but not many.”

  Charlotte could listen to it no more. She stood up and left her breakfast untouched. She could hear Amanda’s laughter behind her, and she simply would not give the woman any pleasure in reacting to her further.

  She had intended to go to her room, but her legs instead brought her to the side door. The sight of the stable brought one clear thought to her mind. She could leave, right now.

  Charlotte would return home to the vicarage. She would suffer Mrs. Wilson’s wretched brood if it meant that she would not have to endure any more humiliation. The grooms were all busy with the work crew and Charlotte easily slipped past them to get a horse from the far side where they had them tied.

  She saddled the horse and was already mounted by the time one of the grooms shouted over at her. “What are you doing?” The young man ran toward her, but Charlotte urged the horse forward.

  “I am sorry,” Charlotte shouted to the man as the horse carried her down the driveway. “I can’t stay here anymore. I am going home. But I will return the horse once I am there.”

  The groom gave up chasing her and Charlotte saw the man take off toward the house. It would not take long before he spread the word that she had stolen a horse. Charlotte grimaced at what Amanda might say about that.

  She shook the thought away. She did not have to think about Amanda anymore. Her fate at the vicarage might not be what she thought she wanted, but it was a damn sight better than being at the mercy of Amanda’s cruel jests constantly.

  The ride through the London streets was confusing and disorienting, but Charlotte found her way carefully through the maze of traffic. Once she was out on the road between Dallington and London, she relaxed and drew in a breath.

  “London is not the place for me,” she told the horse. “I do not even know your name.” She patted the horse’s neck.

  The sun was farther through the sky than she thought possible. It had taken much too long to even get to this point in her journey. Charlotte felt a ball of dread in her stomach. She had no money or supplies.

  She cursed as she thought of how long it had taken them to get to London in the carriages. She would have to ride all night and the next day. Charlotte slowed the horse’s pace trying to keep him from tiring out, but she would still have to stop and let him rest.

  Charlotte’s mind went to stories of highwaymen and scoundrels that lurked on the roads leading into and out of London. Her eyes went to the trees at the edge of the road, where her imagination placed hordes of rogues and robbers waiting. Charlotte drew in a shaky breath.

  There were no other travellers on the road. It would have been peaceful, Charlotte thought, if she had been completely unaware of how much trouble she really was in. The birds sang and sang, but Charlotte hardly heard them over the din of her panicked thoughts.

  The sun took no mercy on her as it seemed to race across the sky. She had not even seen the inn yet so she knew she could not be halfway home. How far had she come? Charlotte was just about to stop as it began to get so dark that she could not see when her horse stumbled.

  All Charlotte could do was let it happen. She fell free of the horse, thank goodness. She rushed to the horse, who was lying on his side. “Oh no,” she whispered to the animal. “Calm yourself. Be still.” She ran her hand along the horse’ side.

  The horse’s leg had got caught in a hole. Luckily it did not appear broken, but the horse was so exhausted that it just rolled over and lay there breathing heavily. She wrapped her arms around the horse’s neck, which caused the horse to snort. “I am so sorry,” she whispered into his hair.

  She sank down next to the horse and cried. There was nothing else to do, and no one to see, so Charlotte let herself sink into her despair. She sobbed as she lay against the fatigued animal.

  Robbers would likely have her before morning, Charlotte thought glumly. Some unscrupulous rogue would be by soon enough to end her misery. She might as well just sit here.

  “Sorry, Father,” Charlotte whispered. “Sorry, Charles.” Her eyes went up to the stars that showed through the breaks in the clouds overhead.

  *

  Graham stared at the groom. He had no more than pulled up when the man accosted him. “She just took it, Sir! She stole a horse!” The groom was beside himself.

  “Which young lady are we referring to? Did my sister have a tantrum and take a horse?” Graham felt frustration seeping into his bones at the very thought that he might have to spend the remainder of his day chasing down his wayward sister.

  The groom waved his hands to stop Graham. “No, Sir. It was that other lass that came with you from the country estate. She said she was going home.”

  Graham grabbed the surprised groom by the shoulders. “Are you saying that Miss Browne stole one of my horses?” When the man nodded, Graham headed straight to the stables. “I don’t have time to wait for a team of horses. I shall go after her on horseback. I shall find her. If I am not back by tonight, then I have likely sought lodging along the road.”

  The groom nodded. “Do you want someone to come with you?”

  “There is no time for that.” Graham quickly saddled a horse and mounted it. “Alert Randolph that I have left and tell him what I said about lodging.”

  “Yes, Sir,” the groom said with a nod.

  Graham was swiftly off. He knew a short route through London on horseback and made good time getting on the road to Dallington. Even with his local knowledge, he knew he would never make it before dark to Dallington, which meant that Miss Browne would not be at the inn yet.

  He spurred his horse on but allowed it to slow when it tired. In this way, he kept a good pace without wearing out his horse. Darkness overtook him. It was an hour or perhaps even two into the night before he heard a faint noise ahead of him.

  He slowed his horse as he saw a shape at the side of the road that was large enough to be a horse. There was sobbing. “Miss Browne?” He called her name softly, wary of perhaps a trap set by bandits.

  Miss Browne’s voice exclaimed, “Oh Lord Easterly!”