The School of Charm: Books 1-5

by Maggie Dallen

  Chapter Fourteen

  This was not his finest hour.

  Hiding in the garden of his intended was definitely one of the more ridiculous situations in which Lawrence had ever found himself. Sneaking into the school’s gardens might not have been the stupidest thing he’d ever done, but it was certainly up there in the top ten.

  All right, fine. The top five.

  But he’d wanted to see her. He’d needed to see her.

  Alone.

  He hadn’t expected to see her quite so suddenly, or in these very gardens. Truth be told, he’d been seeking ways to climb the trellis to her room, when she and her sister had stepped outside.

  Her sister was right. She had gotten a look. A look he recognized as surely as her sister did. She’d looked determined.

  Uneasiness spread through him and what he’d thought to be a romantic plan now seemed…pathetic, really.

  What if he’d gotten it all wrong? He’d assumed she’d felt this thing between them as well but what if she was just determined to help her family, to save her sister from being the sacrificial lamb?

  He scowled at the tree trunk beside him. He was a prize catch, was he not?

  And yet, Margaret had clearly stated she wanted his best friend, Gregory, and Louisa…

  Well, that was the question, wasn’t it?

  What did Louisa want?

  He’d shocked her with a kiss and then had fairly bitten her head off when he’d caught her eavesdropping. Not to mention the fact that she’d clearly had her mind filled with all the threats and gossip that Lord Everley had thrown about so carelessly.

  And then she’d heard about his intentions to marry through a window.

  He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was just about the most mixed-up courtship he’d ever heard of, and it hadn’t even properly begun.

  When she appeared in the garden a moment later, he no longer had surprise on his side, but he did have the thick grove of trees behind which he stood. He let himself enjoy the moment as she looked around for him.

  He let himself enjoy her. He’d missed her, and the sight of her now was a salve to that homesick ache. Three days had felt like a lifetime when it meant being away from the woman he loved. Staying away had been torture.

  When she spotted him, her eyes narrowed and she rushed forward. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wished to speak with you,” he said.

  She stopped just shy of touching him, her hand reaching out and hovering awkwardly before she seemed to think better of her brazen actions and called her hand back to her side.

  Pity. Everything in him ached to feel her touch again.

  But her grim determination earlier gave him pause.

  Was his ego easily bruised? He’d never have thought so prior to meeting this young lady. But she was like no woman he’d ever met before and her opinion mattered more than anyone’s.

  He’d assumed that the things that mattered to others didn’t seem to matter to her; but what if he’d thought wrong?

  “Was there a reason you’ve come to spy on me in the back garden?” she asked now, wariness in her eyes and in her voice as her gaze raked over him.

  “I was not spying,” he said stiffly.

  He had been spying.

  “Not intentionally,” he added more truthfully.

  Her lips seemed to twitch with amusement even as her brows drew together in a question. “Were you hoping to hear Margaret speak?”

  “No,” he said quickly. “I hadn’t even realized she’d be here.”

  “So, you just snuck into these gardens…”

  “To see you,” he finished. “I wanted a moment alone before I talk to your father tomorrow.”

  “I see.” She blinked quickly and then her expression went blank.

  “I highly doubt you do,” he murmured.

  The silence between them grew thick.

  “Why would you wish to see me alone?” She turned away. “If you’ve had a change of heart—”

  “I have not.”

  She stilled but did not turn back. He placed a hand on her shoulder and nudged. He needed to see her face. “If you have—”

  “I haven’t.” She whipped around so suddenly, he found her in his arms. He wasn’t sure who’d moved first but now that she was there, he wasn’t letting go.

  She still looked anxious, though, and that made him nervous. “I heard you and your sister,” he said.

  She blinked and then started nibbling on her lower lip in such a way that he knew he’d think of little else but her lips for the rest of the day. “Then I suppose you realize she does not…prefer you.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was trying to tease but he suspected by the glint of amusement in her eyes that she was.

  He found a smile tugging at his lips despite the dilemma that overheard conversation brought up for him. “Yes, well…I suppose my pride will survive.”

  “You do not mind then?” she asked.

  He just barely held back a sigh. “Why would I mind when I’ve already made my choice.”

  Her cheeks turned a stunning shade of pink, and happiness made her eyes glow. “But it occurred to me while listening to you both…” He cleared his throat. “I have made my feelings clear.”

  “Your preference?” she asked just a little too mildly.

  He growled in agreement and watched her stifle a laugh.

  “And Margaret has stated her preference,” he continued. He trailed off meaningfully but rather than respond, Louisa just blinked up at him.

  “Was there a point you wished to make, my lord?” she asked.

  “Lawrence,” he said. “Please, call me Lawrence.”

  Her smile was small and so unbearably sweet. So unbelievably genuine. The most real thing he’d ever seen in his life. And yet… He had to be certain.

  “It occurred to me that you have not made your preference clear.”

  She stared at him for a long moment before her brows shot up in understanding. “Oh, you mean…do I…er…do I have a preference for you?”

  The heat in her cheeks warmed his chest, because he felt almost certain it meant that she did. He reached for her hands and she did not try to pull away. Another good sign, he figured. “I do not wish for you to feel trapped,” he said, his voice gruff. Years of not discussing emotions had left him rusty. He cleared his throat. “I heard you say that you would do what it takes to save your family and I need you to know that I would not force your hand.”

  She widened her eyes and he was almost certain he’d drown in them if he did not look away. How could any one person look so very sincere all the time? Had no one ever taught her to hide her feelings?

  He was grateful no one had, but looking at her now, like this—so open, so youthful, so naïve and brave and strong and fragile…

  He felt the urge to toss her over his shoulder and whisk her away. To keep her safe forever, even though he had more than a little suspicion that she was stronger and more intuitively intelligent than anyone ever gave her credit.

  Even now, she didn’t stammer or hem and haw. If anything, she seemed entertained by him and his question.

  “What would you do if I said I was not interested in a romantic relationship with you?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

  “I’d buy the plot of land from your father and give him a loan until he could get out from under Everley’s grasp.”

  She blinked. “Just like that.”

  “Just like that,” he said.

  He’d be crushed. But he wouldn’t tell her that. He’d meant it when he’d said he wanted her to have freedom to choose. He might not have known Louisa for long, but he knew with a deep certainty that the only thing that could truly hurt this joyful, free soul was to be entrapped in a marriage she did not want.

  Her gaze never wavered, but her lips curved up and up and up, until she was giving him the most brilliant smile he’d ever seen. Leaning forward, her voice dropped to a whisper. “And that,”
she said with a hushed reverence that made him grin. “That is why I prefer you.”

  The breath he’d been holding left him in a whoosh of relief. “You are sure.”

  “I’m as certain as I can be considering I barely know you.”

  He tugged her hands and she tripped forward, the weight of her crushing against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her tight. “That was why I came here today. I want to spend time with you…alone. I want us to know each other.”

  “So you decided to sneak into the gardens,” she said with a laugh.

  “Actually, I had every intention of sneaking up to your bedroom.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Oh.”

  A joy he’d never felt before made it impossible to stop grinning at her shock…and her obvious pleasure at the idea.

  “What happened?” she asked, turning to eye the brick wall that held no trellis and was nowhere near a tree to climb. “Ah.”

  “Yes. Ah,” he agreed sorrowfully. It had been a remarkably romantic idea, if he did say so himself. It was just better in theory than in practicality.

  “You know you could just join us for calling hours,” she said.

  “Yes, but I was hoping to see…that.”

  She drew her brows together. “What?”

  With one finger he lightly traced the curve of her lips. “This.”

  She blinked rapidly, her breath on his finger coming in short bursts. “You wanted to see me smile?”

  “Very badly,” he admitted.

  Her smile grew and he was certain he’d never been more proud.

  “Tell me something no one else knows about you,” she said. Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

  “You’re not going to believe it.” He shook his head ruefully. “No one would.”

  She bit her lip as if to stifle a laugh, as if laughter were her default setting and was ready to bubble up at a moment’s notice. “Try me.”

  “I’ve fallen victim to love at first sight.”

  Her eyes widened playfully as a smile curved her lips. “No,” she said with a shocked gasp.

  “It’s true.” His voice was mild as ever as he told her the tale. “You see I was bored silly at a house party—”

  “Something which I would be sure never to tell my mother,” she murmured.

  “And I was just heading inside to go to sleep, when you will never guess what I saw…”

  Her cheeks started to pinken as she grinned up at him. “A vision of beauty and grace?” she suggested.

  “Exactly!” He reached out and brushed some hair back from her face—an excuse to touch her, really. “You see, this vision of loveliness was dancing alone. And that…” He tsked loudly. “That would not do.”

  “Oh no?”

  “No.” He made his expression severe and she giggled.

  “And here I thought you mistook this vision of loveliness for a child.”

  His lips quirked up. Touché. “For a moment, yes. From behind, with her hair braided and her nightgown trailing the floor, the little sprite looked a bit like a child. But then I held her in my arms…”

  Her smile softened and grew so sweet it made his chest ache with tenderness. “Oh yes?”

  He leaned down. “Trust me, there was no mistaking the fact that she was a grown lady once I held her in my arms.”

  “Oh.” She said it as a sigh.

  He drew her into his arms now, as if they were once more going to dance together. “She was definitely not a child,” he said. “But she had the most magical ability to retain a childlike sense of passion and magic.”

  “Did she now?” she murmured. Her eyes were dazed as he leaned forward slightly. She blinked and her smile turned rueful. “Some would say she was prone to mischief and trouble.”

  “Or,” he said. “Some might say she was brave and unexpected. Nothing about her was predictable or muted.”

  “Muted?” She pulled back slightly in surprise.

  “Don’t you think most people are muted?”

  She pursed her lips as she thought that over. “Perhaps.”

  “But not her.”

  “No?” Her smile was teasing, her eyes filled with joy.

  “Everything about her is vivid, warm, and filled with life.” He’d long since dropped his teasing tone and he could only hope she saw his utter sincerity now as he looked down at her.

  Judging by her thick swallow and the tears that brimmed her eyes, she was catching on. “Wow,” she said softly. “This lady sounds…” She shook her head at a loss for words.

  “Special,” he finished just as quietly. “Unique. One of a kind…”

  Her tears overflowed now and she shook her head with a laugh as he used a thumb to brush one away. “I am sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. I’m never such a watering pot.”

  “Never apologize for your emotions,” he said gruffly. “In fact, if it were up to me, you would never apologize for your actions, either.”

  She bit her lip. “Not even when I’ve been shamelessly eavesdropping?”

  He laughed under his breath. He’d overreacted and he knew it. But in his defense, he’d been so worried about what could have happened to her if she’d been caught. If it had been Everley and not he who’d found her in the dirt, who’d realized all she might have heard out there under that window…

  He shook his head. “I was angry that you did not keep yourself safe. But I hope soon, in the not too distant future, keeping you safe will be my honor.”

  She made a funny little face in return. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Says the girl who toppled out a window,” he shot back.

  She shrugged. “I wouldn’t have broken anything if you hadn’t caught me.”

  “Fair enough,” he said. “But might we agree that you are perhaps too quick to act without thinking through repercussions?”

  She narrowed her eyes as she thought that over. “I’ll allow that perhaps I do not always use the best judgment.”

  He rewarded that bit of honesty with a quick kiss that had her eyes sparkling up at him when he pulled back. “I do have a question, though.”

  “And what is that?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and the simple gesture made his heart swell so large in his chest he thought he might perish from this happiness. “If your duty in this relationship is to keep me safe…what is my task?”

  He tightened his grip on her waist. Could she not see yet just how much he needed her? No one else. Only her. “You, my little love, are tasked with the arduous duty of ensuring I don’t get too serious. That I don’t get so lost in my obligations and day-to-day duties that I forget to see the beauty and the magic of the world around me.”

  Her smile softened as her expression turned thoughtful. “That I can do.”

  “I know you can,” he said. “You have from the moment I met you.”

  She went up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his in a kiss that was perfect and sweet.

  He tightened his grip and tilted his head, at long last letting himself give in to temptation and kiss her thoroughly the way he’d been dying to do from the very first time he saw her.

  The sound of the back door opening and Louisa’s name being called broke through his happy haze, and he pulled back regretfully. “I should leave,” he said. “They will be looking for you.”

  She nodded with a sigh. “I suppose we must part.”

  “Tomorrow,” he said. “Come to your parents’ house tomorrow.”

  Her smile was bittersweet. “I was not invited.”

  A surge of anger made him long to shake her father and then her mother until they finally saw what they’d been blessed with in Louisa. The beautiful rare gem that was right in front of their faces. He cupped her precious face in his palms as he leaned down and dropped a kiss on her nose. “You will be welcome.”

  Her smile was sudden and bright. “You seem awfully certain of that.”

  He laughed. “That’s because I am certain.” Once he
informed her father that Louisa was to be his wife, a marchioness, the savior of the family’s financial difficulties, and one of the wealthiest and most powerful ladies in the land… Well, he was quite certain Louisa would never feel unwelcome in any home ever again.

  “Louisa, are you out here?” a girl’s voice shouted. “Reggie is looking for you.”

  Her face brightened so beautifully he had to fight a sudden and silly surge of jealousy. “Reggie?” he asked. “Who is Reggie?”

  “He is my dearest friend,” Louisa said. Her smile turned mischievous as she backed away. “He’s loyal and sweet, and I’d say he’d give you a run for your money on claiming my heart if he did not drool so very often.”

  “Drool…?” he repeated. And then a young child was shouting “Lulu!” into the treetops and she giggled.

  “Go,” he said with a laugh. “And tell this Reggie that he may be your friend, but your heart and your hand have been claimed by another.”

  Her cheeks flushed pink as her smile spread to become an impossibly wide grin as she reached the edge of the trees. “Until tomorrow?”

  “Until tomorrow,” he said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tomorrow could not come quickly enough.

  Twenty-four excruciatingly long hours passed, with much help from her friends, thank goodness, but in all that time to prepare, she still was not quite ready when she showed up on the doorstep of her parents’ rented townhome.

  Louisa wasn’t certain what she was expecting upon her arrival, but if it had involved being welcomed into the family home with open arms…

  Her hopes were dashed quickly.

  “Louisa, what are you doing here?” her mother asked in a melodramatically hushed voice, as if a stage whisper would help to hide the fact that Louisa was here, in their drawing room, waiting like a visitor for someone to acknowledge her presence.

  “Well, I—”

  “Lulu, I’m so glad you’re here.” Margaret’s smile was strained as she entered the room, but at least her sister had said the polite thing.

  Maybe she’d even meant it. After all, Margaret had actually trusted her with the truth yesterday, and Louisa could hardly wait until she had a moment alone with her sister to tell her that she was off the hook, so to speak.