“Miss Chase, Lord Charleston is here to see you.”
Her breath came out in a rush of air that made her shoulders hunch forward. “I beg your pardon?”
“It’s me,” a male voice called from behind her butler. “Please say that you’ll see me.”
She clenched her hands in her lap. What was Lord Charleston doing here? She nibbled the inside of her lip as she held in a sigh. “Of course, my lord.”
The butler stepped to the side and her former suitor entered. Minnie’s brow drew together. Had his shoulders always been that narrow? His blond hair flopped over his forehead as he tucked his chin into his neck to look down at her. “It’s good to see you again.”
She pressed her lips into a tight smile. “And you.”
“May I sit?” he asked, pulling at his coat.
Minnie gave a small nod. “Of course.”
Clearing his throat, he perched on the edge of the chair. He crossed one leg over the other than uncrossed them only to lift the other leg and cross them again. Minnie tried not to sigh. A month ago, two months ago, she would have welcomed Lord Charleston here. She’d fancied herself in love. But now? What she’d felt for him was like a drop compared with the well of emotion Tag brought out in her.
“I’ve some terrible news to share with you.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “My mother passed this past winter while at our country estate.”
Minnie’s eyebrows went up. She couldn’t help it. “I’m sorry for your loss. I know how important she was to you.”
He waved his hand, his gaze dropping to the ground. “I’m lost without her.”
Minnie gave a tight nod. She’d imagine he was. “I’m sure you’ll recover in time.”
He raised a hand. “That’s what I’ve come about actually.”
That surprised her. She leaned forward studying his face. “I’m not sure I know what you mean?”
He scooted forward a little further in his chair. Minnie had a moment where she was afraid he might tip out. “Miss Chase.” Then he dropped his voice. “Minnie.”
She sat back. He’d never been so informal. “Yes?”
“I’d like to request your hand in marriage.” He slid from his chair then, dropping down to one knee and taking her hand. “Nothing would make me happier than to make you my wife.”
Minnie tried to speak but words failed her. What came out was a series of gurgles and single syllables. Finally, she drew in a deep breath. “Lord Charleston, this is very sudden. I don’t know what to say…”
“Say that you’ll think about it. Please.” He squeezed her hand.
Minnie looked into his pale blue eyes and searched for her answer. She knew what her feelings toward this man were, this was not a love match. But she also knew exactly what she’d be getting. A husband who would bend to her will while shielding her from society’s scorn.
She frowned. By contrast, Tag filled her with the sort of heat and light that left her breathless. But he also didn’t want to marry her and would have to be coerced into the union. How would she feel about that when his initial interest in her waned? Would he resent her for trapping him? Would she hate him for being at the club when she wanted him home?
She slipped her fingers from Lord Charleston’s grip. “I’ll think about it.”
“Will you now?” Tag rumbled from the doorway.
She looked up to see the butler staring at her with wide eyes, Tag’s face visible over the top of Mr. Winston’s head.
His eyes were narrow slits as he stared back at her and Charleston.
“I will.” She straightened her shoulders, energy sizzling through her.
Tag stormed around the butler, not waiting for the formal invitation to enter the room. “I recall making a similar offer last night and I was not met with the same favorable reaction.”
“He proposed?” Lord Charleston croaked, scrambling up from one knee. “I’d heard he’d been showing interest.”
“Had you?” Minnie narrowed her gaze. Had Charleston only been prodded into action because of Tag? She didn’t care. She turned back to the ornery duke who was glowering down at them. “And you did not propose.”
“I didn’t?” He tossed his hands in the air. “What would you call it then?”
She stood, taking two steps towards him and tilting her head back so she was looking into his face. “You told me to decide.” Then, without thinking, she poked him in the chest. “What sort of proposal was that?”
Tag grunted at the sharp jab. Minnie had a point. And not just her finger. “Do you know how many women would love to have any sort of—”
“Stop right there.” She poked again. “I’m not any woman.” She took a step back, crossing her arms. “Your proposal gets less romantic by the second.”
Damn it all to hell, she had him again. “I can’t spar with you. You’re too quick for me.”
Her shoulders relaxed, just a bit, dropping down. Her mouth softened too. Which immediately reminded him of how soft her lips were against his. Her tongue darted out to lick them and he watched the pink tip skim along the supple flesh. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve said to me.”
“It is not,” he grumbled.
Charleston cleared his throat. “So you’ve another offer?”
Minnie’s pressed her lips together. “We are attempting to establish that now, my lord.”
“You have another offer,” Tag said, shooting the other man a glare. How dare Charleston waltz in here and try to take back the woman he’d rejected months ago? “And you’ve got some nerve showing back up here. Have you no shame?”
“Your Grace.” She touched his arm and sparks skittered along his skin. “It’s all right.”
“It isn’t all right.” He turned to Charleston. “You broke her heart. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Charleston flushed a bright shade of red. “I did not intend to hurt you. I just couldn’t…”
Minnie let out a sigh. “Stop. You don’t have to do this. I’m not upset with Charleston anymore. I understand why he did what he did.”
“You do?” he asked as he turned back to her. He’d like to understand. How did a man like Charleston let a woman as magnificent as Minnie go? “The man should have kissed the very ground you walk on.”
She nodded. “We’re all weighted down by our pasts. Our previous problems keep us from seizing our future.”
He shook his head. It was as though she’d looked into his soul.
“You’ve always understood me,” Charleston gushed, standing too. “But I’m ready now. Ready to put my past aside and marry the woman I was always meant to.”
Tag couldn’t speak and his pulse raised as he stared at Charleston. The man was stealing his life right out from under his very nose.
“My lord,” Minnie whispered. “That was very heartfelt and I can’t tell you how much—”
“No.” He grabbed Minnie’s arm and pulled her so that he was positioned between her and Charleston.
“Your Grace.” Her chaperone stood, huffing out his title. “That is unacceptable.”
“I quite agree,” Charleston added.
“You’re done speaking.” Tag held up a hand without looking back at the man who fell silent.
“You can’t order him about in my home. You don’t have the right.” She took a step back from him. “I think it’s time for you to go.”
“Minnie, please. This can’t be the way it ends.” Her words were like knives in his heart. But somehow. He couldn’t say the words that Charleston had so easily uttered. Had the other man stolen his voice? Or Had Lady Abernath taken it? Or perhaps, it was his mother who’d taken his ability to express genuine emotion.
Minnie reached for his hand, clasping his fingers in her own as her eyes crinkled at the corners. She didn’t say a word as she leaned closer. “It doesn’t have to be.”
He closed his eyes. Then opened them again. He couldn’t argue that he was saving her. Charleston’s proposal meant she’d have th
e protection of matrimony. “I…I need…time…I,” his mouth pressed closed.
Her fingers slipped from his. “If you will both excuse me,” she said, her voice flat as she smoothed her skirts. “I think I need time.”
Then she raced from the room, her skirts swishing as she went, brushing the door before it clicked behind her.
Tag watched her go. He had the feeling he’d just allowed his past to steal his future. He needed to act quickly if he stood a chance of reconciling the situation.
Chapter Fifteen
Minnie raced up to her room, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She clenched her fists as she moved more quickly down the hall. She’d not allow anyone to see her cry.
What was she upset about anyway? She should be happy. With two offers, she might be able to marry before the countess ruined her. Not that she’d accept either of the men. But she’d tell them each privately and not in front of the other.
Somehow, that thought calmed her. She drew in a deep breath as she opened the door of her room.
“Minnie,” her cousin, Mary, called from the other end of the hall.
“Oh Mary,” she cried, spinning around. “I just realized I left you with Lord Charleston and Lord Darlington.”
Mary waved her hand. “Pay it no mind, dear. That’s the most exciting five minutes I’ve witnessed in some time.”
Minnie looked at the ceiling. “Glad to have amused you.”
Mary chuckled as she made her way down the hall. “I didn’t just come up here to further torture you. I come bearing a message.”
“Message?” Minnie pressed her hand to her stomach.
Mary nodded. “I have to confess, I didn’t much like your duke at first but…” Mary reached for her hand. “I think that he is trying his hardest to be the man you need.”
Was he? Minnie wasn’t so certain. Did he want her or did he simply engage in typical male competition when he saw another man interested in her?
“Which is why I’ve consented to carry this missive to you.” Mary leaned over and whispered in her ear, “He wants you to meet him in the garden at nine tonight.”
Minnie gasped. “You consented to give me this message?”
“I did,” Mary gave her a mischievous smile that made her eyes dance. “If you’re caught, I knew nothing about any of this.”
Minnie gasped. Her proper spinster cousin had just set up an illicit meeting in the garden? “Mary, what’s happened to you?”
Mary winked. “Well, if you do get caught, the worst that will happen is you’ll marry a duke. He’s already offered. Once your mother learns that—”
“Don’t tell her,” Minnie hissed. “There will be no stopping her if you do.”
Mary reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll do my best, but you’d better decide quickly what you intend to do.”
Minnie nodded. Mary had a point there. She needed to let Tag go before her mother made the decision for her. Otherwise, she could find herself trapped in marriage with a man who didn’t share her feelings.
Tag paced just inside the gate as a clock nearby struck nine. Would Minnie come? His fingers were growing numb. While the days were warming nicely, the nights were quite cool still.
One of his horses whinnied nearby. He’d pulled his carriage into the alley next to the Chase family townhouse. The night was too chilly to speak outside and he needed a private setting for this conversation.
Not that he’d planned what he wanted to say. At least not about his feelings. But he did need to warn her about the countess and what he intended to do about her. If he could protect Minnie from this threat, he felt confident, they could proceed with a real courtship. While he struggled to share his feelings, he was sure over time, Minnie would help him. He might not be able to say the words, but he knew how he felt. No woman had ever made him feel the way she did. Not only that, she was honest and forthright, two characteristics sure to help him open up in time.
He stopped pacing as a rustling noise caught his ear. Cocking his head to one side, he peered into the darkness. A soft shape emerged, easing some of the tension that had coiled within his stomach. As the specter moved closer, he caught the distinct flash of bright red hair. “Minnie.”
“It’s me,” she answered.
“You came.”
She stepped in front of him, the pale moonlight illuminating her face in a soft glow. She appeared almost other-worldly with her ivory skin bathed in the crisp light. “I came.”
He took her hand and began pulling her toward his carriage. “Come on,” he reached back to wrap his other arm about her waist. “It’s frigid out here.”
“Where exactly are we going?” she asked as she pressed into his side.
“Just to my carriage.” He couldn’t help himself, he leaned down to drop his nose into her hair. One of her hands touched his stomach and that’s when he realized, she wore no gloves. Looking at her delicate fingers grazing his waist coat made him tighten as desire sizzled through his belly, settling in his groin.
“Just out of curiosity, where is your carriage going once we are inside?” Her cheek brushed his shoulder.
“Nowhere,” he answered, snapping open the door. “Where would we go?”
“I don’t know but Emily has disappeared. It seems a question a girl should ask.” She gathered her skirts and stepped inside.
Jack and Emily. He hoped they were happy. When Jack had first left, Tag couldn’t imagine why. But now, Tag had a better understanding of how life could get in the way of your heart. “You have my word that I’ll not ride off to Scotland with you.”
“Oh good,” she said from the interior as he climbed inside. “I don’t think my family could tolerate a second missing woman.”
“They’ll return soon. I’m sure of it.” He reached for her hand as he settled next to her. “If they don’t, I’ll go find them for you. That is one problem even I can solve and I’m trying to fix the debacle with the countess.”
“What do you mean, even you can solve?” she reached for his cheek then, her bare skin resting against his. He pressed into the touch.
“I have to confess. When I was injured, I enjoyed the way you cared for me. My mother was not very maternal. When I was eight, I broke my arm. Do you know what she said to me? ‘Don’t die. I can’t possibly make another heir with your father.’” He swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth.
“Oh Tag,” she murmured. “My mother is often difficult but she loves me. How dreadful for you.” Then she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his other cheek. He wrapped his arm tighter about her.
“Try to understand, Minnie, no one ever taught me how to show affection. I’m… I’m working on it.”
She kissed his cheek again, slower and with more pressure. “I don’t know how I could ask for more.”
He gave a small grin relaxing into their embrace. “I meant what I said. I need time to learn and I’m going to be the best pupil I can be. I’ve got a plan to ensure that the countess doesn’t hurt you. I’m late, I know.”
“Late?” she asked, pulling away.
He reached for a blanket on his other side, shook it out, then wrapped it about her shoulders. “You shouldn’t have had to defend me the other night. I should have taken care of you.”
She quirked a brow. “I think you know I’m not a damsel in distress.”
“I do know that. I…” He’d been about to say, I love that about you, but the words stuck in his throat.
“What are you going to do about the countess?” She settled against him again and without thought, he pulled her into his lap. As her soft backside settled against his legs, his need for her intensified.
“Let’s just say, she had a string of lovers and some of them owe rather substantial debts to my club.”
She gasped softly, her fingers resting against his neck. “You’re using her methods against her.”
“I’ve left her be for seven years. But she went too far when she threatened you.”
“Oh Tag,” Minnie murmured and then her lips pressed to his.
Heat and a warmth that wasn’t precisely desire coursed through his veins as she leaned against his arm so that he supported her weight. “You’ve helped me, Minnie. More than anyone for a long time.” He cupped her cheek before sliding his hand down her neck to skim along the neckline of her dress. “That means so much to me.”
Gently pushing the wide neck of her gown lower, he began kissing the trail his fingertips had just travelled.
“I know you appreciate my help,” she said between short breaths, his lips kissing along her collar bone. “And thank you for telling me about your mother. My family, we love one another. I never considered how difficult that is for some people.”
Of course she understood. It was yet another reason she was perfect for him. Reaching under the blanket, he undid the first several buttons at the back of her gown. The fabric slumped forward and he pushed it further down her arms, revealing her chemise and corset. He began plucking at the strings in the back as he lowered his head and kissed her clothed breast. She gasped and he gently nudged the fabric down to place a light kiss on the tip of her rosy nipple. Her breasts weren’t large but they were round and high and perfect to fill a man’s hand. He did exactly that and she arched into the touch.
“Tag,” She curled her fingers into his scalp as he kissed the sensitive flesh again, then sucked her into his mouth. He did the same to the other as she pressed closer to him, her head tilted back, allowing him access to creamy skin.
Without thought, he began to slide her dress up her legs, skimming his fingers along her calf, over her knee and then up her thigh. She shivered underneath the light touch, her hands clutching at his shoulders.
He reached the apex of her legs and pressed against her mound, the fabric still separating his touch from her. She bucked against him, crying out.
“Shh,” he murmured close to her ear. “We don’t want anyone to hear us, my love.” But he had no intention of stopping. Minnie was spread across his lap, her long legs flowing across the bench seat as she leaned back against him. Having her trust him like this filled his heart with a pleasure he couldn’t name. She was beautiful and strong and willing to put herself in his hands.
Duke of Daring: Regency Romance (Lords of Scandal Book 1) Page 10