“Will you be unpacking, then? I will have your things tucked away neat-as-you-please if you would just allow me—”
“No.” Charlotte shook her head and smoothed the skirt of her green bombazine. She wore the same outfit today as she had worn yesterday to walk from the Westover’s to the Archer’s house. Feeling a sense of inevitability, she had donned it this morning, convinced the Archers would demand her immediate departure once they learned what she had said to their nephew.
Despite her sadness, she wanted to give Mr. Archer something to remember her by, something precious to her.
“It is unnecessary to unpack completely,” Charlotte said. “There is a small wooden box in my trunk. Please help me find it.”
As the maid bent over the trunk, Charlotte adjusted the length of creamy silk wound around her throat in the manner of a man’s stock, trying not to refine too much on her fear of a set-down. Staring into the mirror, she fidgeted with her pale scarf, wondering if she looked too masculine in the severely tailored lines. She was not full-figured like Lady Beatrice and never would be.
Turning away, she tucked the ends of the silk into her jacket. At least it would keep her neck protected from any draughts when they sent her away in their carriage. If they let her use their carriage.
Where would they send her? She stood still, stunned by momentary panic. Where could they send her? By now, she had to be running short of relatives….
“Is this it, Miss?” Betty stood up and held out a tiny chest, just eight inches by five.
The small box cunningly echoed the shape of the huge ironbound trunk resting on the floor. There were even two thin strips of iron riveted over the curved, ornately carved top.
Charlotte’s father had given it to her—or at least that is what her aunt claimed. It had been so long ago, Charlotte couldn’t remember.
A puff of cotton, still clasped by its dried sepals, rested inside along with the remains of an aromatic tobacco leaf. Both served as reminders of the cotton and tobacco trade which formed the solid foundation of the Haywood fortune. Since her father passed away when she was barely three, Charlotte had no memory of him to associate with the small casket, but she had kept it as a reminder of home.
Looking at it, she felt a familiar rush of pain and sorrow for times and love lost. It had been so long since she had felt comfortable with anyone or truly at home. She had a sudden, vivid memory of her aunt adding milk and sugar to a cup of tea and then blowing on it to cool it before handing it to Charlotte. The small gesture had made Charlotte feel special and cosseted. Now, she could not bear to drink tea with milk and sugar. It reminded her too much of her aunt, and the memory remained too raw, too painful, despite the intervening years.
“Yes, that is it,” Charlotte said at last, suppressing an intense pang of homesickness. “Thank you, Betty. Just lock the trunk again, will you?” She waited while the maid rearranged the dresses and scarves inside, and then let the heavy lid drop.
After turning the key, the maid handed it back to Charlotte.
“Where is Mr. Archer?” Charlotte asked.
“In the front sitting room,” the maid said. “Anything else, Miss?”
“No. Thank you, Betty.”
The girl dropped a curtsy and left, closing the door behind her.
Charlotte went through the room, checking for any stray belongings. She didn’t want any awkward delays if she was obliged to leave. Her eyes rested on the comfortable furnishing and thick quilt on the bed.
Lady Victoria had been so thoughtful and Charlotte had repaid her kindness by being rude to her nephew.
Why was she such a fool? The more she tried to control her impulsive comments, the more blunders she made. It made her wonder how she had enough sense to keep from drowning when it rained.
Well, she couldn’t hide up here all day, trying to put off the inevitable. She would present Mr. Archer with the box. If he liked it, perhaps it wouldn’t go so badly. The Archers might find some pleasant situation for her. A place buried in the country with a reclusive and quite deaf maiden aunt who wouldn’t mind having Charlotte live with her for the next three years.
After that—please, God—let me leave this forsaken country and find someplace sunny and warm.
Could she leave now? Her heart fluttered. She had hoped to wait until she had full control of her fortune before she traveled to Egypt, however being passed from guardian to guardian for the next three years held very little appeal.
Cairo, the pyramids of Giza, the Valley of Kings…. The hot, blazing sun scorching the sand in countries she had only dreamt of as a child, curled into a tight, shivering ball, trying to sleep in her cold bed at boarding school. Egypt beckoned her with the warmth of a winter fire.
Soon. She’d be there soon.
The chest in her hand reminded her that she couldn’t delay any longer. She went down the stairs gripping the gift in one hand and clutching the smooth wood of the banister with the other. Her fingers were stiff with cold despite the balmy May breezes coming in through the open windows. As she neared the sitting room, she heard voices and laughter.
“Oh, Your Grace, she said what?” Mr. Archer asked, his voice broken with laughter.
Charlotte paused, her hand on the door.
Eavesdroppers rarely hear good things about themselves.
Lightheaded and mouth dry, Charlotte opened the door. As she passed through into the sun-lit room, she tried desperately not to shiver.
They were discussing her, deciding her fate.
“Miss Haywood,” Lady Victoria called, holding out her hand. “Come in! I understand you have already meet His Grace—our nephew—the Duke of Peckham. You naughty child! You should have told us! We were just talking about the ball.”
“Yes,” Charlotte replied. She knew what they were discussing very well—her entirely inappropriate levity at the expense of His Grace.
When he turned to face her, his rich blue eyes held hers a trifle too long. Caught in his gaze, her body slowed. She stood motionless, her heart pounding. The bright sunshine streaming through the window tipped his soft brown hair with gold and as she stared, a slow smile tugged at his lips. He looked like a depraved angel standing there, filling the room with heat.
Then, she realized where she was and what she had done last night. With angry fervor she wished she stood in ancient Pompeii instead, mouth hanging open while the volcano spewed white-hot ash all over her. A peaceful death was vastly preferable to His Grace maliciously repeating the awful things she had said just so he could watch her squirm in embarrassment.
No wonder his eyes twinkled so demonically.
“We met at Lady Beatrice’s ball,” she confirmed fatalistically.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” the duke asked. An engaging grin twisted his mouth and somehow emphasized his square chin.
Her hand clenched with the desire to slap him for being so attractive and yet so impertinent. Of course she had enjoyed herself—at his expense, no less—as he had certainly informed everyone already. Her fingers felt numb with cold until he reached over and pressed them briefly between his warm palms.
His touch made her catch her breath. Her heart beat so loudly she felt deafened by the pounding.
“Lovely ball,” Charlotte murmured at last, ignoring the sting of unshed tears. Why was he being kind to her? She blinked to clear her vision, feeling low enough to slip under the carpet.
“What a unique little box,” he commented, his gaze catching sight of her left hand.
Her eyes followed his. She realized she still clutched the miniature sea-chest.
She ought to knock him silly with it.
He had most assuredly arrived early just to tell Mr. Archer about her dreadful behavior and watch her suffer, the horrid beast. Why did he even pretend to be kind?
And why did she want to continue gazing into his eyes, holding her breath until she felt dizzy?
“Miss Haywood,” Mr. Archer interrupted. “Have a look. My nephew has given m
e the most clever gift.” A golden fob dangled from his fingers.
Well, so the duke had arrived early to tell them about her dreadful behavior and to give his uncle a birthday gift. How terribly thoughtful of him.
She took the fob between her fingers and peered at the design, smiling despite herself at its cleverness. The golden object was shaped like several playing cards held in a fan by a tiny hand. An even closer scrutiny revealed the cards to be the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of diamonds. Each card had a tiny, sparkling diamond showing the suite.
“What a thoughtful present,” she said at last, releasing the chain into Archer’s hand. “Happy birthday, Mr. Archer.”
“And what is that box you are holding, Miss Haywood?” the duke repeated.
“Oh, I am sorry. I was so intrigued by your gift that I utterly forgot….” She handed the box to Mr. Archer. “I thought you might like this for your birthday.”
When she caught the duke’s brilliant gaze on her, she flushed. What an utterly witless pea-hen! Of all the inane things to say. He must be dying to order the Archers to get rid of her.
Without warning, Mr. Archer grabbed her around the waist and planted a kiss with a resounding smack on her cheek. Mortified, she glanced over at his wife. She smiled indulgently, and then amazed Charlotte by laughing. When the duke’s deep chuckles joined his aunt’s, Charlotte felt a blush cascade over her cheeks, burning her skin like the sun.
“My dear, if you could see your face,” Lady Victoria said, hiding her laughter behind a fluttering handkerchief. “Don’t mind my husband. No one else does.” She paused before casting an affectionate glance at her husband. “At least, no one with any particle of sense.”
As his wife spoke, Mr. Archer opened the small box. His long forefinger poked at the cotton and crinkly tobacco leaf with curiosity, releasing the dry, pungent scent of tobacco.
“How extraordinary,” he muttered. “Cotton and tobacco—what is their significance? Where did you get such a clever item?”
“My father,” Charlotte said, her voice abrupt from suppressed emotion. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable with her impulsive gift, as if it put all her sharp, raw emotions on display.
Why had she wanted to share something so intimate with the Archers? They were virtually strangers…. And yet she so longed to stay here and be part of their family, even if only for a few years.
“Your father?” Lady Victoria asked.
“Yes. He gave it to me when I was three. I don’t really remember. He died shortly thereafter, in September. Both my parents, actually. They were coming home from England and their ship was just off the coast of North Carolina when a hurricane hit. Their vessel went down.” Her abrupt retelling of the tale made her feel even more vulnerable. She waved away their expressions of sympathy, although the soft click of Lady Victoria’s tongue made Charlotte take a deep breath to hold back the tears. “The box was supposed to be a sort of miniature sea-chest containing cotton and tobacco, symbolic of the foundation of our family fortune, my aunt said. I thought you might like it, Mr. Archer.”
“Your aunt? Your mother’s sister?”
Charlotte nodded, unable to speak. An intense pain pinned her throat closed. She coughed and nodded. “Yes. I lived with her in Charleston for eight years.”
“And what of her family? Do they keep in contact with you?”
“Her family? No. She never married.” Charlotte remembered her energetic, self-sufficient aunt and then smiled. “She said she did not have the time.”
“Um,” Mr. Archer replied, the slightly superior expression on his face indicating he thought she meant her aunt had never been asked.
“She had dozens of suitors, but she just refused them all. Even after they eventually married, they still visited, you know,” Charlotte paused and realized she was giving them entirely the wrong impression. “With their wives and children, of course. They all remained friends. She said it was just more convenient to have the house to ourselves.”
It was impossible to explain. Her aunt had smoked cigars rolled from their own tobacco and said the most outrageous—but entirely honest—things and everyone adored her. Her last three beaus came regularly for dinner for years, even after they realized she would never marry any of them and they reluctantly found other wives. And they did bring their wives and children to dine. Everyone had been welcomed warmly.
Her aunt had once declared in a fit of pique that her friends only came because they enjoyed being insulted. However, regardless of why they remained loyal to her aunt, Charlotte had been thankful to them when she was eleven and they had taken charge when her aunt grew ill with influenza. After she died, the three men made sure Charlotte’s fortune remained intact and sent her safely with one of their wives to England where Charlotte’s relatives could accept responsibility for her.
“She sounds like she was a lovely woman. I wish we could have met her,” Lady Victoria said. “That was a very thoughtful gift, Miss Haywood. Now, we were just discussing—”
Charlotte sighed. “Please, let me apologize. I know it is too late. But before I go, I truly wanted you to know I did not mean to insult him.”
“Go?” Lady Victoria asked, puzzled.
“Insult him? Who?” Mr. Archer interjected at the same time.
The duke laughed, his blue eyes sparkling as he picked up a cup of tea Charlotte had not even seen on the low table in front of Lady Victoria. His eyes caught hers, and she experienced the sensation of drowning in their depths. Her lungs refused to fill with air until she looked away, flustered and warm.
She cleared her throat. “I realize I cannot stay here, but I hoped you would understand—”
“What do you mean, you cannot stay here?” Lady Victoria repeated. She patted the empty cushion next to her on the low settee and picked up the teapot to pour a cup of tea. As if by habit, Lady Victoria poured milk into the cup and added a spoonful of sugar before dipping the spoon in to take a small taste. “Have a cup of tea, dear,” she said, holding the cup out to her.
Bending to sit, Charlotte stared at the cup before looking into Lady Victoria’s sympathetic eyes. Slowly, Charlotte sat down, overcome by the feeling of finally coming home to her true family. The gesture reminded her so much of her aunt, so much of everything Charlotte had lost.
It wrenched her heart to think she had found this now when it would do her the least good—after she had already poisoned the well with her thoughtless remarks the night before.
Settling into her chair, she accepted the cup of tea.
She sipped it tentatively to cover her reaction. Something of what she felt must have shown on her face, however, because a faint frown formed a V between the duke’s brows.
Lady Victoria held out her hand to her. “Oh, dear, I apologize. I forgot you don’t like milk and sugar in your tea! I always fix it for my husband, and I—”
“No, no. This is perfect.” Charlotte took another swallow, the sweet milky taste filling her mouth with memories of happier times.
“What is this about leaving?” the duke asked, the frown deepening.
“Is that not what you have been discussing?” Charlotte parried to cover her emotions. “That and what I said at Lady Beatrice’s soirée?”
“What did you say?” the duke asked. “It must have been dreadful.”
“You—” Charlotte sputtered “I said it to you. You were telling Mr. Archer about it when I came in. You know perfectly well, and I don’t care to repeat it.”
“Obviously, I must have been indulging in far more drink than I thought. I cannot remember you saying anything that could not be repeated in mixed company. However do refresh my memory. After all, if you are planning on being thrown out into the blizzard with no shoes and gaping holes in your tattered cloak, it must have been very, very bad. Very bad, indeed.”
“Have you many snow storms in London at the end of May?” Charlotte couldn’t help a small laugh. At the stifled sound, the duke’s expression lightened although there seemed
to be some worry or sadness in the depths of his eyes.
“Not many, but I am sure if your deeds were bad enough, one could be arranged.”
“Hmm. Then what precisely did you tell them about our introduction?”
“That you had the audacity to refer to me as ‘Your Awful Graciousness’. That is correct, is it not?”
Everyone stared at Charlotte. She glanced down at her clasped hands. “Tolerably accurate.” Her throat closed so tightly she had to swallow to breathe as all the air left the room. She caught his gaze and stared back in a final act of defiance. “I think I may also have said ‘Your Excellency’ and ‘Your Gracious Dreadfulness.’ There may have even been a ‘Mindless Exaltedness’ tossed somewhere into the conversation. I am not precisely sure.”
Mr. Archer and his wife broke down into helpless laughter. Charlotte watched them while her fingers twisted in her lap. She didn’t know how to interpret their reaction. Fortunately, they did not leave her in torment for long.
“By God,” Mr. Archer exclaimed, slapping his knee. “That is a prime ‘un.”
“You were afraid our nephew would insist you depart?” Lady Victoria asked, ignoring her husband who was wiping his streaming eyes with a billowing white handkerchief.
“Yes. I don’t know why I said those things. I feel just dreadful about it. I don’t expect you to excuse me—it was complete idiocy.”
Lady Victoria laid her hand over Charlotte’s clenched fingers. “You were nervous, and it was your first night here. While I cannot recommend using such…appellations with other peers, I am sure our nephew has heard worse.”
“That is not an excuse, although I appreciate it, Lady Victoria.”
“Of course it is not an excuse. And quite frankly, knowing His Grace, I am not so much surprised at your remarks as I am that you have yet to complain about his lack of manners.”
The duke nearly spilled his tea. “My lack of manners? I behaved with perfect propriety the entire night. When have I not?”
“Do you truly want me to answer that?” his aunt replied. “Because I just have one reminder for you—Cambridge.”
Love Regency Style Page 150