The man’s deep voice boomed from behind, startling her. She snapped her attention to his reflection in the glass window before swinging around to face him. Her heart leapt. Coffee-colored trousers molded well to Ian’s muscular legs, and his cream-colored shirt stretched taut underneath his matching waistcoat. Scolding her wandering eye, she looked back to his face and lifted her chin.
“What an impertinent thing to say! Pray, what seduction are you referring to, Mr. Fielding?”
An assured smile touched his lips and his eyes twinkled. “The next man you plan to seduce.”
She was tempted to slap his handsome face. Instead, she kept one balled fist out of view in the folds of her skirt while the other tightened around the handle of her parasol.
“You are wrong again. Although I was admiring the dress, I knew I wouldn’t be able to wear something so daring in public.”
He turned his attention to the display window and cocked his head. “Why not? The bold dress you wore last night was just as stimulating.”
She huffed. “Last night I was in costume. Last night I portrayed someone I could never be again.”
He took a step closer as his fingers breezed up her cheek. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that woman one more time.”
Warm tingles ran rapid through her body, so she pushed his hand away. Her heart raced, but she concentrated on her anger. “Fortunately, I won’t be staying here much longer, so purchasing the gown is out of the question.” She waited for him to reply, but he remained impassive, so she turned toward the window. “Were you, by any chance, on your way to see me?”
“No.”
She glanced over her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. “And why not?”
“Because, I don’t have any time for you today.” He folded his arms and rocked back on his heels. “I’m working on a case that needs to be solved immediately.”
She scowled. “If you are so busy, what are you doing here?”
“If you must know, I was asking questions about my case in the shop across the street.”
His gaze swept down her gown, and the color of his eyes warmed with desire. A thrill rushed inside her. Although she still disliked him, satisfaction filled her, knowing he found her alluring. She quickly cursed her body’s response to his heated stare.
“Where is George?” he asked.
She lifted her chin and faced him. “George is with my friend, Mrs. Archibald.”
“Why is he not with you?”
She let out a bitter laugh. “Why should it matter? You aren’t concerned with my life.”
“Last evening you gave the impression he came here with you and would soon court you. Yet where is the overeager young swain now? Then, when I asked you if the man dressed as an ancient God was your beau, you told me he belonged to your friend.” He paused briefly and scratched his chin. “So, what other conclusion should I have drawn when he’s not with you now?”
She stomped her foot. “You have an over-active mind, Ian Fielding. Do you know that? But of course you do.” She inadvertently flipped her hand. “You wouldn’t be in your line of business otherwise. But to answer all of your meddlesome questions—I told you George belonged to my friend last night because I didn’t want you thinking I was taken. I was very attracted to your mysterious character and I didn’t want to frighten you away, you... jackanape!”
He threw back his head and loudly chuckled. “Oh, such language for a lady of high society.”
Ignoring his comment, she took another deep breath. “The reason George Fauxley isn’t with me now is because I asked to be alone. I expected you to send me a note, verifying our meeting. George has taken Mrs. Archibald out to show her some sights.” She straightened her shoulders. “Have I answered all of your questions?”
His lips turned up into a mocking smile. “Yes.”
His gaze moved over her attire again. His expression was not entirely unpleasant. When his brown eyes softened, butterflies danced in her stomach.
In defiance, Charlotte lifted her chin. “I’ll be continuing my stroll since you are obviously out of sorts this morning. So, if you’ll please excuse me.”
Even as she scooted past him, he stayed in step beside her. His quiet presence annoyed her. She held her jaw tight, her lips stretching in irritation. “Now what do you want? More questions? I thought you had a case to solve?”
“Actually, I do have more questions.”
She kept her angry march just slightly ahead of his. “Then please ask so you can soon be on your way. I know how very busy you are today. Too busy, in fact, to make time to sign a few papers.”
He chuckled. “Fine. I’ll make time. But you’ll have to take the afternoon meal with me because that’s the only free time I can spare.”
She halted and turned her wide-eyed gaze at him. “Are you jesting?” Her hand flew to her chest as she laid the dramatics on thick. “The renowned Ian Fielding, the investigator, actually has a moment during his meal to spare for his wife?”
“Do not mock me, woman.”
She tilted her head. “What makes you think I want to dine with you? Have you forgotten you cannot stand to be in my presence?”
“Do you want to eat with me or not? Like I’ve mentioned, that’s the only time I can spare.”
“And where will our outing be?”
“Anywhere your scheming heart desires, my dear wife.”
She scrunched her eyebrows together. “I’m not familiar with Bath as you well know, so you choose the eating establishment.”
“I think you might want a private setting in case you are tempted to cut my throat.” He smiled wickedly.
Unable to stop it, a grin tugged her lips. “You read me well.”
“That’s my business.” He stepped closer and brushed his fingers along her hair. “And because I have the talent for reading people’s thoughts, I know you still want me. Last night was merely a repartee for you. I can see it in your eyes. You ache for my touch, and you pray I’ll ravish you with kisses. Admit it, Charlotte.”
Gasping, she slapped his hand away and hoped he didn’t feel her scalded cheeks. “You’re sorely mistaken.” She gathered her skirt and quickly stepped past him, calling over her shoulder, “You really are a scoundrel!”
“My dear, Mrs. Fielding?” His voice rose. “Are you going to meet me or not?”
Without turning, she shouted, “When pigs fly and hell freezes over!”
He laughed loudly. “All right, my dear. I shall pick you up at your hotel on the noon hour.”
She clenched her jaw and kept her feet stomping all the way down the street. His deep laughter rang through the street and made her cringe. Heat poured through her body from embarrassment, or was it from his touch?
Red, hot anger pulsed through Charlotte as she moved from shop to shop; purchasing items she wouldn’t normally buy. It didn’t matter how indecent the dresses were or how costly the jewelry. After all, this was Ian’s money, the little he’d sent her during his absence. She’d never wanted to use it before, but now she couldn’t wait to spend it all. Yet the excitement of spending money wasn’t with her today. She worried he would follow her, and peering over her shoulder got tiresome.
While she loathed the very ground her uncaring husband slithered across, at the same time her body tingled in remembrance of his touch. And to make things worse, he’d known it and commented on her weakness.
Her feet ached from her tight shoes—bought only for looks and not comfort. She returned to the hotel sooner than she’d wanted. Unfortunately, it was just in time for the luncheon with Ian. The man she met at the masquerade seemed so different from the man who’d left her after their wedding. Instead of cold and mean, he bore a close resemblance to the caring stranger who’d rescued her from kidnappers. Could she have been wrong about him all along?
No. Pain from his abandonment still held a fresh scar in her heart. When he’d rescued her, he’d shown her a kind and giving man; one she wanted with her always. It didn’t take long for he
r to give him her heart, but when he’d refused her father the first time, her stubborn pride had taken over. She couldn’t let him slip through her fingers. She’d been young and innocent, and her father had spoiled her beyond reason. And, when she’d set her sights on something, he gave it to her. That is why he had paid off Ian’s debtors and bribed him to marry her.
Wearily, she moved to the full-length mirror in the bedroom and pulled out the pins that held her bun together. She brushed out the kinks then pulled back the sides with some new combs that glittered with diamonds.
The green day dress was discarded before her maid helped Charlotte change into a fresh gown. Light violet adorned the material and brought more color to her cheeks. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, worry creased her brow. Had she made a shambles of her life by her hasty decision last night? After all, he was the one supposed to be miserable. Not her.
The loud knock on her hotel room door sent her heart thumping. Her traitorous body experienced a healthy dose of anticipation, and she wished she could control her weakness. She had to keep her thoughts on the annulment. Squaring her shoulders, she walked to the front door, stopping her maid before the servant responded first. “I’ll answer it.”
The maid nodded and left the room. With a shaky hand, Charlotte opened the door. Ian had not bothered to change, and he still looked incredibly handsome. With his over-coat draped casually across his arm, he appeared very relaxed. She tore her gaze away from his physique and looked into his eyes. They were a soft brown and dreamy, testifying of his calm state.
She was far from relaxed.
“Good afternoon,” she greeted without a smile.
“Good afternoon to you, my dear.” His gaze boldly slid over her and she tried to ignore the chills running down her spine. She had to remember the annulment papers lying on the desk.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
She lifted her chin. “No, I’m not. I specifically remember saying I wasn’t going with you, so if you will excuse me, I have more important matters to see to.” She tried to close the door, but he blocked it with his arm.
“And I, my dear, will not be toyed with.” He brazenly stepped inside and firmly shut the door behind him. “Let me see the papers.”
Charlotte didn’t hesitate in dashing unladylike to her bedroom and grabbing the documents. She hurried back to the sitting room. It was up to her to get this over quickly and painlessly.
Ian had made himself comfortable on one of the sofas, his arm outstretched across the top, ankles crossed, a vision of total relaxation.
She handed him the papers. “Sign it now, please.”
His gaze skimmed the writing briefly and he pushed his fingers through his dusty-blond hair. “I’ll read it later. I want my solicitor to go over it to make certain everything is in order.”
She gasped. “Are you jesting? The solicitor I hired is very capable, and has a good reputation. I cannot believe you are in doubt of his abilities.”
“I’m not going to trust the man, especially when he sympathizes with you.”
She huffed. “You are extremely bullheaded.”
Ian neatly folded the papers and placed them inside his satchel. He slapped his knee as he lifted off the sofa. “Now, do you want to dine with me or not? It’ll be your loss if you decide not to join me.”
She didn’t want to, but her hungry stomach grumbled the decision for her. Besides, she needed to convince him to sign the document. “What could we possibly have to talk about? We can’t stand each other, and we constantly disagree.”
He took her hands in a loose hold. “Then we shall just have to find a subject we can both settle on.”
“And what would that be?”
“We shall find one, I assure you.” His mouth stretched from ear to ear.
Oh, she wanted to hit him, spit in his face...or better yet, be held in his strong arms while he kissed her passionately. Silently, she scolded her thoughts.
Without another word, he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and escorted her out of the room. The restaurant he’d chosen was immaculate. It was the most extravagant eating establishment she’d ever seen. She studied Ian’s expression and he watched her in return.
Was this restaurant one of his ways of seduction? Crazily, her heart prayed it would be, and then once again, she criticized her thoughts. This was just a game for him, something from which only he could benefit.
He rested his hands on the table. “Does my choice please you?”
Her gaze darted around the room taking in the low hanging chandeliers and crystal goblets on the waiter’s tray as he walked past their table. “It’s very lovely.”
“I remember when I first laid eyes on this place,” Ian said. “I was certain they created it for royalty. George’s cousin lives here and introduced me to fine dining.”
She raised her brows in curiosity. “George’s cousin?”
“Yes, he was my first employer after I moved here. Didn’t I tell you about him when I wrote? Remember, right after I arrived?”
Charlotte remembered, and the bitter taste of abandonment still lingered in her mouth. After reading the letter, she’d thrown it in the fireplace. She quickly lost her pleasantness. Her heart clenched and she glared at him. Straightening her back, she refolded her napkin. “Are you still close friends with George’s cousin?”
“We still keep in contact, but I wouldn’t say we are close personal friends.”
The waiter arrived and the conversation stopped. Ian ordered for both of them without consulting her to see what she wanted to eat. Anger boiled in her blood. Obviously, he wasn’t the least bit concerned with her thoughts or desires. So typical. This dashed any ideas she had about any further dalliances with this selfish rogue. Even if he had ordered her favorite dish.
“So, Charlotte, tell me what you’ve been up to lately. Were you aware that I received a letter from your father about a year ago?”
She gasped. “Father wrote you before he died?”
“Yes. He begged me to return home to you and stop you from ruining my good name. He said you were creating a scandal. Is this true?”
She laughed harshly. “No, it’s not true. In fact, I mourned your abandonment for nearly six months before realizing you didn’t deserve my tears. That was when I met Allison. She wasn’t a child like most of my friends, and Father didn’t like the idea of my befriending a more sophisticated woman, especially one with a bolder lifestyle.” She adjusted the napkin on her lap. “Allison took me to soirées held by socially promiscuous groups. It appalled Father, but what I think bothered him more than anything was he couldn’t govern me any longer.”
Ian nodded. “I believe your father wanted to keep you a child forever.”
“And he would have if you hadn’t married me,” she clipped.
His brows lifted in puzzlement. “I must correct you, my dear. He would have kept you a child if he hadn’t bribed me into marrying you. Remember?”
She sighed. “Yes, of course I do, but you don’t know anything about me, or about my heart, do you? Of course not. You didn’t stay around long enough to find out.”
* * * *
Ian sipped his wine while silence surrounded them. He tried hard to think of something to say that wouldn’t upset her. Reluctantly, he admitted he liked her smile. She should smile more often. Yet so far this afternoon, all he’d accomplished was to make fire shoot from her eyes. Perhaps it didn’t matter. Her cold heart wouldn’t forget or forgive anyway.
He gulped down his drink. “What are your plans once the annulment goes through? Are you going to court George?”
“I really haven’t decided,” she coolly replied. “To be perfectly honest, I’m looking for a man who can show me the love and respect I’ve missed having so far in my life.”
It was his turn to gasp, although he swallowed it with his wine. “Are you telling me George doesn’t show you those things?”
“George doesn’t love me. He sees me as a prize.
That’s the only reason most of the scoundrels are after me. That, and of course, because of my inheritance.”
He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. “Oh, I think you are mistaken, Charlotte. You’re very lovely. The men back home would be insane if they didn’t try to win your affection.”
“I’m surprised you’d say that, when only three years ago you thought of me as a homely child,” she bitterly pointed out.
He scrambled to put his words together. He didn’t want her to know the truth, although that was very close to how he’d felt. “I didn’t think you were homely, but you were not the kind of woman I wanted for a wife. I wasn’t ready to marry, but most of all I hated being forced into an unwanted marriage.”
The subject was temporarily postponed when their server brought their food. Charlotte’s eyes widened at the steamed seafood and mushroom rice. When pleasure highlighted her face, his heart skipped a beat.
“Oh, this looks absolutely delicious.” She glanced up at him. “Thank you for ordering for me. How could you have possibly known this was my favorite?”
He lifted his eyebrows. The truth was, he didn’t know. This particular dish also happened to be his favorite. “I just thought you might like it. It pleases me to see I selected well.”
A smile lit her face and nearly melted his resistance. She heartily dove into her meal like a starved person. He enjoyed seeing a woman who ate instead of picked at her food like some bird.
After a couple of bites, she cleared her throat. “Tell me about some of the cases you have solved.”
He wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and grinned. Because this just happened to be one of his favorite subjects, he told her about some of his hair-raising experiences. When he relaxed, the bitter side of him disappeared and he found he could talk with ease. She listened, and even laughed a few times.
“Your cases sound very exciting,” she told him. “As a child, I used to fantasize about sneaking around and spying on people.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Did you now?”
Her soft laugh sounded like heavenly bells. “Many times my governess found me in a tree or somewhere I shouldn’t have been.”
Belong To Me (book 4) (The Fielding Brothers Saga) Page 4