“Helen, what are you doing? Close those drapes. I’m not ready to get out of bed.”
“I’m sorry, m’lady. I was instructed to wake you and bring you down to breakfast.”
“You were? By whom?”
“Your uncle, m’lady,” Helen replied as she began to ready Charlotte’s clothes.
“Good heavens. Did he say why?”
“I believe Lord Pemberly wishes you to show him the gardens, m’lady. I must say, m’lady, he’s ever so handsome.”
“Ooh, my head,” Charlotte groaned as she slowly sat up and blinked her eyes. “I feel terrible. I’m not going down.”
“Um, sorry, but your aunt told me that if you said no, I was to remind you about the vase, whatever that means.”
“Ooh, this is a pickle,” Charlotte whined. “A big, fat pickle.”
“I’m sorry, m’lady. I’ll mix you up some powders, shall I?”
“Yes, I think you’d better,” she griped as she slipped from the bed. I’m very confused. This walk was supposed to take place before afternoon tea, not first thing this morning. I don’t understand this at all.
It was a little while later that she made her way unsteadily down the stairs, and though her eyes were slightly bloodshot, and she still felt tired and out of sorts, the fact that Lord Pemberly was waiting to walk with her inspired her to put a smile on her face as she entered the dining room. Her aunt and uncle were already seated, but Edward was at the buffet.
“Good morning, everyone,” she said, hoping her voice sounded brighter than she felt.
Moving to the array of food on offer, she picked up a plate and studied the eggs and bacon. The smell made her feel slightly ill, but experience had taught her that downing some food and a cup of tea after a night of too much wine could help her feel better.
“Good morning, my dear,” her uncle said warmly. “I’m glad you’re here to join us.”
“Thank you, uncle,” she replied. “Good morning, Lord Pemberly.”
“Good morning, Lady Charlotte. You look slightly pale. Did you not sleep well?”
“I slept very well,” she said quickly.
Edward had loaded his plate with eggs, sausages, bacon, and potatoes, but not up to such a feast, Charlotte opted for only a slice of toast and a cup of tea.
“Surely you need more than a piece of bread,” Mildred remarked.
“Perhaps the countess is right,” Edward suggested. “We will be walking for a while. You’ll need your strength.”
“I thought we were walking this afternoon,” she frowned. “I do not care to walk until then.”
“Then I suppose we must not walk at all,” Edward sighed, “and I was so looking forward to seeing your gardens.”
“I’m sure she can manage it,” her uncle said, his eyes shooting her a reprimand.
“Yes, I’m sure she can,” Mildred agreed, “can’t you, Charlotte?”
Lifting her eyes towards her aunt, she removed her gloves and picked up the toast. Her aunt’s threat of the rod was rippling invisibly and silently across the table.
“Uh, yes,” Charlotte nodded. “I just need some tea.”
“I insist you have more to eat,” Edward said firmly. “I can’t have you growing faint halfway through our tour.”
Rising from his chair, he returned to the buffet, scooped some eggs and bacon onto a plate, and briskly returning to the table, he set it in front of her.
“There, that should stand you in good stead.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly, but lifting her eyes, she shot him a frown. To her surprise he answered her dark look with a happy smile, then took his seat and resumed his meal.
“Lord Pemberly is quite right,” her uncle declared. “Thank you, sir, for looking out for my niece. You eat that, my dear, and then take Lord Pemberly to the rose garden. It’s quite splendid at the moment.”
As she ate her eggs and bacon, she began to feel slightly better, but she was still confused as to why she’d had to be hustled out of bed. Was Lord Pemberly leaving early? Was he simply fulfilling his duty to walk with her, and would then depart? It was all a mystery, and while Charlotte generally liked a good puzzle, this was one was not appealing in the least. When she’d taken her last bite and had finished her second cup of tea, she looked across at Lord Pemberly expectantly. He had been discussing the automobile with her uncle, a topic she found quite confounding.
“I think the whole thing is preposterous,” she declared. “How can you have these, these machines, carrying people all over the place? It sounds very dangerous.”
“Perhaps I can explain more about them on our walk,” Edward suggested. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, I am. I would like to take in some air very much. It feels rather stuffy in here.” Please, take me away from all this boring conversation. Cars. Who wants to talk about them, and I’m so tired of Aunt Mildred glaring across the table at me.
“Have a nice time,” Mildred nodded. “The gardens have much to offer.”
“I’m greatly looking forward to seeing them,” Edward said, rising from the table. “I’m planning on making some changes to my back lawns, adding some new flower beds, making it more of a colorful area. I’m sure I’ll find inspiration in what you’ve done here.”
“I would suggest starting from the terrace beyond the drawing room,” Mildred offered. “There’s a delightful path that leads directly to the roses, then beyond through the hedges to a small forest.”
“Yes, I had planned on starting there,” Charlotte said as she stood up and pulled on her gloves. “It is the most direct route.”
“Do have a lovely time,” Hugo said warmly, eyeing Charlotte as she started from the room.
“I’m sure we will,” Edward replied, hurrying to catch up.
As Charlotte walked down the hall, a flurry of mixed emotions rattled through her. She was angry she’d been woken from her lovely dream, not to mention so early, and she’d much rather breakfast had been brought to her in bed, but she found Lord Pemberly enigmatic and interesting, and was glad her aunt and uncle were allowing them to walk the gardens alone. Entering the drawing room, she opened the French doors and walked out onto the terrace.
“I don’t understand something,” she declared, turning around to look at him.
“Please, continue on to the roses,” he said. “Talk to me as we walk.”
“Why we are doing this now?” she asked, leaving the terrace and starting down the path. “Are you leaving early? Will you not be staying for afternoon tea?”
“It is a delightful day,” he remarked as they ambled forward. “White clouds coasting across the sky, a gentle breeze—”
“Um, excuse me,” she interrupted, “you didn’t answer my questions.”
“No, I did not,” he said, smiling at her.
“Do you not wish to tell me?”
“I’d be happy to tell you,” he replied, “but only if I’m asked politely.”
“You can be very difficult,” she frowned.
“If being difficult means I demand a certain respect and appropriate manners, then yes, I suppose I am.”
Charlotte took a quick breath. Her head was still hurting, but the fluttery thing had abruptly and unexpectedly sprung to life in her stomach.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she muttered.
“Am I not worthy of the title ‘sir’? Would it not have been more polite to say something like, may I ask, sir, do you plan to leave early?”
“Well, do you… sir?” she said, with a sarcastic emphasis on the word ‘sir.’
“No, I do not. I shall be here for afternoon tea.”
“Then why was I roused from sleep?” she grumbled. “Could we not have taken this stroll later?”
“No, we could not,” he replied. “My goodness, this is lovely.”
They had reached the rose garden, and Edward paused to study the configuration of the rose bushes. They were planted around a picturesque fountain that offered stone benches upon
which to sit.
“Why not, uh, sir? Why couldn’t we have done this tour later today?”
“I made it very clear to you at the dinner table last night,” he said with a slight edge to his voice, “that I would only walk with you this afternoon, if you refrained from drinking. I am a man of my word, Charlotte, so when you downed that wine so defiantly, it left me with no alternative but to make sure you were out of bed first thing this morning. I was determined we would walk now, not before afternoon tea.”
“That is why I was woken so early?” she demanded, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“Indeed, and I would point out, it is not so early, as you put it. You only felt tired when you were woken because you drank too much wine,” he said firmly. “I saw from your pallor when you entered the dining room for breakfast you were not feeling particularly well, and we both know that is why.”
“You are so rude, and so—”
“You chose to test my will,” he said solemnly, cutting her off, his eyes locked onto hers. “Now you know I am a man of my word.”
“Test your will?” she repeated, the statement circling around in her head. “A man of your word?”
“Perhaps your bright brain is a still a little muddled,” he said patiently. “We are walking together, but not in the afternoon, and you were made to get out of your nice warm bed in order to join me.”
“Ooh, I see,” she said slowly, feeling a warmth redden her cheeks.
“We will not discuss this matter further,” he said sternly. “You have been put in your place, and you know it.”
No man had ever dared to scold her, or had spoken to her with such confidence and conviction, and the fluttery thing in her stomach was becoming almost too much to bear.
“Is there something the matter?” he asked, seeing the flush spread across her face.
“No,” she lied.
“Please, sit with me a moment,” he said, his voice softening.
Feeling completely discombobulated, Charlotte settled on the narrow bench, and though she knew her face was crimson, she squared her shoulders and met his eyes.
“Lady Charlotte,” he began warmly. “I find you most attractive, and I desire to spend more time with you, but you must understand I will not tolerate lack of manners, and rest assured, I am completely reliable. I do not deal in empty promises.”
She had been drawn to his lips as he spoke. They were moist and full, and though lips were not something she’d noticed in the past, to her great consternation, she found herself wondering what it might be like to kiss them.
Her experience with the opposite sex was limited at best, but she had secretly watched couples fervently kissing in the gardens during parties at her uncle’s house. The sight had mesmerized her, and late at night, when she was alone in her bed, and the moon was smiling at her through the window, she would fantasize about enjoying her own passionate embrace.
“Lady Charlotte? Did you hear what I just said?”
“Yes, sir,” she murmured. “I, uh, will remember.”
“Good, and now that you have a clearer understanding of the type of man I am, would you like to continue my tour, or would you prefer to return to the house and have nothing further to do with me?”
“Continue,” she mumbled, wishing her stomach would settle.
“Excellent. Please, take me to the small forest your aunt spoke of. I very much enjoy wandering through a thicket of trees.”
Rising from the concrete bench, they ambled down the path, and though there was little conversation, there was a comfort between them, a comfort she’d not felt in the company of other men. The trees loomed ahead, and as they approached the forest, she realized she wanted to see more of him, much more.
“May I ask, sir,” she began, being sure to start the sentence courteously, “will you be returning to London in the next few weeks? I understand your house is almost an hour away, is that true?”
“Yes. By carriage it takes longer of course, but I travel to London at least once a week. I would enjoy making it a point to stop in and visit. I must also say, I am truly complimented that your aunt and uncle have allowed me to walk with you unattended this way. It is not usually allowed.”
“My uncle speaks very highly of you, Lord Pemberly. He wishes us to become better acquainted, and, uh, I would like that as well,” she added quietly, feeling amazingly and wonderfully shy.
“Then I will, provided you continue to behave as a young woman should.”
“I will do my best, sir.”
“Ah, the woods, how delightful. Will you step into the trees with me?”
“Yes, definitely,” she smiled. “I’ve only been in here a few times. It’s out of bounds.”
“If it’s out of bounds, why were you here?”
“Because I wanted to be,” she said honestly.
“My goodness,” he laughed, “you are a willful girl, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t see any good reason why I couldn’t explore,” she said decidedly as they fell under the canopy of the bountiful overhead branches.
“If your uncle forbade it, should you not have obeyed him?”
“If I had obeyed every rule my aunt or uncle laid down, I’d never have left the house, or talked to anyone, or done many of things I have,” she exclaimed. “I’d have been completely idle, and lost my mind from sheer, unadulterated boredom.”
“I suspect that’s an exaggeration,” he remarked, “and I should tell you, if I ever forbid you to do something, and you defy me, you will regret it.”
“Why, sir, will you scold me?”
“My dear Charlotte,” he said, stepping in front of her to face her, “you will receive much more than a scolding.”
“I, uh, what on earth do you mean?”
“If we should continue to keep company, and if we should marry—”
“Marry?” she whispered.
“I said ‘if,’” he said pointedly. “If we should marry, and you were to defy me, I would not hesitate to put you over my knee and spank you.”
A searing heat suddenly scored through Charlotte’s body, but she somehow managed to find her voice.
“That is not something a man says to a woman in civilized society,” she said breathlessly. “How dare you, sir?”
“Quite the contrary, such things are often said, but in private, and in places where there is no possibility of being overheard.”
“But, uh, why would you say such things to me? I barely know you, sir.”
“I intend to court you, Lady Charlotte. To do so without making you aware of the kind of gentleman I am, or advising you of my expectations and my rules, would be unfair. If what I have told you does not sit well with you, and it is something you cannot accept, then I shall not bother you again.”
“I, uh, I don’t know what to say,” she stammered. “This is shocking. You have left me quite taken aback, sir.”
“Perhaps you should think about it. I shall be riding into London following afternoon tea. I have a townhouse in Mayfair. It’s where I stay when I’m in town on business. As I travel home I can stop back here, and you can tell me if you wish me to continue to visit.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said, gazing into his infinite brown eyes. “I can give you my answer now.”
“Very well. What might that be?”
“I would welcome your courtship, sir, and I thank you for being so sincere.”
Staring into her dark green eyes, he saw a merry sparkle.
“This makes me very happy, Lady Charlotte,” he said softly. “Let us see where the next few months takes us.”
Chapter Four
When Edward and Charlotte had returned to the house, Charlotte felt as though she were floating on air, and as she glided through the foyer and watched Edward ask her uncle for a quiet word in his study, she thought her heart would burst with happiness. There was no doubt that Hugo would be delighted with the news of Edward’s wish to call on her, and she knew when Hugo informed her aun
t, the woman would be positively thrilled. Mildred was more than thrilled, and over the days and weeks that followed, Charlotte watched her buzz around the house in a frenzy, making arrangements for the wedding, but her uncle wasn’t quite so enthusiastic about the frenetic planning.
On more than one occasion Charlotte had heard her uncle try to stop her aunt’s frantic preparations, claiming they were premature.
“I am determined,” Charlotte had heard her aunt exclaim, “and you must push for a short engagement when Lord Pemberly comes to discuss such matters.”
As much as Charlotte disliked her aunt, she was more than happy with what she’d heard. A short engagement! Just what she wanted, and each time she overheard the debate, her aunt had refused to surrender.
Somewhat superstitious, Charlotte had stayed clear of her aunt’s maniacal bustling around. She didn’t want to tempt fate by becoming involved in any wedding plans until Lord Pemberly, or Edward, as he now allowed her to call him, fell on bended knee and swore his undying devotion.
To Charlotte’s delight, and she was sure to her aunt’s relief, it was only a few visits later when her uncle took her into his study sporting a broad smile.
“Charlotte, my dear, Lord Pemberly will be arriving for lunch tomorrow, and has requested that we discuss the details of your marriage contract before the meal. I’m telling you this so you can be prepared. He may very well make his formal request of you after lunch.”
The joy in her uncle’s face appeared to be sincere, and he seemed so genuinely happy for her that she had spontaneously thrown her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
“My dear girl,” he’d beamed, though taken aback by her impulsive gesture. “I must tell you, I truly am delighted. That man is a good influence. Whenever he is here, you’re really very charming. Even your aunt has commented on it.”
“If Aunt Mildred thinks something good of me, then he must be,” she’d giggled.
While Charlotte had been entertained by her aunt’s feverish planning during the day, and dreaming about Edward, trying to imagine her new life as she laid in bed at night, Edward had been putting certain affairs in order, and preparing quarters for her at his London townhome and his country estate.
His Willful Bride (Victorian Brides Book 1) Page 3