James and another gentleman, whose name she kept forgetting, invited her for a dance, and Charlotte almost enjoyed herself while dancing.
“Mr. George,” Baroness Roberts said when the musicians started a new tune, and the gentleman in question passed close by. “Why don’t you invite Charlotte for this dance? She likes it very much.”
Charlotte felt her face redden with embarrassment, but her mother continued to smile happily as if there was nothing strange about what she did. Charlotte looked around and apart from the three of them, no one had heard her words. Even Jane was busy talking to someone else at the moment.
“It is not necessary…” she said, but the gentleman was already bowing in front of her, his hand extended in an unmistakable gesture.
“It would be an honor to have this dance, Lady Charlotte,” the gentleman said, and there was nothing for her to do but accept his hand and step on the dance floor.
The pressure of dancing with him in front of everyone was great, and Charlotte kept a serious expression throughout the dance. She could feel the eyes of Lady Margaret fixed on her, and there were many other ladies and gentlemen who wondered about her dancing with Lord George Geoffrays. The dance steps often brought her closer to the bystanders, and she couldn’t help listening to their comments about her family, her dress, and even her engagement.
“Don’t listen to them,” said George. He gently squeezed her hand. “They don’t know what they are talking about.”
“Or maybe they know only too well…” Charlotte answered, showing elegant reverence at the end of the dance.
“Is there something wrong?” he asked, looking at her with concern.
“I am not feeling very well,” Charlotte lied. “I shouldn’t have come… Excuse me. I need some fresh air.” With a bow, she walked quickly towards one of the doors that led into the garden and stopped only when she was away from everyone. Or, at least that was what she believed.
“Do you feel better now?” Charlotte heard George’s voice from behind and turned around to find him standing only a few steps from her.
“No,” she said truthfully and looked away from him.
“I know you are hurting right now…” the gentleman said. “What your fiancé did was horrible… but you don’t have to define yourself by it.”
Slowly, Charlotte looked back at him and noticed how much pain was transpiring in his eyes. “Why did he do it then?” She asked the question that had been troubling her for days.
“Because he is a selfish man,” the gentleman admitted truthfully. “And doesn’t love you as I do.”
He doesn’t love you as I do! Charlotte repeated the words in her mind and her heart was filled with hope.
“When my father fell ill, he asked me to find a wife for myself as soon as possible. He wanted to see me in love and happily married. I did my best to do that, but the only woman I ever felt something towards was engaged to another man.”
Charlotte was listening with interest to his words and slowly, the truth about their past started to unfold in front of her. George Geoffrays was telling her that he loved her.
“I knew I had to wait, but I couldn’t ask you to do the same,” George continued. “So, in my desperation, I decided to let you free to follow your path, and if the day came when it was necessary, I was going to try to be happy with someone else.”
“It was difficult for me too…” Charlotte interrupted him.
“Yes, I needed to know how you were, and it almost broke my heart to see you with another man,” he admitted. “But at least I had the opportunity to see you and talk to you…”
“I think that without realizing it, I have been waiting for you to come to me,” Charlotte admitted shyly.
“When I saw you with Baron Roberts, I thought that I had lost you forever and only when you told me that he was not the man he pretended to be did I start realizing there still was a chance for me.”
“Lady Margaret …” Charlotte said and then elaborated. “She seems to think that there is something between the two of you…”
“She is one of the women I foolishly chose for myself, but I have already explained everything to her.” George dismissed the question and quickly fell on his knee in front of Charlotte. “I always loved you and only you in my life. So, Charlotte Roberts, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes, oh God, yes,” Charlotte whispered through tears, her hands holding his. “I love you… but, I am still engaged to Timothy…”
“No, you are not,” he protested and took a letter from his jacket. “This is a letter for you from Mr. Timothy Roberts with which he is releasing you from your engagement.”
“But how?”
“I hired a few men, and they managed to find him and make him write the letter. Don’t worry about him anymore. The authorities are going to charge him with attempted murder so that he might spend the rest of his life in prison.”
With Timothy out of the way, nothing was preventing Charlotte from loving George and she said that much to him before the night was over. They returned home and told their parents all about their love for each other and in the morning George came to ask Baron Roberts for the hand of his oldest daughter.
The marriage of Lord George Geoffrays and Lady Charlotte Roberts was celebrated only one month after their engagement, making two elderly gentlemen the happiest fathers in the world.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said the Reverend in his deep and imposing voice. “May your life together be blessed by the Lord and may you have a long and happy future…”
The Reverend continued to speak solemnly, filling the little town’s church with his voice. His words resounded in the almost full church, louder than intended, making Charlotte shiver with anticipation for the future. She had just married George Geoffrays, and despite what her mother and sisters might think, it was the happiest day of her life.
“I cannot believe that my daughter is the new Lady Geoffrays,” Baroness Roberts whispered in her ear after the ceremony. Everything had happened so fast that Charlotte still had to process the fact that in the matter of a few short weeks her life had changed drastically.
“Thank you, Mother,” Charlotte whispered back, her eyes searching those of the man that had just become her husband. George Geoffrays was talking to his father, his eyes also looking for her. Charlotte had heard about the years he had spent abroad, fighting for his country, and she admired him for that.
“You are so beautiful, my dear,” Baron Roberts said, standing proudly by his daughter and interrupting her thoughts. “My daughters deserve the best.”
Charlotte smiled lovingly at her father, trying to show him how much she loved him.
“Charlotte, what are you thinking about?” Her mother gently hit her arm. “This beautiful gown deserves to be worn by someone who smiles.”
Charlotte forced another smile and adjusted the lace of her ivory wedding gown. It had once belonged to her mother, and Charlotte had always dreamed of being married in it, thinking that the dress complimented her dark hair and gray eyes beautifully. Her father loved to joke about her complexion, saying that she looked just like him.
The dress was old-fashioned and decorated with French lace around the neck and at the hem. A large white ribbon was tied around her waist, making her figure look even slimmer. During the wedding ceremony, Charlotte made the comparison between her white gown and George’s dark jacket, thinking that their clothes reflected all the differences between the two of them.
That night, when it was just the two of them, Charlotte stayed silent, her eyes never leaving his. “You love me!” she said again.
“I love you, and I want us to be a real family,” George assured her.
“Yes,” Charlotte whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. Her dream came true, and it was too much for her at the moment. “I love you too.”
“Please don’t cry, my love,” he wiped the tears away with a gentle hand and leaned forward. “My heart is
yours forever, and if we weren’t already married, I would be on my knees right now, asking for your hand in marriage.”
“And if that was the case,” Charlotte joked back, “I would be saying ‘yes’ right now.”
“You are what I needed in my life, Charlotte,” the gentleman confessed. “You were the only one able to remind me that there is a good reason for me to continue to live life fully.”
“There is, I know that there is,” Charlotte insisted, and her husband leaned closer, his lips touching hers in a gentle kiss.
“My father was so happy today,” he commented when their lips separated. “If it is possible, he loves you even more than I do.”
“I love him too, and I am glad that he feels the same,” Charlotte admitted, her head over her husband’s heart.
“We both wanted to make our fathers happy and now that we found each other, I can see the happiness in both of them,” George said to his lovely wife. “My happiness is now complete, because not only have I found the most precious person in my life, but I also made my father, your father, and your entire family happy.”
21
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“I came because of our past.”
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
AN UNWELCOME WARNING
“I cannot think well of a man who sports with any woman's feelings, and there may often be a great deal more suffered than a stander-by can judge of.”
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
Emma felt happier than she had been in ages. Her family was happy, there was a young and handsome Captain courting her, and, what was more, the only man she had ever loved in her life was acting jealous while around her. Emma smiled to herself, adjusting her beautiful blue dress which made her ivory skin shine. Her mother had arranged Emma’s hair in a fashionable loose bun, leaving a few long strands out.
They were all invited to her sister Charlotte’s house. Emma was sure that Viscount Francis Turner was also invited, and the thought of meeting him again made her heart beat faster.
The Roberts’ family was the first to arrive at the big Manor, and Francis arrived soon after that. He greeted everyone, but his special attention was reserved for the new mother. Emma was almost jealous of her sister when she watched her sit comfortably with Francis and discuss her newborn baby and all the things that had happened in their lives since the last time they saw each other.
“You don’t look very well, Francis” Jane pointed out when they sat down together in one of the corners of the room. “Is there something bothering you?”
“Thank you for noticing, Jane.” Francis felt close to tears. “I am having some financial difficulties that make life very hard for me.”
“Because of the estate your uncle left you?” Jane asked. “My father told me that the estate was in heavy debts.”
“Yes,” Francis admitted. “The inheritance my uncle left me is more of a burden than anything else. It is going to be very hard for me to get it back to the position it was in before.”
“Is someone helping you with the situation?” Jane asked in a concerned voice.
“I am going to manage. Thank you,” Francis answered, not wanting to worry her too much. “I am working to fix it, and I am also making some investments.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Jane sounded so genuinely concerned that Francis felt her smile warm his heart. “If you need some more help, do not hesitate to ask us. You know that I will always help you.”
“Thank you, Jane, but there is something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Francis suddenly changed the subject. “A few months ago, I saw Emma walking in the woods around the lake together with a certain Captain Jonathan Green.”
“Oh, yes, he is a new acquaintance of ours,” Jane nodded.
“I don’t know what to think about that gentleman, but he came to me to warn me against meeting with Emma,” Francis continued. “He acted very arrogantly and almost threatened me on the streets. I hope that Emma is going to be fine, but I wanted to warn you about that gentleman.”
“Thank you for letting me know,” Jane said gravely. “I am going to talk to Emma about him. My sister is still too naïve when it comes to gentlemen. I really hope that she will find a good gentleman to love soon.”
Francis did not answer the last comment, preferring to nod slightly. The good gentleman for Emma who Jane wished for was not going to be Francis Turner, that was for sure. When people asked for a good gentleman, they had in mind someone well related, with a high annual income, and a title. Francis possessed only the title.
“What are you two talking about?” Emma unexpectedly appeared in front of them. “Everyone is starting to wonder what secrets the two of you are hiding from the rest of us.”
“We were just remembering the old days and sharing what we have missed from the most recent days,” Jane answered.
“How do you do, Emma?” Francis asked, avoiding her eyes.
“I am fine,” Emma answered, looking at him with her big, brown eyes as if begging him to look at her as before.
Jane broke the awkward moment between them. “Francis, will you excuse us? I need to talk to my sister.”
“Yes,” Francis almost jumped from his seat, glad to be away from Emma at the moment. “I will see you later, Emma.”
“He is acting really strangely lately, isn’t he?” Emma asked while watching Francis walk away. “Sometimes it is difficult to understand him.”
Concerned for her sister’s well-being, Jane told Emma what Francis said about Jonathan, making sure to speak carefully so that her younger sister would not get angry. Emma, however, immediately became irritated.
“I don’t understand you, Jane,” Emma said in a serious tone of voice. “Are you asking me about my intentions towards Captain Jonathan Green?”
“No, Emma. I know you well enough to trust you about that.” Jane shook her head. “All I want to tell you is to be careful with him. Francis seems to be really anxious about you, especially after the officer went to talk to him after your meeting.”
“I know that you are doing this to help me, but I would really appreciate it if you’d let me make my own decisions,” Emma said in the same tone of voice. “Mother knows that I was go for walks with Captain Green, and she sees nothing wrong with it. Francis is acting overprotective.”
After that, Emma left her sister alone by the window and went in search of Francis. She could not find him, however, and she spent the rest of the night feeling irritated and angry with everyone.
“Francis Turner,” Emma almost yelled the next day, when she met with Francis in town. “How dare you interfere in my private life?”
Emma realized that she was overreacting, but the conversation with her sister was still too vivid in her mind. Her newly found confidence was making it easier for her see the rest of the world as inferior to her, a fact she would probably feel ashamed of in the future.
“I thought that we were friends, Francis,” she continued, too angry to think about what she was saying. “I don’t understand why you would go and talk to my sister about something that does not concern you and which you don’t understand.”
“Miss Emma,” Francis tried to calm her down. “My intentions were honorable.”
“I don’t want to hear it, Lord Turner,” she interrupted him. “I came here only to ask you to stop doing this. If you have something to say, please, say it to me and leave my family out of it.”
Francis opened his mouth, in a final attempt to explain his actions, but the young lady did not give him a chance. Miss Emma Roberts gave him a quick bow and left him standing in the middle of the street. The young Viscount felt humiliated and hurt by her actions, especially because he had always considered Emma Roberts his friend.
“How could she treat me like this?” Francis asked himself and looked around, grateful to see that no one was paying attention to him. His humiliation was big enough without
adding the unwanted attention of the town people.
The young Viscount could not concentrate on his work that day, too concerned with what Miss Emma Roberts had done to him. He spent the rest of the day stewing on her words, constantly reliving the pain of their previous conversation. By the time the evening came, he had resolved to go to the Roberts house and pay Emma a visit.
The butler opened the door for Francis and took him to the library where Emma was reading, seated near the window. The butler was about to knock on the door when Francis asked him to leave him to walk in alone. An old family friend like Francis Turner had a few privileges in the Roberts’ household, one of which was to introduce himself without the need of a maid or the butler.
Francis opened the door, careful not to make too much noise and walked in to see Emma, sitting quietly by the window, the very picture of perfection. The Viscount stood by the door for a few moments, running his eyes over her beautiful blond hair and nice profile. He had always liked her deep, brown eyes, which had golden sparks playing in them.
“Emma,” he called and watched the lady turn, surprise written all over her face. “I am sorry for disturbing you, but after our conversation this morning, I need to talk to you.”
The Viscount stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, not wanting their conversation to be overheard. Emma was standing by the chair, patiently waiting for him to sit down.
“I am sorry for being so harsh this morning, Francis,” the lady said, looking sad.
“I did not come here for an apology,” the gentleman interrupted her. “I came because of our past. We used to be such good friends, Miss Emma Roberts. Now, however, you have become so self-centered that you don’t have the time to even pretend to care about someone else’s difficulties.”
“It is not like that…” the lady tried to protest.
“It is exactly like that,” Francis smiled sarcastically. “I told you about my financial difficulties, and now you are acting as if I am inferior to you. It is fine. You don’t have to pretend that you care, but at least listen to what I have to say about Jonathan Green.”
Regency Romance: To Love A Viscount (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 11