“Before you contemplate running away again,” he continued, “I must tell you, I can see your shadow.”
Looking down, Charlotte berated herself to see, sure enough, her shadow stretching across the carpet beside her, and she turned red as she wondered how often Gabriel had been aware of her listening in.
With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself away from the wall and peered into the room.
“Mr. Worthington,” she said, pausing at the threshold, her heart fluttering to see his eyes focusing upon her. “I hope you will forgive me. I know you do not like to play with others watching. I should not have imposed.”
“I suppose you were not really watching me,” he said, his soft tone causing Charlotte to glance up in surprise, “were you?”
A smile tugged at the ends of his lips, and Charlotte felt a small amount of the weight she had been feeling for days lifting from her shoulders.
“Yes, well,” she said, “I do apologize. I shall leave you now to your privacy.”
“You need not leave.”
She paused, narrowing her eyes. “Will you continue if I stay?”
Gabriel moved to take his place behind the pianoforte, saying, “I suppose,” before motioning to a sofa nearby. “Have a seat. You will find it far more comfortable than standing, as you have been doing for weeks.”
Another wave of humiliation rushed over Charlotte as she sat upon the sofa, but she focused instead on Gabriel as he began his piece.
Her heart swelled to see his handsome features finally staring at the keys before him as she had imagined him doing so many times before, his body moving back and forth as the tune progressed, and before she knew it, a quarter of an hour had passed by, and he ended his performance.
“Are you not to continue?” she asked when he leaned away from the instrument.
“I have played enough for one morning.”
Charlotte nodded, thinking better than to press the man for more entertainment. “What is the name of the tune you played? I did not recognize it.”
“I have not yet thought of one.”
Her brows pulled together. “You mean to tell me you have written the song yourself?”
“Indeed.”
“You are more talented than you have let on, Mr. Worthington,” she said with a shake of her head. “Tell me, who taught you?”
“My mother offered to find me a teacher,” he began, “but as a young boy, I did not relish the idea of being instructed in what others considered a feminine talent. I, therefore, taught myself.”
“That is remarkable. I should like to hear you play again.”
“I would be happy for you to listen again,” he said, “if only you promise to no longer remain hidden while doing so.”
“I promise.”
They shared a smile, but as Charlotte recalled their previous days spent apart, her brows pulled together.
“Mr. Worthington,” she began, “I have thought much about what has transpired between us, and I…”
His darkening face gave her reason to pause, however, after a moment’s hesitation, she continued on, desperate to overcome his discontent.
“And I hope you will forgive me for the offense I have caused. I could never forgive myself knowing I am the reason for your great unhappiness.”
She paused, staring at him apprehensively before he stood from the pianoforte and took a step in her direction.
“Miss Rosebury,” he began, “I assure you, you need not apologize. I know you were merely offering your help to me before, and I became angry for unfounded reasons. It is I who must ask you for forgiveness.”
Charlotte stood from her seat with a little hop, a smile forming across her lips.
“You have made me happier than I could ever express, sir,” she said, “but I suppose I had better leave now, as your mother was expecting me quite some time ago. Thank you, again, for allowing me the opportunity to listen to you play.”
“Of course, Miss Rosebury,” Gabriel responded, and they shared a smile before Charlotte left the room.
Chapter Sixteen
Over the next few days, Charlotte spent each spare moment she had with Gabriel, and whether it was enjoying rides across Greyston Hall’s vast grounds, Gabriel playing the pianoforte for her, or Charlotte reading aloud to him after dinner, she relished each moment spent in his company.
And so it was on the morning of the fox hunt as Charlotte rushed through her morning routine and dressed in her riding habit, racing from her room as quickly as possible to spend more time in Gabriel’s presence.
When she arrived outside of Greyston Hall, she saw three horses already saddled and standing in front of Mrs. Worthington, and her heart fluttered when she noticed Gabriel nearby, tipping his hat to her in greeting, his stature enhanced with his red coat and brass buttons.
She smiled, her cheeks rosy, before the three of them mounted their horses and traveled the short distance to where the rest of the hunting party gathered upon Greyston Hall’s land.
Excited chatter filled the cold air amidst the horses pawing the frozen earth, as anxious to begin the hunt as the gentlemen, and despite the cold, Charlotte could not help but smile, feeling exhilarated amongst the masses.
“What think you of the gathering thus far, Miss Rosebury?” Gabriel asked as Mrs. Worthington wandered off to greet the others. “Are you glad to have come along?”
“Oh, indeed,” she said. “Thank you again for helping me overcome my fears so I might be here for the occasion.”
“Does this mean you are to join us in riding across the grounds then?” he asked. “My mother might have an extra gun or two in her possession.”
“Very amusing, Mr. Worthington,” Charlotte said, unable to keep her smile hidden as Gabriel grinned. “Perhaps I should take up shooting for myself so I might defeat you in this sport as often as I do in chess.”
The sound of Gabriel’s laughter warmed her heart, and she joined in until an approaching horse and rider caught her eye.
“How do you do, Miss Filbee?” she asked when the woman reached them, but Miss Filbee ignored her and directed her attention to Gabriel instead.
“Good morning, Mr. Worthington,” she said, riding tall and sure upon her chestnut gelding. “My, but you look dashing today.”
Gabriel tipped his hat to her but remained silent.
Miss Filbee’s gaze then moved to Charlotte before the woman’s thin brows arched in surprise.
“Oh, I did not see you there, Miss Rosebury,” she said, before placing a gloved hand to her chest. “My goodness. You must tell me how you manage to stay upon that horse, what with the look of utter panic upon your face.”
Charlotte eyed her in silence before shaking her head.
“It has been a pleasure, Miss Filbee,” she said before turning her attention to Gabriel. “I hope fortune aids you in your hunt, Mr. Worthington, as well as beforehand, so you may find better company than Miss Filbee.”
Miss Filbee’s mouth dropped open as Charlotte smiled.
“Good day,” Charlotte said, and with that, she turned Horatio to walk away from the both of them, sitting straight in her sidesaddle as a satisfied smile rested upon her lips.
Gabriel watched Charlotte urge Horatio away and could not help but smile at her confidence, not only toward Miss Filbee, but also upon the horse.
“What an unpleasant sort of girl,” Miss Filbee said next to him, reminding him of her presence. “At any rate, I am glad she has left us, for now we may speak more intimately with one another. As I am sure you are aware, my cousin and I are to ride along the hunt in our carriage, and we are looking forward to observing you and…”
Her words faded away as Gabriel continued to watch Charlotte move from one person to the next, her smile constant upon her lips.
“I started out my day with a warm cup of tea and a book of love poetry,” he vaguely heard Miss Filbee say as he took in Charlotte’s rosy cheeks, the tip of her nose just as red from the cold.
A y
oung, single gentleman who lived on a neighboring estate, Mr. Axton, approached Charlotte then, and Gabriel’s brow furrowed when she laughed at something he said.
“However, I could not live in such a home,” Miss Filbee prattled on, obviously unaware of Gabriel’s lack of attention as he focused upon Charlotte smiling at another gentleman who joined her.
Why did we invite so many single gentlemen to the hunt? he thought.
“And I told him, ‘No, sir, I do not feel that way about fish.’ ”
Gabriel looked longingly toward the group forming around Charlotte, knowing they did so because her company was as pleasant as her smile, and he could not help but wish to join them.
He thought back to the days he had spent with her, how he had decided the fear he had experienced in drawing closer to the woman was easier to handle than the torture he felt whenever they were apart, for all he longed to do was be in her presence.
“It was a good attempt,” Miss Filbee continued, “but I shall never try my hand at touching a deer again.”
Charlotte’s laughter lilted toward him on the breeze, her soft ringlets fluttering upon her temples.
She is my friend, he reminded himself, only my friend.
“And I walked all the way home, which, I daresay, was not an easy task. He did not believe it, though.”
But does Miss Rosebury not mean more to you now? he thought, his heart quickening to see her smiling warmly in his direction. Do you still wish to think of her as only a friend?
“Do you, Mr. Worthington?”
Gabriel’s heart raced so fiercely, the pounding in his ears caused all other noises around him to fade away.
“No, I do not,” he said, his breathing labored. “I cannot.”
***
“There, Miss. What do you think?”
Charlotte examined her reflection as Ardelle took a step back, both of them admiring Charlotte’s hair piled elegantly atop her head, white pearls resting on her soft, brown curls and ringlets falling gracefully upon her neck and temples.
“I think,” Charlotte said with a smile, “I shall truly be sorry to lose your help once I leave Greyston Hall, Ardelle. Thank you very much.”
“If I may say so, Miss,” Ardelle said, a small smile upon her pink lips, “the impression you will undoubtedly make upon a certain master of the house this evening may, very well, prevent you from leaving Greyston at all.”
Before Charlotte had the chance to respond, the girl curtsied and darted from the room, and she was left alone with her muddled thoughts and blushing cheeks.
Another burst of butterflies fluttered within her stomach when Charlotte, at last, left her room, making her way to the main staircase before looking down to see Mrs. Worthington and Gabriel awaiting her arrival.
She held her breath as she descended the stairs, her gloved hand sliding along the banister until Gabriel finally turned, and their eyes met.
Her heart fluttered to see him standing tall in his fitted jacket and white cravat, and when she saw him perusing the length of her, she could not help but smile, for the admiration in his eyes was undeniable.
“Why, Miss Rosebury,” Mrs. Worthington, adorned in rubies, said when Charlotte reached the last step, “how stunning you look. Does she not, Gabriel?”
“Quite,” he responded, his gaze finally averted, and Charlotte’s smile grew.
Before long, Charlotte, by invitation, stood next to Gabriel, his mother on his opposite side, to welcome their guests who finally began to trickle through Greyston Hall’s doors, and within a matter of moments, the house became alive with excitement far greater than even the fox hunt that morning.
Charlotte did her best to remember the names of the guests she was introduced to, already recognizing many from her time there, and she was greeted with equal kindness by all until the Bosvilles and Miss Filbee arrived, the family speaking with the Worthingtons before passing by Charlotte altogether.
“Are you ready for this evening, Miss Rosebury,” Gabriel asked after the family had departed and a break in the welcoming line occurred, “to be hunted down again?”
Charlotte smiled. “I suppose I have no choice in the matter. Though, it is my decision if I allow their behavior to ruin my joy.”
“And are you to allow such a thing to occur?”
She shook her head. “I shall not, sir,” she said. “You know I am nearly always cheerful.”
“Indeed, I do.”
They welcomed another guest before Charlotte looked up at him. “You know, I should rather like to see you behaving in such a way.”
“Like the Bosvilles?”
She released an exaggerated sigh. “No, Mr. Worthington. I should like to see you showing your own happiness.”
Gabriel glanced down at her before looking away in silence.
“Of course,” she said, “your efforts would not go unrewarded. I would be more than happy to compensate you for your troubles.”
“And would I be allowed to choose my reward?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Would you wish for me to allow you to win a game of chess?”
“No, I have something far more pleasurable in mind.” Their eyes met, and the smile upon Gabriel’s lips caused her heart to flutter. “Do you agree then?”
“I suppose I do, Mr. Worthington.”
“Then I must warn you to prepare yourself,” he said, leaning in close with a voice barely above a whisper, “for you may very well fall prey to my charming allure this evening.”
The guests entering Greyston Hall increased then, and they had no further opportunity to speak, but Charlotte’s heart refused to calm its beating, for she had no difficulty believing Gabriel’s words.
Before long, the last of the guests had been welcomed, and they moved into the main ballroom to join the others. Charlotte viewed the grand room, lavish decorations, and multitudes of people around her before seeing Gabriel smile at her, his hand outstretched in her direction.
“Miss Rosebury,” he said, “may I have the pleasure of your first dance this evening?”
“Of course, Mr. Worthington,” Charlotte said, stifling her desire to jump up and down, as she was sure Julia would do the moment her sister heard of her time at the ball. “I would be delighted.”
They moved together toward the dance floor as more than one pair of eyes focused upon them, and when Charlotte glanced up to see him smiling down at her, she did not think her happiness could ever be diminished.
However, her smile soon faltered when she saw a man across the room, watching her with small, dark eyes, and her stomach churned.
“Mr. Worthington,” she said softly.
“Yes?” he asked, glancing down at her.
She motioned to where Mr. Cropp stood staring unflinchingly, and she took a step closer to Gabriel, whose eyes had caught on to the man in an instant.
“He was not invited this evening,” he said, his jaw twitching in anger. “Mother and I made sure of it.”
“Perhaps the Bosvilles managed to convince him to join them,” she suggested.
Gabriel did not respond, merely signaled to a nearby footman with red hair.
“Simon,” he said as the young man reached them, and Gabriel leaned in to speak his command softly.
Charlotte watched as the footman nodded and headed at once in Mr. Cropp’s direction, but before anything further had occurred, the dance sets formed and both Simon and Mr. Cropp were lost amidst the crowds.
The two remained where they stood for a moment, and Charlotte glanced up to see Gabriel scanning the faces around them, his frown returning before she shook her head.
“Come now, Mr. Worthington,” she said with a smile, “have you forgotten our agreement so soon? You cannot expect me to reward you if you frown so fiercely all night.”
Gabriel’s expression remained unchanged. “It is that man,” he said, “there is something about him.”
Charlotte nodded. “I understand. I feel quite nervous around him myself, and not in a pl
easant way.”
“Is there a pleasant way to feel nervous?” Gabriel asked, his eyes finally upon her.
“Why, of course there is, Mr. Worthington. I feel such a way each moment I spend with you.”
Gabriel’s heart thudded in his chest as he stared into the depths of Charlotte’s hazel eyes, finally returning her smile before hearing the musicians tune their instruments, and they made the rest of their way to the dance floor and faced one another in their set.
He watched as Charlotte greeted the women standing next to her before her smiling eyes returned to himself, and he could not help but wonder if he had made the right decision in accepting her challenge that evening.
As their dance began and their smiles continued, the lightness within him increased, and a happiness the likes he had never before experienced took a hold of his heart. Gone were his fears of drawing too close to Charlotte, for her smile, her kindness, and the joy he felt around her replaced all of his lingering doubts, and he could not remove the smile from his lips.
Why should I end my smiles? he thought as he danced down the set with a laughing and rosy-cheeked Charlotte. After all, what harm could befall us if I choose to be happy for one simple evening?
Charlotte watched Gabriel clap his hands in time with the music and the other dancers, and she could not help but wonder if there was a way to keep him in such a happy mood forever, for her love for him continued to grow with each moment spent in his company.
The music ended too soon, and Charlotte, though disappointed as she was to have the dance finish, took Gabriel’s offered hand with a smile.
“Would you care to save the next dance for me, Miss Rosebury?” he asked when they stood together off of the dance floor.
“Of course,” she said, nodding eagerly. “I would love to.”
Gabriel smiled. “I hope you—”
“Good evening, Mr. Worthington.”
Charlotte and Gabriel exchanged a glance before turning to watch Miss Filbee approaching them with a gentleman on each arm.
“Mr. Worthington,” Miss Filbee said once she reached them, “you look even more handsome than you did this morning.”
To Warm A Wintered Heart (Regency Romance) Page 18