“You cannot force me.”
He stood behind her, his arms crossed over his chest, clearly not amused by her antics. She would not be his pawn.
What had she done?
“I wouldn’t dare force you. But you have to understand that you can’t go home now. You’ll be denied entry and forced to turn around with only the clothes on your back. Did you think for one moment how you would make off with your precious pin money?”
“This is under your misguided assumption that I will be barred from the house I grew up in.”
“I promise you that that is exactly the case.”
“I’m afraid you don’t know my father as well as I do.”
“I see we will get nowhere this morning. I have some business to attend to in my study. In the meantime, I advise you to get yourself dressed. I’ll send my sister up the moment she’s back from her errands, and you can talk to her about what being the Town pariah truly means.”
With that, he left. She had been about to tell him how wrong he was again, but the door to his chambers clicked shut behind him. She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were wild, her color high. For the first time in months, she began to question her decisions.
Had Tristan spoken the truth? Could she not recover her reputation from all that had happened last night? She’d never thought to go this far, but she’d been spurred on by the repugnant thought that she’d be married to Mr. Warren in four weeks’ time. She’d acted without considering what would happen after her night with the marquess.
She sat there for some time staring at her reflection, thinking about the consequences she would have to face head-on today. She’d brought this upon herself. She wrapped her arms around herself when a sudden chill swept through the room and cut right through her heart.
* * *
Furious didn’t begin to describe how Tristan felt. His reluctant bride was probably plotting his death upstairs while his friend looked ready to throttle him if he didn’t have an update on Miss Camden’s whereabouts.
Tristan didn’t have time for Leo, but spared him a few moments to tell him what Charlotte had relayed to him the previous evening.
Leo, however, proved difficult to get rid of. Though Tristan couldn’t explain what had happened in the twenty-four hours since they’d seen each other last, he did promise to send a fast rider out to the Carleton estate to find out the fate of Miss Camden. This was no longer about the wager they had. They’d both deviated far from the path of revenge for Jez, to outcomes neither expected. Leo seemed taken with and was searching for Charlotte’s chaperone, and, well, Tristan was about to become a married man. He was sure Charlotte would come to her senses once he sent his sister up to talk to her.
He could return her to her house tonight, and pretend that nothing had happened. But he wouldn’t. She’d made her choice by coming to him last night. And truth be told, he wanted her even though she might despise him at the moment.
Seeing Leo off, he went into the breakfast room to say good morning to his children. They’d have a mother by the end of the day. Well, Ronnie would at any rate; Rowan, despite not knowing it, had one in Bea. There would come a day when they’d have to tell him the truth.
“Papa,” Ronnie shouted and launched herself into his arms.
For a moment, he worried that they wouldn’t like Charlotte. He hadn’t thought much about their feelings in the mess he’d made. Even more important, what would Charlotte think of his children? Did she even like children? She’d been favorable when they’d discussed them while corresponding. Certainly, she would be welcome to the idea of sharing a house with his motley crew.
He held Ronnie two feet above the ground and smoothed his hand down her blonde hair. “Darling, I’m sorry I couldn’t come down for breakfast. I have a surprise for you, though.”
Ronnie jumped down, eyes wide. “A present?”
“In a sense. Do take your seats, children, I have wonderful news to share with you.”
Rowan shoved his mouth full of croissant, his eyes wide in anticipation. His daughter didn’t touch her food, but put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in the palm of one hand. Her foot tapped in excitement.
“How would you feel about a mother?”
He should have discussed this with Charlotte, and prepared his children sooner … but time had run out.
Ronnie screwed up her face. “You’re going to get married?”
He gave her a warm smile and patted the side of her face. “Today, in fact.”
Rowan’s chin dropped, his mouth full of food. “Rowan, chew your food properly,” he scolded lightly. Instead, Rowan picked up his glass of water and chugged the whole thing down.
“Really, Papa? We’re going to have a mother? What’s she like?” he asked.
Temperamental, furious at the moment, and a woman of her own mind. He would never say any of those things aloud to his children, of course.
“She is a perfect fit for this family,” he settled on, knowing there would be a few bumps as they adjusted to family life together.
“When can we meet her?”
“Today. We’ll be going to church later on and have a nice small wedding ceremony. Bea will help you get dressed just as soon as she’s had the opportunity to meet Lady Charlotte herself.”
Ronnie stood from the table, walked over to him with a stubborn pinch of her lips, and then stormed out of the room. He stared after her, sorry to have upset her. So his children might not be ready for a mother. They’d not had the opportunity to prepare themselves for the change, but they were young and he was in charge of the household, whether they believed it at times or not. It took a lot of willpower not to go after his daughter and try to make her feel better about the situation.
In a perfect world they would have had the opportunity to meet the lady he would marry, get to know her, and grow to like her before any changes were made. But he knew all too well how far from perfect the world really was.
He let out a heavy breath and rubbed his hands through his hair roughly.
Bea walked in at the next moment, an envelope clutched in her hand. “Did I just see Ronnie storming out of here?”
“I’m afraid so. She didn’t take my news very well.”
“Was it wise to tell her?”
“We will be there as a family as my vows are taken.”
“Has your reluctant bride agreed, then?”
He turned to Rowan, not wanting him to hear any more. “Rowan, go find your sister.”
“Yes, Papa.” He stopped in front of Tristan before leaving and threw his arms around his shoulders. “Thank you,” was all he said before he ran out of the room in search of his sister.
“Lady Charlotte is not agreeable to the idea, but she really hasn’t any choice after the events of last night.”
“There is always a choice, Tristan.”
“Should I send her on her way as though nothing has happened and have her marry Mr. Warren in a month’s time?”
Bea pinched her mouth shut and glared at him.
“I thought not,” he said.
“If she’s said no, you can’t really force the issue.”
“That’s why I need you to go and talk to her.”
“She is a stranger to me, Tristan.”
“Yet she doesn’t have a brother to lean upon. She cannot be saved from her mistakes as you once were. And I’ll take no chances in case she carries the next heir of Castleigh.”
“How dare you do that to her! Why would you take away her choice like that?”
“Our night together was mutually agreed upon.”
Bea was shaking her head. “You knew better. She has no experience with men like you and couldn’t possibly have understood the consequences.”
“I gave her plenty of opportunity to change her mind.”
His sister’s forehead puckered as she came forward. There were tears pooling in her eyes and a fury so great he’d never seen the likes of it before. “You have robbed her of her innocen
ce to fulfill your own desires. You had no right.”
“I had every right, Bea. Warren—”
“Warren will find another bride. And now that you’ve chased one woman away and are making her marry you … How do you suppose you’ll stop him in the future?”
“There will be no need. The Fallon name will not save him now.”
Bea’s fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. “You don’t deserve her,” she said, and spun around to stalk away from him.
He sat there stunned, wondering about his determination to claim Lady Charlotte as his own. The truth was he didn’t want to give her up to anyone else. Last night had cemented that feeling.
Chapter 14
Dear readers, I have the most salacious news for you. Wedding bells rang for a certain marquess and his mysterious lady friend. Her identity has been revealed finally, and what an uproar it has created.
—The Mayfair Chronicles, August 1846
Charlotte had put her hair up in a simple bun with a braid wrapped around it. She pulled the dress down from the bathing room door to spread it out in front of her, and sat on the edge of the bed to look at it. There was a soft knock at the door. She ignored it; she was too furious to deal with Tristan just yet.
The knock came louder. She marched over to the door, uncaring that she was still dressed only in her underthings, and whipped the door open.
It was his sister, Bea, standing on the other side. Her expression was stoic, unsurprised. Charlotte stepped away from the door, inviting the woman in since it didn’t seem she had a choice right now.
“My brother wanted me to help you dress.”
“Did he now?” She didn’t turn to face the woman as she went over to the window to stare down at the garden below.
“Fighting me won’t get you anywhere. Believe it or not, I don’t agree with my brother’s tactics.”
“I’m sure you don’t want someone usurping your position in this household. And more than anything I wish I could forget the last two days of my life and go back to a time before I met your brother.”
The rustle of material sounded behind Charlotte, but she did not turn to face the woman who would be her sister-in-law. Charlotte had come to realize that there was no escaping marriage, but that didn’t mean she had to like the idea of it.
“Why aren’t you married instead of taking care of your brother’s children?”
“There is no other life available to me, Lady Charlotte. Unlike you, I was never given a choice about what would become of me after I trusted the wrong man and was shunned by society.”
“With your brother’s fortune, surely you could have done anything you pleased.”
Charlotte turned to face the other woman. She looked close in age to Tristan, somewhere just shy of thirty years of age. She was pretty and looked much like her brother. Her hair was dark, her eyes the same light shade of blue that was eerily beautiful. She was about the same height as Charlotte but her form was more curvaceous.
“Tristan does not make important decisions lightly,” she said.
“Ah, so you don’t like this arrangement any more than I do.”
“I don’t. But I don’t see how you have much choice.”
“I can go back to my father, ask his forgiveness.”
“And tell him what you’ve done? Tell him that you spent the night in the arms of a man he despises? That man you are so anxious to turn your back on is my brother, and he’s willing to marry you because of the stupidity you both displayed in your hasty actions.”
“Why does everyone assume my father will turn me out? I’m his only child.”
“And what a disappointment you will be. Your Mr. Warren loathes scandal. He will not have you now.”
“I dislike him so I could care less if our arrangement is dissolved. Assuming my actions are found out.” Charlotte stepped away from the window and walked over to the bed, fingering the fine lace on the wedding dress.
“I was once as foolish as you,” Bea said. “Your father will have already made up his mind where you’re concerned. I have heard of your chaperone, Miss Camden. Do you know that she’s been forced into hiding? Who knows if she’ll survive the scandal long enough to carve a new path in life.”
“And what about you?” Charlotte asked.
Bea turned to her suddenly. “I was never offered marriage, Lady Charlotte. You should keep that in mind. I am nobody to those who used to be my friends. Forever forgotten in their eyes because I fell in love with the wrong man.”
“Who was he?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
She shook her head, curious to find out the answer, but not sure this woman would reveal her secrets to a complete stranger.
“I do hope you have a strong constitution, because my brother can be difficult. You should also know that he will never allow his children to be banished from this household.”
“I would never…”
She knew without a doubt that Tristan loved his children. It had always been evident in his letters. His children were innocent of any wrongdoing; she would not punish them because she was forced into marriage by her own stupidity.
“I suppose I won’t find an ally in you.”
“You haven’t earned my trust, so I’m afraid not. If I don’t have you dressed, my brother will think I’m aiding in your escape. Turn around so we can get this dress on you. We need to be at the church in two hours’ time.”
“So he truly intends to marry me. And so soon?”
“Before your father can find you, yes.”
“I’m not of age to marry whomever I please. My father can object to the marriage regardless of us speaking our vows.”
“You will see that he won’t. Your father cannot save you from what you’ve done.”
Charlotte wanted to argue with her, but the more she thought about it the more she realized she had ruined any opportunity she had to have her freedom. She’d brought this on herself in a thoughtless, selfish moment. There was no going back, only forward, and in a direction she had not planned.
She could do this, she told herself. This was a better alternative than marrying Mr. Warren. It was an opportunity to put her life on a path of her own making. Tristan had become a friend since they had met; surely he wouldn’t cloister her and hide her away from society.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to make an enemy of you, but I do not wish to start off on the wrong foot if I’m to marry your brother and to share a house with you.”
Bea looked at her long and hard as she released the ties at the back of the bodice so they could start dressing Charlotte for her wedding day. That thought left her a little dizzy and she had to sit on the bench in front of the bed.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t meet under different circumstances,” Bea said.
“So am I.” Charlotte looked over her shoulder at the other woman. “But this is the hand we’ve been dealt, and we should make good use of it, don’t you think?”
“I couldn’t agree more. And I’m not angry with you, only disappointed by my brother’s actions.”
“He was not alone in this decision.”
“But he knew better.” She sighed heavily. “Stand up so I can tie the petticoats in place.”
She did as she was told, threading her fingers together and holding them out of the way. She was slightly unsteady, and her legs wobbled. She’d never been the nervous sort, but this was an unusual circumstance. She stood there listening to Bea’s instructions every now and again and tried not to focus on the consequences that were sure to come with their wedding today.
“What will happen after the wedding?” she asked, hoping Bea at least had some idea about what was to come.
“I suppose we’ll come back here for brunch. I haven’t really discussed the plans with my brother. But I assume he’ll want to contact your father to inform him of the nuptials.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one to see my father?”
“It’s probably best you don’t se
e him straightaway. I can’t imagine he’ll be very forgiving about what’s happened, at least not for a while.”
“So Tristan will visit my father?”
“That’s assuming gossip hasn’t made its way to your father by the time we are back here. The moment you step out our front door and into a carriage with my brother, me, and the children—as he insists they witness the ceremony—tongues will be wagging. It’s really only a matter of time before your father learns what has happened.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. This was proving to be too much for her. She needed a little more time.
“I see you are already having second thoughts.”
“It’s not that.”
Bea came around to face her and gave her a questioning look. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“I suppose I am. It’s just that I have never planned anything so poorly.”
“Rational thought tends to be absent when intimacies are involved. If there is one thing I can promise you, it’s that my brother has a kind heart. While the gossip columns have been cruel to him, and although he seems not to mind the negative attention, he really does want nothing more than happiness for those in this house.”
“I don’t for a second doubt you. But I’m sure he wishes me to the devil right about now.” She meant it jokingly, but the truth hurt.
She was now the woman he was forced to marry.
Bea tugged on the front of the bodice and fanned out the train so it lay evenly around her. Charlotte felt silly to be dressed for her wedding with no guests but the woman before her. Why would Tristan go to the trouble of having her wear such a beautiful gown? She looked down at herself, and ran her hand over the front where cording shaped the bodice into a deep vee.
“It was our mother’s.”
Shocked, Charlotte’s head shot up and she searched the other woman’s eyes. “Why—”
“I told you, my brother has a kind heart. He has already accepted you into this family. Had he not, he wouldn’t have woken me before dawn to obtain the license you require to marry this afternoon.” She smiled at Charlotte, suddenly a different woman from the angry one who had stormed through Tristan’s bedchamber door not twenty minutes ago. “I must go ready the children. They’ll need to be in their Sunday best since their great-uncle is going to be marrying you and Tristan.”
Midnight Temptations With a Forbidden Lord Page 19