“Icannot believe you did it!” Evelyn cried as she flung herself onto the bed beside Charlotte. “I am so happy, I think I might burst.”
It was the morning after Charlotte had returned home, and the first time she had seen either of her sisters since her arrival. Her stepmother had allowed Charlotte to go straight to bed and promised she would remain undisturbed until the morning.
“What time is it?” Charlotte tried to blink the sleep from her eyes as she shifted from under Evelyn’s weight.
“It is half past ten, and mother has only just allowed me to come in and bother you.” Evelyn had extracted herself from the bed and was now opening the curtains. “Apparently, you needed to rest. It has been absolute torture trying to contain my excitement for so long.”
“What do you mean? What are you talking about?” Charlotte asked, blinking in the sunlight and sitting up in the bed. “What news? And what have I done?”
“The games, of course!” Evelyn laughed and flopped onto the bed beside Charlotte. “I cannot believe you won them.”
“But I did not. I did not win the games.” Charlotte felt an ache in her chest.How can I crush whatever happiness she is feeling by telling her that there is no way she and Lord Belton will be able to marry now?
“What?” Evelyn looked confused.
I might as well get this over with.Charlotte took a deep breath and repeated, “I did not win them.”
“But you must have. Otherwise, none of this makes any sense.” Evelyn gave her a look that clearly said she did not believe a word Charlotte was saying.
“None of what?” Charlotte canted her head at her sister. “Evelyn, tell me what is going on.”
“Michael and I are engaged!” she exclaimed, twirling in a circle like a delighted child. “He found Philippa and me at the theatre, and he told me that his father gave his consent for us to be wed.”
“That is wonderful news! But what makes you think that it is anything to do with me or the games?” Charlotte beamed at her sister.At least one of us can be happy — now to find someone for Philippa.
“You promise you are not pulling my leg? Truly, you did not win the competition.” Evelyn gave her a sceptical look.
Charlotte sighed and put a hand on her heart. “I swear it.”
“Well, that is very strange.” Evelyn shook her head and said, “The whole reason his father gave his consent is because he and the Duke of Verimore have come to some kind of a business arrangement.”
“What?” Charlotte was grateful she was still in bed, for she suspected that she would have stumbled had she been upright. She was certain she must have misheard her sister. “The Duke of Verimore? Are you sure it was the Duke of Verimore and not some other Duke?”
“It is not as though there is a vast population of Dukes, Charlotte! Much less ones who take an interest in my marriage prospects.” Evelyn gave Charlotte a withering look that reminded her so much of her late mother, it almost took her breath away.
“What exactly did he do? Did he promise him money?” Charlotte’s heart squeezed.Has he lied to Michael’s father? Surely not.
“I think some stake in one or another of his ventures. I am not sure I just know that it will be rather lucrative for Michael’s father, and the Duke’s only stipulation was that Michael be allowed to marry whomever he wanted.” Evelyn frowned at Charlotte. “I would have thought you would know about this.”
“I had no idea; he did not speak to me about it.”This makes no sense.Charlotte chewed on the bottom of her lip in thought, trying to work out what would prompt Dominic into such action. “It can only have just happened.”
“Apparently a messenger from the Duke arrived, and the offer was so good that Michael’s father accepted on the spot.” Evelyn looked pensive, her brow furrowing as she continued, “I assumed that it meant you had won the games. That was the only thing that made sense.”
“I can understand why you would think that, but we did not.” Charlotte sat on the end of her bed, her mind still struggling to understand everything that was happening. “That is actually why I am here. Someone discovered our secret.”
“Oh goodness! But your reputation!” Evelyn clasped a hand to her mouth in horror, her eyes wide with panic.
“She did not reveal it to anyone, but she made clear she would if we did not leave.” Charlotte thought about Lady Andrea and the kindness she had shown them in not revealing their secret to everyone.At least she gave us that.“So, there will be no tarnishing of my reputation or your happiness with Michael, at least not an that account.”
“But then, if you did not win, why has the Duke made such an agreement with Michael’s father?” Evelyn asked.
Charlotte frowned. Why had Dominic made the agreement? It did not make any sense.Unless.A thought occurred to Charlotte, and it penetrated her heart like a shard of ice, spreading cold through her body.
“When we started this arrangement, I requested we remain engaged long enough to see you and Phillippa married. Perhaps this is a way of him simply speeding up the ending of our engagement.”He really does not want me. I have served my use, and now, it is over.She felt hollow, her words sounding far away.
“But surely that is a good thing? Now you will be free of each other sooner.” Evelyn gave her a quizzical look.
“Yes. Exactly. I will be able to put this entire thing behind me and forget about it.” Charlotte tried to give her sister a reassuring smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “This is for the best.”
