“But never directly involved,” Frederick pointed out, his voice full of affection.
“Oh no, of course not. Grandmama is the mastermind behind the games but never herself a player.” Dominic imagined his grandmother as an enormous spider, spinning a web that stretched out from her to all the various corners of the ton.And we are all caught in it.
“Indeed.” Thomas laughed though there was a tinge of nervousness to it.
The three of them looked at each other, and Dominic had a feeling they were all wondering the same thing.Are we pawns in another of her games?Did it even matter when such a fortune was at stake?
“Well, if you are determined to win, and your word will not convince her of the truth of your character, you must show her,” Thomas said after a while, clapping his hands together.
“Show her?” Dominic frowned. “What?”
Thomas sighed and looked at Dominic as though he were explaining something obvious to a toddler. “Use these two weeks to show her that you are the furthest thing from a rake. That you are charming, kind, and courteous, yes, but that you are not wanton with your affections.”
“You sound like an old woman when you say things like that,” Dominic teased his cousin.
“You must do everything in your power to prove through your actions that you are not who the ton thinks you are,” Frederick added excitedly. “Perhaps your ‘fiancée’ could assist you in this?”
“I suppose, she will have to. Though it may be hard as she too thinks I am a rake.” Dominic swallowed.And she clearly has no love of rakes.
“And you have not sought to correct her notion of you?”
“No.”
“Then it would seem your work is cut out for you.” Thomas sighed.
Dominic frowned a moment and thought of Charlotte and the way she had looked embarrassed when her stepmother had brought up her dress the night before. He thought of all that his cousins had said, and an idea began to form in his mind.
He smiled. “I know what I need to do.”
“And are you going to tell us?” Thomas asked.
“That would spoil the surprise. But fret not, dear cousins, you will see it soon enough.” Dominic embraced each of his cousins as he said this and then clapped them both on the back simultaneously.
He strode away from them. They called after him, but he ignored them and simply picked up speed. By his estimation, it was three o’clock. He only had a few hours to get to his destination. He slipped one of the rings from his finger and looked at it.
He felt a mix of emotions as he thought of his plan.It is only a ring; I will not miss it overly.He felt a tug in his chest, and he told himself that it was a perfect way to not only sell his fake relationship to his grandmother but to earn him Charlotte’s trust.
This will be a purely practical investment. Nothing more, nothing less.Besides, it was self-motivated. It would help him far more than it would help her. He needed her to look her best. That was all.
So why was he picturing Charlotte’s smile?
Chapter Eight
PACKING AND SURPRISES
“You cannot possibly mean to take that dress with you.” Lady Bellmore pulled a simple indigo dress from the pile and frowned at Charlotte.
They were in Charlotte’s room, preparing for her upcoming trip to Caverton Estate. Predictably, her stepmother had insisted on ‘helping’ Charlotte pack which was really her way of saying she would pack for her.
“I can, and I will.” She took the dress back from her stepmother and placed it back on the pile.
“But what about this one? It is so much prettier, and it will bring out your eyes.” Her stepmother held up an elaborate looking dress in deep emerald green.
Charlotte frowned. “It is rather showy for my liking. Where on Earth did you find it? I thought I got rid of the thing years ago.”
“I saved it. I have kept many of your dresses in the event that you need something more exciting than your typical dowdy wardrobe.”
“My wardrobe is not dowdy. It is just rather plain. Understated.” Charlotte removed several other dresses that her mother had slipped in while she was distracted, each so extravagant they practically hurt her eyes.
