She tried to catch Evelyn’s eye, but her stepmother and sister were practically running to the drawing room.Evelyn, at least, knows that this is a farce. Why on Earth is she so excited?
As Charlotte entered the drawing room, she saw the Duke standing there, his arms behind his back and several large packages before him. When he saw her, he smiled and bowed low.
“My dearest Lady Charlotte, I have brought you gifts.”
“I can see that,” Charlotte said, not trying to hide her surprise. “You have brought rather a lot of gifts.”
“Is it not a man’s right to spoil the woman he loves a little?” Charlotte noticed the Duke’s eyes twinkling as he said this.
“This is hardly a little, my dear Duke. I would say this is rather a lot.” She gestured to the piles of boxes around them.
“A lot is in the eye of the beholder, and I say it is just right.” Dominic winked at her, grinning as he did so.
“It is a wonder you did not need several packhorses for these.” Charlotte shook her head.
“My daughter has a tendency to be somewhat dramatic. What I am sure she means to say is thank you for your kind and thoughtful gifts,” Lady Bellmore added, her smile tight as she gripped Charlotte’s arm somewhat harder than necessary.
Charlotte extracted herself from her stepmother’s grip. It would not do to fight, at least not openly. Besides, to her immense annoyance, Lady Bellmore was not wrong.
“Yes, thank you,” Charlotte said and then added, “But it is still too much.”
“Perhaps you should reserve judgement until you have opened them. After all, you do not even know what is inside.” Dominic’s smile was mischievous, and he looked more than a little pleased with himself.
There was something else too though Charlotte could not say what. Something about his quick, light step or the way his eyes never lingered anywhere for long. If he had been anyone else, she would have thought him nervous, but that seemed unbelievable to her.What would he be nervous about?
“Are you going to open them?” Dominic asked.
“I —” Charlotte began, trying to think of a reason not to, but before she could, Philippa chimed in.
“Of course, she is! It would be rude not to!” Philippa grinned at Charlotte who glowered back.
She opened the first box, and gasped when she saw the contents. It was a beautiful gown, made of a deep emerald silk that would bring out Charlotte’s eyes perfectly. It was by no means a simple dress but nor was it overly showy like many of the gowns favoured by the ton.
“It is stunning.” Charlotte’s voice was full of awe as she held the magnificent gown up to see it better. “The embroidery! It is so detailed and fine, it seems almost ethereal. I do not think I have ever seen such a beautiful thing before.”
“And it looks like it is just your size.” Lady Bellmore glanced at the dress. “However did you manage that?”
“I have always had an eye for such things. If anything needs altering, simply see Mrs. Thomas, and she will fix everything for you.”
Charlotte opened the other boxes wordlessly. In total there were five dresses.. They were stunning and somehow, so completely perfect for her.
She felt a well of emotion within her, and a tear trickled down her face which she hastily wiped away. The dresses were varied. Some were made of silk, others of a fine muslin. They were shades of deep blue, indigo, and green — some of her favourite colours.
And of course, there were accessories to match. Gloves and shoes and even a hat. To her great satisfaction, she saw that Dominic had even had a riding habit and outfit commissioned for her with boots, gloves, and hat to match.
She smiled to herself and caught Dominic watching her face with keen interest. “Thank you, Dominic. These are… They are stunning.”
“I am glad you like them.” Dominic smiled, and to Charlotte, it seemed genuine and earnest, far more pleasant than his usual impish grin. “And as you are to accompany me to my grandmother’s gathering, it is rather important that you look the part.”
Her stepmother gave her a look that clearly said, “I told you so.”
Charlotte resisted the urge to stick her tongue out, deciding that she did not need the Duke — no Dominic — to think of her as childish. As her stepmother and sisters began to gush over the dresses, Charlotte moved closer to Dominic, wanting to take advantage of their distraction.
“This is far too much, far far too much,” Charlotte murmured, gripping the Duke’s arm without thinking.
As soon as she realised what she was doing, she jerked her hand away, her colour deepening.
“Do you not like the dresses?” he whispered back.
