“What about your own happiness?” Dominic asked.
Charlotte turned to him, her mouth open as she said, “I —”
A knock at the door interrupted whatever she was about to say, and a moment later, Dominic’s valet asked, “Your Grace, might I enter?”
Charlotte’s eyes flew wide with panic, and Dominic understood why. After all, they were alone in his rooms, completely unchaperoned.I am a fool — what was I thinking?
“Kindly come back in ten minutes, Mr. Harris. The room will be available then,” Dominic called back as his heart skipped several beats.
“Of course, Your Grace,” Mr. Harris replied.
Dominic listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps and glanced at Charlotte who had gone pale. They might have already been ‘engaged’, but being discovered in such a compromising situation would mean there would be no question of dissolving the agreement.
“That was close,” Dominic murmured.
“Indeed,” Charlotte agreed.
Her look of panic and uncertainty gave Dominic a clarity of thought. She did not want to be tied to him; that much was clear. Anything else, he thought, was childish fancy.I must get a hold of myself, I would not have her forced to me against her will.
“I think he is gone; perhaps we might continue this discussion elsewhere?” Dominic asked, gesturing to the door.
“Is there much more to discuss?” Charlotte hugged her arms around her chest.
“I… What do you mean?” Dominic asked.
“Well, our options are rather limited. We have no choice but to withdraw from the competition.” Charlotte looked at him, and he had the sense that there was something she was not saying or perhaps that there was something she wanted him to say.
“Perhaps we can think of some other plan.” Dominic furrowed his brow and tried to think of other options.
“I do not see how.” Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him. “Lady Andrea has made her position quite clear, and I cannot say that I blame her. I would not want to be married to Viscount Periwinkle, not for anything in the world.”
“He is a rather unpleasant man.” Dominic shuddered.
“I would not want to force her into such an unpleasant life.” Charlotte looked at him, and Dominic sensed that she was holding something back.
She always thinks of others. It is one of the things I admire most about her. Yet what of her own happiness?“Nor would I,” he replied.
“I suppose we both knew this agreement would come to an end eventually,” Charlotte muttered, and Dominic thought he saw a glimmer of pain cross her face, but it was gone too quickly for him to be sure.
There was another beat of silence and Dominic found himself saying, “I wish we had more time.”
The thought of not seeing Charlotte again turned his heart to lead in his chest. It made him want to cry out in frustration, but he knew he was being ridiculous.
Charlotte said, “I do not know that time would help.”
“What do you mean?” He canted his head towards her.Does she not want more time together?
“Well time would not change our circumstance. Our lie has been found out. Lady Andrea knows that we are not the happy couple we have been pretending to be. She knows that it has all been a farce.” Charlotte looked at him, and Dominic had the sense that she was searching his face for an answer to some unasked question.
Has it all been a farce?Her words sent sharp stabs of pain through him. He thought back over their shared moments, of Charlotte confronting him with the letter. She had seemed so determined to know if he had meant his words, but that did not mean she cared for him. After all, perhaps it was all part of their act.
He could not bring himself to ask her, not when he was uncertain of their future. He knew how much she cared for her sisters, for their financial stability, and he did not have the money to give them what they needed.My feelings do not matter — not if I cannot give her what she deserves.
“I must speak to my grandmother,” Dominic said, glancing up at the door.
“To the Dowager Duchess?” Charlotte’s eyes went wide.
“Yes. If I explain the situation, perhaps… Well perhaps there is something we might be able to work out.” Dominic ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of exactly what he might say to his grandmother.
