A collective gasp went around the room.
“I knew it,” Miranda said smugly. “It was the only logical conclusion to be drawn.”
Felicity rolled her eyes at her scientifically minded friend, but in a way that showed her fondness.
“Then what’s stopping him?” Helena asked. “This secret? What is it?”
Charlotte gave her a look. “Well, that’s obviously one of the things I can’t talk to you all about.”
They all groaned, but none of them pressed for details. They were good friends. It was one of the reasons Charlotte loved them.
“Is the secret… one that prevents your marriage?” Felicity asked tactfully.
Charlotte sighed. “I don’t believe it should, no. But my brother and Henry himself do not agree. In truth… it could cause problems, even societal disgrace. I can say no more.”
“Yet you still want to marry him?” Felicity asked quietly. “In spite of… whatever it is?”
Charlotte smiled as she remembered Henry’s declaration of love for her.Love. “Yes.”
“Then we’ll just have to make it happen,” Helena said firmly.
All present nodded, their expressions determined. Charlotte’s smile grew. It helped, being with them. It always did. She knew she would have their unwavering support… even if the Arundel secret came to life.
She returned to her bedchamber early, having decided to forego dinner. She was exhausted and needed time to be alone and process the events of the day. Her maid helped her undress in silence.
Once her hair had been brushed, Charlotte climbed into bed with a sigh. She didn’t even reach for a book. A deep night’s sleep was needed before she had to face Henry’s decision in the morning.
Then she saw it. A single folded note resting on her pillow. Her stomach twisted as she picked it up.
The handwriting was unfamiliar, and the message was short. Charlotte sat frozen, the note trembling in her hands as she stared at the words written there.
If you value your future, stay away from Lord Arundel.
CHAPTER 25
Henry peeledhimself out of bed before the sun had fully risen, the pale morning light seeping in through the heavy curtains. He had slept little if at all. Charlotte’s voice still echoed in his head, soft but resolute, declaring her willingness to risk everything for him.
For a future with him.
He’d tossed and turned, torn between logic and longing, between the life he had carefully protected and the one Charlotte had dared to offer him.
And then when he did drift off to sleep, there were dreams where he replayed kissing her by the lake, but this time there was no William to interrupt them. This time, Henry continued kissing her and buried his hands in her hair, unpinning it so its lush weight fell around her face and shoulders. He’d released her mouth and trailed kisses down her neck and brushed his lips over her decolletage…
He splashed water onto his face, hoping the chill might shock some clarity into his thoughts. It didn’t.
He dried off, dressed quickly in his walking coat and boots, and made his way out to the gardens, craving solitude before thehouse began to stir. The quiet morning air was preferable to the noise in his head.
The gravel crunched beneath his feet as he strolled past the wisteria-clad trellises and the dew-speckled lawns. The morning mist was still heavy over the grass, curling around the hedges and hanging low among the roses like a secret waiting to be whispered.
The sky was soft and muted, the kind of gray-blue that whispered of a quiet but warm day. He followed the winding path toward the rose garden, hands in his pockets, his thoughts circling.
He’d told himself years ago that a solitary life was the price of his inheritance. He’d known that he’d never marry, never have children, never expose another soul to the danger that followed the truth of his birth. But now...
Now, there was Charlotte.
Her laughter. Her fire. Her bravery. Her kiss.
The thought of a life with her felt more real than any dream he’d dared let himself consider, and that terrified him. The idea of a future with Charlotte had once seemed an impossible fantasy. Now, it hovered just out of reach, both tantalizing and terrifying. She would risk everything for him. Could he let her?
