“Please, don’t remind me,” he replied. “When Lady Constance tried to corner me in a window alcove, I thought I might have to leap out the window to escape.”
Her eyes danced with laughter. “How dreadful to be the object of adoration from so many ladies.”
“I’m inclined to be more cynical, I’m afraid. I’m sure it’s the lure of fame that’s so attractive, not me. They probably envision a glamorous life—hobnobbing with royalty, dashing about the Continent. But much of that is nonsense, and not who I truly am.”
Charlie rested her chin in her hands. “Then who are you, Kade Kendrick?”
It was a simple question but somehow seemed more like a challenge. The hell of it was he was no longer sure who he was.
“I suppose I’m still trying to figure that out for myself,” he confessed.
She nodded, as if she knew. “It’s hard, isn’t it? Pretending to be something you’re not, or trying to be what other people want you to be.”
“Yes, but I cannot complain. I’ve been blessed to be able to do what I love. The rest of it . . .” He shrugged. “I don’t really give a hang for that kind of life. It’s the music I care about. That’s what makes me who I am.”
But he was beginning to wonder if the music was enough. If it was, why had he thrown himself so eagerly into those intelligence missions, almost at the cost of his life?
She let out a sad little sigh that rather broke his heart. “It must be wonderful to be able to do what you truly want.”
Kade studied her for a moment. “Charlotte, you’re not just hiding out from Richard or your mother. There’s something else going on, isn’t there?”
“Now I’m the one who’s being rather obvious, I suppose,” she admitted.
“Kendricks are busybodies, so we tend to notice things. It’s not just you, though. Your entire family is fashed about something.”
Charlie rolled her lips into a tight line, as if holding in words that were struggling to escape.
When he took one of her hands, her gaze, wide and startled, met his. She didn’t pull away, but nor did she return his clasp. She simply allowed her hand to rest in his palm, as if trusting him just enough for that but no more.
And Kade wanted more.
“I won’t press you,” he quietly said. “I just want to help if I can. That’s what friends do, is it not?”
A genuine smile crept forth from Charlie. “Yes. However, it’s a convoluted tale, so I think I need fortification. Do you mind handing over my drink?”
“Not at all.”
He relinquished her hand, wondering if her request had been a way of getting him to do so. When he handed over the glass, she took a sip and then settled back against the sofa cushions, re-tucking her legs beneath her skirts. Charlie was the most unaffected girl he’d ever met. And yet there was a natural elegance to her that was more alluring than the languid graces and charms of the most sophisticated ladies.
“It’s about the Clan Iain brooch,” she said. “I don’t think there’s any harm in telling you, because the whole blasted mess is going to come out sooner or later. My parents and sister are simply waiting until the festivities are over before pitching a fit of absolutely monumental proportions.”
Kade blinked. “That’s quite the opening for your explanation.”
“It’s quite the pickle I’m in. My family is furious with me. For a moment this morning, I thought Papa was going to lock me in my room and tell everyone I’d been stricken by the grippe and couldn’t attend the wedding.”
He frowned. “That doesn’t sound like Lord Kinloch. He obviously adores you.”
“Not at the moment,” she ruefully replied.
“How can I help?”
She waggled a hand. “While I’m tempted by the notion of securing the assistance of one of His Majesty’s spies, I cannot possibly put you to the trouble. I’m sure I can sort it out if given a bit of time.”
Kade rubbed his forehead. Clearly, the person who needed to be locked up wasn’t Charlie but his loose-lipped grandfather. “You’ve been talking to Angus.”
“He’s been telling me about your adventures on the Continent. I was quite envious, since I never get to have that sort of dashing-around fun.”
Thankfully, it didn’t sound like Angus had revealed too much to her, and especially not about Paris.
