The future she had envisioned would be erased.
Perhaps that wasn’t a terrible thing.
The comfort she had in the predictability of her days?
Gone.
With a huff, Perry stood and walked to the window. She knew he looked upon the beauty of her garden. She was attached to each bloom, each stem, each root. They were as much a part of her as Aurelia was.
How could she explain how enamored she had become with her life on the estate?
She would miss it dearly if they left.Whenthey left.
There was freedom in being rejected by society.
Charlotte pondered if he even noticed the foxgloves standing proudly in bloom. Or the way the new roses she planted were finally starting to show signs of settling and developing several new branches of lush growth. Would he ever care for the amount of time she had put into that garden, how she and Aurelia had played in the muck, enjoying long hours of digging up flower beds and putting their own stamp on them? Happily earning each freckle scattered across her cheeks. Regardless of how she had ended up buried in the country, she created a life here that she loved.
Placing a hand to her face, she wondered what her mother would think of her freckles. They were always worse this time of year. She hadn’t planned for a reintroduction to society.
Perry cleared his throat and turned. “If you recall, madam, we have both been deprived of choice in this situation. Mayhap you weren’t at fault in the past, but to deny me access to my child at this present time would be unfathomable. Keeping Aurelia from taking her place, assuming her true name, and reveling in the life she is entitled to would be depriving her of the comfort and security any parent would want for their child. Our child.” He gave her a stern gaze, his face taking on the airs of the powerful Earl of Winchester. There would be no room for negotiation, though she would have her voice heard.
“I was sent to the country to recover from my illness. When I learned of my condition, my fate was sealed. I was alone here until our daughter arrived. If you take us away, you will be plucking Aurelia from the only home she has ever known.”
She failed to mention that Aurelia’s world would open up to the opportunities only available to the child of an earl. Though Charlotte protested wanting a choice, she knew she had none.
Perry made a face, his frustration returning, if she judged by the way he balled his fists at his side. “She will adjust, as have many children growing up in the lap of luxury. You may stay with her,but only if you do not interfere in our relationship. She is my daughter and I would have her know me.”
“There is one detail we will have to account for,” Charlotte said, her brows creased in dismay. She wrung her handkerchief in her hands, the knots a twin to the ones she was feeling inside her chest. “Aurelia believes her father is dead.”
Perry cursed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Is there no end to these lies?” He scrubbed a hand over his face.
“I could never tell her she had a father and he didn’t want to see her.”
With a growl, Perry paced the length of the room, slowly but steadily. He had to understand the lack of choices she had at the time. Her response to her daughter’s question was simple and it made sense.
Now, it created a bit of a challenge for explaining the living, breathing man who stood before her. Perry was very much alive. Charlotte averted her gaze to keep from ogling his body in his robe. Yes, he was weakened by spending days in bed, but there was no way to avoid his tall, strong physique displayed through the fabric.
Charlotte hadn’t even had a moment to consider the physical demands of agreeing to be his wife. It was hard to imagine their connection being the same after this much time apart. He had gathered years of experience, most likely with beautiful women who threw themselves at him. Meanwhile, his prospective wife had a clear adoration for cakes around her waist and a few too many mornings spent in the sun on her skin. She was hardly the ideal beauty. Or the ideal countess. Her appearance was all wrong. When she had come out in society, she was deemed plain, but somewhat desirable for her lineage. In no way was she the darling of the ball. She never glowed under the harsh gaze of society. She only dimmed.
The tension in his broad shoulders and the hand carelessly gripping his mussed hair told her that she pushed him to his limits.Though she would never admit it to a soul, she was happy to see someone else suffering for their past deeds. She was no longer alone.
“How did I die?” Perry inquired, cupping a hand over his chin.
“In the war,” Charlotte admitted guiltily. “I thought it made sense that as a second son, you were a soldier.”
“Which war?”
Charlotte shook her head and hid her face in her hands, overwhelmed by his relentless questioning.
“She is but nine years old. She has never asked me that question, so I had no reason to take the lie any further,” she replied, her skin heating with shame.
Though appearing like a devious woman, she only told the lies she needed to.
“Very well, I will be found. Perhaps I was captured. It is a miracle. You will support my story. We will be married in secret, and our daughter will never need to know the truth,” he spoke plainly. “I will inform my siblings to keep the details to a minimum if they are ever questioned. When Aurelia is old enough, we can explain in more detail.”
Charlotte shook her head, drowning in the sea of lies her life had become.
“Come now, Charlotte, a lie for a lie. Don’t act like it is beyond your scope of ability. We are simply making things right for Aurelia.”
