“Her cousin snuck into her bedchamber to trap her into marriage,” Charles explained. “If I didn’t intervene, her father was going to force her to marry him.”
“That is awful, but did you truly think about the repercussions of your actions?” Roswell asked. “Marriage is not something you can decide on a whim.”
“I am well aware.”
“Are you?” Roswell asked. “Because it appears that you just wanted to help Miss Henrietta, and soon you will be tied to her for the remainder of your days.”
“There are worse things.”
Roswell gave him a pointed look. “Do you even care for her?”
“I do,” Charles said. “I hold her in high regard.”
Rising, Roswell walked over to the drink cart and poured himself a drink. He brought the glass to his lips and took a long swig. “You are a fool,” he muttered.
“Thank you for that,” Charles remarked dryly.
“I can’t help but wonder if you are making a terrible mistake.”
“I assure you that I am not.”
Roswell walked back over to the desk and set his drink down. “I am just worried about you,” he said. “You have always been the person who strives to help others, but that doesn’t mean you should throw your future away for some girl you hardly know.”
Charles tensed. “That is unfair of you to say,” he stated. “I know all I need to about Miss Henrietta.”
“You do?” Roswell asked in a skeptical tone. “Pardon me if I don’t believe you.”
Mimicking Roswell’s actions, Charles rose and walked over to the drink cart. “I know that Miss Henrietta is good and kind,” he said as he poured amber liquid into a glass, “and she has a small dimple on her right cheek that only appears when she genuinely smiles.”
He put the decanter down and continued. “Her eyes are expressive, and they tell me everything that I could possibly need to know. They are incapable of dishonesty,” he shared. “She is a wonderful contradiction and causes me to second guess everything in my life.”
As he picked up his drink, he finished by saying, “I don’t feel as lonely with Henrietta around. She completes me in a way I didn’t think possible.”
His brother eyed him curiously. “You are spouting nonsense, which can only mean one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You are falling in love with Miss Henrietta.”
Charles paused as he let his brother’s words sink in. Was that true? Was he truly falling in love with Henrietta? The more he thought on it, the more he realized the truth of his brother’s words. He was falling in love with her!
“I suppose I am,” he admitted.
His brother picked up his drink. “Does Miss Henrietta return your affections?”
“She said she did, but I am not sure to what extent,” Charles replied. “She did agree to my offer of marriage.”
“That isn’t saying much, considering her choices.”
Charles brought the drink to his lips. “You make a good point,” he muttered. “What should I do?”
“Are you truly asking for my help?” Roswell asked.
“I am.”
Roswell came around his desk and sat down. “You need to woo her.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard, considering I have been wooing her this entire time.”
