Page 30 of Falling for a Footman

Seventeen

Charlotte's heart poundedin her chest, so loudly that it had to alert everyone to her presence in the dark and empty hallway when she ventured out of her room the next night. No one appeared however and she managed it to the guest wing on the second floor where the Golden Silk Room was located.

She hesitated outside of the door, her breath caught in her throat, her hand with the candlestick shaking so much that it cast irregular flickers of light on the wall and ceiling. The types of flickers that created a gloomy ambience in the hallway and would have scared her as a child.

It did nothing to soothe her nerves. She had debated all day with herself whether she should meet James or not. Yesterday she had received the answer she wanted: that he had not told anyone of their kiss and that he never would, but she still needed answers. To rule him out as a thief, but also... because she needed answers when it came to him. Wanted answers.

Which was why she should go inside right now and not stand in the hallway where she could be spotted by a servant passing by. Even though it was late into the night, someone might come by. Charlotte cast a brief glance down the hallway the way she had come, just to be certain that no one was there. If she did go inside, she would have to focus on talking to him. Not kissing him, not staring into his ridiculously blue eyes as she had done yesterday, when the moonlight had made them look like sapphires. Just plain talk.

She straightened her back and drew in a fortifying breath before she slowly opened the door and peeked into the room. For a moment she thought that he was not there and felt a deep surge of disappointment. Then she caught a movement by the window and almost as if a shadow had broken free from the wall, she saw him turning towards her. His body had been shielding the light from his candle as he had been looking out the window. Charlotte tried to hide her sigh of relief but was not sure she succeeded.

He was dressed in dark breeches and a dark coat, which was probably also why she had not noticed him at first.

"You're dressed," she blurted and immediately felt herself blush to a deep crimson.

"Yes, did you expect me to be in the nude?" James grinned and right then their conversation had already sidetracked. Just the thought of him in the nude made her mouth go dry.

"No," Charlotte croaked and forced her thoughts away from what James might look like underneath his clothes. Whether he would look anything like the men depicted in Elgin’s Marbles. "Simply... I had expected you to be in livery I suppose."

She took one step closer then stopped again to examine him with wide eyes. Despite his clothes being plain he looked... handsome. Not dressed in livery he somehow appeared to be even more of a real person if that even made sense.

"Are you disappointed that I'm not in livery?" James asked and interrupted her obvious ogling of him.

"No, no, of course not," Charlotte answered breathlessly.

He stepped towards her but stopped before he reached her.

"You said that you had something you wanted to ask me, Lady Charlotte," he gently prodded.

Charlotte nodded and gulped as she looked into his eyes. They looked dark in the eerie light from their two candles. There was no hint of the deep blue that she knew to be there. No glinting sapphires tonight.

"Yes, I have a couple of questions for you," she told him and walked to the window. It overlooked the garden that at this time of night consisted of varying shades of grey and black. The lawn in the middle seemed like a pool of mercury as it was illuminated by the moonlight.

"What questions?" James inquired and came to stand beside her. If he was nervous, it did not show in his voice, and she was not certain that she would be able to tell by his facial expression in the near darkness.

"Well, I just want to know more about you," Charlotte replied and felt him stir before he seemed to control himself and hold his body immobile by her side.

“There’s not much to me,” James declared.

“I would like to know what there is,” Charlotte stated. She had the feeling that this was her one chance to learn anything about the man behind the livery.

James did not reply, and Charlotte realized that she would have to ask him out right if she wanted to gain any sort of information. But that was what investigators did, was it not? And that was what she was at the moment, an investigator.

“You like music,” she stated even though she had meant it to be a question.

“I do.” James turned halfway towards her and there was a slight smile playing around his lips.

“Do you play?” Charlotte asked and immediately regretted it since he would probably not have had the chance given his upbringing.

“No, I never had the patience to.” He smiled broadly at the memory.

Charlotte clearly picked up on the implications that his upbringing had been a lot more privileged than the average footman. She did not point it out though.

James seemed to catch himself, at least his stance stiffened, and his smile dwindled.

“And you, Lady Charlotte? Do you enjoy playing or is it simply a chore for you?” he hastily asked.

Charlotte opened and closed her mouth. She had not been aware that he had heard her play. She always practiced alone; she was far too self-conscious to let anyone into the room. Even when she was asked to perform in public her heart would start drumming and her hands would become so sweaty that she would be afraid they would slip on the keys. But James knew for some reason that she played, nevertheless.