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“But you must. We struck a bargain, sir, and I take thatveryseriously.”
“Oh, never fear, I shall answer you. Though, I shall make myself look even more foolish. It will quite undo all the good of your allowing me to start over from my over-zealous first impression of last evening.”
“Indeed? I have to confess that does absolutely nothing to lessen my desire to hear your answer. Quite the opposite, actually.” Charlotte told him impishly.
“As you wish,” Sir John said with a charming smile. “I was lost in thought contemplating the same subject that kept me from sleeping all night, the same subject that had me acting the fool at the ball last night, and the same subject that I predict will occupy my thoughts to an even greater extent in the future. If the lady, who is the cause of my preoccupation, will allow it.”
At his words, Charlotte felt a pleased flush steal across her face. His azure eyes implored her and her heart gave a little flip in her chest. “That is a satisfactory answer, I suppose,” she said after a brief moment. “And I do not believe that it makes you look foolish in the least. Not in my eyes, anyway.”
“Well that certainly comes as a relief to me. Tell me, Lady Charlotte, for I have been wondering this for more time than I like to confess, would you find it agreeable if I were to call upon you? Sometime soon, perhaps?”
“I should find it entirely agreeable,” Charlotte said, appreciating his forthcoming attitude.
Sir John did not seem to find it necessary to mask his desire to pursue her. She recalled that Lord Marley had deemed it best to make her spend several confused days uncertain what his opinion of her might be. In hindsight, that seemed like a calculated strategy, designed to make her unsteady and more receptive to his suit. It was mortifying to realize how effective that strategy had been, Charlotte thought, then mentally shook herself. It served no purpose to be constantly comparing every gentleman with Lord Marley. Not when the gentleman before her was so terribly fascinating.
“Charlotte, I believe we ought to return home now,” Jane said, having listened to their conversation with half an ear and deciding that Charlotte and Sir John had been given quite enough of a chance for their semi-private moment. Charlotte smiled at Jane. Her mother would have not been half so helpful as her new sister.
“Yes, and I have certainly taken enough of your time,” Sir John said quickly, clearly wanting to make himself agreeable to Lady Keegain.
“Not at all,” Charlotte replied. “I very much enjoyed your company, Sir John.”
“As have I, Lady Charlotte.” Sir John murmured. “Good day to you.”
“Good day, sir,” Charlotte murmured, turning with a smile to rejoin her sisters.
* * *
8
Sir John Ashbrooke purposely lingered in case Lady Charlotte happened to glance back at him. Naturally, it would be very effective if she caught him gazing longingly after her, but Charlotte walked away quite briskly and did not take advantage of the romantic opportunity. Still, he found himself looking after her for reasons he could not identify long after she had gone. He felt somewhat guilty for deceiving the lady upon their first meeting, but he found that it was no lie that he enjoyed her company; nor was a single complement he paid her false.
If she took his words in a more romantic sense than he meant them, all the better. Itwashis purpose, after all: to woo an heiress for his wife. He was most pleased with Lady Charlotte as the preferred choice. Her smile was infectious. The girl was lovely and mostly, she was charming. He liked talking with her and found that he was honestly looking forward to their next meeting.
“Quite fortunate, you’re happening to run into Lady Charlotte the very day after you were introduced,” came Lord Edward’s voice from further down the path where the man was idling by a convenient tree.
Sir John jumped. “Oh, quite,” he replied, recovering himself and quickly making sure that Lady Charlotte and the rest of her party were well out of earshot.
“Do not worry, I will not spoil your game.” Lord Edward said, with only a hint of derision. “I made sure to keep out of sight until they were on their way.”
“This is hardly a game,” Sir John said testily. “I thought I made that perfectly clear last night when you all found it necessary to ambush me. Imustmarry quickly or else my family will be quite ruined, financially speaking.”
“I believe you,” Lord Edward replied earnestly. “But I do not think you can quite claim that your pursuit of the fair Lady Charlotte is exactly a hardship. And of course, the element of a wager does make it seem rather more like a game than not.”
“I agreed to the wager because I am utterly convinced that I am right in my assessment of the fair sex, no other reason.”
“Come now, you’re as sporting a gentleman as any of the rest of us. Do not tell me that you aren’t enjoying, at least a little bit, the thrill of the chase.”
“Perhaps. At least slightly,” Sir John answered after reflecting for a moment. Lady Charlottehadproven herself to be a most interesting and engaging companion. She was a worthy challenge, he supposed, and she was certainly lovely to look upon, but she had more than a handsome face or a winsome shape. She captivated him. Her sparkling eyes and slightly crooked smile flashed for a moment before his mind’s eye and he smiled involuntarily.
“I thought as much,” Lord Edward laughed, more satisfied by the answer he read in Sir John’s face than the one that gentleman said aloud. “Now, how did you manage to run into her here so handily? Your reputation of having exceptional luck with the ladies cannot possibly bethatextraordinary, after all.”
“Luck had nothing whatsoever to do with it,” Sir John said, then hesitated for a moment before explaining. “If you must know, I have been waiting near the Keegain townhome for half the day in the hopes that Lady Charlotte would take it into her head to have a walk or some other such outing upon which we could perchance meet. Once she did, it was child’s play to arrange to stumble into her path and appear to be entirely startled and rather embarrassed at unexpectedly bumping into her.”
“I say, that does smack of desperation, at least slightly. What would you have done if anyone had noticed you lurking about in such a manner?” Lord Edward asked, sounding shocked at Sir John’s confession.
“I would say I was stricken by a sudden great and all-consuming love,” John shot back. “Which is precisely how Lady Charlotte and her family would have interpreted it if I were discovered. Besides, Iamrather desperate, as I have been telling you. I have no time to waste in leaving any element of this endeavor to chance.”
“How did you discover the Keening’s address so quickly? Last night was the first time you ever laid eyes on Lady Charlotte, was it not?”
