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“Oh nay, my lady. I cannot tear myself from your beauty.” He offered her his arm. “Come. Let us walk together.”
With a quick glance to her mother and the dowager ladies, Charlotte took Sir John’s arm to walk about the room. He was a very warm and comforting presence next to her, although she felt she was warm too; a product of vigorous dancing, no doubt.
“Are you often in London?” Charlotte asked hoping to find out more about the fellow.
“I am,” he said. “But apparently not often enough. Else, I would have been so fortunate as to have met you before tonight,” Sir John replied charmingly. “Would I be correct in saying that this is your first Season? Otherwise, I surely would have been captivated by your beauty all the sooner.”
“It is,” Charlotte answered rather shortly, her cynical feelings rising immediately to the forefront. Yes, the man was handsome, but so was Marley. She must not be taken in by flattery again. No doubt next he would be saying that she shone like a star amidst the other revelers, or some other such nonsense.
“And how are you enjoying the Season thus far? I believe it is the most promising I have ever embarked upon, myself,” he said.
“I am enjoying it immensely,” Lady Charlotte said. “I am fond of dancing, though I must be on my guard, else I should be in danger of having my head turned entirely by all of the charming compliments I have been paid tonight. I suppose that is quite the standard way of conversing in theTon,but it is rather dizzying for those of us who have spent most of our time in the countryside.” She paused a moment and then spoke plainly. “People in the country are rather more cautious with their words, and I believe, more sincere.”
“I am not at all surprised to find that a young lady so vivacious and lovely as yourself has received a great deal of praise,” Sir John said smoothly. “And doubtless there are any number of idle flatterers and deceitful rakes in attendance, as there must be at any such occasion. But I would beg you not to dismissallcharming compliments as simply standard, or worse fraudulent, Lady Charlotte. What is your pleasure?” He asked as a footman approached.
“Lemon water, I think,” she said. The crush had made the room quite warm in spite of the cool weather.
He took a glass from a footman’s tray and offered her the refreshment before taking one of the drinks for himself. “I can speak for no one else, of course, but I myself cannot think of a time when I was moved to such an extent of admiration on such short acquaintance.”
“Indeed?” Charlotte took a hearty sip of her lemonade, pursing her lips and enjoying the cool drink.
“Oh, I assure you.” Sir John moved imperceptibly closer to Charlotte, and deepened his voice ever so slightly. “You will laugh at me, my lady, for entertaining such a foolishly romantic notion, I am sure, but I have always cherished the ideal of catching a glimpse of someone across a crowded room and feeling that destiny has stepped in; that all of the slightest and most trivial events of my life have been leading me to that one inexorable moment when time seems to stop.”
Despite her skepticism towards men and their flattery, Lady Charlotte felt herself warm toward Sir John Ashbrooke. His tone was light, almost teasing in his effusiveness, but somehow, she got the impression that this man had been ridiculed in the past. For what, she was not sure. Perhaps for his romantic sensibilities. She knew gentlemen had teased Ruddy for the same in his youth, and yet, she thought why should gentlemen not be romantic?
“And did time stop?” she teased lightly.
“It is stopped still,” he said with a hand on his heart. “I must be in a dream.”
Charlotte grinned at his effusiveness and hid her giggle in her cup.
“Pray do not laugh at my foolishness,” he said.
“Oh, I do not. I am simply passionately fond of laughing, myself,” Charlotte said in a far less dismissive tone. “And I should never mock someone for holding a romantic notion. I am pleased with your sentiment, Sir John,” she said, holding in her giggles, and thinking that perhaps making another person smile was indeed a gift.
“That is a great relief,” he said. “Perhaps you will take pity on me for blurting out nonsense. If I have given you the impression that I am an insincere sort of rogue, then I believe the best thing for me to do would be to fling myself in front of a carriage forthwith,” Sir John murmured.
Charlotte caught her breath and the smile faded from her face. Considering the events of last winter, carriage accidents were nothing to speak light of.
“I have upset you,” he said, immediately apologetic.
“Not at all,” she lied.
He laid a hand on her arm, which was both a comfort and rather forward of him. The heat of his fingers seemed to burn into her skin through the soft fabric that separated them. She looked into his azure eyes. They were pleading for forgiveness, and she was feeling magnanimous towards him.
“I have,” he said. “I beg your forgiveness.”
Charlotte had only known her brother to be so observant of her moods, and she smiled then. “And you have it,” she said. “I only pray you will not do anything so extreme asthat, sir.”
“I will not, of course,” he said.
“I should hope not.”
Sir John smiled sheepishly, at Charlotte’s somewhat less than playful tone. “I believe I have spoiled the mood,” he said, as the sparks that had been flying between them cooled. “I should like to start over, if I may? Would you perhaps do me the courtesy of wiping our previous conversation from your memory.”
“Certainly.” Charlotte agreed. She had to smile again. The man was simply outrageous. “But I believe I shall steal this idea of yours. There are a great many times I have blundered in a conversation and wished to expunge my previous statements from every record.”
“I offer the idea freely,” he said with a bow. He took her gloved hand in his as if they had just met. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Charlotte.
