AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Peter rolled his eyes. “Always so obstinate. Ah! My darling wife …” Peter rushed towards the gate and pulled it open, rust causing it to screech.
“Terribly sorry to be late,” Peter’s wife recited. “I do hope everyone’s settled in?”
Only Margorie and Louisa and Harry sat in the garden. Both Harry and Margorie wore embarrassed, red-cheeked expressions, as though they both couldn’t believe their luck and that so many looked on to discover them.
Other guests filtered in through the garden gate. Minutes later, the five-person string quintet entered, placing themselves in rickety chairs and beginning to tune their instruments. Peter again appeared beside Jeffrey to rub his elbow against his ribcage and mutter, “Don’t you think it’s romantic? Having a string quintet?”
“That romance seems to be wasted, doesn’t it?” Jeffrey said.
“She’s meant to be here,” Peter said, folding his teeth over his lower lip, seemingly as anxious as a child.
Jeffrey sniffed. “Is it really so important to you that I find such happiness?”
“My wife worries about you in that big house alone,” Peter affirmed.
At that moment, Louisa shot up from her chair. Her eyes were directed towards the gate, where yet another handsome man appeared. This time, Jeffrey recognized him as Zachary Taylor, yet another prosperous man of the village, whose eyes seemed to reach out like hungry hands and connect with Louisa’s.
“What is it about your garden this evening, Peter?” Jeffrey whispered. “It seems as though you operate a matchmaking service.”
“Good evening,” Louisa marvelled as Zachary approached. “I hadn’t any idea you’d be here.”
“I only just received the invitation this afternoon,” Zachary affirmed.
“And from whom? I cannot know,” Peter muttered towards Jeffrey, which gave Jeffrey pause.
How had the likes of Zachary Taylor arranged an invitation for himself?
Ah, but suddenly, Charlotte stood at the garden gate. She wore a gorgeous light-green gown, one that made her green eyes glitter with intrigue, with prowess. The gown was stitched tight beneath her breasts, tight across her stomach, and her breasts bulged out of the top of the fabric, casting porcelain skin towards the soft light of the early evening. Her eyes found no other refuge but his own.
What was it about this woman that made him feel as though he’d known her his entire life?
Charlotte curtsied upon her appearance before Jeffrey and Peter.
“Good evening. Thank you once again for the invitation,” she said. Her voice was softer, more musical than it had been on previous encounters—a fact that begged the question, was she nervous?
But all too soon, the string quintet swirled into their first song. As Charlotte’s lips turned over her words, Jeffrey struggled to hear them. He stepped closer towards her and leaned his chin down.
“What was that you said?” he whispered.
“I said that I staged the invitation for Zachary Taylor,” she said, just loud enough for only him to hear. “I can see the anger permeated across Peter’s face. He isn’t sure why he’s here. Oh, but look at them. Louisa. I’ve never seen her so smitten before. At least, not since she first saw you.”
Charlotte’s glance was furtive, secretive. She gave him a funny little smile, then giggled.
“Louisa was smitten with me upon first meeting?” Jeffrey asked.
“Of course. Couldn’t you tell? She looked on the verge of collapse. I had to hold her upright and tell her to keep breathing,” Charlotte said.
“Really?”
“No. I am exaggerating,” Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. “But you really wanted to believe that, didn’t you? That you had the power to make a woman collapse.”
“I suppose I tend to believe what people tell me in private conversation,” Jeffrey said. “I don’t tend to believe that people are liars.”
“Ah! Then you’d love to interact with this mystic I’ve met,” Charlotte said.
Jeffrey arched his brow. “Touché,” he said.
“Indeed. I always find a way back to the topic at hand,” Charlotte said. She crossed her perfect arms across her gorgeous breasts and turned her attention towards the string quintet.
