A Gallant Gamble (18 page)

Just as angry as he, Charlotte dragged him by the shoulder back around to face her and then fisted her hands in her skirts so that she wasn’t tempted to slap his firmly clenched jaw. She stared up at him, craning her neck backwards to look him in the eye.

“How dare you! Who are you to speak to me like that? You are not my father or my brother. I was forced into dancing with the pig. Where were you while this was going on? You should have only been a moment signing the race book and then it might never have happened.”

Geoffrey let out a grim laugh as his body appeared to swell with anger.

“I was only gone for a few moments, but you took only a second to disappear. You should have waited with Giles or the ladies. If you want to be preyed on by the likes of Rookwood, you only have to say and I can go home. It’s not like I am needed anyway, now that your guardian is here.”

Charlotte took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes as she glared upwards at the man in front of her. He was using his height and breadth to intimidate her, but she wasn’t about to let him get away with those tactics ever again. She lifted the skirts of her dress, stepped up onto the stone bench that stood between them and looked him directly in the eye at last as she poked him square in the chest with her fingertip to emphasize her point.

“You only ever see what you want, but this time you are absolutely right. We don’t need you at all, but we want you here all the same. I thought that you had removed that so firmly entrenched poker earlier on today, but I was obviously mistaken.”

Knowing that she was right but still furious beyond reason at her words, Geoffrey grabbed her hand and shoved her prodding digit away from him. Charlotte stepped back instantly but had already forgotten that she was standing on the stone bench. She began to tumble and shrieked as she snatched at the first thing she could to save her from a fall. Geoffrey tried to grab her as she clutched at his coat lapels, but his shins hit the stone seat and Charlotte’s falling weight carried him over the rest of it.

Her soft layers of skirts billowed between them and time seemed to slow as he somehow managed to thread his fingers up through her thick hair to cradle the back of her head. His knuckles hit the paving saving her skull, but he still felt a warm breath rush over the top of his hair as all the air was knocked out of her. His own head jolted forwards and his face landed right between two luscious cushions of delight.

He drew in one breath of her beautiful scent before he lifted his face from her silk soft breasts and raised himself on his elbows to look down at her. She stared back up at him, blinking slowly as she caught her breath, and then her gaze dropped briefly down to his lips. Her dark brown lashes flickered for just a second before her astonishing blue eyes captured his once again.

Time stood still as they feasted their eyes on each other. Geoffrey felt every curve of her body beneath him, felt her breasts rising and falling inches from his chin, saw her eyelids drift closed until her lashes brushed her cheeks as she lifted her chin just a fraction.

Did she want his kiss? Did she want him?

He wasn’t entirely sure, but in that instant all the fight against his attraction to her left him. She was the most incredible, the most beautiful woman in the whole world and he wanted her more than he could contain any longer. He dipped his head and felt her take in a shallow breath as she waited for his lips to touch hers.

And then someone coughed at their side. Charlotte’s eyes shot open. She stared up at Geoffrey and blinked twice before they both turned their heads as one towards the sound.

Giles glared down at the pair of them. Olivia stood, open mouthed by his side. Behind them, it seemed that the whole of London’s society peered out of the ballroom windows at them. Sly grins slid across the men’s faces, while the ladies wafted their fans and whispered excitedly to their companions.

There was no elegant way out of their undignified position. Geoffrey struggled to his feet and pulled Charlotte up after him, pressing her behind him to spare her embarrassment as Giles strode forwards, his hands fisted at his sides.

Geoffrey didn’t flinch as the man paced closer. For some reason Giles didn’t look as angry as Geoffrey thought he should, but he straightened his shoulders and braced himself for a facer at the very least. Giles took several breaths before speaking quietly through gritted teeth.

“You will marry her, of course. St. George’s, tomorrow at twelve if we can gain an audience with the Bishop for the special licence.” He paused before addressing his cousin who peered out from behind Geoffrey’s shoulder. “Go with Olivia immediately. I will reside with your new fiancé at St. George Street. I’ll see you at the church tomorrow.” He turned away from them, but Charlotte wrenched herself from Geoffrey’s protecting stance and raced around him to grab Giles’ arm.

“You have to be joking! You said that you would never force me to marry. You can’t make me!”

Giles raised an eyebrow at her.

“That was before half the ton and I discovered you rolling around Lord Davenport’s terrace with your skirts above your knees and Mr. Talbot lying between your thighs. I can only assume that you had both been overcome with desire after becoming engaged. I’ll brook no argument on this, cousin. You’ll marry him tomorrow at noon.”

Charlotte glared up at him.

“I will not. I don’t want to marry Geoffrey. You cannot force me, you cannot!” She brushed off Olivia’s hand on her arm as she pleaded with her guardian.

Giles closed his eyes briefly.

“As your guardian I have every right to do anything that I feel is in your best interests and believe me, after this display tonight your best interests are to marry the man and have done with it. At least you will maintain a glimmer of decorum if you do as you are told for once in your life. Go with Olivia now and stop making the scandal even worse. I will see you tomorrow.”

Charlotte had never heard her cousin sound so cold or threatening. Tears formed in her eyes as she dropped her gaze to the floor. Olivia took hold of her arm and steered her towards the side door from the terrace. At least she wouldn’t have to face the damning eyes of the ton as she left the ball in disgrace.

Geoffrey remained where he stood as he spoke to Giles’ back.

“I will marry her, of course, but you should know that it was an accident. She stepped up onto the bench to berate me and then over balanced, taking me down with her. I would never have compromised her; you do know that, don’t you?” He could barely speak through the pain that lanced his heart. She would hate him forever for this.

Giles stopped and listened over his shoulder but he didn’t turn back. He gave one nod and spoke softly.

“Yes, of course, but that’s not how everyone else saw it. I cannot have her ridiculed and rejected for the rest of her life. The scandal will affect more than just you and she. I have to consider Anne and Marcus and any future children I have. You will marry her and somehow you will make her happy again, I don’t care how, but you will do it.” Giles waited for Geoffrey’s response but his words seemed to be stuck in his throat.

He breathed in deeply. So he had his wish. He was marrying the girl he loved, but it was all too clear now that he had been mistaken in her desires. For a brief moment he had thought she had wanted his kiss but after her outburst it was clear that she didn’t want him at all. His world crumbled around him as it felt as though an ice pick had been buried in his chest and his voice sounded as broken as his heart.

“I will do everything in my power though I don’t hold out much hope. You know how much she wanted to keep her independence. She’ll hate me for this for the rest of her life.”

Giles nodded again.

“Maybe, but you’re not getting out of it. Go through the garden and meet me at the side of the house. We can walk to St. George Street from here, but I must see that Callum brings the carriage around for the ladies first.” Giles eyed Geoffrey at last. He drew in a deep breath and spoke an unnecessary warning. “Geoff, I know that this is not how you wanted things to turn out, but do not try to abscond. Hurting Charlotte is bad enough but ruining her is quite another. If you do, I will hunt you down.”

Geoffrey let out a grim laugh.

“Do you think that little of me? I have said that I will marry her. I’ve never gone back on my word and don’t intend to start now.” With those final words he walked down the terrace steps and off through the formal gardens towards the lamps that shone through the window next to the street.

Chapter Nine

Wedding Bells & Wanton Women

Charlotte stood in her prettiest day dress stubbornly refusing to look up at her cousin. Giles took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently before he placed it on his elbow.

“Come, do not be afraid. All will all be well. I believe that Olivia has laid on a breakfast for afterwards. She has also sent her own staff to St George Street to clean up at least a couple of the rooms before you move in. I will stay with Olivia at the Albany.”

Charlotte sniffed and remained silent. Even though she had resigned herself to the inevitable, she still couldn’t believe he was making her do this.

The night before had been awful. Having escaped the Davenport’s ball, she had thought to rush straight to her room, pack her bags, and be away before dawn, but Olivia had scuppered that notion by following her into her room and insisting that she give Charlotte a talk on married life and what she could expect to happen on her wedding night.

It wasn’t long before Charlotte was explaining to the older lady that she knew perfectly well what went on in a marriage bed. She already had a good idea having seen what went on between animals, and had gained further insights after she had taken a sneaky look at Olivia’s own husband’s fabled selection of erotic and explicit books while she had been staying at Ormond the year before. Olivia had turned a bright shade of pink before laughing girlishly and recommending pages seventeen and thirty two in the second book.

Charlotte had laughed with her for a few moments and then the tears had gathered. She slumped down on the bed.

“But he doesn’t want to marry me, Olivia. He will hate me for doing this to him.”

Olivia had sighed and sat beside her.

“He won’t hate you. If he hadn’t wanted to do this he could have fought Giles in a duel. I know they are not so common any longer, but it is a way out if he had really wanted it. Giles could have shot him and honour would have been restored.”

Charlotte gasped and gulped audibly before she spoke in strained tones.

“Shoot Geoff! No! He wouldn’t! Please don’t let him, Olivia. Geoffrey has never shot more than the odd pheasant at Ormond. Giles had years of practice in France. Send Bottomley round immediately. Giles cannot shoot Geoffrey.”

Olivia drew a breath and smiled gently.

“Be calm, child. No one is going to shoot anyone. Though I am sure that he would if pressed. Probably not a fatal wound, just a ball to the shoulder or upper arm, but still a nasty wound. It’s the festering that normally kills a man, but I’m sure that a duel can still be arranged if that’s what you really wish. Might have been better if Giles had still been in the cavalry. He’s not had much practice himself recently so his aim could be off. It will have to be done quietly. Can’t have the man gaoled for murder again. I doubt that he’ll get away with it a second time, especially as his original rescuer will be dead and unable to save him.”

The tears ran freely down Charlotte’s cheeks. She knew that the older woman baited her but she couldn’t stem the flow of water that leaked from her eyes at the thought of either her cousin or Geoffrey being harmed.

“But it was my fault. Geoffrey was so cross. He all but dragged me from the ballroom. I only stood up on the stone garden seat so that I could yell at the oaf properly. I was fed up with craning my neck every time we argued. We women are at such a disadvantage and I thought to even things up. Unfortunately when I angered him even more, I took a step back, forgetting that I was over a foot up. I grabbed hold of his coat to stop myself falling, but instead of standing firm like I expected him to, he tripped over the seat and fell right on top of me. It was all my doing. He shouldn’t be punished for my stupid mistakes.”

Olivia handed her a square of fine cotton to blow her nose.

“Come now, you are making this sound as though marriage is a fate worse than death for the pair of you. Look at it from a different perspective. You know that he is a good man. He is educated, handsome and loyal to his friends. He has excellent prospects and he doesn’t appear to be too overbearing. I don’t think that you could ask for too much more in a partner.”

Charlotte sniffed miserably as she despaired.

“But he doesn’t love me! At one time I thought he was my friend but I did something foolish back when you were staying at Ormond last year and he could hardly bear to be in my company afterwards. I know that he only came to London because Alexander virtually insisted. We have been cordial enough while here, but that doesn’t constitute enough for a deep and lasting relationship. He thinks that I am coarse, not much better than a harlot.”

Olivia stroked Charlotte’s damp cheeks.

“I don’t know what you did back then, but I haven’t seen you do anything that could be remotely described as coarse. A little spirited, perhaps, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Tell me what happened at Ormond and I may be able to make more sense of it for you.”

Charlotte shook her head, but the Duchess smiled benevolently at her and waited for her to tell the tale. Charlotte wiped her tears on the back of her hand before she began her tale.

“It was when Starlight was born. We’d had dinner and just finished dessert and the ladies were about to leave the room when I sneaked off to the stables. I knew that Star Gazer hadn’t looked comfortable during the day and I wanted to see how she was coming along. I discovered Geoffrey in the stables with his shirt off, attempting to turn the foal while it was still in Star Gazer’s birth canal. She wouldn’t let him near her and I ended up stripping my dress so that I could do it. I asked Geoff to undo my buttons. As bad as it sounds, I couldn’t let my gown become soiled. Giles had spent a fortune on it. I was fully covered at all times anyway, but after the foal had been born, Geoffrey became all tense and angry and stomped off. Alexander arrived and he helped me into my gown again before we returned to the castle. It was all very circumspect and only due to necessity. There was no impropriety. Alexander can attest to the truth of my words, but since that day, Geoffrey has gone out of his way to avoid me and until this trip, it had worked. I had seen him only a handful of times. He does it on purpose because he hates me and what I did. He thinks that I am no better than those women who hang around the bar at the Bear and Dragon.”

Olivia let out a gentle breath.

“You took off your dress...Ah, I see. Well, that explains a lot.”

Charlotte looked surprised.

“It does?”

Olivia nodded happily.

“Oh yes, never clearer.”

Charlotte remained confused.

“How?”

Olivia stood up.

“Never mind how. We have to sort you out a gown to wear tomorrow. Fortunately the weather has turned fair and you can choose from one of your lighter day dresses. There must be something that you haven’t yet worn.”

Charlotte lifted herself from the floor and walked wearily to the wardrobe. She opened the doors and began easing the many dresses apart. She stopped as she held back several frocks and looked carefully the one left showing. She stepped back and pulled the fabric of the many skirts forwards.

“If I have to choose something, what about this ivory dress with the apple blossom appliqué. I’ve not worn it yet and it is so pretty. I have a green jacket and hat that would look perfect with it.”

Olivia beamed as she examined the gown. Square at the neckline, it flared out into layers of silk beneath the bust-line. A line of exquisite apple blossom embroideries had been sewn into the ribbon joining the bodice to the skirts. Olivia smiled and nodded sagely.

“The dress will be perfect, but not the hat. I’ll ask Freder...er Coalport to take a look in my trunks upstairs. I feel sure that my own wedding veil was near to the door. I only took it out to be washed earlier on in the season and it appeared to still be in excellent condition.”

Charlotte gasped.

“Your own wedding veil? Oh Olivia, I couldn’t possibly. It must be so precious to you.”

The older lady dabbed her eyes gently.

“It was very dear to me, but life goes on and you wearing it will make me very happy, so think nothing of it. It will look perfect with your gown. I’ll send Coalport up at first light. Now, you must make away to bed. Your new husband will think that I have been lecturing you if you turn up at St. Georges with your eyes all puffy and black ringed.”

Charlotte nodded.

“I am tired. These last few days have sapped even my endless energy, though I am not sure that I will sleep.”

Olivia patted her hand.

“You will, and before you decide to do anything foolish and run away, just remember that there are worse things than marrying a man such as Mr. Talbot. You may even end up liking him.”

Charlotte had been about to yawn but it turned into a wide smiled.

“Oh, I already like him.” She blushed as she realized what she had said and then turned towards her bed.

Olivia began unbuttoning her dress and pulling the pins from her hair. She helped the young woman into her nightdress before kissing her on the forehead and tucking her into the big bed.

“So you like him already. It is a good start. I think it will all turn out for the good. You need to marry someone. It might as well be someone who you already know and like. Maybe it was fate that put that stone seat in the way.” She raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Charlotte said nothing as she sighed deeply, snuggled beneath the covers and closed her tired eyes. It felt as though only a few minutes had passed before Louise opened her curtains to let in the morning sunshine as she bustled about Charlotte’s room, fussing delightedly over the news of the surprise wedding as she arranged Charlotte a scented bath.

Geoffrey waited nervously at the front of the church. He’d not slept well, visions of Charlotte galloping across fields as she tried to escape her fate kept him twisting and turning in the dusty bed. From the look of the man’s heavy lidded eyes over their breakfast, it didn’t look as though Giles had fared much better.

His valet stood by his side. As Giles would be accompanying Charlotte, and lacking any other particular friend in town, he had sent a note around to the Albany house and asked Coalport to stand with him as his groomsman. His delighted valet had appeared only half an hour later, arms full of clothes and with a carriage full of twittering maids who immediately rushed into the house to join those already there, and began dusting and polishing with an almost alarming vigour.

Now, the rector peered up at him from behind his round spectacles. He had squinted suspiciously at the special licence when Geoffrey had shown it to him earlier that morning, but had agreed to the last minute service for an extra increment.

Olivia sat in the opposite pew, her hands in her lap as she refused to look over towards him. Geoffrey suspected that her reluctance to meet his gaze was more to do with the fact that Coalport was looking very dapper in a beautiful navy blue suit, his cravat tied meticulously and his jacket looking as though it had been painted on his skin.

Geoffrey looked down at his own wedding outfit. Somewhere in the last weeks, he had missed seeing the ensemble that Coalport had laid out for him that morning. Stepping out of his bath after his early morning visit to the bishop and to the shops along Hatton Row, Geoffrey had seen the midnight blue breeches and coat for the first time. He looked quizzically at his valet but Coalport had merely added the finest waistcoat Geoffrey had ever seen. Its silver threads gave a subtle hint of grey and when he stood to look at the whole ensemble a few minutes later, he realized that the colour matched his eyes perfectly.

The church door creaked open somewhere behind him and Geoffrey breathed in steadily, trying to still his pounding heart as he heard footsteps approach him from behind, but when he turned, he was surprised to see Lord Charles Latham, Lord Hubert Carruthers and Sir Anthony Torrington making their way towards him. Olivia’s friends, Lord and Lady Latham, and Lord and Lady Armitage who immediately moved to sit with the now smiling Duchess, followed them.

The three younger men moved to shake Geoffrey’s hand. Hubert Carruthers immediately began apologising for his uncouth behaviour at their first meeting.

“I hope that you understood that our banter at dinner that first night was all a joke. Had we realized that Lady Charlotte was your intended we would never have been so crass. Let me assure you that nothing we said that night was acted upon.”

Torrington took Geoffrey’s hand next.

“Bit thick of us really. We really should have guessed what was going on the moment we met you. Lord Caithwell would never have sent his ward into town with you if there wasn’t some expectation of your marriage. Can’t think why we didn’t realize it before. That must have been why old Ainsworth warned us off. He’s older and wiser, of course.” He shook his head as Carruther’s nodded vigorously.

Charles Latham gave him a short bow.

“I came to offer my own congratulations. She is a beautiful woman and you are a lucky man to win her affections, though I confess that I had thought it might be a fine outcome when I saw you with her a few nights ago. The attraction between the two of you was palpable, nevertheless, even though you are marrying her and will keep her close to your heart, should she ever need my assistance she only has to ask.” He bowed again before the three of them moved to take their seats behind him.