An Inconvenient Trilogy (28 page)

“Yes,” Charlotte moaned, giving in to the feelings he was stirring, the feelings he always stirred. She was too inexperienced to be able to remain firm in the face of such temptation.

Stephen groaned in appreciation at her admission and covered her lips in his. He had not realised how much he had wanted to kiss her until his lips had brushed hers. At that point he could not have pulled away even if he had a gun to his head. He felt as if he fitted against her, against her mouth perfectly. He had enjoyed her kisses on that first night, but now that he had come to know her, to want her, the kisses were intense beyond anything that had happened before.

Charlotte welcomed his mouth, opening her own for his exploration. It did not matter that he did not love her, he wanted her, she could feel how much as he pressed against her. She pushed against him in return, longing for the feel of him, not knowing what to do, but being guided by his appreciative moans. She wrapped her arms around his neck, no longer leaning into the door, but leaning against him for support.

Stephen let his hands wander. He should behave like a gentleman, but he wanted to drive her as wild as she was driving him. The feel of her fingers pulling at his hair, made him want to take her there in the library. His hands explored her back, her bottom, her waist, the edge of her breast. He wanted to touch her skin and was moving to unfasten her dress when noise came from the hallway.

They sprang apart, both taking deep breaths and looking flushed. Neither said a word as they listened. Stephen was the first to collect himself, straightening his waistcoat. “It appears your uncle has arrived my dear.”

“My uncle, now?” Charlotte said, her thoughts, incoherent. She could not think while she had to concentrate so much on breathing and standing upright. Kissing Stephen seemed to affect her legs, turning them into a substance that could not support her.

Stephen smiled a genuine smile. “You have a moment or two to gather yourself,” he said kindly.

Before either expected it, Michael entered the library and looked at the pair. He did not look pleased to find them behind a closed door and without a chaperone, but he pulled the door closed behind him, to shield the occupants of the room.

“Your uncle is here Charlotte,” he said abruptly. “Elizabeth has taken him to the morning room for refreshment. I suggest you join them there after you have fixed your hair.”

Charlotte flushed and left the room, muttering apologies. Stephen turned on Michael. “There was no need to embarrass the girl!” he snapped.

“There was every need,” Michael responded. “Her uncle has arrived and she hopes he will accept her back into his family. How would it have looked if we had come into the library? How would she have explained that she had been compromised, not once, but twice?”

“She hasn’t been compromised; it was a kiss, that’s all,” Stephen said dismissively, but the kiss had meant more to him than he would ever admit. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a slow breath, trying to gain internal control. He may sound flippant, but he was feeling anything but flippant inside. Her kisses affected him more than anyone else’s had ever done and he did not know how to deal with the emotions that raced through his body at regular intervals since he had met her.

“There is no such thing as ‘that’s all’ when you are kissing an innocent, Halkyn, we both know that. I hope you know what game you are playing,” Michael said shaking his head and walking out of the room. He was in no mood to play word games with Halkyn while Charlotte’s future was under discussion.

Chapter 9

Michael had explained what had happened to Charlotte more fully than his letter had said to Mr Webster by the time Charlotte joined them. Her uncle was a serious man, greying, with clear grey eyes, aged in his fifties, with no resemblance to Charlotte’s fair hair and green eyes. He had believed Michael’s account, given seriously, but honestly, about a young girl being the prey of an organised, sinister ring.

Charlotte entered the room hesitantly. She had no idea how her uncle would greet her. She flushed when she saw that Stephen was already seated. His concern for her had overridden any sense that he should stay away from the interview with her uncle.

Charlotte looked at her relation uncertainly. “Uncle?” she asked timidly.

“My foolish girl,” came the reassuring response. “At least we do not have to deal with an imprudent marriage, which your letter seemed to suggest.” Mr Webster said, standing to greet his niece. He was a solemn man, but had been convinced by Michael’s words that his niece was not at fault.

“Oh I am so sorry,” Charlotte said sincerely. “I was so silly, listening to such empty words and believing them, I have never regretted anything so much in my life. I will never be so foolish again.”

“I should hope not,” Mr Webster said. He noticed the look that passed between Stephen and Michael, a look which was not particularly amenable on Michael’s part. “So, this gentleman rescued you?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I don’t know what I would have done if he had not,” Charlotte said, barely able to look at Stephen and flushing.

“It must have been a trying time,” Mr Webster said, encouraging his niece to talk about her experience, a calculating look in his eye.

“It was. Stephen-Lord Halkyn promised that he would get me out of there no matter what,” Charlotte said.

“Where did you go afterwards?”

Charlotte noticed both Stephen and Michael stiffen in their seats, but she could not lie to her uncle. “We returned to his house, but he had his butler assign me a maid and she never left my side. There was nowhere else we could go!” Charlotte said a little defensively. She was aware that they had breached what was seen as acceptable behaviour.

“I expect you travelled here in style, not on the stage?” Mr Webster asked, a grim set to his lips.

Charlotte faltered, “Well, yes, uncle, we travelled in Lord Halkyn’s coach, but Maggie was with me every time we stopped in an inn. It was all done respectfully.”

“I see,” Mr Webster said. “And what is Lord Halkyn going to do now?” he asked.

Everyone was immediately on the alert, particularly Stephen. “I don’t understand your meaning, sir,” Stephen said, calmly enough, but he was watching Mr Webster carefully.

“I am no fool, Lord Halkyn. I have been with my niece barely five minutes and found that she has managed to jump from one scrape to another!” Mr Webster said, his manner had changed from forgiving uncle to cold, affronted relative in an instant.

“I have not!” Charlotte said indignantly. “There was nothing else that could be done. As Stephen said, his parents did not provide him with a sister that would have provided complete respectability. Lady Dunham was the nearest thing he could think of.”

“He must have been desperate,” Elizabeth said apologetically, but there was a twitch of amusement to her lips.

“Madam, I am not finding anything in this situation to amuse me,” Mr Webster said sternly.

Elizabeth apologised and Michael intervened, sounding serious, but there was a twinkle of laughter in his eyes. “I can assure you we have taken Charlotte’s plight seriously and have tried to ensure respectability.”

“Thank you Lord Dunham, but I’m afraid the damage was already done by the time Charlotte arrived here. Travelling across country with Lord Halkyn is not acceptable and I insist that Lord Halkyn do the honourable thing, and marry my niece.”

Charlotte’s eyes flew to Stephen and saw the colour drain from his face. His reaction mortified her and confirmed that although he may want her, he had no long lasting feelings for her. She reacted immediately.

“No!” She said far more loudly than she had intended.

“I beg your pardon?” Mr Webster said, surprised at his niece’s outburst.

“There is no need, it was all perfectly respectable,” Charlotte insisted. “Lord Halkyn was the perfect gentleman.”

“You travelled for three days with a single man, without a proper chaperone. That is not respectable in itself. You must be married, it is the only option you both have!” Mr Webster insisted belligerently.

Charlotte had a sneaking suspicion that this was all too convenient for her uncle, but she would not let it happen. “Uncle if you force this on Lord Halkyn, we are no better than Baron Kersal,” she said seriously.

“Don’t be ridiculous child,” Mr Webster dismissed her. “They kidnapped you and were forcing you into a marriage with a stranger. Lord Halkyn undertook the journey knowing that there might be consequences. I am sure his is not so naive.”

“He was hardly in a position to do anything else,” Charlotte said forcefully. “No one, with any gentlemanly feeling could have left me in that place. His reward for his kindness cannot be to then force him into marriage. That hardly seems fair, he is condemned if he left me and condemned if he didn’t.”

Stephen had been quiet throughout the exchange. He had experienced a range of emotions; initial horror at the suggestion had very quickly turned into acceptance. Why not let himself be forced into marriage with Charlotte? He had to marry and he liked Charlotte, a little too much for comfort sometimes, but he was sure that with marriage his feelings would settle down. It was obvious her uncle was not concerned with the age difference. He decided that it was time to intervene.

“Does the idea of marriage to me repulse you so?” Stephen asked Charlotte, trying to sound light-hearted.

“See,” Mr Webster interrupted, “Lord Halkyn is not averse to marriage. It is the perfect solution Charlotte, don’t be such a simpleton.”

Charlotte had been surprised at Stephen’s words. She had to know the reason behind such a change in his usual musings about marriage. “Why would you agree to marry me? The situation is not what you anticipated happening when you agreed to help me,” she asked, moving towards him.

Stephen regretted speaking as all eyes turned to him. His usual flippancy came to the surface. “We were fortunate that we weren’t seen, although we could have been, we just don’t know as yet. I have to get married sometime, so this is the perfect solution, your reputation is secured and I get myself a wife.”

“A perfect solution!” Mr Webster said clapping his hands.

Charlotte had never turned her gaze away from Stephen while he spoke. Her eyes had widened and then filled with tears, but when she spoke, her voice was firm. “No,” she said,

“What?” Mr Webster exploded.

“No, not like this,” Charlotte said, blinking back tears and forcing herself to not waver.

Her look of pain had hit Stephen like a kick in the groin. He tried to lighten the mood. “Would it be that bad, Charlotte?” He asked, willing her to say yes to his proposal, but refusing to offer anything more to try to persuade her.

“I cannot marry you this way. I need......, I want......, not this way,” she stumbled over her words, the tears starting to fall. “Please excuse me.” She fled from the room.

There was an uncomfortable moment of quiet that was broken by an outburst from Stephen. “What is wrong with women? They want perfection when it doesn’t exist!” he exploded before storming out of the room.

“Well I have never seen anything like it before. I cannot understand what has got into Charlotte at all!” Mr Webster said angrily.

“Can you not?” Elizabeth said shortly.

Michael intervened. “I think the whole episode has taken its toll on your niece. We forget how young she is, she has such a mature way about her.”

“Yes, but she has just refused a perfectly good marriage proposal, showing exactly what a foolish child she is. I should have sent her to a stricter school, or arranged a marriage for her myself, then there would have been none of this.”

Elizabeth and Michael exchanged a look full of sympathy for Charlotte. “Mr Webster, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish as our guest, but we would like to offer an invitation for an extended visit to Charlotte. My wife has become very attached to her, and has plans to introduce her to local Society. I feel it won’t be long before a marriage proposal from Lord Halkyn is irrelevant,” Michael said smoothly.

Mr Webster considered the offer for a few moments before standing. “Thank you for your kind invitation. I will not stay; I have acquaintances in the next town whom I would like to call on before my return home. I would appreciate leaving Charlotte in your care for a visit. I can’t deny that being responsible for her over the years has been a trial, and today I thought that trial might come to an end. With your help I hope she does secure a reasonable marriage, she has very little dowry, so I have realistic expectations on what level of gentleman she would attract. It appears from her outburst that she does not wish to be a lady. If you are happy to take the responsibility of marrying off a girl without fortune, I shall happily leave her in your care,” Mr Webster said, at the same time as being led to the door by Michael.

Michael returned to the room alone a few moments later. He smiled at the expression on his wife’s face; she was obviously gritting her teeth. “What an insufferable man!” she ground out. “Could he have treated Charlotte any worse?”

“He did have a way about him didn’t he?” Michael said ruefully.

“That poor girl, no wonder she was susceptible to the charms of the footman, anyone would be preferable to going back home to an uncle like that!” Elizabeth fumed. “And what about Stephen, could he have offered for her hand in any worse way?”

“Probably, but he would have had to try extremely hard,” Michael replied. “He is being a fool, I just hope he realises it in time.”

*

Michael found Stephen in his study, swirling brandy in a glass between his fingers. “Helping yourself to my best brandy?” Michael asked, pouring himself a large drink.

“If this is your best, god help you,” Stephen muttered.

“Ah good, Charles must have hidden the expensive stuff,” Michael said, sitting opposite Stephen. “I think her uncle came with the intention of trying to marry her off.”

“Yes, you were probably the first candidate!” Stephen said bitterly.

“I agree, then finding out that I was married, he moved on to the next available person; you,” Michael said gently.

“And I foolishly obliged him, for all the good it did me,” came the bitter response.

“To be fair to the man, I think most guardians want their wards to marry,” Michael said thinking back to his experience.

“When did you realise you had fallen in love with Elizabeth?” Stephen asked.

Michael smiled at the question. “It probably took me two breaths before I was completely smitten, but months of pain before I admitted it. I hope you are not going to be as foolish.”

Stephen laughed bitterly, “The great Lord Dunham admitting he made a mistake, I never thought I’d see the day. It is different for me, I am not smitten.”

“I see the way you look at her; I see the way you are with her. Don’t let the actions of her foolish uncle stop you losing the person you love,” Michael urged.

Stephen stood and placed the glass on the small side table. “Have you never wanted someone? What’s love got to do with it? She is attractive and I’ve spent a lot of time with her and I forgot myself, but that doesn’t mean I love her. Which as it turns out is a good thing, as you heard the girl, she doesn’t want me, and I will never beg for anyone to be my wife. I think I shall return to town, there is a bit of muslin I wish to reacquaint myself with. I think it will be best all round if I leave this afternoon,” Stephen said and left the room.

Michael sighed and shook his head. He wondered why people never seemed to be able to accept sound advice, failing to remember the amount of times he had ignored equally sound advice when he was acting irrationally. Time had conveniently erased some of the conversations his sister had tried to have with him, which had ended in his refusal to act on his feelings towards Elizabeth. Michael was no different in the fact that it was easier to give advice than to receive it.