Slowly, he smiled.
“Why are you smiling in that way?” The way her voice had piqued made her curse inwardly again. Something about the Duke of Rodstone meant she forgot a lot of her manners.
“Is that an ‘aye’, lass? Are ye agreein’ to me deal?”
She stepped back, biting her lip.
Could I refuse?
She marched up and down, pacing in front of the log just as the maid caught up to them. Poor Helen flopped down onto the log, panting and wiping her clammy cheeks in the sun.
Charlotte looked at her with guilt twisting her stomach. Helen had stayed on when many of the staff had left because they could no longer afford to pay the high wages from before. It would be nice to be able to pay Helen properly for her work. It would be nice too, for her family to have a little more money.
What if she could save up some of the money as a dowry? Maybe then, someday, a gentleman may actually want to marry her.
She couldn’t look at the duke but stared out over the stream in deep thought with her hands on her hips.
Five years a spinster is a long time. If I stay unwed for much longer, it’s possible I may never marry.
“Well, lass?” the duke asked, his tone deep but rather soft this time. “What do ye think?”
“I have terms.” She turned back to face him sharply. “You would trust my word on our lessons. I’ve had five years in theton, and I know well enough how people talk and think.”
“Aye. I daenae doubt that for a second.” He nodded firmly.
“If we have these lessons, you cannot keep reaching out to grasp my hand. You cannot pick me up as you did last night.”
“Nay? What if ye injure yerself again?”
“Then leave me hurt on the ground.”
He shook his head.
“I am nae that kind of gentleman to leave a lady in pain.” His determined voice made her tremble a little, her stomachquelling. “That term, I cannae agree to. I willnae touch ye, unless the situation calls for it. How is that, lass?”
“And another thing. No more calling me ‘lass’.” Her heartbeat thudded against her ribcage as she made this request. She hated the fact that she liked it when he called her that. It was time to stop this feeling, before she could like it any more than she already did.
Forming any sort of attachment to a man so assertive and unnerving, just because of the way he calls me lass would not be good either.
He quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. She huffed and folded her arms.
“A gentleman should always give an answer when asked.”
“Aye, as ye wish.” He smiled a little. “I willtryto address ye by yer name and title alone.”
“You will try?”
“I cannae promise nae to slip up on occasion.” He shrugged. “I’m still human.” He stepped toward her. “Now, for me terms.” He moved to her side and lowered his lips to her ear.
Charlotte watched as Helen’s eyes widened in shock. They both knew this was wrong. A duke should not be whispering inCharlotte’s ear in such a way, but then Charlotte realized what he was doing, and she could not part her lips to bid him to stop.
“How does ten pounds per lesson sound?”
She had to quell the shiver of excitement that passed up her spine as he stepped back again. His lips had been very near her neck indeed.
“That’s… staggering,” she whispered. Such a vast sum meant she could afford new things for her brother and sister. She could put it toward paying for the staff, and in time, build up a dowry too.
“It pleases ye? Nae the whisper, but the money?” The way he teased her made her glare at him, but he simply chuckled again.
