And yet, in the very back of her mind, she could not help but admit that a small seed had been planted—and it was catching root.
CHAPTER 34
“That was rather an arousing speech,” Julian said and patted his back. “I am proud of you, my friend.”
He smiled. “That is what Evelyn said as well.”
“Well, that is all that matters, isn’t it?” Julian said with a chuckle.
“Do not act as though I am someone who cares about nothing but his wife’s opinion. Although,” he added, “this was, of course, her idea.”
“Evelyn is full of all sorts of ideas, I gather,” Julian said and glanced across the room. Nathaniel’s eyes followed his and spotted his wife sitting in the far corner. She smiled at him, but there was something strange around her eyes. An uncertainty. She had been very effusive in her praise regarding his speech, but even then, he had noticed something off. He had wonderedif perhaps she disapproved of his words, but she had conversed with him twice since. While there had been some dissension—which was common in the House of Lords—there had been more approval than disapproval, and three different gentlemen had already come up to him, saying they would like to join the cause.
They arrived, apparently, amidst dismay about the fate of the climbing boys, as Evelyn and her friends had been.
“Excuse me,” a voice came, and he turned instantly. He clenched his jaw.
“Charmaine, not now,” Julian said. “Have you not caused enough trouble?”
Nathaniel took a deep breath as Lady Charmaine pushed between him and her cousin.
“Oh, Julian, do not be so insufferable. A lady should be allowed to atone for her actions, should she not?”
She ignored her cousin then and turned to Nathaniel. “I know it was I who caused the forced marriage between yourself and Lady Evelyn, and I don’t want to beg your pardon, but it seems as though it has all worked out for the very?—”
Nathaniel turned and took a step back to put distance between them. “She is Her Grace, the Duchess of Sinclair, not Lady Evelyn,” he said, remembering in the back of his head how he had always called her ‘Lady Evelyn,’ to vex her. “And yes, all hasworked out rather splendidly for us. We are very happy together. However, that does not absolve you from your actions. I still do not know what you wanted in the library that day.”
She grew a little red and turned to Julian. “Please, would you leave me a moment with His Grace?”
“I do not think that is a good idea at all, Charmaine, given your past actions.”
“I beg your pardon! I did nothing wrong. All I did was enter a room. I couldn’t have known there was some inappropriate activity going on there. I have something I need to say to His Grace.”
“And you can say it in front of me,” Julian replied.
Nathaniel raised a hand. The quicker he could get this over with, the better. “Julian, I assure you I am quite all right. We are surrounded, after all, by our peers.” He motioned around the reception hall they were currently in. One of the lords had hosted this event, as was customary after the closing of Parliament, and dozens upon dozens of peers and their wives were standing elbow to elbow. Whatever Lady Charmaine had to say could not be as scandalous as Julian might fear. Still, his friend sighed.
“Very well. I shall take a gander at what is on offer. I am a bit famished.”
He walked away then, and Lady Charmaine turned on her smile again. “The truth is, Your Grace, what I was doing that day was looking for you. I saw you walk into the room and—well, I know it is foolish now as you are a married man—but I shall never be able to live with myself if I do not tell you the truth…” she said, placing a hand on his arm.
Instantly, he pulled it away and looked over at Evelyn.
Two lines formed between her eyebrows as she watched them. He raised his collar and pulled on his cravat. Maybe this had been a mistake.
“Lady Charmaine, please. I haven’t got all day.”
“Very well. So, the truth is, the reason I sought you out that day was because I couldn’t stop thinking about our time together in Scotland.”
“Our time together in Scotland?” Nathaniel had already buzzed. He had met Lady Charmaine before? He felt as though he had woken from a long sleep and could no longer distinguish between reality and the land of not.
“We met before?”
She flinched a little, looked down, blinked, and raised her eyes again. “I do not blame you for not remembering. You were always very popular with the ladies. But I thought what we had was quite special. Perhaps it was foolish of me. We met at LadyDanville’s ball. Her niece’s coming-out ball. We danced twice. There was a parade the next day. We watched that together as well.”
“Oh,” he said, vaguely remembering the parade. His head had ached so fiercely, he scarcely remembered the day at all. He did remember waking and having a rather too-close encounter with a bucket somebody had kindly left next to his bed. Although that wasn’t unique. In those days, he had often tumbled out of bed to find assorted baskets and buckets next to his bed, along with empty bottles and glasses.
He had never been excessive, as one might say, but he had certainly enjoyed himself. And he prided himself on the fact that any lady he woke up next to, he remembered their name. Lady Charmaine, most certainly, was not one of them.
