“Alexander?” Stewart said. “Wentworth? Are you listening?”
“What? Oh!” Alexander turned, pulled out of his doldrums. “Sorry. I seem to find myself lost in thought more and more often these days. What were you saying?”
“You remember my cousin, Lady Chelsea Hurtle?”
Alexander narrowed his eyes, sifting through the list of names he had stored in his mind. “I… think so,” he replied. “Red head? Button nose? Pretty little thing? I think you pointed her out once, though I haven’t actually met her.”
“That’s the one,” Stewart said with a nod. “Though she far prefersstrawberry blonde.”
“What about her?” Alexander shifted to look more directly at Stewart, his interest piqued.
It was not the woman herself that interested him, of course. He’d been far too scorned by love to even think of the fairer sex in that way. He couldn’t deny there were dark times, when he was alone, that he missed the touch of a woman. It had been too long since he’d felt soft hands against his bare flesh, and the memory of it stirred something within his loins. But this was not one of those times.
No, his curiosity was more thanks to the sparkle in Stewart’s eye. The man was excited about something, and Alexander wondered why.
“She’s getting married. To Lord Leming.”
“The short one?” Alexander replied, his eyebrows high on his forehead, not quite believing what he had heard.
Stewart snorted with laughter. “That’s the one, but she likes him regardless of his stature. And he’s a pleasant chap by all accounts. I approve of the match, certainly, as does her brother.”
“That’s good,” Alexander replied. “But what does this have to do with me?”
“Well,” Stewart began. “I am heading to Hampshire for a few weeks to help with the preparations.”
“You mean to help with the celebrations,” Alexander corrected.
Stewart snorted again. “And isn’t that better?” Alexander shrugged, conceding the point. “My point is that perhaps you ought to join me. I’ll wager it’ll do you good. Chelsea and her friend have already been there a week—you know what brides are like, so very excitable—and my aunt and uncle will be joining them shortly. I’d like to arrive before them if possible, so that we can enjoy a little peace and quiet. What do you say?”
Alexander fell silent for a moment while he considered Stewart’s suggestion. He was sick of London and all the bad news it had to offer. Some time away might give him the time and space to think and plan his next move.
Eventually, he turned to Stewart with a smile. “Yes,” he said. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Chapter 3
Charlotte wiggled her fingers above the bishop, considering her next move. She pursed her lips, pushing them this way and that.
“Take your turn,” Chelsea pleaded. “I’ve been waiting forever.”
Charlotte looked up at her through her lashes. “It’s only been a moment, not forever. Don’t be so impatient!”
Chelsea huffed and fell back against the wooden frame of the chair, crossing her arms.
“And now you just seem petulant,” Charlotte added as she picked up the bishop and moved it two squares diagonally across the board. “There? Happy now?”
Chelsea sat up again and examined the board. She picked up a pawn, shifted it forward one space, then returned to her slouching. She never had as much patience or forethought for games such as chess yet was always unhappy when Charlotte consistently won. Charlotte didn’t mind. She continued playing her best as she always would. She wiggled her fingers over the board again, trying to decide what to do next.
“It’s so lovely here, isn’t it?” Chelsea said, looking around the room. She smiled a simple smile, full of peace and happiness. “I’ve always adored Father’s country seat.”
Charlotte glanced up at her then murmured in agreement. She picked up her bishop again and knocked Chelsea’s pawn from the board.
“It’s certainly very different to the hectic ways of London. I must admit, I’m rather enjoying the quieter life, though I suspect I’d be bored of it after a time.”
Chelsea shifted another piece on the board, not truly caring where it went. “Can you believe we’ve been in Hampshire for two weeks already, though? It has positively flown by.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” Charlotte said. She finally looked up from the board and smiled properly at Chelsea. She was incredibly grateful to her for getting her out of London. The Hurtle family had done so very much for her since her mother’s death, and they meant the world to her. While nothing had been wrong with her life as such, nothing had felt quite right either, and a change of scenery was doing wonders for her constitution.
“I am glad to have you here. I cannot imagine dealing with my mother’s fussing if you were not present. We would end up with red flowers and red ribbons at the wedding. Can you imagine!”
