“There are too many secrets! I can’t go on like this!” His brother’s voice echoed from the past as if his ghost had come back to haunt him.
Clenching his jaw, Reginald felt his shoulders tensing at the memory. His brother had raged at him for hours the night before he had died in that fortuitous accident. The word honour had been tossed around far too liberally to his liking.
Tightening his grip as his anger grew, Reginal cracked the glass, feeling the liquid flowing over his hand as it seeped into the carpet at his feet. There was no time to call for another; he needed to continue with the task at hand, erasing the past as thoroughly as he could.
Leaning forward, he grabbed the final pages and fed them into the fire, watching the ghosts of his past being engulfed in the roaring flames.
Chapter 14
Charlotte’s fingers danced across the keys, creating a steady rhythm of solemn notes that reminded her of her parents. A deep sigh escaped her chest as she tilted her head to the side, absentmindedly playing the song without missing a note.
Lord Dunham’s sudden reminder of her parents’ demise the day before had left her in a kind of slump that she hadn’t felt since meeting the marquess.
The marquess …
Jameson’s smile floated into her mind, bringing a gentle smile to her lips. The fact that he had confessed his desire to court her brought little joy now that her uncle had expressed his concern about having her associate with the Sinclair family.
“I beg your pardon, My Lady,” the butler interrupted her playing, causing her fingers to halt over the keys, bringing forth a monstrous sound that made the man wince.
Taking a deep breath with her eyes shut, Charlotte placed her hands in her lap and turned her body towards the door. “What is it?” she asked with a patient smile of restraint.
“Lord Dunham is here to call, My Lady; the master has also asked me to inform you that he will be away on business,” the butler informed her and clenched his jaw lightly as if he didn’t approve of the matter yet knew his place.
“Very well, I shall receive Lord Dunham in here. You may show him in.” Charlotte pursed her lips and stood and accepted her fate, walking over to the couches and taking a seat.
“At once, My Lady.” The man bowed and left the room.
Irritation coursed through her body as she awaited her suitor; there was no use in denying the fact that Lord Dunham was indeed her suitor. Her uncle had made his stance on the matter clear. It was just like him to make decisions for her life and leave her to deal with the consequences while he flitted off across the globe on some business venture.
“Lord Dunham, My Lady,” the butler held open the door as he announced the arrival of her guest in a solemn yet respectful manner.
Bracing herself, Charlotte took a deep breath, wondering if it was too late to say that she was ill or fake a fainting spell that would give her an excuse to end the visit sooner rather than later.
“Lady Charlotte.” Lord Dunham stepped into the room wearing a light brown suit and polished shoes. His sandy brown hair had been combed to the side, giving him a slightly more youthful appearance.
Charlotte’s eyes fell on the bouquet of daisies he carried in his hands, causing her heart to beat faster from fear.
He’s serious about courting me.
“I was hoping you would be in this morning and not out with your friends on one of your adventures.” His voice held little to no reproach. His casual mention of her friends made Charlotte wonder if, like her uncle, Lord Dunham didn’t think that the marquess’s station was too far above hers.
“As you can see, you have caught me between adventures,” she answered politely and gestured for her guest to take a seat.
“Luck does seem to be on my side of late.” Lord Dunham’s eyes lit up as he handed the flowers to the butler and came into the room, taking a seat across from her.
“I trust that you are enjoying the fine weather.” She gave herself over to the situation and made polite conversation; social propriety dictated that she treat the man with respect.
“The weather is fine, but I came here this morning to discuss another matter entirely.” His thin brows creased into a frown as he placed one leg over the other, creating a box with his pointed knees.
Charlotte’s face fell despite her attempts at keeping a polite expression on her face. Lord Dunham was either there to ask a myriad of questions or declare his intentions to court her more seriously. Neither of the two options held any allure for her at present.
“I can see that you recall my blunder of yesterday when I so carelessly spoke of your parents. I want to apologize to you; it was tactless of me to ask such a personal question without taking into consideration the fact that you are still hurting. Of course, I’m sure that the pain will never really disappear altogether; it never does when one loses someone so dear to one’s heart. I hope you will accept my apology and not allow it to sully your opinion of me?”
Lord Dunham seemed genuinely remorseful as he looked into her eyes.
Taken aback by the honest demeanour and display of consideration, Charlotte felt herself searching for the correct response. It was hard to dislike a man entirely who showed such care for a woman’s feelings and even less so when he found it within himself to apologize.
“I guess one never does fully recover from the shock of loss; it tends to creep up on you at the most unexpected of times.” She spoke from her heart for the very first time in his presence.