Page 42 of A Perfect Engagement
Phoebe’s eyebrows rose high.
“I know, I know I’m a bastard. And she ended the kiss. Said it wasn’t right.”
“Sensible girl.”
“And then she shows up here today. Why? It would have taken a good bit of courage on her part to come unchaperoned. Clearly, she saw the three of us together and read the situation all wrong.” Daniel pushed off from the windowsill. Damned if he knew how much worse he could have bungled things with Charlotte. “She now thinks I am some kind of lecherous rogue.”
“Maybe it’s for the best, Daniel. She is promised to your brother.”
“Don’t you see? She’s trapped, among all the expectations. All the decisions are made for her.”
“And you want to save her. Daniel, you always have to be the rescuer. She doesn’t need saving. She is a grown woman who can make her own choices.” A soft, wry grin quirked up one side of her mouth.
Her gentle rebuke was in reference to his attempts to rescue her. When Phoebe first came to see him, her intent had been to give Josie to him and leave. She hadn’t wanted her daughter to see her ill and dying. Daniel offered to marry her and make them a proper family. But Phoebe refused, some nonsense about not wanting to ruin his chance for a happy union with the right woman. Her coming here with Josie had been the compromise. No doubt, she had expected him to leave them here at Brooksdale and return to London, but the opportunity to get to know his daughter had enticed him to stay. It had been the best decision.
“I don’t want to save her, I swear.” Daniel looked out again at the great old oaks. “I just want her for my own.”
Phoebe’s hand slipped in his. “Perhaps you can find a way. If you spoke with Miles, maybe he would understand. He is your brother, and he wants your happiness. We’ll be fine. Go back and find your girl. Explain. She wouldn’t have come all the way here if there weren’t things to say.”
He bent down and kissed Phoebe on the cheek. “Thank you for being such a good friend. I’ll be back by the weekend.”
Chapter Eighteen
Charlotte managed tokeep her composure all the way home, her disappointment so acute a numbness settled over her, the landscape a blur as she passed through Marbury. Outside of town, she paused under the tree which had marked their finish line. Everything about yesterday had been perfect. Daniel’s wide smile filled her thoughts. A whole day of things they had never done before. Ha! Her lips twisted. What a fool she had been. All the fun had been a lie. She tapped her horse’s flank with her heel. As they walked on, she spotted the barn standing sentry in the middle of the field. Its great doors were open today, and two men filled a cart with hay.
Daniel, married. She couldn’t wrap her thoughts around it. They had shared so much about themselves in such a short time, she believed she knew him so well. She sighed at her naivety. All this week, she struggled with her attraction to him, had thought perhaps he struggled too. No doubt, he left to go home to remind himself of his vows to his real family. He had been pretending to be her fiancé after all. His job was to keep her happy until his brother arrived. She wiped at her eyes. She would not cry. This was all for the best. She was an engaged woman for goodness’ sake. Daniel had been pretending.
Charlotte rode into the stable yard around midday, the yard devoid of riders. All the better for her to sneak back to the house. She handed over the reins of her tired horse to the stable boy. Taking the long way, she headed around the side of the stables, walking toward the lake. She would circle around the gazebo and see if she could make it to the backdoor and up the servants’ stairs like they had the other day after they fell into the lake. She needed to change out of her riding habit before her mother saw her.
When she arrived at the lake, she paused to watch the sunshine sparkle off the smooth surface of the water. A breeze gently blew across her face, cooling her brow. She closed her eyes and drew in a calming breath. She was fine. She would be fine.
“Charlotte!”
She turned to find Ellie and Susanna walking toward her, arm in arm. She waved and forced a tight smile as they approached.
“Have you just arrived back?” Ellie asked.
“Yes.”
“How did it go? Did you speak to him?” Susanna questioned her with an eager expression.
Images of Daniel and his little girl playing in the sunshine filled her mind. She bit back a sob. The emotional upheaval of the day washed over her. She held the back of her hand to her mouth and shook her head.
“What happened?” Ellie rushed forward and wrapped an arm around her waist.
“I arrived at Brooksdale and…” Charlotte took in a shuddering breath “…and I saw Daniel playing on the lawn with a little girl about four years old maybe. She laughed as he twirled her and called him Papa. A lady was sitting there, smiling as she watched them play.” She glanced from Ellie to Susanna. Both faces expressed confusion. “Don’t you see? He’s married, has a family… I feel so stupid.” She buried her face in her hands and finally let the tears flow.
“Outrageous!” Ellie proclaimed.
“But he kissed you last night,” Susanna said.
“He is a rogue,” Ellie muttered. “I knew there was something I didn’t like about him.”
Charlotte raised her head. “He has been pretending all week to be Hawksridge. Perhaps he got carried away last night. I know I did. I badly misconstrued his friendship for something more. But I don’t know… I felt as though there were these moments between us…” She wiped at her eyes.
Susanna grasped her hand. “You’re not wrong. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Like you are the only person in the room. Like he wants you all to himself.”
“Hardly appropriate for a married man,” Ellie said dryly.
