Page 55 of A Perfect Engagement
“I tried, but Charlotte did not want to hear an explanation,” he replied.
“Find a way. It’s best if things are settled before the wedding. You will be family, after all.” She opened her parasol and strolled off toward her husband.
The truth of her statement stung. Family. In a few short weeks, Charlotte would be married to his brother. His heart rebelled at the thought. He stared over at Charlotte and Miles. She pulled back her bow and appeared to be showing him how to aim. When she lowered her arm, she smiled at him and touched his arm. Miles laughed at whatever she said. Daniel blew out a long breath. This was too hard. He turned to walk back to the house.
A scream pierced the air. Daniel whirled around to see an arrow whizz through the air and sink into the grass right at Rivenhall’s feet. The man jumped back and took hold of his wife’s arm, pulling her close to his side. Then in rapid succession, arrows flew into the crowd of guests. An arrow sliced by Charlotte’s right arm and landed behind her. Miles stepped in front of her to shield her from any more. Daniel scanned the tree line. Where were they coming from?
Guests began running across the field, heading for the house in a panic. Two stable hands raced for the trees. Lucius and Charlotte’s eldest brother, Edward, ran behind them. Daniel strode over to Charlotte and Miles.
“Are you hurt?” He studied Charlotte’s ashen face.
“Daniel, will you take her to the house? I’ll go help the others.” Miles strode off toward the tree line after Charlotte’s brothers. No further arrows fell, the culprits obviously fleeing the scene once they saw men approaching.
“Are you hurt, Charlotte?” he repeated.
She nodded. “The arrow sliced my arm a bit.”
He looked down at where she held a hand against her upper arm. He gently pried her fingers away. Blood stained the gauzy fabric of her dress sleeve and her glove. Daniel tore the fabric easily; the wound was a long, shallow scratch. He pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it gently to the cut.
“Not too serious. I bet it stings though,” Daniel said.
Charlotte peeled off her beige kidskin gloves. “This one is ruined,” she said with a frown. She glanced back over her shoulder at the archery field. “Who would do this? And why? The other pranks were meant to embarrass me but this—” she shook her head “—this could have killed someone.”
Daniel glanced around them. There were maybe a dozen arrows sticking up from the grass. Why would anyone shoot arrows into a party of people? Had Charlotte been the target and the other arrows simply a distraction? The thought chilled him to the bone.
“Do you have any idea who it could be?” he asked.
“My friends and I have discussed it at length. Miss Thornton is the logical choice. There is no love lost between us. But I don’t know what I could have done to her which would be cause for such dangerous antics.”
“You have done nothing to deserve this. I know you did not wish to tell your parents about the other incidents, but you cannot hide what happened today. You need to talk to them.”
“I suppose you’re right. I thought if I ignored her, Miss Thornton would stop after she earned no reaction from me. My mother will have vapors for sure.” She sighed and took the handkerchief from him. “Thank you, I can hold it.”
“Come on, let’s get you back to the house.” Daniel gently turned her toward the manor.
They walked silently for a bit, but as they approached the tree-lined path which led to the front of the house, Charlotte paused. She bit her bottom lip. She paced away from him, her back straight and rigid.
When she finally turned to him, her eyes flashed with anger. “How could you kiss me when you have a wife and child tucked away at home?” She poked a finger at his chest. “How could you be such a rogue?”
So they were going to talk about this now. He glanced around. They were alone on the lane. He ran a hand through his hair. “Charlotte, it’s not what you think. I’m not married.” She appeared slightly less mad. Lord, how was he going to explain?
“I heard the little girl call you Papa.” The line between her eyebrows deepened as she frowned at him.
“Can we walk, please? I will do my best to explain.” He held out a hand. Charlotte stared at him for a long minute before accepting. He wove his fingers between hers and led her toward the house. They walked in silence for a few moments. He hadn’t explained to anyone yet about Josie, and he wasn’t sure how far back he should go to do a proper job of it.
“Phoebe Carlisle was my mistress five years ago.” Charlotte’s sharp intake of breath echoed next to him. “We were together for a time, maybe a little less than a year. Things ended amicably. As you heard the other night, I was involved in a duel with Lord Rawlings. This was less than a month after I ended my relationship with Phoebe. Because of the duel, my brother thought it wise for me to leave the country for a while until things cooled down. I spent two years traveling the continent, primarily in Italy and Greece. Meanwhile, Phoebe gave birth to Josie, my daughter.”
Charlotte’s fingers flexed in his, and she stopped to turn and face him. Her gaze searched his face, but she did not say a word. How could he explain to her Phoebe’s actions when he still didn’t fully understand them himself?
“Phoebe is a very independent creature. She takes great pride in her self-reliance. She didn’t contact me, and I had no idea I had a child. Then six months ago, she and Josie showed up at my door in London. You see, Phoebe is very ill. She came to bring Josie to me because she didn’t want to die and leave her child unprotected.” He closed his eyes. His sweet Josie could have been lost to the city. A dozen frightening scenarios could have played out, leaving her a victim of circumstance.
“And you saved them both,” Charlotte said softly.
He shrugged. “Phoebe suffers from consumption. She needed fresh, clean air and medical attention. The doctors think it is only a matter of time, but here at least she can spend her days with her daughter without worrying for Josie’s future. We are not involved romantically in any way.” He needed to stress this point. “But she is the mother of my child, and we have a history together.”
“This is a lot to take in, Daniel.” Her brow furrowed in the same way it always did when she worried through all the possibilities of some problem. “Does your family know about Josie?”
“No, I haven’t had the chance to talk to them about the situation.” He noticed at the base of a tree bluebells sprouted out of the mossy dirt. They reminded him of his mother. She always told him not to lie, but most importantly, not to lie to himself. “The truth is, I don’t know how to bring it up. How to tell my straitlaced brother I am living with my ex-mistress and our illegitimate child.”
