Page 67 of A Perfect Engagement
Miles sent him a patronizing look.
“Phoebe came to me eight months ago. She is dying of consumption. She didn’t want to leave Josie alone. I moved them to Brooksdale, and I have been taking care of them both.”
“That’s one way to handle it,” Miles said with a pained expression. “You could have paid to have the child taken care of, sent her to a private school or something. I wish you would have come to me for advice; there are ways to handle situations like this.”
“You have turned into such a pompous ass. She is five years old. And she is my daughter.” He rose to his feet. So did his brother. They stood nose to nose.
“This is so like you. Did you even once think about how taking in your former mistress and your by-blow would reflect on the family name?” All of a sudden, Miles’s eyes widened. He sat down abruptly and ran a hand over his face. “Oh my God. I do sound like a pompous ass. When did I start sounding like Father?”
Daniel shrugged. “Recently. Don’t worry; I don’t think it’s incurable.”
“I always did like Miss Darlington,” Miles offered. “I’m sorry to hear she is ill.”
Daniel’s anger receded. “I know it’s unusual, but the minute I met my daughter, I loved her. Phoebe was married this week, to the foreman on my estate. They are the reason I’m here today. They married so they can be together for every moment they have, however long it will be. They have figured out what’s important in life. Family—” Daniel laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder “—and love. Miles, I’ve come for Charlotte. She is meant to be mine.”
Miles stood and thumped him on his arm affectionately. Then his expression turned grim. “Her father is never going to let you near her. Do you have a plan?”
Daniel had no response because he hadn’t a plan. Dammit, why didn’t he have a plan?
“That’s what I thought,” Miles responded. “Quickly, take off your clothes.”
Chapter Thirty-One
There was onlyone word to describe how she felt at this moment, panic. Charlotte’s heart beat too fast in her chest, and she had trouble catching her breath. She took an embroidered handkerchief and blotted at the small beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. She was about to bind herself to Miles Weston for the rest of her life. Once she said yes, she would belong to him in the eyes of the church and the eyes of the law. She glanced around the small preparation room frantically. Perhaps there was still time to make a run for it.
Owwww. There was a sharp tug on her hair. Her mother tugged again at the silk flowers attached to her tiara, causing the whole thing to pull on the pins securing it to her hair. The sharp pain thankfully burst her bubble of panic. But it did nothing to stem her anger, her anger at her mother, her anger at her circumstances, and at herself for being such a coward.
“Mother, please stop fussing. I cannot abide it further,” Charlotte snapped.
“Well, I never! I don’t need to stand here and take this impudence from you, young lady.” Her mother straightened her own hat and then flounced out of the room. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
She didn’t care if her tone had been too sharp. The entire morning her mother had argued about every detail of her appearance, from the full-boned corset she refused to don, to the ribbon belted around the waist of her beautiful spring-green dress. Mother had made Lizzie redo her hair three times! Charlotte tugged her gloves to smooth out the satin over her elbows. She assessed her reflection in the tall mirror which stood in the corner. Everything about her appearance today was perfect. She wished she could feel inside what she projected outward.
The door swung open with a bang. Charlotte turned.What now?Miss Thornton stood red-faced in the threshold.
“I won’t let you get away with it.” Her high-pitched voice rang out against the stone walls.
“Pardon me?” Charlotte replied.
“You can’t marry him. It’s not fair!” Miss Thornton strode into the room. She pushed a finger into Charlotte’s chest. “I should be the one marrying a marquess. But no…you have ruined my reputation.”
Charlotte’s eyebrows shot up. “I ruined your reputation?”
“Since your party, I haven’t received a single invitation. No one wants me at their events. I’ve become a pariah overnight.” Miss Thornton’s bottom lip jutted out rather like a small child.
Charlotte crossed her arms. “Miss Thornton, you ruined your own reputation. Your awful pranks could have killed someone! You deserve every bit of censure you receive.”
“But…it’s not fair.”
Her petulant voice grated on Charlotte’s ears. The woman’s eyes were wild and snapped with self-riotous anger. Then all of a sudden, her demeanor shifted. Her expression calmed, and her lips quirked up into a smirk.
“I know your secret, Charlotte Grisham. It took some work, but I finally dug up something on Miss Perfect. I know you are in love with your fiancé’s brother.”
Charlotte gasped. How could she know? Impossible.
“Just wait until I tell everyone you spent the whole of your engagement party whoring around with your brother-in-law. Hawksridge won’t marry you once he knows what a deceitful liar you are.” Miss Thornton clapped her hands together gleefully, quite enjoying being the villain of her own story.
“Oh, you’ll do no such thing,” a voice rang out from the doorway.
