Rescued by the Viscount Page 10
‘I should love to try it,’ Charlotte said, a wistful note in her voice, ‘but I dare say it is another of those enjoyable pastimes saved for gentlemen.’
Jack smiled wryly and offered her his arm as Julia walked to meet Matt, who had come in search of her. They strolled a little way from the company. Then Jack glanced back to where the crowd was beginning to disperse, some going after the balloon either on horseback or in carriages, others lingering to talk but at the same time preparing to leave.
‘I think you noticed Mr Patterson and Lord Harding earlier,’ Jack said. ‘I must warn you to be careful of them, Charlotte. I wish I did not have to leave town before it is generally known that we are engaged, but my promise was given before we met. I shall be gone only a few days.’
‘We have several engagements this next week, though I do not imagine I shall see much of those particular gentlemen. We are mainly invited to Mama’s friends for dinner and cards or a musical evening. There is one small ball, but nothing grand until the following week, when perhaps you will be in town again?’
‘I certainly intend to be,’ he replied. ‘I dare say there was nothing in it, but they were staring hard and Patterson had a lot to say. I know you would not go anywhere alone with either of them, but avoid them both if you can, Charlotte. If they guess what happened, they will try to force Matt to pay the value of the diamonds by blackmailing him and threatening your good name.’
‘They can prove nothing,’ she said, though the back of her neck prickled and she felt cold.
‘Sometimes a whisper in the right places is enough to destroy a reputation,’ Jack warned. ‘Once Harding realises that your brother is beyond his reach, he may try threatening you.’
‘I shall just pretend I know nothing of it.’ She forced a smile, even though a little knot of fear had settled in the pit of her stomach.
‘I shall return by the end of the week and then we shall announce our engagement to the world by giving a large ball. After that I shall take you to stay with Grandfather for a few weeks so that we can arrange the wedding.’ Jack reached into his pocket and brought out a small box. ‘I hope this will fit. Remember, it is only until I can buy you something better of your own.’
‘Something better?’ Charlotte gasped as she saw the magnificent diamond-and-ruby ring. It consisted of one large deep-red stone and two slightly smaller diamonds on either side. ‘This is lovely, Jack. I like it very well and shall enjoy wearing it.’
‘Allow me,’ he said and slid it onto the third finger of her left hand, where it nestled as if it had been made for her. ‘Yes, that will do well enough for now.’ Jack smiled as she reached up to kiss his cheek.
‘Were we not being observed I would kiss you, as I wish to kiss you,’ he murmured. ‘I ought to have waited until we were alone, but I fear I have an engagement this evening, and tomorrow Matt and I leave for my uncle’s estate. We shall call in at my own estate, where Matt will remain until I join him next week and we travel back to London for our engagement party. By then everything will be in place for his departure to join his unit.’
‘I am grateful for all that you’ve done for him—and Papa,’ Charlotte murmured shyly, unable to look at him, but he reached out and tipped her chin so that she looked up.
‘You have made me happy,’ he assured her. ‘Never doubt that, Charlotte. I think we shall deal very well together, but do not smother me with gratitude for I cannot abide it—and believe me, as my wife, you will earn every penny of what I have spent on your family. I have not mentioned it, but Mama...my mother is not an easy person to live with. She will naturally spend some of her time with us and may try your patience now and then.’
‘As she does yours?’ Charlotte laughed. ‘I have an aunt who drives Mama to distraction, but I have found that all she needs is a little attention and to feel wanted, needed.’
He quirked an eyebrow. ‘I wish you luck with Mama,’ he murmured. ‘Come, I shall drive you home and take tea with you—and then I shall not see you again until we return from the country, since Matt is to stay with me this evening. We leave at six in the morning.’
* * *
Jack asked for a moment alone with Charlotte before he took his leave and was granted permission to speak with her in the small downstairs parlour. Mama had exclaimed over her ring, told her she was a fortunate young woman and kissed Jack’s cheek before sending them off to make their farewells.
Jack looked as if he wanted to laugh and Charlotte scolded him.
‘I will not have you laugh at Mama.’
‘She is trying hard to behave as if I were the perfect husband for her precious daughter, but I see the doubts in her eyes. She believes that I shall break your heart, Charlotte. Please believe that I should never wish to harm or hurt you. I do truly believe that we shall deal well together. You are a sensible young woman, Charlotte, and I think you understand what we have agreed together?’
‘Yes, of course,’ she replied promptly, refusing to let the fact that he did not love her spoil her pleasure in all the advantages of marriage with a man of his standing. ‘We like each other well and we both have much to gain from this marriage. I for one shall do all I can to be the kind of wife you require, to give you affection and to raise our children to respect and love their father, as well as caring for your comfort and that of your guests.’
‘Not quite in the same way, of course,’ he murmured huskily and reached for her, drawing her into his arms. His kiss surprised and shocked Charlotte for it was anything but passive. The heat seared through her as his lips pressed hers and his tongue flicked, seeking entrance. Instinctively, she parted her lips a little and heard his murmur of approval as his tongue moved inside her mouth, touching hers in a way that made her tremble and her body seem to melt in the heat of desire. His hand caressed the nape of her neck and he held her pressed to the length of him so that she felt the hardness of his arousal and understood what he was saying to her. This was not to be a tepid marriage, but one of passion, if not romantic love. ‘There are some privileges I reserve to myself as your husband.’
Charlotte felt as if she could stay this way for hours and yet there was a part of her that cried out for more, longing to feel his hands on her flesh and the heat of his own against her skin, for something she’d never known and could not truly imagine.
‘I meant only to make them welcome to our home,’ she murmured softly. ‘I take my marriage vows seriously, Jack. I have no intention of breaking them.’
‘It would go hard with you if you did,’ he said and kissed her neck. ‘What is mine belongs to me, Charlotte. Never forget it.’
She shook her head, but wanted to ask if he meant to keep as rigorously to his vows of fidelity. Yet she knew she dared not. Ladies did not demand such knowledge; they pretended they did not know when their husbands took a mistress and wept only when they were alone. It was an unspoken part of their bargain: Jack would give her everything but romantic love, and in return she must be a complacent wife—and that meant not questioning where he went or who he saw.
Would Charlotte cry many bitter tears over the years? The thought teased at her, but she would not let it bother her. Jack had never pretended to love her. He had given more than she might have expected and he was the man whose company she enjoyed above all others—she must not expect more than he could give.
Jack wanted an obliging wife, one happy to indulge him in their bedroom and to give him children. She had been reared properly and was well able to accept the duties that the future would bring when he stepped into his grandfather’s shoes, though she knew he hoped that would be many years ahead. He had chosen her because she had spirit and he wanted more than mere compliance from his wife. Charlotte would not always agree with him and she would stand her ground; she had an independent spirit and would expect him to accept her for what she was. If he could never love her, he must like her and
respect her, otherwise he would not have asked her to wed him.
‘I promise you shall have no reason to blush for me,’ she said and touched his cheek as he drew away. ‘I know that a man in your position must be sure that his sons are of his flesh and not that of his wife’s lover.’
He nodded, looking serious, almost as if he wished to say more—much more—but he shook his head, clearly deciding that they understood each other well enough for now.
‘I wish that I did not have to leave you here,’ he said. ‘Yet I do not wish to offer offence to my uncle and must let him down gently. I shall return as soon as I am able—but without fail before the end of next week.’
‘I shall see you to the door,’ she replied calmly. ‘You must go home and change or you will be late for your appointment—and we have guests this evening.’
‘Yes, I know,’ he replied and touched her hair. ‘Take care of yourself, Charlotte—and remember I shall soon be with you again.’
She smiled and accompanied him to the door, offering her hand for his to kiss under the eyes of the very correct footman who avoided looking at them directly, but opened the door at the precise moment Jack was ready to leave.
Charlotte turned and went upstairs to her bedchamber. It was time for her to change for the evening, though for some reason she felt more like weeping than entertaining her mama’s guests.
* * *
Not until she was alone in her bed that night did Charlotte have time to examine her feelings and discover why she’d felt so close to weeping after Jack had left her. She’d fought against admitting it to herself, but now understood that she was in love with him. It must have happened almost the first time they met, perhaps not in that brief instant when he’d pushed her behind him, giving her the opportunity to escape—but when he’d called the next day and the challenge in his eyes had made her want to strike out at him. At first she’d thought she was merely grateful for his intervention, but their first waltz had changed everything. The rush of sensations that had swept over her had been total and revealing, though she had still told herself it was merely the natural reaction of a young woman in the arms of a very charming and physical man.
She was to marry the man she loved with the force of her whole being, but he did not love her as she loved him. He was considerate, generous and a gentleman, and Charlotte had no doubt that he would treat her well. As his wife she would have everything she could desire—apart from his love. He would give her clothes, jewels and beautiful homes, and she would give him children in return, but he would never give her his heart, and perversely it was his heart that she coveted above all else.
Could she bear it, knowing through the years that however passionate he was in their bed, however kind and considerate in their private life, he did not love her as she loved him? It was a sobering thought and one that kept Charlotte awake for some hours, but eventually she slept, because there was no way around her dilemma. She feared it would break her heart if she did not wed him now—though he might well break it in the future, slowly, piece by piece.
To walk away from him now would bring her whole family down with her. No, she must keep to her bargain and never ever let Jack guess that she loved him more than her own life. If she did, he would feel trapped, and she knew that he needed to be free. It was the reason he’d chosen her for his wife. She had spirit and would not be crushed by his lack of affection for her and she would not shrink from doing her duty in his bed. Her only fear was that she might give him a revulsion of her by returning his passion too fiercely.
No, she must play her part skilfully so that he never guessed what was in her heart.
* * *
Charlotte began to play her part the next morning by entering into her mother’s plans for the wedding with every show of pleasure and excitement that would be expected. She visited the seamstresses her mama favoured, standing patiently for hours as she was measured and fitted for all the new clothes she would need. Mama was insistent on providing her with an expensive trousseau, even though she would be wealthy enough to buy whatever she wanted once she was Lady Delsey.
‘I cannot let you go without a decent trousseau,’ Mama said. ‘I have saved for this day, Charlotte, and the money is entirely my own—inherited from your great-grandfather, who left me several thousand pounds in trust. The capital will pass to your brother when I die, but the income has been mine since I married, and over the years I’ve put by for your wedding. You will have Papa’s gift of a diamond necklace and also some linen that belonged to my mother, but that is all we can give you, my love—apart from the small trust you know is yours.’
‘It is more than enough,’ Charlotte said. ‘I’m not sure how much Jack has settled on me, but I know he said I shall have as much pin money as I can spend.’
‘Yes, indeed. I have not seen the marriage contract, but your papa said it was generous. None the less, that does not mean you should go empty-handed, dearest.’
‘I did not want you to beggar yourself for my sake, that is all,’ Charlotte replied. ‘Thank you for giving me this Season, Mama—and now all these lovely clothes.’
‘I think you will be happy, at least at first,’ her mother said anxiously. ‘Marriage is never like the fairytale endings in books, Charlotte. Viscount Delsey is a gentleman and I believe he will be discreet. I think he will not deliberately hurt you, but if he goes off to stay in London or...away somewhere...at certain times, especially when you are in a delicate condition...you must not mind too much. Gentlemen need their pleasures and they do not like their wives to hang on their sleeve all the time.’
‘Did Papa have a mistress?’ Charlotte asked and her mama gasped, looking shocked. ‘Does it distress you to speak of it? Forgive me, I did not mean to hurt you, Mama.’
‘I have never spoken of these things, to your father—or to anyone, even my own mother, when she lived. It is not done, Charlotte. We guess, but as long as we do not let ourselves know, we can pretend that everything is as it should be. Your husband intends to be generous and he will be courteous and considerate. You should not expect more, unless you wish for disappointment.’
‘No, I suppose not,’ Charlotte agreed. ‘Yet it seems a little unfair if we are expected to be faithful all our lives and they do just as they please.’
‘Some ladies do not remain faithful,’ Mama said. ‘I was never too concerned about...what happens in the bedroom. Providing Papa was kind and did not abuse either my children or me, I had no wish to have a relationship outside my marriage. There are some ladies that do—once they have provided heirs for their husband’s estates.’
‘I cannot see how anyone could...’ Charlotte turned up her nose at the idea. ‘If you want to be happy and at peace—how can you give yourself in a clandestine affair? It must cause friction and distrust between husband and wife.’
‘If you are like me, you will not consider it,’ Mama said. ‘It may even be a relief if your husband does not come so often to your bed...though perhaps you may take after your grandmother. Lady Bella was very different. She provided her husband with three sons that were truly his, but after that...no one was ever certain who fathered her last three children. They had red hair and her husband was dark.’
Charlotte smiled at her mother’s disapproving look. She did not think she was like Mama, for she had been so aroused by Jack’s kisses that, had he wished it, she might have given herself to him the night they waltzed for the first time. Indeed, when he kissed her, her body tingled and called out for much more...for the things that would happen on their wedding night.
Mama had tried to explain, but her embarrassment had prevented her from more than a muddled instruction to lie back, close her eyes and allow her husband to do whatever he wished. Charlotte had once seen her father’s stallion coupling with a mare in the stableyard at home, and she’d been there when the foal was born some months later. It had give
n her an idea of what made babies and her brother had answered her questions more clearly than Mama.
‘It’s something that happens in marriage, Charlie,’ he’d said awkwardly. ‘A man has certain needs and his wife responds to that with love and passion. It’s kissing and touching, and—coupling, like the stallion only nicer, much nicer—and the wife lies on her back, usually anyway, though there are other ways.’
‘It isn’t wrong or nasty, is it?’ Charlotte asked him. ‘Only I saw one of the footmen and a maid sort of hugging in the stairwell once, and then, some months later, she was dismissed for being wicked.’
‘Yes, well, she ought to have waited for marriage,’ Matt had told her. ‘But it’s usually nice once you get used to it—I find most ladies like it.’
Charlotte pounced instantly, ‘You’re not married. Why can you do it and a girl can’t?’
‘Because men do—it’s just like going to bare-knuckle fights and cock baiting. We’re allowed, but ladies and females aren’t—though some of the lower-class ones do. I suppose some ladies do it, too, but discreetly and not until they are married, because it’s frowned on and they don’t want to be ruined if a baby comes.’
‘Yes, that’s what I heard Cook say—that poor Rosie had ruined herself and the man wouldn’t marry her, even though she swore the baby was his.’
‘You hear and see a lot of things you shouldn’t,’ Matt said and frowned at her. ‘Now don’t go repeating any of this to Mama or I shall get a thrashing for telling you.’
Charlotte had promised and she’d been careful not to let Mama know that she was aware of what happened in marriage, but she was glad that she had some idea so that she wouldn’t be afraid of anything Jack did when he came to her on their wedding night.
Mama seemed more interested in telling her how she must conduct herself as a hostess in her husband’s home, who she would need to curtsy to and who would now give way to her.
‘You will take precedence over ladies like me, Charlotte, but remember always to behave as if your companions are your equals when you are in society. It does not do to appear proud simply because you will be the wife of a viscount and, one day, a marquis.’