CHAPTER NINETEEN

C HAPTER N INETEEN

W hen Oriana arrived at Stanwood Place the next morning, Charlie welcomed her with a kiss. “Good morning.”

She placed the palm of her hand on his cheek. “Good morning to you. Can I expect to be greeted this way every morning?”

“That and more.” Smiling, he took her hand. “Come, the servants are ready to be presented to you.”

“So soon?” She had not planned for that this morning.

“Yes. There’s no reason to wait. Mrs. Pennymore, the housekeeper, whom we call Penny, is ready to show you around and has the latest inventory for your review.”

“Where will you be while I am seeing the house?” Oriana had wanted him to accompany her.

“I have a few last minute things I must complete, but I’ll find you when I’m finished.” He gave her a sly grin, and she wondered what he was up to.

“Very well.” She took a breath. “Let us get on with the formalities.”

He turned her around, and she was shocked to see that the household had quietly taken their places behind them, going up the stairs and into the hall. “How on earth did they accomplish that?”

“I can only suppose it is their attempt to impress you.” Charlie tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and laughed.

The butler, whose name she remembered was Royston, bowed. “Miss, I am pleased to formally welcome you to Stanwood Place.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” She inclined her head and smiled.

He indicated an older woman next to him. “Allow me to present Mrs. Pennymore, our housekeeper.”

“I have been told the family calls you Penny.”

“Yes, miss. I hope you will too. Welcome.”

She was guided up the steps and into the hall as the servants were introduced to her. Oriana repeated their names and asked a question about all of them to make it easier for her to recall their names and positions.

When she was done Charlie took her to the morning room, and suddenly she was in his arms. “How did you do that?”

“I’ve dreamed of you in my arms so often it seemed natural.” She reached up and brought his head down to kiss him just as a tap sounded on the open door.

“My lord, miss. I have brought tea,” Royston said.

Oriana’s cheeks heated and she knew they must be bright red.

Charlie nuzzled the side of her head. “Please put it on the table.”

“As you wish.” The light sound of a tray being placed on a table sounded. “Lady Charlotte will be here momentarily.”

He heaved a sigh and muttered, “So much for being alone.”

Oriana did not know what he had expected. “You are the one who planned this.”

“Obviously without thinking it all through.” He touched her forehead with his. “I was so excited for you to be here, to meet the household and see the house, I forgot to make time for us.”

“We will have time later.” She could imagine him making the plans to surprise her. “Thank you for wanting the staff to be made known to me.”

“If I had my way, we’d be married today.” He wrapped his arms around her. “And spend the rest of the day exploring each other rather than the house.”

“Ahem,” Charlotte said from the door. “You can finish that later. Oriana, Penny and I have a great deal to accomplish today.” She raised a brow at Charlie. “Do you not have something you must complete?”

“Ah, yes. I do.” He gave Oriana a swift kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

She couldn’t stop herself from watching him leave. “You two are being rather secretive.”

Charlotte grinned. “Part of it is a surprise for you and the other part is something he must accomplish before you two can wed. Do you have a solicitor or a man of business who has a list of all your property? They must be included in the trust.”

“List?” Oriana had remembered Charlie saying something about keeping all of her property in trust. Somehow she had not thought about having to give him a list.

“Yes. All your assets will be placed in a trust.” Charlotte gave her a significant look. “That means everything, including your clothing.”

“Good Lord.” Oriana took a sip of the tea Charlotte had poured. “When does it need to be done?”

“Within the next two days.” Charlotte took a sip of her own tea. “It must be sent to our solicitor in London.”

Suddenly Oriana wanted a glass of wine. “I will have to start on it today.”

“Theo, Mary, and I will help you.” Her future sister-in-law reached across the table and patted her hand. “I have experience, and the girls are excellent at details. Aside from that, Theo must make her own list for next year in the event she finds a gentleman to wed.”

“I am more thankful than I can say. I have an inventory from when I inherited, but I do not think it has been made current.”

“That is a place to begin. I would be astonished if your maid does not have a catalogue of your clothing and jewelry.”

That was true. Oriana had simply never thought about it. “My stablemaster will know what I have in the way of tack, horses, and carriages, and the head gardener will have information about the grounds.” This might not be as bad as she thought. “I do have a man of business who I inherited from my grandmother. I will have to find his direction.”

“There, you see?” Charlotte smiled. “It is almost all completed. I am certain it will not take long at all. Shall I come to you tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, please. I would like this finished as quickly as possible.” Oriana breathed a sigh of relief. No one was going to be able to blame her for the wedding being delayed.

Charlotte rose as Penny entered the morning room. “Let us get on with it.”

The first thing Oriana was given were inventories of plates, silver, and linens. Then the tour began. They started at the top, where it was obvious the nursery and bedrooms had been remodeled fairly recently.

“Grace had it done,” Charlotte said. “However, she did not feel as if she had the right to refurbish the rest of the house.”

“At least this is one thing I do not need to do.” Oriana strolled around the large airy space and peeked into the separate rooms set aside for art, music, and other subjects. “This is very nice.” Any child would like it. The nursery was much the same. An ornate child’s bed stood in one room. She ran her hand over the smooth dark wood. “This is quite ancient.”

“It is the heir’s bed,” Charlotte said. “I do not even know how old it is, but more than a few generations of Carpenter heirs slept here.”

It made Oriana want to give Charlie an heir. She resisted touching her stomach. She could be pregnant now. “Where shall we go next?”

“We can save the attics for later.” Charlotte turned to Penny. “Lead on, if you please.”

Oriana decided that all the hangings must be replaced, as well as the bed counterpanes. The carpets and rugs were in good condition; however most of the furniture either needed to be replaced or recovered. The last rooms they came to were the master apartments.

Despite being told there was only one bedroom, it took her aback. Although after making love with Charlie, she would rather sleep with him than alone.

He was waiting there for her. “You have a parlor and a dressing room, but the bedchamber has always been shared.”

After what she had been told of the family, she supposed that made sense. And did she truly need a separate bedroom? She wrapped her arms around him. “A tradition we will continue.”

“It is time for you to select your ring. I have several from which you may choose.” He took her hand and they walked to a small rectangular table next to a window with a view to the back garden. A good-sized brown leather-covered box was on it. Charlie opened it. “These are the various rings that have been used as betrothal rings over the years.”

One ring immediately caught her eye. A bluish-colored opal set in plain gold and surrounded by smaller diamonds. Her mother had once had an opal ring, but it was part of the estate and had gone to her cousin. She touched it. “This one.”

Charlie picked it up and slid it onto her finger. “This is the one I hoped you would like.”

“You were right.” Oriana wrapped her arms around his neck. “There are a great many things about which you have been right.”

“Really?” Heat as well as a smile lurked in his blue eyes. “Such as?”

“Colors.” She kissed the side of his well-molded mouth. “I really had no idea what the best colors for me were.”

He kissed along her jaw. “Anything else?”

“That this could work out between us.” She placed a kiss on his strong chin. “I could not see how it was possible, then it was terribly important that it did.”

He palmed one of her breasts, and it swelled at the same time her nipple tightened. “When was that?”

The day in the store. She had never known a man could want her for herself. “When I realized that if I was not already in love with you, I was close to it.”

One of his hands moved over her derrière. “You were correct about things as well.”

She had not felt as if she had been right about anything to do with him. “I have no idea what.”

He pressed her to him, and she knew how much he desired her. “I needed to understand that you weren’t going to simply give yourself to me. I had to earn your trust and love.”

Oriana leaned back. “When did you fall in love with me?”

“If not the first time I met you, it was definitely the second time.” He grinned and kissed her. “I had never met anyone like you before.”

“Or been unceremoniously turned out.” She chuckled.

“At first you reminded me of an enraged banty hen. Then I saw you as a golden warrior who would not be defeated.” He was slowly moving her back toward the high massive bed.

No one had ever called her a warrior before. “And have you defeated me?”

“Not I.” His eyes widened in surprise. “I have formed an alliance with you.”

Her bodice sagged. He really was very good at seducing her. She pushed off his jacket. “I am not certain how to do this without everyone knowing what we did.”

“Turn around.” His voice was a low growl, and she did as he asked. “You’ll like this.”

That she did not doubt at all. Her gown rose and his fingers stroked the area between her legs and, just as she was about to demand more, he was inside her. This time there was only heat and wanting. He pulled her against him as he moved his fingers over her mons. She grabbed onto the bedcover and buried her face in it as she exploded a few seconds later, and he followed. As he had in the cottage, he left for a brief moment and applied a cool cloth to clean her. Yesterday she thought she had never been happier, but today she was even more so. He was perfect.

Charlie finished cleaning Oriana and then himself. If only he could work out a way not to have to wait for two weeks, but he would never hear the end of it from his family if he wed without them being here, and it would take longer than a week for his sister Alice to arrive, not to mention getting a message to her in the first place. He didn’t even know where Augusta was. He hoped someone did.

He kissed Oriana again. “I’m famished. It must be almost time for luncheon.”

“I am hungry as well.” She shook out her skirts as he refastened her hooks.

“Let’s go find out what we have to eat.”

“Do I look like I have been making love?” She glanced around for a mirror.

“You look perfect. I told you I’d be careful.” He took her hand in his. “Let’s go eat.”

They met a footman on the way downstairs. “My lord, I was sent to find you. Luncheon has been laid out in the small dining room. Mrs. Penny would like to finish the tour after you eat.”

Charlotte was there when Charlie and Oriana arrived. “I received a letter from Con. He and the children will be here next week.”

“I suppose the rest of the family will begin arriving around then.” Charlie took a piece of rare roast beef. “What would you like, my love?”

“I will have some chicken, please.” Oriana smiled at him.

The way she looked at him, with love and trust, not only made him glad, but firmed his need to take care of her. He’d never been so happy in his life.

He waited until she had added some salad, cheese, and a piece of fresh bread to her plate before saying, “I remodeled the kitchen in order to keep the French cook I hired.”

Her lips trembled as if she was going to burst out in laughter. “Thank you for telling me.” She turned to his sister. “What more is there to see except the main floor?”

“That is it. Charlie refurbished his study. The library is in excellent condition. As is the ballroom. The only rooms left are the drawing rooms and parlors, unless you want to make changes to the morning room.”

He held his breath. Even if it was a little shabby, he liked the morning room the way it was.

Oriana shook her head. “I find it to be comfortable and cozy for such a large space.”

He blew out the breath. “I do as well. Perhaps later we could do something. Although with children and dogs—”

“Dogs?” She stared at him.

He’d totally forgotten that she had not met Apollo. “There is something I must rectify.” Rising, he went to the door. “Please have Apollo brought in.”

“Right away, my lord.” The footman strode off.

Charlie went to Oriana. “I forgot that you have not met Apollo.”

“I remember you mentioning an Apollo when you showed me your curricle, but I had no idea it was a dog.”

As if he’d been waiting to be called, the Great Dane entered the room and went to Charlie. “Apollo, sit and greet Oriana.”

The Dane immediately did as he was told by holding up a paw for her to take.

“You are handsome.” She beamed, took the paw, and shook it. “How did I miss seeing him?”

“I was being on my best behavior.” He hadn’t thought to take the Dane courting.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You said dogs .”

“Ah, yes.” Charlie regained his seat. “I have been casting around for a female dog so that we can have puppies.”

“Are you planning to keep them all?” Oriana had a suspicious look on her mien.

“No, not all of them.” He felt as sheepish as he sounded.

Charlotte started to laugh. “They usually go to family and friends.”

“Posy, Grace and Matt’s female, is getting too old to breed. She unfortunately lost the last two litters, ergo, three of our sisters want Danes but do not yet have them.”

Apollo was trying to do his part in convincing Oriana to agree by laying his head on her lap. She unconsciously began petting him. “But our child will be an infant for a while.”

“They are excellent with children of all ages,” Charlotte reassured his betrothed. “This is particularly true when they are young and need to be looked after.”

“I have never considered having a large dog in the house.” She glanced down and almost rolled her eyes. “Although I can see how easy it is to have one in the house. He is very loveable.” Apollo glanced up at her. “I suppose I should agree to getting you a companion.”

Charlotte exchanged a glance with Charlie and grinned. He looked at Oriana, who was still stroking the dog. “I’m glad you agree.”

His sister placed her serviette on the table. “You will meet some of his littermates and his parents within the next two weeks. They are all just as calm and loving.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Oriana pushed back her chair and addressed the dog. “I must be going now. There are still parts of the house I have not seen yet.”

Charlie rose and offered her his hand. “If you don’t stand, he won’t leave.”

She gave the dog a final pat and pushed his head off her lap, earning her a hurt look from Apollo. “I am sorry. We will have more time together later.”