Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

IN IT TO WIN IT

C harlotte told herself that she was only holding as tightly as she was to Dominic for safety's sake. After all, she had no desire to fall off the horse and sitting without a saddle was hard work.

Yet as the cold wind bit at her skin, she could not help but appreciate the warmth of both horse and rider. There was something reassuring about the hardness of Dominic, the solidity of him as they cantered down the path. She found herself inhaling deeply, and realising what she was doing, she stopped, her cheeks flushing a deep scarlet.

"Are you all right back there, Precious Plum?" Dominic called.

"Yes, thank you, Sweetkins." Charlotte replied, grateful that Dominic could not see the flush on her cheeks.

"There is a small tree across the road. I can probably find a way around it —"

"Why not jump it?"

"I worry that it would put you unnecessarily at risk."

"It will only be a small jump." Charlotte peered around Dominic at the tree. "I am sure we will manage."

"If you are certain."

"I am."

"Very well." Charlotte felt Dominic take a steadying breath, his muscles tightening as he prepared for the landing.

Her heart sped up. The horse leapt, and her breath caught. A moment later, they landed, and she felt herself slide. Dominic's firm arm gripped hers and held her steady.

A few moments later, he said, "We're here."

The horse slowed, and gently, Dominic lowered Charlotte to the ground with the help of one of the waiting grooms. That would explain why there were so few on hand at the stables.

He jumped down beside her and absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair. Charlotte noticed a leaf in it and without thinking, reached towards him to pluck it from his hair. His eyes widened, and then he saw the leaf in her fingers.

There was a moment of silence as Charlotte hastily took a step back, her cheeks burning.

"Shall we have a look at the map?" Charlotte asked as she pulled it out of her cloak pocket. "It looks like our next challenge to walk this path through the gardens."

"That seems suspiciously simple." Dominic looked suspiciously at the path before them. "I feel like it is some kind of trap."

"Well, there is only one way to find out." Charlotte began to walk towards the path. "Besides, there are two other horses here, so we need to catch up to the others. Especially as I cannot see any sign of them in the gardens. How slowly did you ride here?"

Dominic shrugged. "Not too slowly, but more cautiously than I usually would. After all, I was carrying rather precious cargo."

He winked at her, and Charlotte rolled her eyes even as she felt her treacherous heart flutter in her chest. He is being cavalier and charming; it is just what rakes do.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves as they walked, and as it did, the smell of juniper and pine caught on the wind. Charlotte took a deep breath, feeling her shoulders relax as she did so.

She glanced at Dominic, who was wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. The gesture reminded her of how she had found him earlier, and she studied him curiously.

"What?" he asked, catching sight of her looking at him. "Am I so enthralling you can no longer keep your eyes from me?"

Charlotte snorted. "Hardly. Besides, this is only a business arrangement."

An odd, thin-lipped expression flashed across Dominic's face only to be replaced by a nonchalant shrug and a smile. "Of course, this is all just a means to an end."

"Exactly." She agreed feeling a stab of pain in her chest.

"Why were you looking at me?" Dominic asked.

"This morning… what happened?" Charlotte noticed Dominic's shoulders tense, his hands clench into fists.

"Oh, that… It was nothing. Nothing you need worry about. It will not change you getting what you are owed." He turned away from her.

"It did not look like nothing."

"Well, it was." Charlotte noticed the tension in Dominic's body.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should just let this go. But something about his brittle stance, the fragility, made her want to press on. I know how lonely it can be.

She looked at him and took a deep breath before she said, "You know, after my mother died, I used to wake in the night."

"Grief can do strange things to us." Dominic was still not quite looking at her, but Charlotte could tell the edge of his anxiety was softening.

"I thought I would not survive it," she said honestly, casting her mind back to that dark time. "I would feel as though my very heart were going to explode, like the air in the room had somehow turned solid. No matter what I did, I could not draw in enough breath. I would weep with fear and frustration."

The Duke stiffened, and Charlotte guessed that her words were describing his own turn.

"My father sent for doctor after doctor. And though each of them gave me tonics and tinctures, nothing seemed to help." She felt the familiar panic stir within her, the despair of all those years before. "I was beginning to lose hope."

"What changed?" Dominic asked softly, as though he barely dared ask.

"I met a midwife, a little outside of the village when I was out walking. And she suggested I take several sprigs of lavender and keep them by my bed," Charlotte explained. "She said that when I woke, I was to crush them and breathe deeply. That I should count while I breathed and match my breath to my counting."

"And did it work?"

"Yes." Charlotte glanced around them and gently bent down, plucking several sprigs of lavender from a nearby bush. I hope his grandmother will not mind.

She handed them to Dominic. "Take these, and keep them with you. Perhaps, if it happens again, they might help you."

Dominic said nothing for a while, looking at the sprigs in his hand. Carefully, he tucked them into a pocket of his cloak, and then his hazel eyes found hers.

"I do not think anyone has ever given me flowers before," he said simply, his lips quirking upwards. "I think I could grow to like it."

"It is barely a bouquet," Charlotte pointed out.

"Perhaps it is about the quality rather than the quantity." Dominic grinned at her. "Though if you wish to get me a bouquet, you may do so."

"It is tempting, if only to see how your cousins will tease you if I give you a dozen roses," Charlotte laughed, but an odd, unreadable look crossed Dominic's face at her words.

Before she could ask what it had meant, he scoffed and asked, "Roses? Really?"

"As though you would get me anything different." Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him. "I expect you give all your paramours red roses."

"I like to think I am more imaginative than that," Dominic replied. "Every man gives a woman red roses."

"Not every man." Charlotte remembered the last person who had given her roses. "Some give you white roses and pretend that they are worthy of you."

"A bold claim for any man to make. And not one to make lightly." Dominic gave her a serious look.

"Yet it was made lightly, or so I discovered later." Charlotte tried to sound nonchalant, but bitterness seeped into her voice.

"I would not make such a gesture lightly. If I thought I was worthy of you, I would mean it." Dominic took a step towards her, his hazel eyes soft and intent.

"Do you not think you are worthy of me?" She had meant the words to seem teasing, but they came out breathless.

"How could I be?" Dominic looked at her, and there was a flash of sadness in his face as he reached for her hand.

The sound of distant laughter cut through the moment and seemed to bring them both to the present. Dominic shook himself lightly and moved his hand away. Charlotte felt the loss of it though he had not touched her.

You are being ridiculous. Dominic walked a few steps, glanced over his shoulder, and then held out an arm to her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw other people making their way towards them and the next obstacle.

He is only doing this for the appearance. She looped an arm through his and tried to ignore the reassuring way it felt.

"Though in truth, I would have thought a rose would be a little boring for you," Dominic said after a moment of silence, his voice airy and light.

"Perhaps I like boring." She made a dismissive gesture.

"I find that hard to believe," he replied

"What flowers would you buy me then, if you were to choose?" she asked.

"That would depend." Dominic gave her a mischievous smile.

"On what?" She arched an eyebrow at him, her heart skipping a beat. Get a hold of yourself.

Dominic laughed. "On my reason for buying you flowers."

"How so?" she asked, puzzled.

"Well, if I were buying something to impress you, I would find something exotic and hard to get." Dominic glanced around them, as though looking for such a specimen in the garden.

"I believe that is why most people get roses," Charlotte pointed out. "Besides, would you really seek to impress me with your wealth?"

"That would not be my intention. It would be so that you knew I was willing to work hard for you." Dominic shook his head.

She frowned at him, trying to imagine how she might feel if he had given her such a bouquet. "You do not worry I would think you arrogant or vain?"

"Perhaps you would. Which is why I would not keep sending you such a flower." He waved a hand dismissively. "That is more a… a first meeting flower. To keep your interest, to get a sense of what you might like."

"You seem to have given this rather a lot of thought." Charlotte canted her head towards him.

"The giving of flowers is an art, and the right bloom can do wonders for a young lady's heart," Dominic replied in a sing song voice.

Of course, he would know just how to use flowers to win someone's heart. They are symbols, nothing more. "Oh look, you are a poet," Charlotte said sarcastically, hoping to convey her slight irritation.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Clearly sending poetry with my blooms would be a bad plan. That is good to know. And for what it is worth, I would get you primroses and violets."

"Why?" she frowned at him.

"Because they mean faithfulness and consistency, and these are qualities which you embody but which you also seek." His eyes were serious as he said it.

"I am surprised you did not opt for ivy in that case — after all it means fidelity," she replied sweetly.

"Would you believe such a claim from a rake?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

The question caught Charlotte off guard. "I suppose not."

"Exactly," Dominic continued. "Besides, ivy is not the right flower for you."

"I suppose you are going to say thistle or some such thing." She hugged her arms around her.

"That would be the obvious choice. You are certainly prickly enough. Ow!" he yelped as she swatted at him.

"You deserved it," Charlotte said, unrepentantly. "What flower would you give me?"

"Honestly? I would send you love-in-a-mist because you puzzle me. And then I would add morning glory, so you would know I mean it affectionately," Dominic said.

Charlotte looked at him, a fluttering sensation in her stomach. She surveyed him for a moment, struggling to think of something to say. "You know, you might save yourself some trouble if you just asked me what my favourite flower was."

"And where would the fun be in that?" Dominic winked at her.

"You are incorrigible." She smiled at him.

"And what, dear Precious Plum, would you give me?" Dominic asked.

"Something puzzling, Sweetkins," Charlotte replied and walked off, calling over her shoulder.

Charlotte smiled to herself and saw Lady Andrea and a few others gathered ahead of them. It was time to put games aside and win the next challenge.

Dominic caught up to her, and together, they approached the next obstacle on the map, and Charlotte suddenly understood why. Before them was a small, shallow trench. She suspected it would usually be a flower bed, but instead, it had been turned into something of a mud pit.

At one end of the pit was a starting line, and the other end was the finish line. No one had yet ventured into the muddy mess, and Charlotte understood their reluctance. I wish I had worn my older riding habit.

"I will understand if you do not want to do this," Dominic murmured. "But I have come too far to give up now."

Dominic strode into the pit with two wet sounding footsteps and grimaced before turning back to Charlotte and calling, "It really is rather lovely; care to join me, Precious Plum?"

"Of course, Sweetkins," Charlotte called back. I can cope with a little dirt.

She took a steadying breath and walked into the mud. She sunk with a squelch and winced. Stepm other will be furious; these riding boots are practically new.

"Trust Grandmother to come up with something like this," Dominic grumbled beside her. "Still, I am glad you joined me. With any luck, we'll manage to get to the end unscathed."

"How could I resist joining you? In truth, this is not so awful as I imagined," Charlotte replied, taking another step.

She glanced around them and saw Lady Andrea holding two sticks, clearly trying to compare the height of them.

Their eyes met, and then Lady Andrea stepped into the mud pit, using the sticks for balance, a determined expression on her face.

"Drat, I wish I had thought of that. If we hurry up, we can probably stay far ahead of her."

"She is still moving slowly, even with her aids. I doubt she will risk falling," Dominic said.

"Well, we do not need to move as slow as snails. If I just move my foot like this and then like that, yes, I think I can move faster." Charlotte experimented with her foot positions, trying to ignore the unpleasant sloshing around her foot. Just focus on winning.

"Be careful," Dominic cautioned as he slipped beside her, almost losing his footing.

"Do not worry, I will be fine." She waved his concerns away as she took another step and then another, feeling more confident with each movement. "See? It is easy once you get the hang of… AAHH!"

Charlotte's foot slipped from beneath her, and she flailed wildly, hoping to catch something, anything to save her from falling. But there was nothing to grab, and instead, she plunged into the mud, sinking up to her elbows and waist.

Dominic looked at her, amusement plain on his face, clearly trying to stifle his laughter. "What were you saying?"

"I will have you know that this was all part of my plan," Charlotte replied, mustering as much dignity as she could caked in mud.

"Of course, it was." Dominic gave her look.

"It was, just —" Charlotte tried to stand and yelped in pain, clutching at her ankle, and sinking back into the mud. Drat.

Dominic moved to her side, the amusement in his face vanishing in an instant. "What happened?"

"It is nothing. Just, ah, my ankle." Charlotte winced as she tried to stand again. "I just need a moment. Do not worry about me; go on ahead."

"Do not be ridiculous." Dominic reached a hand towards her. "I can hardly leave you like this."

Dominic put an arm around her, pulling her into a standing position. "Can you put any weight on it?"

She tried and gasped as pain shot through her ankle, and she clutched at him to steady herself. "Dominic, you are wasting time. She is going to catch up."

He glanced at Lady Andrea, who was making slow but steady progress towards them, and then back at Charlotte. "God curse me for a fool."

"What?" Charlotte began, but before she could form her question, Dominic had swept her into his arms. "What are you doing? What if you fall? Your clothes, they will be ruined."

From the starting line, several people let out whoops and cheers, someone even whistled. Charlotte felt her cheeks redden.

"Look at Dorson!" a voice called. "Who would have thought him the gallant hero?"

"It seems ‘Sweetkins' cannot bear to leave his ‘Precious Plum' behind!" another voice called.

The crowd laughed. Charlotte was fairly certain it was not possible to actually die of embarrassment, but she wished it was. She looked at Dominic.

"Well, we might as well give them a show." Dominic moved through the pit, his steps slow and careful.

Charlotte's chest twisted, but she did not say anything. After all, that was what they were trying to do.

"What if you hurt yourself?" she asked.

"Then we shall both have to crawl to the end," Dominic answered. "But with any luck, it will not come to that."

"This is ridiculous," she groaned.

"I think you mean chivalrous," Dominic answered. "Now stop your wriggling, Precious Plum, or I will definitely fall."

Charlotte stopped trying to glance over Dominic's shoulder and instead focused on remaining as still as possible. Her ankle throbbed, and with each step, she worried that Dominic might lose his footing.

When they finally reached the finish line, he set her down gently and gestured for one of the servants to fetch a stool or something for her to sit on.

A moment later, the Dowager Duchess appeared looking amused. "An excellent show, dear boy. One hundred points for you and your future wife. And an extra thirty-seven for style."

"Thank you, Your Grace." Charlotte murmured.

"Now, try not to injure yourself again. Once is romantic, twice is just desperate." The Dowager Duchess gestured to a servant and turned on her heel calling over her shoulder. "Fetch a litter for Lady Charlotte, and bring her to the house."

Charlotte looked at Dominic who shrugged.

"It would appear we have won this one." Dominic looked at her.

"So, it would seem," Charlotte agreed. But why does it feel as though I have lost?