Chapter 4

Chapter Four

DINNER WITH A RAKE

" I cannot believe you are engaged, and you did not think to tell us!" Philippa exclaimed as she looked at Charlotte from across the room.

"I… It slipped my mind." Charlotte tugged at an imagined bit of fluff on her dress and avoided her sister's accusatory stare.

This was made somewhat easier by the fact that both Philippa and Evelyn were having their hair done in preparation for that evening's dinner with the Duke. My fiancé.

She still could not believe she had agreed to the ridiculous affair. The amount of money is unthinkable; surely doing the unthinkable is justified? Think of your sisters. Charlotte glanced at her sisters and regretted it instantly.

Philippa was staring at her, mouth agape, as was Evelyn. Charlotte tried not to smile; she knew the twins hated being told they were identical.

"It slipped your mind? How on Earth can that sort of thing slip your mind?" Philippa demanded, exchanging a bewildered look with her twin.

Philippa absentmindedly stroked the top of her arm. Charlotte clenched her fist. Do not be ridiculous, there isn't even a mark.

That was what their stepmother had said when Philippa had yelped in pain at her grip. Charlotte forced the image from her mind. I must protect them — the sooner I can have them gone from this house, and away from that woman, the better. I'm doing this for them.

"Tell us more about your engagement," Philippa insisted.

"There's not much to tell. It just…happened." Charlotte shrugged.

"It just ‘happened'? Honestly, can you believe what our dear sister is saying?" Philippa sounded disgusted but managed to refrain from shaking her head. "We are talking about an engagement. To a Duke! Not an unfortunate spill on your ball gown."

"We tell you everything. Without hesitation. Why, you were the first person I told about… well, you know!" Charlotte knew perfectly well that Evelyn was referring to her courtship with Lord Belton but dared not draw attention to it with the maids in the room.

"I thought I was the first person you told?" Philippa folded her arms across her chest, sounding hurt.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "I did not need to tell you, given that you informed yourself."

"What do you mean?" Phillipa asked, confused.

"Did you or did you not read a letter meant for my eyes only that gave the game away?" Evelyn asked sweetly.

Charlotte bit back a laugh, not wanting to draw either of her sister's attention. At least if they are bickering, they will leave me alone about the dratted Duke. God, how am I supposed to keep this up?

"I cannot recall," Philippa said in a way that indicated that she clearly did recall exactly what her twin was referring to.

"Then allow me to refresh your memory:" Evelyn's voice was still dangerously sweet, and Charlotte knew her sister well enough to sense the anger hidden beneath it. "I returned from a rather pleasant walk to find you, reading a letter from… Well, you know who it was from, and before I had a chance to be aghast, you pressed me for every bit of information about the entire… um… arrangement."

"Well, it can hardly be helped if the footman thought I was you; it's only natural that one reads a letter one is handed and told that it is for you." Philippa batted her eyelids, affecting a wholly overacted expression of innocence.

Charlotte snorted which was thankfully ignored by her sisters.

Evelyn glowered at Philippa. "It had my name on it."

"I do not think it did." Philippa fanned herself absently.

"It definitely did."

"I think your memory is failing you."

"I think you are a lying —"

"I think that is quite enough, sisters. Things are getting rather heated," Charlotte interjected, sensing that the twins were about to get into a shouting match and deciding that the last thing they needed was their stepmother arriving.

Charlotte glanced at the door, listening for the familiar sound of her stepmother's ridiculous house shoes, but she could hear nothing. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to find both of her sisters watching her intently. Drat.

"You know, Charlotte, I think you are quite right. Ah, thank you Anna." Evelyn was momentarily distracted by her lady's maid who had finished her hair. "No, you need not stay, I have everything in hand. And thank you so much, my hair looks truly fantastic."

"A pleasure, My Lady." Anna curtsied and left.

"You may also leave Julia." Philippa added. "You have done a wonderful job; I do not know how you manage it."

Charlotte watched the maids leave the room and felt a swell of envy and trepidation swell within her chest. Hold it together. It's just your younger sisters, you can manage them.

"So, now that we are alone, why not tell us about our soon to be brother-in-law?" Evelyn said, sitting beside Charlotte as she did so.

"Yes, we want to hear all about the Duke." Philippa sat on the other side of Charlotte, who was increasingly beginning to feel like a cornered mouse.

"What do you mean tell you about the Duke? What more is there to know? You already know that we are engaged. That he is a duke. You have met him —" Charlotte extracted herself from her sisters and moved to the opposite side of the room, forcing herself not to wrap her arms around herself.

I must keep up the charade. I cannot let them know the truth. Charlotte waved a hand dismissively, trying to keep her voice cool and nonchalant as she said, "I'm not avoiding anything. It is not my fault if your questions are vague. What on Earth does ‘tell me about the Duke' even mean?"

"Well, what is he like? Is he kind? Funny?" Evelyn stood up and moved towards Charlotte.

She backed away without thinking. "I — maybe? Perhaps?"

"How did you two meet? How long have you been courting?" Philippa had also stood and was bearing down upon Charlotte.

Charlotte tried to recall the lie she had told her mother two nights before, but before she could say anything, Evelyn had interjected.

Evelyn asked, "Will you marry by special license? Or a more traditional route?"

"Does he have any siblings or perhaps handsome cousins?" Philippa waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Charlotte suspected that she was only half joking.

If she hadn't been in such a state of panic, she would have teased her sister.

She was continuing to back away from her sisters. Is this what the poor fox feels like when the hounds are at its heels?

"Is he good company?" Philippa asked, and at the same time Evelyn asked, "When did you know you were in love?"

"Love?" Charlotte repeated, her heart racing as she continued her retreat.

"You are in love, are you not?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Charlotte, please, you cannot possibly be marrying him for anything other than love." Philippa grabbed her hand.

Charlotte's back brushed against the wall behind her. Her sisters' panicked expression only fuelled the tumult of emotion. She wanted to run, to hide. To be anywhere but here.

The sound of roaring filled her ears. Her sisters kept pressing her.

"Charlotte, you are in love?"

"Charlotte, you are marrying for love, please tell me it is so!"

Something within her snapped, and the words poured out of her mouth before she could stop them "I am not marrying him at all. We are not engaged!"

There was a moment of stunned silence as each of her sisters took a step away from her, confusion evident on their faces. Charlotte's heart was racing; she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

"What do you mean you are not engaged?" Philippa sounded scandalised. "You… He is not… You are not."

"No, nothing like that." Charlotte shuddered. "The furthest thing from it actually."

Charlotte glanced towards the door, straining her ears for the tell-tale sound of her stepmother's shoes. There was nothing. Sighing, she beckoned her sisters closer.

"You must swear to tell no one," Charlotte whispered.

Evelyn gave her a frank look. "Of course, we would never tell a soul."

"It is us three against the world, remember? We are the three musketeers." Philippa held Charlotte's hand, smiling kindly at her.

"Except we are women," Charlotte pointed out, smiling back at her.

"And we do not fence," Evelyn added helpfully.

"Yes, excepting those things." Philippa shook her head in exasperation and amusement. "Now, explain everything you have just said, and be quick."

Charlotte took a steadying breath and launched into the entire mad affair. Her sisters listened in a kind of awestruck silence, each shushing the other when it looked like they might interrupt.

"And you would have enough money to marry Lord Belton. And Philippa, you could have your pick of any man in the land. You would have a dowry that would make you a worthy prospect for a prince, let alone a duke!" Charlotte gestured around them excitedly, still taking pains to keep her voice low.

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Michael's father would not be able to stop us marrying then."

"Indeed not. And as the games will be at the Caverton estate, no doubt Lady Bellmore will wish to accompany me for the sake of propriety. So, you would have the rest of the season with Aunty Lydia, and she would no doubt find you a much better match than our stepmother ever could." Charlotte beamed at her sisters.

"You could lose," Evelyn pointed out.

Charlotte shrugged. "We could, but even if that is the case, mother would at least be out of your hair for however long these Dabbles last."

"But what about you?" Philippa asked, exchanging a look with her twin. "You would be married to a man you did not love."

"No, I will not," Charlotte continued, seeing the confusion on her sister's face. "I will have enough money that I will never have to marry any man. Once we have won these… ‘games', everything will be perfect."

"But what of your reputation? If you break off the engagement, won't you be ruined?" Philippa bit her bottom lip.

"With that kind of money, I will have no need to worry about my own reputation." Charlotte saw the worry on her sisters faces. "And do not worry, we will not break off the engagement until you are both safely married. After which, the Duke and I will go our separate ways."

"But what if you fall in love?" Evelyn pouted her lips thoughtfully.

Charlotte snorted. "Pfffft. Believe you me, my darling Evelyn, there is no chance that such a thing will occur."

"Why not? He seemed rather nice when we were dancing." Evelyn frowned.

"He is a rake." Charlotte let distaste colour her words. A memory threatened to swim to the forefront of her mind, but she forced it away. "They always seem nice at first, but that is all it is. It is all some illusion. Believe you me, they are charming, interesting, but they are not to be relied on."

"But how do you know he is a rake?" Philippa asked.

"It is his reputation. Such things are rarely unearned," Charlotte answered.

"But they can be disproportionate. Perhaps he is not as bad as they make him out to be," Evelyn said reasonably.

Charlotte waved her hand dismissively. "Regardless, I do not plan on falling in love. This is purely a matter of duty."

"Of duty? To who?" Philippa looked at Eveyln, who seemed just as confused as she was.

"To you, of course, both of you. I swore to mother on her deathbed that I would do all I could to keep you safe. And I will honour that vow until my dying day." Charlotte took both their hands in hers and looked into their eyes, willing them to see how seriously she meant her words.

The door to the bedroom burst open, and they all jumped, whirling around. Before them stood their stepmother, frowning suspiciously at them.

"What are you three plotting?" Lady Bellmore asked.

"Why do you assume we are plotting? Not all of us are as politically inclined as you, mother dearest." Charlotte stepped between her sisters and their stepmother.

Lady Bellmore rolled her eyes. "Are you this combative with your intended?"

"Perhaps he likes a little fighting spirit." Charlotte smiled sweetly.

"Or perhaps you reserve such delightful behaviour for me." Lady Bellmore tilted her head to survey Philippa and Evelyn's hair, adjusting strands here and there.

"I suppose we shall never know." Charlotte folded her arms across her chest.

"Perhaps not. Regardless, we must make the most of this opportunity. Matches like this are practically a once in a lifetime occurrence, and the fact you have secured such a match, well… that is good news for all of us." Lady Bellmore adjusted Evelyn's necklace, frowned, and then replaced it with a pearl one.

"For all of us?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow, watching Lady Bellmore like a hawk.

"Of course, the success of you girls is a reflection on your father and of course, me." Lady Bellmore turned away from Evelyn and Philippa to face Charlotte. "While I had prepared myself to suffer the indignity of my oldest stepchild remaining a perpetual spinster, I must say I prefer this turn of events. And you are to be married to a duke!"

"Careful mother, that sounds dangerously close to a compliment." Charlotte smiled daggers.

"Perhaps you deserve one. It is something to be celebrated, securing such a prestigious match." Lady Bellmore pursed her lips, reached towards Charlotte, and then clearly thought better of it, instead smoothing out her own skirts. "The women at the bridge club will be beside themselves with jealousy. My daughter, the unmarriable Charlotte, has won the heart of the ton's most elusive bachelor."

Charlotte knew the woman had long given up trying to control her, but the thought of Charlotte's marriage (fake as it might be) bringing her stepmother some kind of societal standing was irksome to say the least.

She was unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice as she said, "Yes, that is the point of my marriage. So that you can brag to all your friends about it. I thought you taught us that humility is a virtue."

"It is hardly bragging." Lady Bellmore gestured dismissively as she said, "Simply stating a fact. After all, you are engaged to the ton's most elusive bachelor. If that fact happens to cause a little stir amongst the members of the ton, well, who am I to tell others how to feel?"

"Oh, you would not dream of doing such a thing." Charlotte shook her head.

"I assume you will be changing before dinner." Her stepmother gestured towards Charlotte. "Though you are leaving it rather late."

"I would be, if I had any intention of changing into something else, but this is what I plan on wearing." Charlotte gritted her teeth, making her smile into more of a grimace.

"Charlotte, just because you are engaged does not mean you can forsake propriety and etiquette." Her stepmother frowned disapprovingly.

"I am forsaking neither. This is evening wear." She gestured to her gown.

The gown in question was a plain silk dress in yellow, elegantly cut though the waistline had gone out of fashion some years ago. Charlotte liked the dress, and it was one of the newer ones she owned. She had also chosen it because she knew it would irritate her mother.

"Barely." Lady Bellmore narrowed her eyes even further.

"Barely still counts." Charlotte shrugged. I am right, and you know it. You cannot force me to change.

"It is so unfashionable." Her stepmother sighed, but Charlotte knew that the woman understood the fight was over.

Charlotte replied sweetly. "Unfashionable does not make it improper."

"I do wish you would get some new dresses. Though, I suppose I should not complain overly. After all, it gives me more to spend on your sisters, who at least seem to appreciate such finery." Lady Bellmore beamed at Evelyn and Philippa.

Charlotte said nothing. The truth was, she had chosen not to have new dresses exactly for that reason. The less that was spent on her, the more could be spent on Evelyn and Philippa. And that will help them secure the future they deserve.

"Well, at least I will not have to worry about you being late to dinner." Lady Bellmore shook her head and made her way towards the door.

"I would not dream of such a thing," Charlotte called after her.

"Of course, you wouldn't." Lady Bellmore paused as she reached the door, glancing over her shoulder as she said, "Which reminds me, His Grace has arrived."

"Already? But dinner is not for another hour!" Charlotte felt a thrill travel through her. What on Earth is he playing at?

"Your father thought it would be best to take some time to get to know the young man who will be marrying his oldest daughter. They are walking the grounds together and are not to be interrupted."

Charlotte swallowed. Her father was spending time with her fake fiancé. Alone. If the thought hadn't been so horrifying, she would have laughed. She wondered how the Duke would fare under the watchful eye of her father.

She caught her sisters' eyes and could tell they were thinking the same thing. Depending on how the Duke handled their father, this engagement could be over before it the first course was served. This is going to be an interesting night.