Chapter Three

Charles could not get Jane Carroway out of his head.

She was utterly beautiful, there was no denying that. But London was full of beautiful ladies. God knew he’d shared the company of quite a few before he’d taken the trip to the countryside. But Lady Jane was different.

She didn’t wear her beauty like a mask, with a demure and ladylike persona only created to attract a husband. She carried herself as if she didn’t care what she looked like, as if she did what she needed to care for her body and let the chips fall where they did. As if she cared more about the world around her rather than how the world perceived her.

Charles shook his head at the thought, earning a curious glance from his steward who had arrived at the manor shortly after Charles did, bearing the rest of his luggage. Since he hadn’t a clue how long he planned on staying at Crompton Estate, Charles had opted to bring almost half his wardrobe. He wondered what Lady Jane would say about that. Would she still think him to be a London fancy pant?

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Charles muttered to himself and this time, his steward seemed more concerned than worried. Charles ignored him, turning to view himself in the mirror. His cravat was expertly tucked into his crisp white shirt, his dark waistcoat matching his breeches and black boots. Charles had considered adding a tailcoat but decided against it. It would be appropriate in London but he could afford to dress more comfortably.

“Thank you, Henry,” Charles said to the steward, clapping him on the shoulder. “Great work, as always.”

“’Tis my pleasure, Your Grace,” Henry said, bowing slightly as he stepped out of Charles’ way. “I hope you enjoy this evening’s dinner.”

Charles thought about tonight’s intended company and couldn’t stop the smile that touched his lips. “As do I.”

He left the bedchamber with a pep in his step, resisting the urge to rake his fingers through his hair lest he ruin it. The closer he drew to the drawing room, where he knew Stephen and Louisa would gather to await their guests, his heartbeat began to speed up.

To his surprise, the closer he drew to the drawing room, the more noise he could hear. It was as if several people were talking over each other. The talking was nothing but a cacophony of noise by the time he made it to the door.

He didn’t get a chance to process what was happening before Stephen came barreling up to him the moment he stepped through the door.

“Here he is!” Stephen hollered over the noise. “This is a good thing, everyone! Now, you will all see that I am right when Charles agrees with me.”

“Agrees with what?” Charles asked him, completely bemused. Stephen said nothing, pulling him into the center of the drawing room where everyone else was gathered. It seemed he was the last to arrive.

A man shot to his feet, waving his hand in disagreement. Even though it had been a while since he’d last seen him, Charles instantly recognized it was his old friend Gregory. His brown hair had grown a little longer and there was a slight buzz of hair covering the lower half of his face, but he looked the same otherwise.

Charles smiled a little at the sight of him, happy to see him again, but then his eyes landed on Jane. She sat to the far left of the company, a smile on her face as she listened to the argument before her. But when their eyes met, the smile widened a little, as if she had been waiting to see him.

The sight of her was like a punch to his guts. Charles was suddenly glad that Stephen was holding onto him because he was certain his knees would have either given way or his legs would have taken him straight to her side.

Unlike the other ladies in the room, Jane wore her hair down her shoulders, as if she hadn’t cared to style it. She shifted slightly in her chair, bringing Charles’ attention to the simple yet elegant blue dinner gown she wore. He was tempted to ignore everything going on around him and go straight to her but then was distracted by the ensuing argument.

“No, no, no!” Gregory said heatedly. “That isn’t fair. You’re doing this because you know that Charles will agree with you!”

“I’m sure Charles has a mind of his own,” Louisa spoke up, a miraculous feat considering the fact that she had to cut into Stephen’s response. “He won’t just mindlessly agree with whatever Stephen says.”

“You say that now,” another lady spoke up. She sat to Louisa’s left, idly stroking the back of the chaise lounge she was seated on. She was a gentle beauty with sandy-brown hair pinned up in curls at the back of her head. Her eyes were alight with mirth, dancing from Charles to Stephen to Louisa. “But look at the two of them, Louisa. They do seem rather close.”

There was another lady present as well, who did not seem inclined to participate in the conversation. As a matter of fact, she seemed a little put out by the energy in the room and didn’t know what to do with herself. She sat on the couch right next to where Gregory had been seated, her hands folded in her lap. She had lovely blond hair and soft blue eyes, with a lovely face that struck Charles as familiar. He couldn’t remember where he”d met her before though.

“Still, whether he has a mind of his own or not, I’m sure Charles will agree with me,” Stephen insisted.

“I smell foul play,” Gregory stated, which easily riled Stephen up again.

“Why don’t we give him a chance to speak for himself?” Jane spoke, at last, cutting into the two men.

Stephen took a step back and crossed his arms. Gregory stepped up to him and folded his arms as well. One of the ladies—he thought it might be the sandy-haired one—giggled.

“Very well then,” Gregory said. “Charles, answer this question. And remember, your response will greatly affect your relationship with me and my family and every descendant of mine?—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, get on with it,” Jane drawled, earning laughter from the other ladies. Charles didn’t know whether he should give in to the laughter himself. The ladies seemed to be quite amused by what was happening while the gentlemen were clearly taking this very seriously.

“All right,” Gregory said, shooting his sister a look. He fixed Charles with a stern look. “Which composer is better: Bach or Piccinni?”

For a moment, Charles was stumped. Of all the things he’d imagined this heated discussion could be about, he didn’t think it would be something so…simple. A little perplexed, he glanced at Jane for help.

She had a hand over her mouth, her shoulder shaking with laughter. When their eyes met, she only shrugged—as if she’d anticipated this reaction from him and found it quite humorous.

Charles laughed, looking back at the two men staring intently at him. He didn’t know what response would be agreeing with whom—but he decided he didn’t really care. “Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel,” he answered.

“What?” Stephen bellowed.

“There will be no end to this!” Gregory exclaimed.

Jane and the sandy-haired lady doubled over in laughter. Louisa seemed as if she was trying her hardest not to do the same as she got to her feet and touched her husband gently on the arm. “Well, in that case, why don’t we pause this conversation until after dinner?” she suggested. “Charles has arrived and it is about time we make our way to the dining room, wouldn’t you think?”

Stephen sighed, shaking his head dramatically. “Very well. But this is not over, Gregory.”

“I agree,” Gregory stated. Then he went to the blond-haired lady and offered a hand. The look of complete bewilderment on her face was quickly wiped away as she took his hand with a smile.

“Before we do so, I think there are a few introductions that should be made,” Louisa said as everyone else stood. “Charles, you met Jane. And I understand that you are already well acquainted with Gregory.”

“I must say that I was very surprised to hear that you’d taken the trip all the way here,” Gregory grinned. “It’s quite the coincidence that we’re here at the same time as well.”

“Well, I thought that it would be quite nice to spend some time outside of London for a change.”

“I could not agree more.” Gregory tucked the blond-haired lady’s arm into the crook of his, patting her hand. “This is my betrothed, Lady Daphne Roundfeather, the daughter of the Viscount Egrenton.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace,” Lady Daphne spoke at last, her voice soft. She dipped into a curtsy.

“The pleasure is mine, my lady,” Charles bowed. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen her before. He’d heard of the viscount before, certainly. Perhaps she was one of the ladies who had approached him during the last London Season?

“And this is my youngest sister,” Gregory went on, gesturing to the sandy-haired lady. “I’m sure you will find her nearly as infuriating as Jane is.”

“A lady can dream,” Fiona quipped with ease. She curtsied as well. “A pleasure, Your Grace.”

Charles could already tell that Fiona and Jane were quite alike. But Fiona wore a bright, welcoming smile that made her seem far more approachable, as if she wouldn’t dare harm a fly.

“Now, shall we head to the dining room then?” Stephen was the first to turn and make his way to the door, with his wife by his side. Gregory and Lady Daphne followed behind them, with Lady Fiona on their heels. Charles deliberately waited until Lady Jane went by to follow and she glanced at him as if she sensed his intentions.

He didn’t approach her until they were out in the hallway and the others had gone a little way ahead. “Good evening, Lady Jane,” he greeted.

“Good evening, Your Grace,” she answered, her voice light and polite. “I must extend my apologies. When Stephen and my brother get together, they tend to get into heated arguments about the most mundane topics.”

“There is no need to apologize, my lady. It seemed as if everyone was enjoying themselves before I walked in.”

“We were, but only because we had our own opinions on the matter. Though I must say I was not expecting you to give the response that you did. I am quite impressed.”

“Is that another compliment, I hear? I thought you said that you do not give those out easily.”

Jane shrugged. She kept her eyes trained ahead, while Charles could not keep himself from looking at her instead of the path ahead of him.

“I am feeling very generous this evening,” she responded. “My family has come to visit and we are spending time with our close friends. Such situations always put me in a better mood.”

“Not to mention the handsome duke,”

Jane chuckled, rolling her eyes. At last, she looked at him, stalling to a stop as the others began to filter into the dining room. Charles felt a prickle run over his skin as she took him in from head to toe. “Well, you certainly make things a little more interesting, I’ll admit.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond. Charles realized she must be used to having the last word, or perhaps she simply didn’t care what he had to say. Charles wasn’t certain which. He knew that even though they had only met today, he was impatient to figure her out.

She strolled into the dining room and took her place next to her sister, leaving the chair next to Stephen available for Charles. Charles felt a spark of excitement at the fact that he would spend the entire dinner seated next to her. He could probe her a little, get to figure out the lady who wore that knowing smile.

“So, Gregory,” Louisa started as soon as the first course was served. “When is the wedding? Have you set a date yet?”

“No, not yet,” Gregory responded. “We wish to enjoy each other’s company a bit longer before we have to worry about such things. There is no rush after all.”

“That is true but you cannot wait too long,” Stephen said. “The London Season is still underway, isn’t it? Many betrothed couples often wait until after the Season is over to have their wedding. Perhaps you could consider doing the same.”

“That is a grand idea,” Gregory agreed eagerly. He looked at his betrothed, who seemed more interested in her soup than joining the conversation. “What do you think, my love?”

“I think it is a good idea,” she answered blandly, a quick smile touching her face before she returned her attention to her meal. If anyone else thought it odd, they didn’t point it out. Instead, Louisa changed the topic.

“I think it has been two years since I’ve been to London for the Season,” she said. “I remember how eager I was to participate in every event I was invited to. Now, I am quite content to stay on the estate with Daisy.”

“She would not like London,” Stephen said. “Though, what little girl who is used to running around in an open field would? She’s quite active and I do not think London would be enough for her.”

“Sounds quite familiar, doesn’t it, Jane?” Gregory teased.

Jane seemed unbothered. “Yes, I was rather rambunctious as a child. It is a trait I have grown out of.”

“To an extent,” Fiona joined in. “Yet you still cannot seem to keep yourself still.”

“On the contrary, Fiona, if you could sleep for the rest of your life, I’m sure you would.”

Fiona sighed dramatically, not at all offended by her sister’s response. “Yes, it is the great vice of my life.”

Stephen laughed. “I think Charles is the only one here who was born and raised in London.”

“Guilty as charged,” Charles agreed. Unable to help himself, he turned his attention to Jane. “Though it sounds to me as if Lady Jane is the only one in her family content to stay all the way out here. Such a shame.”

Jane’s hand stilled. Slowly, she looked up at him. “A shame, you say?”

Charles flashed a charming grin at her. “Why don’t you come with me back to London to take part in what’s left of the Season instead of hiding out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“What did you do to be out here in the middle of nowhere as well, Your Grace?”

Charles blinked, taken aback by the chill in her voice. “I meant no offense, my lady.”

“I’m sure you did not, though it does not change what you believe. I’m sure you must be quite confused as to why I do not care to prance around a hot ballroom with a crowd of judgmental lords and ladies watching my every move. Much like you are right now.”

“I hardly think that is the truth. It sounds more as if you are only speaking from your own prejudice.”

“A prejudice that you are proving with your recent words, Your Grace.”

The tension in the room was thick but Charles paid no mind to it over his rising frustration. He twisted to face her fully, bothered by the way she didn’t care to look at him. The annoyance in her voice did not match her dismissive demeanor.

“As I said, Lady Jane, I meant no offense. I only meant to tell you how beautiful you?—”

“I do not need to hear such things, Your Grace. Save them for a lady who cares.”

“Oh, Lady Daphne!” Louisa’s sudden gasp saved Charles from having to respond. “How rude of me! I meant to ask you more about yourself. Why don’t you tell us how you’re finding the countryside?”

The tension diffused a bit with Louisa’s question, which Charles was certain she’d asked to stop the argument from going any further. But the angry flush on Jane’s cheeks did not dissipate, nor did his own annoyance.

He truly hadn’t meant to offend her but it seemed he had struck a nerve by something he’d said. Whatever it was, he wasn’t certain and the chance to ask had passed. Lady Daphne, now that the attention was on her, was shyly talking about the weather in the countryside and everyone was listening as if she was saying the most interesting thing ever.

Slowly, things returned to normal. Jane even joined the conversation now and again but whenever he spoke, she went quiet, ignoring him completely. It bothered him more than it should have.

Within just a day, he’d ruined whatever chances he’d had at creating a friendship with her. That bothered him even more.