Chapter 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

C harlotte threw herself into the Season, attending as many balls and dinners as possible. Soon, they would return to their country estate, where her brother would join them and Lady Matilda, who had agreed to stay several weeks before traveling to her home for Christmas.

She had not seen Alexander in three weeks since they had quarreled outside his mother's home.

Of course, London was all afire with the scandalous, succulent gossip that the Duke D'Estel's former steward was now Marquess Lacy, taking possession of one of the wealthiest estates and holdings in France, along with several properties in England. That Alexander had already been wealthy before inheriting more from his father only added to his charm. It was rumored he had been invited to all the remaining events, yet the new marquess had remained stubbornly aloof and had not been seen.

This evening, she was attending Lady Matilda's home for their annual Season-ending ball. However, as she moved about her bedroom, preparing for the event, she could not gather any real excitement.

Their argument weighed heavily on her, and if Charlotte had a choice, she would remain home and wallow. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, of never making things right between them.

Would he ever forgive her? Of course, she had not meant what she said—nor did she think she had said anything so terrible—but he had been hurt, and guilt prickled her for having wounded him. He was a proud man, and she should have been more understanding.

"Are you almost ready, my dear?" her mother asked, gliding into the room in a navy silk gown adorned with gold embroidery at the bodice. "There is a rumor that Lord Lacy will be in attendance this evening, and you must reconcile. It is not good for young people in love to be at odds."

Charlotte ground her teeth and fought the urge to spew a tirade of inappropriate words at her mother's head. Since learning that Alexander now possessed a grand marquess title, her parents had boasted about the town that he had once worked for them and had always been a most respectable and honorable gentleman.

Their ability to forget how badly they had treated Alexander was not lost on Charlotte, and she couldn't help but feel jaded. Perhaps, now, she had a little more understanding of what Alexander meant when it came to people of nobility and their blindness to those who had less than them.

"I only have my shoes to put on, and then I will join you."

"Perfect, my dear. And may I say how beautiful you are this evening? The blue brings out the color of your eyes. Lord Lacy will be unable to ignore you forever, not when you're so fetching."

Charlotte ignored her mother's words and slipped on her leather shoes before waiting for Jane to buckle the brass buckles. With a resounding sigh, she made her way downstairs and followed her parents into the carriage.

She was not in the mood for another ball, but at least it was Matilda's, and they could sneak away to her room if they wished to escape the crush.

Their house was only a few blocks from Berkeley Square, and it did not take long before they were inching ever closer in the line of carriages that filled the block. The clip-clop of the horse's hooves echoed through the streets.

Her father sat across from her, somehow oblivious to how rude and degrading he had been to the man she loved after Alexander left his employment. When Alexander had inherited a title and fortune, had he become worthy in her father's eyes?

Charlotte now understood why Alexander loathed the idea of joining her world. He had grown up fighting for everything he had while she had everything handed to her with little effort. Had been bullied and shunned by the people she called family and friends. She would never understand how he had not loathed her from the moment they met. How he had fallen in love with her was an honor she had allowed to slip through her fingers due to her ignorance.

Alexander seemed determined to stay away from society and ignore their excitement over his joining their ranks. He had turned his back on her world, and perhaps, he had turned away from her forever, too.

Still, she could not place all the blame at her father's feet. She, too, had a part to play in losing Alexander.

"Do not look so forlorn, my dear," her father said, offering her a small smile. "I'm certain Lord Lacy will be in attendance this evening. I have it on good authority that he will be there."

Charlotte turned her attention to the window, staring out at those who walked along the footpaths. "So it is Lord Lacy now, Father? I thought you considered him a bastard the last time you spoke, or did I mishear?"

Her father waved her words aside, and her mother's eyes widened in shock.

"That is all forgotten. Lord Lacy is one of our own now, and I'd be pleased to welcome him as a son-in-law if you still harbor the same feelings as before. And let us not forget, as a gentleman, he ought to propose and do right by you. He has had his way with you, after all."

"Your Grace!" her mother gasped, covering her mouth with her handkerchief in an attempt to look on the verge of tears. Her mother never cried, so her theatrical outrage was misplaced.

"I do not think, after how you treated him, that he would be so willing to be welcomed back into our family. You humiliated him by calling him illegitimate at Lady Dames."

Her father's head whipped up at her words. "How do you know what I said at that gaming hell?"

"Because I was there and saw everything. I also did not miss when you wagered my hand in marriage—in front of all the gentlemen who have courted me these past three years, as if I were some sullied wench you needed to be rid of."

"Carter!" her mother gasped, using her father's given name.

Her father's face blanched, and at least he had the grace to look regretful for the first time. "I was a little foxed, my dear, and no one paid me any heed. It does not matter now what I said, as it's all forgotten. Mr. Richards is now Lord Lacy. That is all that matters."

"Well, I have not forgotten, nor will I ever overlook how you spoke to him and treated us both. I fell in love with a steward. What was so wrong with that?"

"What is right about it?" her father sputtered. "You're a duke's daughter. Do see sense, Charlotte. We did not raise you to be so simple-minded."

"Better to be simple-minded than a haughty noble like you."

The carriage rolled to a stop before Matilda's grand Berkeley Square home. A footman ran out, opening the door and letting down the steps.

Charlotte took the footman's hand and alighted from the carriage, eager to distance herself from her parents and see Matilda.

She did not wait for her parents but entered alone, perhaps a foreshadowing of how her life would be if Alexander never forgave her, which right now did not appear a possibility.