Chapter 10

Ethan had been on his way out to take an afternoon ride when a footman approached him with a missive. He had no notion who it was from as it was not signed. It simply instructed him to come to the library for a moment to discuss a matter of vital importance. Since there were only two people in attendance whom he could have such vital business with—either Miss Charlotte Mulberry or his sister—he didn’t hesitate to alter course.

Making his way to the library, he entered the room and frowned. There was someone present, but it was not Charlotte or Regina. Leaving the door open behind him and keeping his distance from the young woman, he was very blunt. “You sent for me.”

Miss Alice Dearborn turned away from the window and smiled at him. “Indeed. I know it is most irregular, my lord, but I felt that I must speak with you. It’s quite imperative.”

“And improper,” he noted.

She glanced around at the empty room. “Yes, I suppose it is. But I assure you, I have no nefarious plans to trap you into marriage. Rather, I asked you here to warn you about others plotting to keep you from the woman it appears you have a fondness for—Miss Mulberry.”

“Georgianna Cranford,” he surmised quietly.

“Indeed. Her maid has been gossiping about Miss Mulberry to anyone who will listen. Luckily, my own maid is quite sensible about such matters and recognized immediately that Mrs. Cranford’s maid was on a fact finding mission for her mistress. Not that there is anything to find,” Miss Dearborn stated. “But she’s also planting rumors as well as seeking them out. She indicated to my maid that she overheard you confessing to your sister that you had an attraction for me.”

Ethan was in a difficult position. “Miss Dearborn, you are a lovely young lady, but that is false.”

“Oh, I’m aware. You see, I overheard you and Miss Mulberry in the garden before. I know that you’re quite taken with her and that, if it were up to you, the pair of you would already be wed… So I encourage you, my lord, to make haste before those plotting against you succeed in keeping the two of you apart. But be discreet in your efforts.”

“Thank you, Miss Dearborn.”

“I believe Miss Mulberry has retreated to the garden again… this time with our hostess. You should seek her out.”

He nodded. “Indeed. Thank you, Miss Dearborn.”

“For what it’s worth, Charlotte Mulberry is one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I’m glad she did not marry Arliss Cranford for she deserved much better… but she’s been treated very badly and made an object of ridicule by many for things that she had naught to do with. I hope that the two of you may find the happiness together that she deserves.”

“Thank you again. And our hopes for Miss Mulberry are aligned. You may count on that.”

Leaving the library and the unexpected ally he’d found in Miss Dearborn, he headed for the garden. As he stepped out onto the terrace, he saw Mrs. Whitlow making for another entrance to the house, but she did not see him as she disappeared inside.

Making his way from the terrace, he surveyed the gardens beyond and found that, just above a hedge, he could catch a glimpse of a very familiar blonde head. It was Charlotte. He would have to tell her about Miss Dearborn’s assertions regarding the schemes of Mrs. Cranford. Then they would need to reevaluate their initial plan to wait until the end of the house party to wed.

Taking the graveled path to that would lead him to the area of the garden she presently occupied, he was not at all upset about the turn of events. If it meant making her his wife even one day sooner, it was well worth it. Once he rounded the corner, he found her pacing a small area enclosed on three sides by thick hedges. A small bench was at the back of the greenery formed an alcove.

“Charlotte, I must speak with you.”

She looked up from her pacing, clearly so lost in thought that she had not heard him approach. “Oh… yes. I— well, I was just getting ready to send a note to you. I think we need to talk, as well.”

He nodded. “You first.”

Charlotte clasped her hands together to stop their ringing. “This is terribly awkward. I haven’t the faintest notion how to begin!”

“That would all depend, I suppose, on how you’d like it to end,” he answered cautiously. Had she changed her mind about allowing him to court her? Had she decided that her heartbreak at Cranford’s rejection was still too fresh to consider moving on?

She stopped her pacing then and stood only a few feet from him. “Would you mind very much to kiss me again?”

Relief flooded through him. She had not reconsidered their agreement. “Mind? Charlotte, I’ve never wanted anything more.”

Ethan didn’t hesitate for another second. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Cupping her cheek with his hand, he tilted her face up to him and claimed her softly parted lips in a gentle kiss. It belied the depths of his desire for her, but it fully revealed the depths of his feelings with its tenderness. It was the strangest thing to feel that the entirety of his future rested on a single kiss.