Chapter 7

It had been a week since their drive. A week since his confession that he meant to make her his wife. And since that time, despite having encountered one another on a variety of social occasions, and the Marquess’ numerous calls upon her, they’d been presented with no other opportunities to be alone together. Her uncle, Mrs. Barrington, or some other well meaning soul would manage to interfere. To that end, Charlotte was left to wonder if the kiss they had shared, and the haze of pleasure that had consumed her mind at that brief contact, had been an aberration or if it might be that way every time he kissed her.

Now, Charlotte was unaccountably nervous as she waited for Ethan to arrive with his sister. Mrs. Regina Cavender was not exactly Cavender the warmest of ladies. While not as taciturn as her brother, Mrs. Cavender was a master at saying a great deal without ever actually communicating anything. In truth, Charlotte had thought for the longest time that the woman disliked her intensely. Then she’d taken note that Mrs. Cavender greeted everyone with the same icy aloofness. But now, she faced the prospect of spending half a day in the carriage with the woman, and it was daunting to say the least.

Fussing with her hair one final time, she had just removed and replaced the same offending pin no less than half a dozen times, when she heard the knock at the door. The housekeeper would let him in. But it was all Charlotte could do not to rush headlong down the stairs and tell him she’d changed her mind. She didn’t need a courtship. They could post the banns and wed as soon as possible, or perhaps even elope.

All because of a kiss. One single, solitary kiss… that had upended her entire world. She understood now why such activities were frowned upon before marriage as indulging just that one time had clouded her thinking beyond reason.

Checking to ensure her hair pins were secure, she settled her bonnet on her head. In the pier glass, she fastened the bow beneath her chin and instantly regretted it. Dissatisfied with it, she untied and tried again. The truth of the matter was, it was an ugly bonnet. All the fetching bows in the world wouldn’t save it. She honestly couldn’t even fathom why she’d thought to wear it, except that it was the only bonnet she had which matched her traveling costume even remotely. Her attempt to be fashionable and stylish when, in truth, she was anything but had only resulted in her looking foolish.

Prepared to go back to her room and start over, she was halted by a knock at the front door. It was too late. Her time had run out. Ugly bonnet and all, she was well and truly stuck.

One of the maids appeared in the corridor. Charlotte gave her a nod, and the girl bustled off to open the door to the guests. The ugly bonnet would simply have to suffice. There was no time now to change it.

Seconds later, Ethan walked in. He positively filled the space. With his tall, broad shouldered frame, their little entryway had never seemed so small. But it wasn’t that which took her breath away. It was the warmth of his smile, a thing seldom seen, when his gaze landed upon her. Had she ever felt such excitement to see Arliss? To be seen by Arliss? No. No, she had not.

“You are remarkably prompt, Miss Mulberry.”

“As are you, my lord.”

“I am quite eager for our journey today. My sister is waiting in the carriage. It’s raining, and she did not wish to venture into the damp,” he explained.

“Oh, I certainly understand your sister’s reluctance.”

“Shall I speak with your uncle before we depart?” he asked.

Charlotte laughed softly. “Oh, heavens no. He’s puttering around in the garden with his dog. I should hate to interrupt him.”

“Very well… There’s a second carriage for baggage. We’d never have been able to fit all of Regina’s many cases in one conveyance. Bring what you require and the remainder can be loaded into the second vehicle and we can be on our way.”

The maid curtsied, drawing his attention. “I’ll have Thomas, our man of all work, to load them for you.”

Charlotte swept her hand toward a small valise situated on a bench in the entryway. “That’s all I will need for now.”

He immediately picked up the case in one hand and offered her his other arm. “Then let’s be off, Miss Mulberry. I’m looking forward to having time together.”

Charlotte’s heart skipped a bit at the promise of that. Excitement was something that, well, she couldn’t say that it had been missing from her life for sometime. She could only say that it was something that she had never experienced frequently enough to be fully familiar and comfortable with the sensations that it awakened in her.

Linking arms with him, she allowed him to lead her from the house. Where else, she wondered, might he lead her to?

Ethan tensed at the sensation of her hand on his arm. Having her touch him, even in such a proper and perfectly circumspect manner, fired his blood. For years, he’d admired her from afar. And if he were perfectly honest, he would admit that it wasn’t simple admiration. That might have been the way that it had begun, but he’d come to love Charlotte over the years as he’d watched her languishing in what seemed a purgatory-like betrothal to a man who had never had any hope of deserving her and who clearly had no appreciation for the wonder that she was.

He vowed to himself that, if he were lucky enough to have her accept his suit and become his wife, he would never take that for granted. He would never take her for granted.

Handing Charlotte up into the carriage, he gave her bag to one of the footmen to be stowed in the small box at the back of the carriage. Then he climbed up behind her. Regina, in typical fashion, had claimed the forward facing seat and occupied all of it, resting her head against one side while her legs were extended over the rest of the seat. She might have been lounging on a daybed. Of course, that would allow him to sit with Charlotte on the rear facing seat. It was not a problem for him, so long as it did not make her ill.

“Will it bother you to face this direction? I can rouse Regina and the two of you might share the forward facing seat if you prefer,” he offered.

“No. This is quite all right. I’d hate to wake her when she appears to be dozing so peacefully. I’ve never been bothered by travel in the way that so many are, thankfully.”

“Excellent,” Ethan said, taking his place beside her on the banquette. Her skirts brushed against his thigh. Her presence was a weight against his side, a very welcome one. Being so close to her, even innocently enough as sharing a seat in a carriage, was a pleasure for him. “I shall be very glad of your company.”

A blush stole into her already pink cheeks, deepening the rosy hue. “I confess that I am very glad of your company as well.”

Nothing further was said as the carriage jolted forward, the sound of the horses’ hooves loud in the small space. Looking down to where her gloved hand rested against the seat, he took her wrist in his hand and lifted. With slow, delicate movements, he freed the two small buttons that closed the glove about her wrist and then peeling it from her hand. When he looked up to meet her gaze, she was staring at him with curiosity, but there was something else that he could see clearly in her eyes. It was something she might not even recognize herself… desire.

Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed not the back of her hand as was the norm. Instead, he turned it and pressed a kiss into the tender center of her palm and was rewarded with the slightest shiver from her. Rather than relinquish her hand, he tucked it into his and held it, savoring the feel of her skin and the connection it created between them. He’d tested the limits of his ability and willingness to converse, but there were other ways of communicating. Touch, he thought, was the most effective and the most enjoyable.