Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

A drian laughed aloud for the first time in what felt like years. Sitting across from Charlotte had felt like a chore this morning, but now it felt like they were old friends—like they had known each other for a long time.

Giggling madly, Charlotte shook her head. She stopped trying to cover her mouth, but the moment she did, she let out a loud snort. That only made him laugh harder.

“And then he asked if the horse could accept a title,” she gasped between laughter. “Can you believe that?”

“Don’t forget the adoption.” Adrian snickered.

Tossing her head back, Charlotte burst into laughter once again. Her face was bathed in golden sunlight, making him think of a Greek goddess. Beautiful, dangerous, and free.

It took his breath away. He choked on his laugh and started to cough. His eyes watered.

Wincing, Adrian forced himself to look away—she was shining too bright for him now. Charlotte was dangerous. What was he thinking, having such thoughts about her? It wasn’t permitted. It couldn’t happen.

She is an innocent, a young debutante in London. Charlotte is meant for a docile titled man, not someone who wants to leave England in a heartbeat. I wonder if I can convince Aunt Theodosia to release me at once so I can go far, far away.

“Oh, we are already here!”

Charlotte was leaning forward with one hand on the door as they rolled to a stop. The movement propelled her toward him. She let out a small gasp and reached out to steady herself, only for her hand to land on his forearm.

Adrian wore his shirt and coat. She wore gloves. There were three layers of fabric between them, so he shouldn’t have felt a thing.

That was what he told himself even as sparks raced up his arm and spread with a warmth he had never felt before. His heart fluttered. He tried to form words. Didn’t he know how to speak? He had to say something.

“I’m sorry about that.” Charlotte steadied herself. It required her to tighten her grip on his arm just for a second before she pulled away. Coldness replaced the warmth at the loss of her touch. “Well, it was very interesting meeting those friends of yours. They are certainly not dull. Adrian, what is it?”

“Hmm?”

She tilted her head as she looked at him. “You don’t look so well. What is it?”

Gathering his thoughts, Adrian shook his head before climbing out of the carriage. He extended his arm to help her, focusing on the effect of her touch again. Not quite a spark, but it was something.

“Nothing. You’re right. It was an inane conversation, but you carried yourself well. I should have made us leave at once. However, if I had, they would have assumed we were in a hurry.”

“For what?”

He glanced at her for a minute, before turning away. “For other matters.” He dropped his arm. “How do you feel about what happened today? I don’t mean my friends—if we could even call them that. I mean the party, Charlotte.”

“The party? It was fine.”

Charlotte started toward the house suddenly, avoiding his gaze.

Confused, Adrian hastened after her. Thoughts of her touch had left his mind, though he noted the swift movement of her arms at her sides. He wondered what would happen if he reached for her.

“Charlotte, really. You cannot lie to me.”

“Why not?”

“I’m your tutor.” They nodded to Lloyd, who greeted them at the door. “And we both live in this house, so I shall pester you as long as it takes.”

Charlotte huffed as she handed off her bonnet and removed her gloves. Lloyd nodded but said nothing, his eyes darting between them. “I think there are a few corners here that you might not know about.”

“What about a boy of ten-and-six years?” Adrian retorted. “I will find you. What is it? I was with you the entire time, Charlotte.”

“But you didn’t do anything,” she hissed before she started walking again.

“Didn’t do anything?”

She glanced back at him as he followed after her. “Yes. Lady Eloise. She and her friends. They’re bullies. I can handle you, but them? They spoke to me like I was dirt on the floor. But no one did anything. They didn’t help or even seem to notice that anything was wrong. You certainly did nothing.”

“Ah, so we’re talking about this again,” Adrian muttered under his breath. “Charlotte, I told you that is the ton. The beau monde . Everything is made of swords even if it looks like flowers. I will teach you what you’ll need to survive, and you’ll be fine at the next event.”

“Will I?” Charlotte snapped. “Or am I going to wind up slapping a lady drenched in jewels who is related to the Royal Family? I wasn’t prepared, Adrian. You don’t understand. You can’t. You were born into this, and I… I am a woman. My father was more a scholar than an earl. No one remembers him but his family, so no one remembers me. I’m not a fool. I know I’m woefully unprepared, and now Lady Eloise will tell everyone before I can even step foot outside again!”

Impassioned as she was, Adrian couldn’t help laughing. “I think your wit and tongue are sharp enough. But as I have promised, I will prepare you to fight with her as well.”

“No swords, then?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“I wish duels were legal,” she muttered under her breath.

He opened his mouth and then closed it, not wanting to give her more ideas. Most of his friends had participated in duels––illegal as they might be, they still went a long way to settle disputes. But he could picture Charlotte readily challenging anyone she disliked to a duel. He wasn’t eager to find himself staring down the barrel of her pistol.

She’ll just have to find other ways to manage her anger and frustration. Perhaps I should have considered this earlier. She already said she cannot be a passive young lady. No, she has fire within her. Spirit. And what did my aunt do when she saw the rage in me? She found me the right tutor.

“Perhaps we’ll teach you how to use a sword just in case,” he found himself saying as he wondered if that would make her smile. “So long as you promise not to take revenge on the ton, I believe I could give you a few lessons. The rigorous energy required is something you already…” he trailed off, as he noticed she had drawn nearer to him and she was smiling.

Not just smiling, but beaming . At him.

He had to blink several times to make sure he was not imagining it. She wasn’t upset with him. There was no anger in those dark green eyes, no pursed lips or tightly clenched fists.

“Truly? Because I would love that more than anything,” Charlotte told him. “We could start right now. Oh, can I have my own saber? I suppose I should change, but––”

Her enthusiasm quickly became more than what Adrian was prepared for. She rambled on excitedly, shifting between gratitude and giddiness until he didn’t know which way was up. He was in way over his head. Glancing at Lloyd, who lingered in the hall, Adrian wondered if he had made a mistake.

It is no joke––I definitely cannot teach her. What was I thinking? A weapon in the hands of a madwoman. Charlotte would stab me before I could tell her how to hold it.

“Later,” he cut in, immediately feeling a tightness in his chest when her smile began to fade. “I have matters to attend to,” he hastily added. “Didn’t I tell you that you could have the rest of the day to yourself? There is correspondence that requires my attention, so I shall leave you here for now. We’ll talk in the morning. Good day, Charlotte.”

“Good day!” she called out cheerfully.

Never before had she sounded that happy with him.

Adrian mulled over that, also trying to remember more about the little girl he had met in the garden so long ago. It had been such a blur. Almost a young man and he had lost both his parents in a matter of moments. It had left him confused and angry and despondent—something that required a lot of time to heal.

Returning to his study, Adrian sat down and stared at his papers. Having correspondence wasn’t a lie; he had more than enough to tackle. But there was a new stack there that he hadn’t seen before.

He frowned and sorted through it to find a collection of invitations. His nose twitched. Everyone had finally confirmed that he was in London, so now everyone desired his presence at every soirée, party, and gathering. It was much easier having the excuse that he was abroad. That wouldn’t work now.

A quiet knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” he called, thinking it might be Lloyd. Instead, it was his aunt. He stood up. “Aunt Theodosia, hello.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You two left early today. What happened at the garden party?”

Adrian remembered Charlotte’s uneasy expression, but he quickly put it out of his mind. “It was my fault, Auntie. I didn’t want Charlotte to run into an old acquaintance of mine, since we are no longer on good terms. It was only my effort to avoid any drama before the Season officially started.”

Eyes narrowed, Theodosia studied him for a long minute. She leaned over the desk and pursed her lips. But she eventually relaxed and hummed a note, so he considered himself safe.

“Fine. But warn me next time. I don’t wish to be caught unaware again,” she added sharply. Turning her attention to his hands, she tutted and came around the desk. “Let me see those. Our invitations are separate, but I know we’ll be invited to all the events. I’ve already drafted a list of the events we may need to attend to introduce Charlotte to everyone.”

I hope she won’t think of hosting a ball here .

“Hopefully, only a few,” he muttered as he watched her separate the invitations. She dropped some into his hand and threw the rest into the wastebasket at her feet. “Aunt Theodosia, it cannot be every day. I’m a very busy man.”

Theodosia gave him a smirk. “You promised, remember? And your business should not require so much of your time. I believe you’ll find a way to join us, my dear boy. Here is the next event––be certain to tell Charlotte.”

Watching her walk toward the door, he frowned. “Can’t you tell her?”

“You’re the one tutoring her.” She waved her fingers at him before disappearing down the hall.

Adrian rubbed his forehead and considered his options. He remembered Charlotte’s annoyance. Her unease. Her laughter. Her excitement. It was a lot; the feelings that warred within him left him unsettled.

Convincing himself he was not a weakling, merely busy, he called for Lloyd and ordered him to deliver the invitation to Charlotte.

I have more important matters to attend to. Besides, I’ve already promised that we would talk in the morning. There’s no need to talk with her again until then.