Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

T heodosia hummed while she feasted on a plump peach and perused one of her many letters.

She kept in touch with many of her friends along with a few enemies. Knowledge was an important asset. The more she knew, the better off everyone was for it. She’d managed to secure countless deals, treasured items, and so much more by keeping her ears and eyes peeled open.

Even as she let the Countess of Northampton wax poetic for two pages about a garden party she had turned down, the words blurred into each other. Or more particularly, Theodosia couldn’t focus long enough to finish reading the letter.

She made more attempts before she gave up. The letter was put down. The peach, delightful as it was, had to be set down as well.

Wiping her hands on her cloth napkin, Theodosia glanced around the desk that lacked its usual orderliness. She rose from her chair to ring for more tea just as Lloyd stepped into her study carrying a fresh tea tray.

“Oh, Lloyd.” She beamed. “You charming scoundrel. I was just about to ring for tea. But what are you doing, carrying it instead of Mrs. Hampston?”

“Mrs. Hampston is still out bartering with the fishmonger this morning,” he informed her. “She’ll be back soon, but I thought I would do what I can for you this morning. Letters always make you thirsty. Have you made it through most of your correspondence, Your Grace?”

She gave him a rueful smile while enjoying the sight of his broad shoulders rippling as he set down the tea tray. She watched his every movement as he poured her a fresh cup of piping hot tea. The scent of cinnamon wafted toward her, making her poor old muscles relax.

“I wish that were the case, but I fear I have fallen behind. My thoughts stray.”

Once Lloyd straightened up and set down the teapot with great care, he shot her a concerned look. Only he could do so while looking so handsome.

Theodosia found herself dropping her gaze for a moment, praying she was beyond the age of blushing. Surely, she had to be by now.

“Is there anything I can do to assist you, Your Grace?”

Telling herself he meant nothing by it, she sighed and sat back down to pick up her fresh cup of tea.

“Not unless you can reassure me that Adrian and Charlotte are making eyes at one another this very minute,” she huffed.

“Ah.” Lloyd glanced around the room before taking a second to adjust the tea set. He eyed her thoughtfully and straightened up. “I hope it helps to hear that the two of them have resumed her lessons. They have chosen musical skills today. His Grace is convinced that she can play the pianoforte better than she is letting on.”

Theodosia pondered this for a moment. “Can she?”

It was obvious the butler was holding back a laugh as his eyes glittered. “Indeed. I believe the moment he shows a speck of remorse or humility, or even turns his back, she will showcase her real skills. The two of them are an unlikely pair…”

Nodding slowly, Theodosia tapped her chin. She could picture the two of them squabbling in the music room upstairs. Charlotte spent some of her free time playing the pianoforte as well as the harp. Though she was not what Theodosia would call an expert, she was more than proficient.

Those two enjoy prodding each other more than actually being truthful or productive. My plan is not progressing quickly enough if this is all they are doing with their time.

“The door is open?” she asked.

“Yes, Your Grace, always.”

“Never accidentally closed?”

“I believe not.” Lloyd squinted at her. Though it wasn’t a servant’s place to pry, she didn’t mind him asking, “Do you wish that were the case?”

A reluctant smile spread across her lips. “Would that be so awful?”

Chuckling, the butler replied, “Not really. The result would surely be better for everyone in the end.”

“Oh, do sit down. You’re making my neck ache when you stand over me like that. Sit, sit.” Theodosia studied him thoughtfully. “One minute they are at each other’s throats, the next one of them is staring at the other like a lovesick fool. Tell me, Lloyd, is this next generation truly that idiotic?”

“The young always are, I’m afraid.”

Talking with him in her parlor, Theodosia took the time to gather her thoughts. She’d expected something to have happened by now. Instead, it appeared they were at a standstill.

And I won’t stand for such a thing.

There was a growing tension between Adrian and Charlotte. It could only persist for so long. What would happen then? What sort of explosion would take place? Theodosia hardly knew, and she was growing impatient.

A month. A month had passed. Her nephew had promised a month and nothing more. He could leave today, tonight, tomorrow. If he left, then what would happen?

I might not see him for years. He would never forgive me for this when he cannot see how important this is. How important she is. Adrian has been adrift for far too long. He needs a constant in his life, other than myself. If only he could see what it would mean to have Charlotte in his life like that!

While Theodosia had done her best to keep her thoughts to herself, it appeared that she was only making the situation worse. Their feelings for each other were obvious. Last night, she’d attended a musicale with them, and hardly anyone else had come to speak with them, since they were whispering through the entire affair about heaven knows what.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Lloyd asked as their conversation came to an end. He rose to his feet and collected the tea tray. “Anything short of locking a duke in a cellar, of course.”

She chuckled, remembering the day she’d done that to her late husband early on in their marriage. What an amusing event that had been.

Everyone had laughed about it in the end, including her late husband. It was an accident that he had frequently teased her about throughout the short time they had together. Though she would have thought it would pain her to hear it again, it brought her comfort that the past was still alive in one form or another.

Lloyd always seemed to know what to say that would make her smile.

So she gave him a smile as she said, “Inform me once Adrian is alone in his study. I should like to speak with him, but I won’t rush him.”

That was how Theodosia arrived at her nephew’s study not two hours later.

It had been her husband’s study. A comfortable room with dark oak and leather furniture. Sometimes, she was confident she could still smell the former Duke of Bradford. Rare as it was for her to enter the room, she felt her confidence grow upon reaching her nephew.

He put down the glass of brandy he had been nursing. Eyes unfocused, he blinked several times before tilting his head in a short nod.

“Good afternoon, Auntie. What delightful horror brings you to my study? I hope not another race or musicale. I cannot bear one right now.”

“There is no need for such brutish behavior,” she responded mildly. “I merely wished to inquire about your progress with our Charlotte.”

Somehow it managed to surprise Theodosia the way Adrian’s expression immediately closed up. He wished to give nothing away. But in that, he gave it all away. She wished to jump with joy and shout her success in his face. He did care for Charlotte.

But I cannot count it a victory until he admits it. May the devil take us all before he dares do such a thing. Oh, my stubborn nephew, don’t you know the benefits of bending instead of breaking?

“Charlotte. She’s stubborn and will not do as I say.”

“Say? Or order?”

Adrian’s mouth twisted into a scowl. “She insists on fighting me all the way, though she doesn’t behave in this manner with anyone else. The woman is beyond my comprehension.”

“Then she is hopeless.”

He slammed his glass down on the desk, the drink splashing over his hand. He didn’t even notice as he glared at her. “She is not!” he declared as if he hadn’t just called the woman impossible. “Charlotte is a promising and charming young woman. She only needs a chance to prove herself. She could be married tomorrow, should we wish it.”

“Do you wish it?”

Blinking, Adrian turned to his aunt. “Pardon?”

Theodosia breathed through her nose as she held back a short laugh. She spoke gently so she would not spook him. “You are a good teacher, Adrian, and have done much to prepare Charlotte to find a suitable husband. Surely she has received offers by now? The flow of gentlemen in and out of this house over the last three weeks has been more than I could comprehend.”

“I suppose,” he said, growing guarded. “There have been offers but nothing that I could accept.”

“Isn’t she the one we wish to have married?”

Adrian huffed at her light tease. “Everyone sniffing about her heels only wants her money or connections. Access to us. None of them know her, Auntie, so I cannot in good conscience give her to the next brute asking for her hand in marriage. They are not good enough.”

Sitting with this for a moment, Theodosia felt herself vibrating with anticipation. The truth was right there. So close! And yet her nephew was a lackwit. It was so funny she could have strangled him.

She sat with her lips pressed together while she clutched her cane. Solid with a white bone handle that was polished daily until it shined. It was her favorite one, the first she’d accepted a few years ago after a fall that had caught her by surprise. The staff had ordered it for her, and Lloyd had delivered it with a stern reminder that her servants cared about her safety; it would only be selfish of her to not care about herself.

Sighing, Theodosia changed the subject. “We are close then, but not close enough. How unfortunate. I had very much hoped to have your help till the end. But as our time is up, I suppose I shall have to stop expecting your support.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Adrian scoffed. “I don’t give up on anything, especially not this. I’ll see Charlotte married as I promised.”

Theodosia bit her tongue hard to hold back a grin. “Goodness me. Are you certain?”

He offered a curt nod. “I’ll make it happen.”

“Even though she still insists that she has no wish to marry?” she dared to prod.

“I can make it happen. Charlotte simply doesn’t understand what she is missing right now. But I’m confident I can have her married before the Season is over, if not sooner. We went about this the wrong way, so I will need to try another tactic. Fear not, Auntie, I shall remedy the situation. Charlotte will be married before long,” Adrian stated confidently.

“Wonderful,” Theodosia proclaimed before she could help herself. “And just think about all the young ladies you are around as well. Why, you could even––”

Too late, she realized, as he lifted a hand to halt her comments.

“I don’t think so,” Adrian told her with a frown. He pushed his glass away and stood up, growing antsy. “You know my intentions. There will be no more Dukes of Wakefield. No wife. I will certainly never be a father. We cannot be trusted. We cannot?—”

Theodosia interjected hastily before he went too far. “Yes, yes, my apologies. You know I only wish for your happiness. Just as I wish for Charlotte’s happiness,” she added gently. “Even as we guide her through this Season, I wish for her to make a match she enjoys.”

Hesitating, Adrian glanced at her for a second before looking away.

It was only a second, but she had seen enough. There was a truth in his eyes that she feared he refused to acknowledge. Didn’t he know his own heart?

Theodosia felt pity for her nephew, wishing once again she could have shielded him from the past and the pain that still hung over his head.

“She will be happy,” Adrian muttered. He took his glass back and downed the brandy in one gulp. “Charlotte is a willful lady—she won’t accept any man unless he suits her perfectly. We do not need to fear otherwise. And I don’t see any trouble in finding a good match, as she is witty, beautiful, and courteous when she tries. Anyone would be fortunate to marry her. We shall simply… I will only need to… Well, we can make this happen, Aunt Theodosia. I promise you that.”

Watching him, considering the grown man he had become, Theodosia felt the overwhelming urge to wrap him up in a hug. Poor Adrian. He carried the weight of a dukedom on his shoulders. An intelligent man who protected the lives of many on his land. And through it all, he still didn’t understand himself.

That is the worst of the vices for the young—not knowing themselves. What a pity. Anything I say on the matter falls on deaf ears. But someday, he will learn. He must. I only wish I could make it an easier lesson for the lovestruck fellow.

Consoling herself with the fact that she had done all she could thus far, Theodosia nodded and rose to her feet. Adrian was close to the truth. He would figure it out soon. He had to.

“Very good, Adrian, thank you.” She paused. “You’re a good man and a good duke. I hope you remember that.”

He stared after her thoughtfully as she left, not saying a word.