Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

I n Adrian’s experience, many beautiful things in life were within reach because of his good breeding or just sheer luck. All the same, some of those beautiful things tended to be more trouble than they were worth.

Like that troublesome maid. Beautiful but with a galling sharp tongue.

Still, the beautiful woman lingered in his mind more than he would ever admit. There was something about her that he couldn’t forget.

Perhaps it was those dark emerald-green eyes that lit up with a fire when she argued with him. Or even those rosy cheeks, for they were impossible to ignore even in memory.

I must get out of London. What am I doing, thinking of her? It could be the air. Heaven knows I would never dally with a maid. It’s not right. Focus, Adrian. You can be out of here in just a few days. Then I’ll be free and I won’t think about her.

He had considered telling his aunt about the maid. Though the Dowager Duchess didn’t always care for politics or propriety, she believed in having a household she could control. That maid had to be new.

Except he didn’t want to inform Theodosia. Where was the fun in that?

Additionally, he had not yet informed his aunt of his arrival.

It hadn’t been on purpose. Not after the first few days, at least. But avoiding her and staying in a corner wing of the house had been so easy, it soon became easier to pretend it would never happen.

When Theodosia found out, she would be furious. All he needed to do was ensure that he was far away when the truth finally came to light.

I don’t think I can trust the servants, but surely they haven’t said a word. I lived here as well, and that must mean something. If they had, my aunt would have found me.

Feeling confident about his decisions and sneaking around, Adrian stepped onto the rocky path of the gardens with a cheery whistle. The sun was shining on this late summer morning. He could enjoy a ride before attending one of his last meetings.

And then he would finally be free to leave London once more.

“So you are alive.”

He choked on his whistling, stumbling to a stop. Sweat beaded on his brow. Was the day too hot? He turned with dread toward the shaded gazebo on his left.

There was just enough time for him to plaster on a smile that he hoped would pacify the old woman who had nearly made him jump out of his skin. He managed to keep his smile even as a familiar, impassive face stared back at him.

“Aunt Theodosia,” he forced out cheerfully. “What an absolute pleasure to have found you at last.”

Feeling like he was six years old again, caught sneaking about the kitchens for an extra treat, Adrian felt the guilt well up inside like a heavy rock weighing him down.

One didn’t bamboozle and sneak past the Dowager Duchess of Bradford without consequences.

“I don’t know how na?ve Europeans are, my boy, but to put me in the same basket as everyone else is quite insulting. Really, Adrian. I thought I taught you better than that. Did you really think you could stay in my house without my knowing?” she chided while fanning herself.

Adrian nodded slowly, studying his dear troublesome aunt. There were more wrinkles on her face. She was clutching a cane, one he feared she relied on for mobility rather than appearances. The large turban prevented folks from seeing her thinning hair. Not that anyone would dare point that out. They wouldn’t survive that hawklike stare with her pointed nose and piercing eyes.

“I wouldn’t dream of such a thing,” Adrian said. “How could I get past you?”

There was a crack in her pursed lips. An almost smile, as it were. He saw it trying to break through. He was sure of it.

“And yet it’s obvious that you tried. Ridiculous, Adrian. Absolutely ridiculous. You’ll make yourself the laughingstock of London by trying to sneak around. I’ve known of your arrival since the first day. I’ve spent all this time waiting for you to show your face.”

“Here it is,” he offered graciously, forcing a wider smile. “I didn’t wish to disturb you, Aunt Theodosia.”

She harrumphed loudly. “Do come closer. My eyes are not what they used to be. I think I see you smirking at the thought of nearly pulling the wool over my eyes, is that it?”

Tutting, he hastened up a couple of steps. “As if I could outsmart my aunt Theodosia. No, I merely wanted to ensure I was presentable.”

“Yes, your riding coat is definitely going to impress me,” she retorted. Shaking her head, she tilted her head up. “How garishly tall you’ve grown. Sit down before you break my neck. It has been over a year since I’ve seen you, you know. Your letters can only do so much.”

Chuckling, Adrian shook his head. In truth, he had missed his aunt. He should have known he would have disliked leaving without speaking with her.

“I will try to write more often,” he promised.

“Or perhaps this time, you’ll remain in London. Oh—” She waved a hand when he opened his mouth to object. “I know. You don’t care for London. For England. I know all that. The only thing I’ll pretend not to know is what you’re doing in town. Only business, truly?”

His lips twitched as he studied the merriment in her eyes. He’d learned to read between the lines a long time ago. The casual onslaught of scoldings followed by inquiries meant she cared.

“Indeed, yes. I shall not be in your hair for much longer. A day or two, at most. I have a meeting today with my man of affairs and another tomorrow,” he added. “If you know so much, Aunt Theodosia, would you like to attend them in my stead?”

“I shall not do your work for you.” She patted his leg. “I insist on enjoying myself. So, give me a kiss, my Adrian, and tell me why you won’t visit any longer.”

“I’m not a child anymore,” he muttered just before placing a gentle kiss on her temple. He saw the way her lips curled into a smile. “And I wouldn’t dream of crowding you with my presence. London is yours, dear aunt. The rest of the world is mine. I wish to explore it as much as I can.”

She snorted in a manner that still managed to sound ladylike. “You mean you wish to avoid England. I suppose you wish to sow your oats. If only you would stay a little longer.”

Something within him lit up like a flame. A hot red flame of alarm. “Oh, I couldn’t.”

“No?”

“Aunt Theodosia, I cannot stay that long. There is nothing for me in London, and I––”

“Not even me?”

He winced as she smirked in triumph. What had he been thinking? She would certainly make him pay for that.

“Precisely. You can stay a few more days. At the very least, you must meet my other guest. The one that was actually invited to stay in my home.”

He forced a smile even as annoyance washed over him. “Another one of your friends, I believe.”

Theodosia was always shoving him in front of the old matrons and crones of London, many of whom smelled of chalk and still pinched his cheeks. He was not eager to encounter one of them today.

“Something like that.” She waved him off with a roll of her eyes. “I believe she’ll be out for her morning stroll. Let us greet her.”

“Alas, I cannot.” He made a show of his reluctance. “I have an appointment—I’m afraid I cannot spare another moment. Perhaps we might meet at supper.”

Standing up, his aunt huffed. “Adrian, really?”

He gave her a wink when she met his eyes. “I shall be back before you know it. You can fuss over me then, yes? Good day, dearest aunt.”

“Don’t fall off your horse!”

Adrian waved and hastened off before she could order her servants to chase him down.

To his dismay, he could not wrap up all of his business in the city that day. More discussions were needed. Another week would be spent here, whether he liked it or not. He went to his club afterward for a game of billiards, before finally returning to Bradford House later that night.

“Adrian!”

He winced. The hour was late, and he had hoped his aunt would be fast asleep. It seemed he was wrong.

Turning, he managed a smile for his aunt.

“I suppose it is better to arrive late than to not arrive at all. But really, Adrian,” she chided as she walked down the hall toward him, “I much prefer that you be on time.”

“On time for what?” He forced a smile. “Auntie, I could not promise you to return early, and we both know that.”

Waving a hand, she leaned on her cane with the other. “Supper may be over, but we have been enjoying a quiet game of chess. Come and meet her, Adrian. Don’t make me drag you inside. Don’t you remember your manners?”

What guest? Oh, blast it, she does have someone here. She always has someone coming and going. But why she insists on me meeting them, I cannot spare a guess.

“I wouldn’t dream of forgetting them.”

Theodosia huffed at his response before taking his proffered arm. He didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter, so he made his way down the hall to the sitting room.

The double doors were wide open. Memories flooded his mind as he recalled the countless evenings he spent here. When he was a child, he used to come to London to visit his aunt two or three times a year. When his parents passed, every bit of this house had become a refuge to heal from the painful loss.

Theodosia motioned across the room. “The two of you meet, at last. Of course, you have met before, but that was a lifetime ago. My dear Charlotte, this is my nephew, Adrian Crawford, the Duke of Wakefield. Adrian, this is Lady Charlotte Whitmore, the daughter of the late Earl of Stanton. You remember my goddaughter, do you not?”

Adrian couldn’t begin counting how many women he had met in his lifetime. Most blended together after a while.

The young woman bobbed an awkward curtsy, then she looked him right in the eye. And his heart skipped a beat.

Her.

Stunned, Adrian found himself in front of the maid.

Or the goddaughter.

Maybe she was both?

She was not dressed in a uniform but a fair frock. Not a particularly fancy one. There were roses in the pattern, but not a single ribbon. His gaze roamed over her from head to toe. His cravat suddenly felt too tight. As for Charlotte, she seemed perfectly at ease.

“Good evening, Your Grace.” Her upper lip twitched. There was a smug look on her face that he could not ignore. He stared her down, but her spine was straight and she didn’t look away. “What a pleasure it is to see you once again.”

Adrian gritted his teeth. “Indeed. Again.”

“You remember, don’t you?” his aunt prompted.

Turning toward her sharply, he stared at her. Charlotte must have told her about the library. An accident. He had been mistaken. And yet he didn’t know how to tell his aunt that he had made a mess of this.

“I do,” Charlotte said. She swallowed and then looked down at his aunt, who was standing between them. “His Grace helped me climb the garden wall. What a gracious young man he was back then.”

Back then , as if he wasn’t gracious now.

Adrian had to stop from narrowing his eyes at her when his aunt turned back to him with a proud smile.

“How fortunate I am to have you both. Oh, Adrian, you must stay for a game of chess. Charlotte may very well trump you, and I should like to see that. Where is Lloyd? We shall need more tea.”

“No, Aunt Theodosia,” Adrian began, but she was already hurrying out of the room. He huffed before turning back to Charlotte, who now wore a deviously innocent expression. “ You . You are not a maid.”

That smile of hers returned. “Very well done, Your Grace. You’re not such a fool, after all.”

Trying not to bluster, he forced out, “Certainly not. But you were––you should have said something. Why didn’t you?”

Those pretty pink lips curled into the sweetest little pout he had ever seen. It made his teeth hurt. His heart hurt. He could hardly stand to look at her.

“Because that would have ruined the fun.”

He took a step back, blinded by his foolishness. Rubbing his forehead, he tried to think of something to say. An apology? Never. She shouldn’t have played him for a fool.

Adrian blinked, and she was gone.

And we knew each other? I wish to deny it, and yet… Aunt Theodosia brought me here after the funeral. A young girl of but five or six summers had been scampering about the gardens. Aunt Theodosia said she had another guest. It was only for a few days, but I remember her. Flowers in her hair, a playful smile, and dreaming up stories while I tried to distract us with games.

Adrian fell back into a nearby chair as the memories flooded through him.

Losing his parents had felt like a battle he could not return from whole. They took pieces of him when they left. He had felt empty, too tired to cry. He didn’t know how to mourn. Theodosia had told him to rest. Instead, he’d gone out into the sunlight, where he found a girl trying to climb the garden wall.

A hand brushed over his lips. He ignored his smile. The little girl had been a welcome distraction, a reminder that there was still light in this world. He had needed that, at the time.

“Did you scare her away?”

He dropped his hand to look at his aunt. “I did no such thing.”

“Charlotte never has headaches, but she’s already retiring to bed.” Theodosia tutted. She was carrying a tray, though it had to weigh as much as herself. Hastily rising, he took it from her and set it down. “Very well, we shall have a game ourselves.”

The chess pieces were already laid out. Glancing at the tea tray, Adrian sighed. He would not be escaping his aunt so easily tonight.

“Charming, isn’t she?”

“Who?” he asked.

Theodosia scowled. “Charlotte, of course. Quite tall, but she wears her height better than most. Her father passed last year, so I’ve taken her in.”

Resigned to his fate, Adrian watched her move a piece. “She has no other family?”

“Her cousins are in the country. Another distant cousin inherited the title, but I don’t care for him or his wife.”

“Yet, she could have remained in the country with them. Why is she here? With you?”

Theodosia sniffed. “She cannot hide forever, Adrian. I adore that girl as if she were my own child. Can you believe she’s twenty years of age and has never had a Season? Absolute pish posh. I have promised to find her a suitable husband because someone must.”

Trying to imagine Charlotte courting some of the men he knew had Adrian shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. She’s not made for London.”

“No one is made for London. You weren’t. It takes practice.”

“And more than that,” he shot back. “The daughter of an earl in the country may be considered a country bumpkin in the ballroom. If she has no connections here, then she has no luck.”

His aunt shot him a stern look. “Don’t be so cruel.”

They played as they talked. It was a familiar dance. Whenever he was home during the holidays, the two of them would spend nearly every evening playing at least one game of chess. They teased and argued and battled each other, always trying to win the final round of the evening.

Five rounds in and Adrian had a plan. He could beat her and call it a night. Hope rose in his chest as he studied the board with confidence.

“I’m merely sensible,” he sighed, softening his voice. “Aunt Theodosia, the ton may bend to your will, but not everyone else will. No matter how much you adore your goddaughter, it is already clear she is not prepared for the monstrous hunt that is the London Season. She needs help.”

“You’re right.” When he glanced up, his aunt appeared thoughtful. “She’s quite innocent. Having an expert guiding her during the Season would surely go a long way.”

“Certainly.” Adrian smirked when she made a move. A mistake, really. Now he had her rook. “An expert and a chaperone. The more help she has, the better.”

Nodding, Theodosia agreed. “Yes! And I shall be that chaperone.”

“Very good, Auntie. That was a given, anyway,” Adrian added. “She lives here. She will need your help to get a voucher for Almack’s. Then for… for…”

Hold on a minute here. I could have sworn I had a clear path to the queen. Did I miss something? If she moved to that square, then it should have lined up… and yet she took both of my knights. When did that happen?

“For?”

“Hmm?” He looked up, confused.

His aunt raised an eyebrow. “So you’ll help?”

Adrian froze. It struck him all at once what this was about. He was trapped. And it was too late.

He looked at the board and then back at his aunt. The old woman smirked like she’d been waiting for this chance for far too long. Even as he scowled, it didn’t dim the twinkle in her eyes.

“I cannot tutor a young lady to navigate Society,” he scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. Use your friends and connections to hire a proper tutor.”

“Trusting a stranger with my goddaughter? Don’t be absurd. You’re the perfect person to help Charlotte. She needs to know what to expect as she searches for a husband,” Theodosia decided. “Who better than another man? A duke, at that. Your connections would be a boon for both her and myself.”

That made him roll his eyes. He chuckled and leaned back before speaking. “While I may concede that you are most often right, this is not one of those times. I have other matters to attend to. Much more important matters.”

Furrowing her brow, Theodosia considered this and then spoke up. “And so what? You expect me to take her everywhere and trust that everyone will fall in line? Even I am not that much of a fool. I don’t care what matters you prioritize because I insist you stay here for this. You are a duke, you foolish boy. I can take her far, but your influence can take her farther. I expect Charlotte to be the Diamond of the Season. In fact, I will accept nothing less.”

“Then teach her yourself,” he suggested, a small thread of panic wrapping around his throat. He tugged at his tight cravat. “I am no tutor. What good am I to innocent maidens? And you forget, Auntie, how often I am out of town.”

At that, she merely waved a hand dismissively. “The rules remain the same. She needs to know the written ones and the unwritten ones. I cannot be everywhere and do everything. This is the very least you can do to help an aunt you hide from while staying in her home,” she added.

I should have expected that.

Adrian studied her through narrowed eyes for a long minute, trying to decide what this meant. Was there a way out of this? He considered his options long enough to make her shift impatiently in her seat.

“Fine,” he agreed, at last. But before she could get too excited, he added, “But only for one month. I will remain here to help Lady Charlotte manage the start of the Season and any suitors who may be interested in her.”

“But if suitors show interest in her, she will need more guidance,” Theodosia pointed out.

Adrian huffed. “Fine. But if no suitors show interest in the first four weeks of the Season, then she is no longer my responsibility.”

“The Diamond of the Season, remember,” his aunt said.

“We will see.” Adrian drew a deep breath before rising, needing to stretch his legs and make his escape.

“Very well. Oh, by the way, checkmate.”

He harrumphed and left the room. Agitation kept him moving up the staircase and through the next wing to find his bedchamber.

Somehow, his aunt had boxed him in. He would have to be more careful in the future.

But he would do it. He would make Charlotte, tall and rosy-cheeked and troublesome as she was, the Diamond of the Deason. She would surely be married by the end of the month or at least be engaged.

After that, he would be free, without a care in the world, and his aunt would not have a single thing to complain about.