Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

" C harlie, I need those dance lessons. My entire future depends on it," Rose said in a wobbly voice. "Remember the fiasco at last year's ball? I simply could not survive that again this year. I would have no choice but to retreat from Society and live the rest of my days as a spinster. Alone and unloved."

"All because you lost your accounts on Caden's shoes?" Charlie rolled her eyes. "Stuff and nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense," Rose said, her eyes filling with tears. "I am almost certain it's why Caden won't even look in my direction. He's afraid he'll be forced to partner with me."

Caden only has so many pairs of shoes, Chapelle quipped.

Chapelle, don't be unkind , Charlie said, clearly reading the cat's thoughts.

I'm only speaking the truth, the cat added . What we should do, is keep Rose away from the champagne. That would solve more problems than a hundred dance lessons.

"I'm sure Caden is not avoiding you because of last year's unfortunate incident." Charlie was almost certain her cake of a brother was avoiding Rose for entirely different reasons. Her brother needed to grow up and see what was right in front of his nose! Rose. She was perfect for him. Unfortunately, Rose had always had the worst self-image, despite her sweet disposition, innate goodness, and bountiful kindness. She had a way about her that, with the touch of her hand, made people feel good about themselves and their circumstances—well, unless you had vomit covering your britches from the knees down. And yet, when it came to her own heart, Rose was a disaster. So anxious she would make herself dizzy and prone to fainting spells and, yes, vomiting as well.

Last year Rose did just that, all over Caden's shoes. Poor Rose had been mortified. It had taken the combined efforts of Grandmama, Aunt Agnes, Chapelle, and Charlie to convince Rose to come back. Charlie worried that if Rose's nerves got the better of her again this year, her self-image would sink so low that she would indeed become a recluse.

Poor Rose had very little support at home. Rose's mother, Lady Kenwood, was a loving mother, but had become distracted since a debilitating illness struck Rose's father three years ago. Lady Kenwood had become so focused on caring for him, she could not provide Rose with motherly guidance.

Charlie would do everything in her power to make sure that Rose had all the support she required. However, just because Rose needed additional dance lessons to calm her nerves, didn't mean Charlie had to suffer through the same thing. Charlie felt no need to polish her own dancing skills, nor did she relish having to deal with the stuffy dancing instructor.

"Rose, you have nothing to worry about. Grandmama will make certain you'll have enough lessons this year to give you all the confidence you need."

"I do hope so," Rose said. "I so wish to impress Caden this year. I would not want him to think worse of me."

" Pish! We all know who is to blame for what happened—that horrid Lord Phelps plied you with too much champagne. My brother has never said a word otherwise…at least none that I've heard. So please try to remain positive. This year will be different."

Rose nodded, but Charlie could see her best friend was far from convinced. Her cheeks were ashen, and her eyes were rimmed with dark circles. Charlie blew out a breath. "All right, fine. We'll take the lessons together. I don't want you making yourself ill over this. I know if you trip or if anything happens, you will forever blame me for not agreeing to the lessons."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Rose threw her arms around Charlie and hugged her close. "Just so you know, I would only blame you for this year. I could never hold it against you forever," Rose quipped, obviously elated by her small victory.

"But you owe me. One day you might be called upon to return the favor."

"Of course! You know I would do anything for you. You are my dearest friend, Charlie."

Charlie tucked a coppery curl behind Rose's ear. "I am completely confident that with all this extra practice we'll be the belles of the ball." Charlie crossed her fingers behind her back for good measure. She wanted to have one ball that wasn't marred by some horrible mishap. She had ideas of her own about this year's ball and it had nothing to do with tossing up one's accounts.

"The only man I wish to impress is Caden," Rose said in a soft voice. "You know how I've always felt about him. I hope this will be the year that Caden truly sees me."

"My brother does see you, Rose. He knows what a wonderful person you are."

"Oh, I know he cares about me as a friend, but that is not what I mean. It's not what I want. I'm drawn to him and see only him when he's in a room. When he laughs or looks in my direction with those green eyes, it makes me weak in the knees. He's simply the most handsome man in all the world. Have you ever remarked that his dark gold hair reminds one of a vintage coin?" she effused breathlessly.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Caden's hair is blond like mine."

"Your hair is a beautiful shade of golden blonde with silver streaks," Rose said, making Charlie smile. "But Caden's hair is darker than yours, you must admit that. And his skin is bronzed from spending so much time in the sun, which makes his beautiful green eyes even more striking. I so admire Caden's love of the outdoors."

Charlie agreed with Rose on that point. Her brother was usually fishing, hunting, in the stables with the horses, or helping one of the tenants on the family estate. He never shirked physical labor, in fact, he thrived on it. He seemed to have an endless supply of stamina that made him constantly seek active pursuits.

"Caden is the most handsome man I've ever known," Rose said with a sigh.

Charlie couldn't fault Rose for having such feelings, for she too felt the same about the earl.

Charlie regarded her friend and hoped that Caden could see who she truly was. Rose was a lovely young woman with arresting amber eyes, long curly red hair, and a delightful sprinkling of freckles over the bridge of her nose that gave her the appearance of a lovely woodland sprite. She also possessed a petite, curvaceous figure that would no doubt attract attention, if only she carried herself with more confidence. Of course, it didn't help that Rose's gowns were not exactly flattering to her curves or coloring. Luckily, Grandmama had remedied that by engaging one of the most talented modistes in London to create their ball gowns.

Charlie hoped this year would be different for Rose and that gentlemen would flock to her side, despite her meager dowry and last year's unfortunate incident. Her dearest friend deserved true love. "Caden has said nothing that would indicate he wished to avoid you," Charlie said. She knew her brother and secretly hoped seeing other men woo Rose would spur him into action. Why must love be so complicated? An image of the handsome earl popped into her head. Damn complicated, indeed!

Hearing a ruckus downstairs in the front hall, Charlie poked her head out of Rose's room. "The modiste has already arrived," she said over her shoulder. "Grandmama will expect us in her rooms. We should hurry."

"I cannot wait to see the dresses your grandmother commissioned from that stunning material," Rose said with a sigh. She smoothed down the fabric of her drab gray gown and followed Charlie down the hall.

"Ah, there you are, my dears," the dowager said, meeting them on the landing. "Both the modiste and the dance instructor have arrived at the same time. Mr. Grindle is a bit early and keen to get started. Therefore, I have asked Madame to take her time organizing herself. I invited her to enjoy tea in my sitting room and relax for a couple of hours. We will delay the fittings for a short dance lesson—just to satisfy Mr. Grindle. Really! The man should have stuck to the agreed upon schedule. I've placed him in the ballroom. Hurry along, ladies. Caden has agreed to partner. I already spoke to him at breakfast."

Rose smiled.

Charlie inwardly grimaced. Grandmama would insist on partnering Rose with Caden, which was all well and good, unfortunately that left Charlie to partner with Grindle. The man's breath smelled like the stables after the horses had gotten into the wheels of cheese Cook had left there to age. And she wondered if he ever aired his clothing like normal people. It reeked of garlic… Honestly, it was as if he thought he was in the company of vampires! She bit back a laugh. The foul-smelling toady would likely die of apoplexy if he realized they were witches.

Her grandmother cleared her throat and gave Charlie a warning glance. Dang it! She was reading her thoughts again. Really! It took every bit of control for Charlie to restrain the impulse to give Grindle a bar of soap and a box of tooth powder. With her whole heart, Charlie wished the earl could be her partner, but that was preposterous. The man could barely stand.

"Madame Soyeuse will be in my rooms shortly," the dowager said as they made their way to the ballroom. "She said something about last-minute alterations. Because of the delicate, tissue-like texture of the fabric, measuring for alterations may take a little longer. You know the saying: measure twice, cut once," the dowager said, chuckling. "I am glad I could convince her to come here. She mentioned having close relatives in Tintagel. I suppose she plans to stay there."

"Do they have a French brandy business?" Charlie asked, not realizing she had said her thought out loud. Tintagel was known for its smuggling.

"Remember yourself, my dear. Thoughts such as that are not meant to be shared—mortal or not. Your…er…contemplations can be very loud," the dowager chided. In a quiet voice, she added, "But I believe you are correct. Madame Soyeuse might indeed have relations who are so inclined because she declined my invitation to stay here. And it's a long way to travel, and as well as I pay, I'm sure there had to be more enticements. I am most welcoming, as you know, so I can only assume she has made other arrangements."

Charlie could just guess what those other arrangements were.

They entered the ballroom and found Mr. Grindle standing with arms crossed, his foot beating a rapid tattoo on the polished wood floor. "I have zee music and hope you have someone to play the pianoforte," he demanded in an impatient voice.

"I will play," Charlie quickly volunteered.

"Nonsense, my dear. I will ask Agnes to play," the dowager said. "She plays beautifully. In the meantime, you and Rose round up your brother. Check the stables."

Instinctively, Charlie knew this would not go as her grandmother had intended. But somehow, she felt Grandmama knew that. Maybe I can convince the stablehands to saddle up the mounts so I can escape , she thought deviously.

"And don't dawdle," her grandmother said, with eyes narrowed.

Chapelle trailed behind her mistress. You really should control your thoughts. You know how shrewd the dowager is, she thought .

And you really should behave yourself, Chapelle. If you embarrass me, I will put you on porridge rations, Charlie returned.

The cat scurried ahead and leaped over the fence in front of the stables. She tossed a huffy glare in Charlie's direction. Fine. I promise.

When they arrived at the stable, Caden was nowhere to be found. His horse was still in its stall, munching on hay. Male voices at the other end of the stables drew Charlie's attention. It was Lord Fitzwater and his manservant, Mr. Bronson. The earl was brushing his horse and talking gently to it. Her heart hitched at the sight, and she fought the urge to challenge him to a race along the cliffs, which would have been her preference over dancing with Grindle. "Pardon me, Lord Fitzwater, but have you seen my brother this morning?"

The earl turned around and smiled, making Charlie's breath catch.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, Mr. Bronson and I spent an enjoyable hour with Viscount Penrose. He accompanied us here to check on Justice and make certain he was on the mend. Your brother truly has a gift for healing horses, and he indicated he shares that gift with you, Lady Charlotte."

"Thank you, my lord." Charlie felt the heat of a blush creep up her neck to her cheeks. The earl wasn't far off the truth. Did he suspect her gifts went beyond what mortals could do? He had a strange look in his eyes. Why can't I figure out what he's thinking? "Do you know if my brother returned to the house?"

" I believe he mentioned something about heading to his favorite stream for a spot of fishing, didn't he, Bronson?"

"He did indeed. I saw him take one of those fishing poles hanging on the wall over there."

"He invited us, though I doubt that Dr. Thakur would have approved of my traipsing through the woods to a fishing pond," the earl quipped.

"Damn and blast you, Caden, you sneaky rat!" Charlie blurted. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth as she realized she'd uttered the unladylike curse aloud and not in her head.

Lord Fitzwater's lips twitched in what looked like amusement, making her feel even more embarrassed. How unladylike of her!

"Forgive my language, my lord. But my brother has left us in a quandary. You see, he was meant to partner Rose in our dancing lessons."

"Oh, dear. Mr. Grindle will be most upset at Caden's absence," Rose said, wringing her hands. "He might very well leave. And that will surely mean disaster."

The earl's mouth curved up in a smile. "Allow me to be of assistance. I'm almost finished brushing Justice and would be honored to offer myself as a partner for your dancing lesson."

Charlie's heart did several somersaults. "Thank you, my lord, for your kind offer. That is so gallant of you. Of course, we would love to have you, but only if you are certain. We wouldn't want you to re-injure yourself." She glanced at her friend, who looked crushed that Caden had wormed his way out of helping with the dance lessons.

"I am most certain. In fact, the good doctor recommended gentle exercise to speed up the healing, did he not, Bronson?"

"He did indeed, my lord."

"Then it's settled." The earl gave them another charming smile that made Charlie's heart skip a beat.

Oh Lord, how am I going to get through the dance lesson?

I'm sure you'll manage just fine . Chapelle chuckled. And what better way to spend the morning than in the arms of Lord Hunky.

May I remind you that the earl will be partnering with Rose? I'll still be stuck with Garlic Man.

Charlie smiled at Rose and gave her friend a side hug. It was a good thing Rose wasn't privy to Charlie's thought conversations with Chapelle.

Oh, when I get my hands on Caden, I'll ring his damn neck.

I think you would do well to let your grandmama handle Caden," Chapelle said as she licked her paw. The dowager has far more clout than you do.

"I will give it a go if we can avoid the more taxing dances. I'm not sure I'm ready for those." The earl rinsed off his hands in a nearby bucket of water and dried them on a towel. "Bronson, what say you fetch your fiddle?"

"I'd be delighted, my lord."

"Splendid!" the earl said slapping his friend on the back. "Bronson here, is one of the most talented musicians in England."

"Well, now, the earl does exaggerate." Bronson chuckled.

"That would be wonderful," exclaimed Charlie. "Rose's aunt will also be accompanying us on the pianoforte.

"It will surely sound more like an orchestra at a real ball!" Rose enthused.

At least I can admire the earl from afar. Charlie sighed inwardly.

I'm not even commenting , Chapelle said through a yawn, as she seated herself on the top of the fence while they waited for the two men.

Don't , warned Charlie. He's very chivalrous and a true gentleman . The small group headed back to the house, where Mr. Grindle and her grandmother waited.

This is going to be so much fun. Chapelle meowed with glee. I shall quite enjoy watching you try not to swoon in the earl's presence.

Swoon? I'm not Rose, for God's sake! Why ever would I swoon?

Because, my dear Charlie, you're head over heels in love with Lord Fitzwater. That's why.