What the Duke Wants (9 page)

“Wonderful. I’ll have a footman come and take your trunk to the carriage. You’ll love Greenford Waters, near Bath, Miss Lottie. It’s truly a dream. The gardens are my favorite part. I’ve only been once, attending the late Dowager, but I’ll not forget it.”

“I’m sure it will be beautiful.”

Carlotta felt a slight pain of loss as well as anticipation. After all, Bath was quite close to Garden Gate. Perhaps she could find out just how the estate was managing without her. Mr. Burrows had taken care of all the particulars so she had all faith that all was as well as could be expected, however, it would be wonderful to see it for herself.

“I’ll go and check on the girls.” Carlotta nodded to Mrs. Pott and entered the hall. The gilded artwork and opulent furnishings of the duke’s London residence were beautiful, but she hoped that the estate in Bath was a little less, intimidating. All one had to do was simply meet the duke to realize the power and wealth he possessed, the house was simply an overstatement. Not overdone, but a reminder that was unnecessary. Though she supposed it was probably common among the
ton
.

“Beatrix! I promise it will all work out simply beautifully. You’ll see. I have all faith—”

“All faith in what?” Carlotta asked as she pushed open the already ajar door into the girls’ room.

“Uh…” Bethanny stammered, her eyes widening and glancing to Beatrix, who simply shook her head and took a step back.

“Oh, Miss Lottie! I’m so very excited! I hope the duke’s house has gardens so we can run and play tag. Maybe there’s even a pond! Do you think?” Berty had rushed up to Carlotta and grabbed her hands, jumping in place while she squeezed her fingers tightly.

“I’m sure there will be plenty of garden for you to roam about and frolic, little one.” Carlotta bent down and tugged teasingly on Berty’s plait.

“I knew it.” She sighed happily.

“Are you three about ready? The sooner we leave the sooner we’ll get there.” Carlotta glanced at the older two.

“Of course. Do… that is… is his grace expected to send us off?” Bethanny asked bashfully.

“I’m not sure.” Carlotta bit her lip nervously. One would
expect
that he would indeed, see them off. But she wondered.

“Mrs. Pott already said goodbye,” Beatrix commented as she put on her bonnet.

“Did she?”

“Yes! And I think Mr. Murray will miss us. He seemed terribly sad,” Berty commented.

“Murray?” Carlotta couldn’t help the wry and disbelieving tone her words carried. Not once had she even seen the butler carry an expression that varied from polite distance.

“Oh yes! He’s quite kind, you know. Always sneaking us sweets.”

Carlotta raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “And when did he do this?”

“Oh, well here and there. You usually weren’t around. I don’t think he wanted to be caught.”

Carlotta looked to Bethanny and Beatrix, who had small grins teasing their lips. “I had no idea.”

“He really is a dear man. He has a few granddaughters our age.”

“I believe you know more about him than even the duke does.”

“I suspect so. We will miss him, and Mrs. Pott. They have been so lovely.” Bethanny said.

“Indeed.” Carlotta nodded absentmindedly. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Murray sneaking about the house to slip the girl’s sweets. Truly, wonders never ceased.

“I’ll let Mrs. Pott know we’re all set. Don’t forget your bonnet, Berty.”

Berty shot her a mutinous glare and picked up her bonnet as if an unsavory insect.

Carlotta waited patiently.

Berty narrowed her eyes, huffed indignantly, and then proceeded to tie it under her chin.

Very slowly.

Carlotta nodded and left. Murray was waiting in the foyer. Carlotta held back, studying the butler with new eyes. Tilting her head, she tried to imagine him hiding peppermints or something else in his pockets.

“Care to tell me what we are spying on? Or whom?” a rich baritone asked from just behind her.

Carlotta jumped, her hand instinctively flying to her heart. “Your grace! You gave me a fright!”

“Forgive me, you were quite intent on your study of Murray. I’m greatly curious as to the reason.” His eyes danced with merriment and a far too alluring light of mischief.

“It would seem your butler leads a secret life.” Carlotta raised her eyebrow dramatically.

“You have my complete attention, Miss Lottie.” He inclined his head towards her, a wicked gleam in his eye.

“Though as I consider it, perhaps I shouldn’t tell you. I wouldn’t want to break a confidence.”

“Dear Miss Lottie. I can assure you that anything you were about to disclose is likely already known by me. Murray is entirely predictable.” He shrugged his broad shoulders.

Carlotta tried not to notice how his jacket accented just how broad they were. So she pried her gaze from his jacket to his eyes.

Which was a mistake. They were warm, inviting, and harboring a delightful twinkle. It was a deadly combination, so she glanced to his lips, which reminded her of their kiss. Was there anywhere she could focus her attention that wouldn’t cause her mind to freeze up like a shallow puddle in January?

Desperately trying to gather her wits, she blurted, “Murray sneaks the girls sweets.”

She glanced down to the floor. Clearly, it was the only safe place to rest her gaze, everywhere else simply was too much.

****

“Pardon?” Charles felt his jaw drop. When Carlotta said his butler led a secret life, he was anticipating… well he wasn’t sure what but it was
not
that he was smuggling sweets to the girls.

In fact, he didn’t remember ever seeing Murray around the girls.

“Are you quite sure?” Charles asked, his tone disbelieving.

“I had the same response,” Carlotta replied with a wry grin. Her berry red lips were twisted up to one side and her green eyes danced with delight.

“I say… I didn’t think he had it in him.” Charles shook his head then turned his attention to his old butler once more, studying him in a new light.

“Yes. Bethanny said that they reminded him of his granddaughters.”

“Murray has a family?”

“It would appear so.”

“Oh, I suppose I never really thought about it.”

“Apparently,” Carlotta murmured. Charles rather thought he wasn’t intended to hear, so he pretended that he did not.

Just like he pretended not to smile.

Charles watched Carlotta as she tilted her head, studying Murray. Her neck was graceful and slender. Her body radiated warmth that wasn’t felt as much as sensed. It warmed his soul. Her lips drew his attention once more as they tipped into a small smile, one of innocent amusement.

It had been a long time since he saw a smile like that.

Oh, he had seen plenty of smiles. Too many. Most of them directed towards him with some degree of selfish intent. But a smile that was innocently taking joy without requiring anything in return…
that
was as rare as hen’s teeth. Especially in the
ton
.

So he stared at her, memorizing the way her cheeks curved causing her eyes to squint slightly. Like a refreshing breeze in the stifling heat of summer, he let her fresh innocence wash over him.

Until she turned.

Clearing his throat, he tried to appear as if he weren’t caught staring.

Which he most certainly was.

But being a duke did have its advantages. If he didn’t speak of it, then
most
people would pretend it never happened.

“Why were you staring?”

Of course,
most
people didn’t include her. No, that would have been too bloody lucky.

And apparently, all luck had flown out the window once she had arrived.

“I was… taking delight in how my butler clearly amused you.” He spoke smoothly, praying urgently that she’d not question his answer.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded. “We are all ready to depart, your grace. The girls… they were wondering if you were going to see them off?”

“The girls?” he asked, searching her eyes intently for a hint of whether she was wishing for his presence as well.

“Well yes…” Her brow furrowed as she met his gaze.

And because he couldn’t help but ask, “
Just
the girls?” He leaned in, closing the distance and inhaling the alluring scent of apricots and fresh laundry.

“I—I—” she stammered. Her eyes widened, her sooty lashes brushing her winged brows as she struggled to answer his forward question.

He shouldn’t have glanced to her lips. It was a miserable idea. Come to think of it, he didn’t actually
think
about glancing there, but was drawn outside of his own will. He
needed
to see them. To commit them to memory. She was leaving.

Of course, she was leaving at his behest; however, that didn’t mean he didn’t wish the circumstances were different.

Why couldn’t she have been an impoverished earl’s daughter?

Her lips parted as she took in a deeper breath.

This time Charles took a split second to think, to consider exactly what he was doing even as he proceeded to close the distance between their lips. He could have backed away, he could have quipped something witty with his devil may care attitude.

But he didn’t.

Damning his own weakness, he admitted that he was indeed powerless against her.

And as his lips brushed hers, he thought that maybe, being powerful was overrated.

She stiffened as his lips caressed hers, causing him to hesitate before deepening the kiss. His body demanded more, aching for more but he held himself firmly in check.

Of course,
now
his self-control decided to make an appearance.

He teased her lower lip with his tongue, inhaling deeply so that the full effect; her scent, her taste, the slight sound of her breathing all added to the symphony of her kiss.

He’d never heard more beautiful music.

She relaxed slightly, just enough to encourage him and he pressed his lips slightly firmer against hers, increasing the pressure and sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips. She trembled, but didn’t back away. His hands moved to her shoulders, resting on them and memorizing the texture of her dress, the shape of her arms as his hands traveled down to her fingers, where he held onto her dainty glove-covered hands.

He couldn’t remember the last time he held a woman’s hand for the simple pleasure of just touching her. It was blissful and remarkably intimate. Though he desperately wanted to remove her gloves and feel the heat of her skin on his.

As if remembering herself, she backed away abruptly, breaking their exchange. Her eyes were wide and glossy, as if restraining tears.

Charles felt his own chest constricting as he realized he was the cause.

“Your grace, I—”

“Car—Miss Lottie, please. Don’t.” He held up his hand and took a deep breath.

She nodded, her posture full of bravado, and Charles swore he saw her building a wall around herself, as if she needed extra armor to protect against him.

If he hadn’t already felt like a cad, that would have pushed him over the edge.

“Miss Lottie.” His chest ached at the words he knew he must say. His body warred against itself, knowing the truth but wanting desperately to find a way to make it not matter.

But some things just couldn’t be changed.

“I find that moving you and the girls to my estate in Bath is the wisest choice for us both. I’ll freely admit that my attraction to you is unacceptable and therefore, I’m removing you from my presence and quite honestly, from temptation. I’ll see that every need you and the girls have is immediately met and please, if you do need anything, do not hesitate to ask Tibbs. He’s the butler at Greenford Waters. Please give my regards to the girls, I don’t… think it prudent that I see them off myself.” He bowed and left.

The horrifically accepting and humble expression in her eyes haunted his memory as he walked away, mocking him.

****

“I still don’t understand why his grace didn’t say good bye,” Berty pouted in the corner of the carriage as they made their way to the countryside.

“He told me to give you his regards.” Carlotta spoke over the thick lump in her throat. Even after riding in the carriage for several hours, she still felt like at any moment she might dissolve into tears.

“But it’s particularly
rude
to not say goodbye,” Berty complained.

“Berty, hush,” Bethanny scolded, her eyes traveling to Carlotta and then darting away.

Obviously she was piecing things together. Which was exactly what Carlotta
didn’t
want.

“How long till we reach Bath?” Beatrix asked quietly.

“It’s about a day and half trip. His grace has made arrangements for us to stay at an inn in Oxfordshire. We’ll stay there tonight, wake early and travel a little over half a day to Bath.” Carlotta used all her inner strength to pull herself together. These girls needed her; she’d not fail them over some weak and futile heartbreak.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t know better. She
did
know better, but that didn’t prevent it from hurting. She
knew
it was futile to further the overwhelming attraction that ignited between them whenever it pleased, but hearing it from
his
lips… it was a wretched dose of reality and still stung.

She never thought he’d break the rules of society and pursue
her.
She had more common sense than that, but she would have liked for him to. As futile as it was, she just couldn’t seem to communicate that information to her traitorous heart.

Her throat constricted as she remembered his words, but his expression spoke volumes more. His dancing blue eyes were cold, polite and distant, his words clipped and cool, and his posture ridged. Everything he said seemed at odds with his body language. And quite honestly, she didn’t know which to believe. His words were kind, gentle even as he was more honest than was necessary, but it didn’t remove the sting from the implications.

He wanted her gone.

For her good, but also for his. She couldn’t hold that against him. But it didn’t sit well, being so easily disregarded. Her first taste of romance and she had to go and find the most unattainable bachelor in the country.