“Ha! You have good humor, my Lady,” Luke said, controlling his laughter as he raised a glass to his lips.
Seth strained to see his supposed friend through the darkness, for all the candles were pushed far down the other end of the table. Luke was smiling a little too easily for his comfort as he gazed at Charity.
“Thank you.” She smiled as she ate. “It is nice to have some company for once whilst I eat.”
“You mean…” Luke paused and looked at Seth, mischief in his eyes as he arched his brows. “Do not tell me, Seth, you have been letting your house guest eat alone?”
Seth did not answer.
“If I had this guest in my house, I fear I would not leave her alone, not at any point of the day, or night for that matter.” The flirtation was implicit. “I would be wanting to see you smile all the time, my Lady.”
Charity blushed as she angled her head over her plate. Seth hated the sight of that blush, wondering if she enjoyed Luke’s flirtation, then he thought of another reason why she may have blushed.
I never leave her alone at night, do I?
He watched Charity intently, admiring the smile on her features and just how pretty she was when she was completely at ease and comfortable. He wished he could put her at such ease, the way that Luke could, but naturally, he had been driving a wedge between them the last few days. He was the reason she did not smile so much in his company.
“Well, my friend is an odd sort,” Luke said with ease. He reached across the table and tried to top up Charity’s wine glass, but Seth intercepted and took the carafe before he could.
He knew Charity did not particularly enjoy drinking too much. She had mentioned to him before in passing that the night they had met was the most she had ever drunk. She had no wish to do the same again.
Luke narrowed his eyes at Seth, and he matched that look. He would not let Luke get her drunk when she could not see how much was in her glass.
“I am notodd,” Seth insisted, keeping the focus on the conversation.
“Of course you are,” Luke laughed loudly, as if this was the greatest jest he had ever heard. “Look at what you do with the candles. Your worry about an open flame has gone a little far, don’t you think? You won’t have candles anywhere near you in case you knock them over, will you?” Luke was still chuckling away, but Charity was not smiling at all.
She had put down her cutlery, and her body was turned toward Seth, her lips parted, as if there was something she longed to ask. Seth had no wish to talk of his fear of fires now. He did not want to explain himself to her, so instead, he did something bold. Under the table, he shifted his foot alongside hers and rested their ankles together.
It was a soft touch, as gentle as he could make it, and to his amazement, it changed her expression completely. She allowed herself a small smile and bent her head forward, no longer looking so intent to speak to him about fires.
“So, as the daughter of an earl, you must have had quite an experience in life, my Lady? Life as part of the ton! I am surprised we have not crossed paths before.” Luke went on, somehow snatching the carafe back from Seth, for he was too distracted staring at Charity and admiring her. Luke topped up his own glass as he spoke.
“An experience… you could call it that,” Charity said, picking up her cutlery again.
Seth hid his smile behind his own glass, knowing that Charity had little respect for her father.
“What has your life been like?”
“Plain,” Charity gave a simple answer.
For some reason, it pleased Seth to see she was not going to give in easily and give Luke some great detailed description about her father. Seth had to keep his smile hidden behind the glass as Luke exchanged a frustrated look that he could not find out more.
“Well, you are a pleasant surprise to find in my friend’s house,” Luke changed tactics. “I have for so long been thinking of courting a woman, and now I wonder if perhaps the woman I have been searching for has quite dropped into my lap in front of me.”
Seth gripped the glass in his hand so tightly that the spindle snapped, and the base came clean off. Charity jerked her head toward him, but he did not meet that gaze. He was too busy dropping the pieces of the glass to the table to avoid cutting himself on them.
They will not court. He will not court Charity.
“I think it is time you were leaving, Luke. You have long finished your dinner and with the weather so cold, I imagine the tracks are quite icy. Your carriage will need to take care.” Seth leaned forward and pointed at the door.
Luke’s smile faltered and he frowned.
“What are you doing?”he mouthed, so Charity could not see he had spoken.
Seth simply thrust a finger at the door again.
Leave. Go, you fool.
