“There you are,” Oliver’s unmistakable voice returned. “I hope you are enjoying the evening? And you, my Lady?”
“Very much so,” Charity answered eagerly. “Seth has been describing it to me and it all sounds rather splendid, the decoration and all the effort that’s gone into it. I must commend you on the splendor of this evening.” She had a feeling if Edith were here, she would be quite envious of another hostess’ success.
“Oh, you are far too generous. I am fond of this one,” a lady’s voice answered her. “Now, if I may, could I steal your betrothed for a short while, Your Grace?” the lady asked.
“Only if you promise to return her before night’s end,” Seth added lightly.
“Oh! I seem to have overlooked some formalities, haven’t I?” Oliver interjected suddenly. “Allow me to introduce my wife, Lady Valentina Pembroke.”
Charity curtsied.
“It is lovely to meet you, my Lady.”
“Oh, a sweet one too! Pray, do not curtsy so deeply to me,” the lady replied sheepishly. “You shall be a duchess soon. Come, my Lady, I’m stealing her away from you, Your Grace, but I vow to return her.”
Charity released Seth as her arm was taken by Oliver’s wife, Valentina. She judged as they walked that the lady was a little taller than her, but not by much.
“I hope you forgive my intrusion,” the lady said hurriedly, “I longed for Oliver to have a chance to talk to his old friend alone. It has been so long since they have last seen each other—poor soul was looking forward to it all night!”
“Not at all,” Charity beamed. “I am quite amused you thought of orchestrating it so artfully. How long has it been since they had last seen each other?” she asked, longing to know more about her future husband.
“Oh, too long,” Lady Lexham said with a dramatic sigh. “Mind you, I believe it was before the fire, of course. So it must be ten years now. My husband inherited his earldom too around the time, so between him attempting to take over an earldom that was in need of much attention, and the poor duke contending with his own heartache, it is hardly surprising, is it?”
“No, I suppose not.” Charity pretended she knew precisely what they were speaking of, while attempting to puzzle the pieces together in her mind from all the things shedidknow about Seth.
There had been a fire once, that much she knew, and some had talked as if he had lost family members in some heart wrenching manner. Was it possible he had lost a loved one in that fire? Worse, had he lost more than one?
Those scars…
Charity suddenly felt dry-mouthed and was very thankful when Lady Lexham pressed a glass into her hands.
“I can see you are already a very good influence on the duke though,” Lady Lexham whispered encouragingly. “For so long, I have been nagging my husband to send invitations to the duke, and he relented, but His Grace never followed them up with much personal correspondence. Yet look at him now. He is here, he’s smiling, and he is presently engrossed in laughter with Oliver about some jest or another.”
“Is he? Oh good.” Charity strained to hear and could just about locate the deep laughter rumbling across the room, half-drowned out by the cacophonous chatter of ladies.
“I can only presume that you are the brilliant stroke of light that has brought him out of his manor and here with us once more, and for that, I wish to thank you sincerely.” The genuineness in Lady Lexham’s tone took Charity by surprise. “I cannot tellyou how happy you have made my husband tonight—and by extension, myself.”
“Oh, please, do not thank me,” Charity giggled awkwardly, “my heart is content for the simple fact he is smiling again. When I first met the duke, he seemed so… dour.” She searched for the right word. “Yet each day I have known him since, he seems happier and happier.”
“A fanciful woman might call that a sign of love,” Lady Lexham murmured with a delighted giggle. “I do hope we will be invited to the wedding ceremony. Oh, I would dearly love that, as I’m sure Oliver would too.”
“Of course.” Charity smiled, hoping the couple could indeed attend, even if her and Seth’s marriage was by special license. “What is happening between the two of them now?”
“They are laughing again,” Lady Lexham whistled, in awe. “Well, I think I have had my Christmas gift this year. To see him at such ease, just as he was when we first met.”
Charity grinned, feeling as if she had been delivered her own early Christmas gift too. She may have been the one to implore Seth to take her to this ball, but if it had ended up making him equally happy, then it was the greatest bargain of her life.
“You are impatient for something, I can sense it.”
“You cannot see me and yet you still know it.” Seth laughed warmly as he sat on the opposite side of the carriage to Charity, regarding her beautiful porcelain visage in the moonlight. As she did not need the light of the candle, and he was no great fan of having a flaming lantern in a carriage, he hadn’t bothered lighting one tonight.
It meant he gazed at her through the flittering moonlight instead, the silverish glow basking on her every few seconds as they rode along the track road.
He longed to move and sit beside her, rather than opposite her, but now that his staff knew they were betrothed, he feared how much gossiping they would do if they saw him too intimate with his wife ahead of the wedding. He was restraining himself against the bench, clinging to it with both hands as he watched her bosom heave silently in that seductive red gown.
“Are you impatient for returning home?” she asked, a mischievous grin playing on her lips, clearly sensing what his true want was.
“For returning to our chamber…” he corrected.
