You can’t lose your nerve now.
She reminded herself of the kiss with the marquess and his daring question on the lake. Her heart fluttered with a strange sensation as she recalled the moment. A strange feeling had come over her during that kiss, filling her body with heat and lingering sensations of excitement.
Lifting her head, she turned the handle and entered the room, instantly inhaling the smell of whisky and burning papers.
“It’s about time you got home,” her uncle grumbled from his position in front of the roaring fire despite the overwhelming heat of the summer. A stack of papers lay beside him on a small table with pieces burning just inside the grate. His dishevelled appearance hinted at the amount of whisky that had been consumed.
Charlotte wondered what he had been trying to discard but focused her attention on the matter at hand. “We ran into a few friends at the park and joined their picnic,” she explained as cheerfully as she could, despite her need to gag on the thick smell hanging in the air. The smoke drifting from the hearth was beginning to irritate her throat.
She thought of how the servants would have their work cut out for them in the morning as she spotted the scraps of paper that had landed on the carpet, leaving ashy stains in their wake.
“That seems rather inconvenient; you went out to enjoy the day with Lady Thornton and her daughter, and instead, you spent it with others.” The apprehension and accusations were clearly evident in his voice as he glared at her. He squinted his eyes slightly as if he were struggling to focus on her.
“Oh no, they were there as well; the Duchess of Eastwick welcomed us all. In fact, Lord Dunham showed up later in the afternoon as well.” She decided to broach the subject carefully, blurting out her intentions had never served her well in the past where her uncle was concerned.
“Is that so,” her uncle responded with a grunt, lifting a page from the stack of papers beside his chair and tossing it onto the blazing fire without so much as a glance at the writing. Whatever he was burning seemed to take flame quite easily, adding to the growing blaze.
Charlotte winced at the thick black smoke that drifted into the air. “The duchess invited us all to dinner tomorrow evening. She said she had enjoyed my duet with the marquess so much that she hoped she would be seeing more of me in the future. She seems to be rather fond of me and the Thorntons, as does her son.”
Charlotte felt her nerves failing as her uncle lifted his head and clenched his jaw.
The clear look of disdain in his eyes made her stomach churn with concern.
Did he have something against the Sinclair family?
She raked her brain but couldn’t come up with any recollection of him ever having mentioned their names. Nor could she think of any ties with her parents that would have resulted in a bad relationship between the families.
“I don’t think you should be wasting your time with people who outrank you by a mile. You’d be far better off keeping company with Lady Thornton’s daughter and Lord Dunham; he has expressed a keen interest in you.” He lowered his eyes, sneering at something on one of the pages before tossing it into the fire.
A sharp pang hit Charlotte in the gut as if someone had punched her.
Is he saying that I am not good enough for the marquess?
Reginald continued, ignoring the pale look that had come over her face from the shock. “Declining the invitation is not an option as the duchess is a prominent figure, but do not say that I did not warn you when you get cast aside like yesterday’s fish.” The corners of his mouth lifted in a nasty sneer that made Charlotte want to run.
“Thank you, My Lord. I will keep your advice in mind when dealing with the duchess’s family in the future,” Charlotte answered with her head held high and turned to leave, refusing to let her uncle see the pain he had inflicted upon her.
“There is one other thing.” Reginald’s made her halt with her hand on the door.
“Yes, My Lord?” She turned to him with a forced smile, knowing that any hint of displeasure would result in her uncle telling her off for insubordination.
“You are forbidden from going into the study from now on. I need the room for my private use.” He gave his command without looking at her.
“May I not retrieve any of my Father’s belongings before I am never to set foot in there again?” Charlotte spoke without thinking, her heart sinking at the thought of not being able to enter the room where her father had conducted most of his business.
“There is no need; all of your father’s belongings have either been stored in the attic or discarded as needed. You may go to bed now.” His voice was final as he let out a breath and pursed his lips in disapproval.
Taking her cue, Charlotte opened the door and stepped out into the hall. Once the door had been firmly shut, Charlotte leaned against the wood with her eyes shut. There was no way that she could tell her uncle about the marquess’s request, not when he thought her too inferior and beneath them.
Doubts began to fill her mind as she wondered if he wasn’t right in saying that she was wasting her time. There were ladies such as Henrietta Carter who would make a far better match for the handsome marquess. Her family was well-standing with the ton and both of her parents were alive and well.
Pushing herself off of the door, Charlotte made her way towards the drawing room. She needed to bury herself in playing before she could come up with a decision.
***
Lord Reginald Grey sat back in his chair, swirling his glass of whisky in his hand as he stared into the blazing fire. He hadn’t expected anyone else to take an interest in his niece, especially not anyone as prominent as the Sinclair family. Lord Dunham was a wealthy man of means who would take her off his hands without too much talk from the ton.
He had been surprised when the man had approached him at the ball and asked his permission to dance with Charlotte, yet he had seemed harmless enough. His mind wandered back to the stack of papers at his side as distant voices from the past flooded his mind.
