He lifted his brows. “That’s wonderful.”
She nodded. “I must encourage it. Honestly, it will mostly be friends.”
There wasn’t something about the way she said the last sentence that made Baldwin examine her more closely. He knew his sister very well and he could tell when she was plotting. Right now Plotting Charlotte sat across from him, trying to look sweet as sugar and innocent as a newborn lamb.
“Mostly?” he repeated in a warning tone.
She shrugged. “Yes. Mama will be there. James and Emma, Simon and Meg, Graham and Adelaide. Matthew will be there. I’m trying to coax Hugh, as well. Have you spoken to him of late? I saw him at Mattigan’s Bookshop and he—”
“Charlotte!” Baldwin interrupted. “What does mostly mean?”
She pursed her lips. “You needn’t be so cross about it. Aside from our friends, we have invited…the…Americans.”
Baldwin froze. “The Americans,” he repeated slowly. “You mean Mr. Shephard and his daughter. What is her name? Cora? Cassandra?”
“Charity. And they are bringing along Charity’s cousin, Helena Monroe,” Charlotte added, and there was no hiding how she watched him as she said Helena’s name.
It was almost impossible for him not to react to the same.Helena. He’d been thinking of her for days, since his garden party. Since she’d found him in his study and made him want to do incredibly scandalous things to her.
“In truth,” his sister continued. “We only wanted Helena, but Charity and her father come along with her, so sacrifices must be made, it seems.”
Baldwin glared at her. “You only wanted Helena.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” she said with a light laugh. “She is a delight, Baldwin—have you had a chance to talk to her?”
“Very little,” he said as he pushed to his feet and paced away. “When haveyouhad the chance?”
“We sat together at your party a few days ago, of course. Then all the duchesses were on an outing and we stopped by to say hello. Had the most marvelous tea and a lovely chat with her.”
Baldwin shook his head slowly. Of course he was not opposed to the idea of Helena becoming friends with his sister and the wives of his friends. Only he was aware of the ulterior motives his sister was capable of concocting. Especially when she had no idea of the circumstances he was in. “Charlotte, why are you so invested in this?”
She leaned back with a falsely insulted expression. “Invested? Whatever do you mean, Baldwin?”
“‘Whatever do you mean?’” he repeated in a singsong voice. “You are meddling. You’ve thrown this girl in my path more than once.”
Now Charlotte actuallydidlook offended. “Thrown her? It seems to me you’ve done a fine job of stepping into her path.”
He folded his arms, trying not to think of his offer to close the study door when he and Helena were together. That was certainly putting himself in her path, there was no denying it. At least to himself.
“That is an argument of semantics,” he snapped.
“No, it isn’t,” she said with a laugh that ignored his ill humor. “Do youlikeher?”
Baldwin hesitated, long enough that he would wager she had her answer. She’d always been able to read him so well. “I have hardly talked to her,” he repeated, exhaustion in his voice and in his body. “Once at the Rockford Ball, twice at the garden party. I don’t like or dislike her. I don’t know her.”
But he wanted to. Fiercely.
Charlotte’s expression grew worried and she moved toward him. She reached for his hands and held them gently in her own as she stared up into his face. “You are so troubled, Baldwin. Please, please talk to me.”
He shook his head and glanced away from her. “It is…complicated.”
“Father died years ago,” she said softly. “It’s been complicated ever since. I’ve seen you change, Baldwin. I’ve watched you grow more and more serious, more and more concerned. I’m not so stupid that I don’t make the connection between his death and your slow descent into worry and regret.”
He drew a deep breath. “I would never say you were stupid, my dear. Your sharp tongue and quick wit are too undeniable when turned on me. But you don’t…know.”
Her face twisted a little. “Because you won’t tell me. Nor anyone else.”
He sensed the frustration she was trying to rein in, trying to soften in an effort to empathize with his situation. In an effort to uncover the whole of it.
