Somehow, she was going to have to try to avoid Nathaniel as much as possible—not that he was going to make it easy for her. Charlotte closed her eyes and tried to push him from her mind, but he was just as stubborn in her imagination as he was in reality.
He haunted her like a specter, and she looked forward to the day when she could be well away from the Winthrop estate and the man who was as imposing as the buildings contained within.
Chapter Six
“Are you sure you wish to go through with this, Alfred?” Beatrice said, lifting the cloth and inspecting the chair. She shook her head, acting as though it was covered in wine rather than a few crumbs. She bent down and picked up a crumb between her delicate fingers.
“Of course, Mother. You know how much Mary means to me,” Alfred replied.
“Yes, but her family comes with her, and I don’t just mean her child. We mustn’t forget she’s also a widow.” Beatrice turned and then gasped as she noticed that a drop of tea had spilled onto the surface of the table. She beckoned the servant over immediately. “You’re supposed to be looking out for spills,” she scolded.
The servant offered an apology, bowing his head and wiping the drop of tea away. It wasn’t long before all remnants of the refreshment were gone.
Nathaniel noticed that Charlotte’s cup was still full. Was that supposed to be an insult to him as well, suggesting perhaps that his tea wasn’t good enough for her sensibility? She had already shown herself to be a calculating woman during their first encounter. He doubted that anything she did was accidental.
“Brother, would you please come to their defense?” Alfred said, grabbing Nathaniel’s arm to catch his attention.
“I beg your pardon?”
Alfred rolled his eyes. “Oh, you are impossible. Forgive the impertinence, brother, but you didn’t exactly help with your reminder that you possess the final judgment.”
“I was only making it clear to them,” Nathaniel lied because at the moment, the others were of little consequence to him. Charlotte was the one who required his attention.
“And I thank you for it, but I feel as though you are adding undue pressure on what is supposed to be a joyous occasion. This is a chance for our families to mingle. I intend to spend my life with Mary, so the odds are that you’re going to have to see them often.” Alfred glared at them both in turn.
Beatrice let out a short exhalation and then put her hands together.
“If you’re that adamant, then so be it. I suppose we should speak about the seating arrangements and the meal. Now, first of all, Iwant to be positioned as far away from that thoughtless woman as possible.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Alfred said.
“As for food, I have some ideas. I attended a wonderful wedding once, before you were both born, and they served birds within birds. What was it… oh yes, there was a goose and then a duck and then a pheasant. It was astonishing to see the different layers of meat.”
“Whatever you want, Mother,” Alfred said in a flat tone. Nathaniel knew that as long as he ended up married to Mary, he would agree to pretty much anything.
“Let me finish, Alfred. I think we can do better than that and make a statement that people will be talking about for years. Imagine that instead of using birds, we use animals! We could start with a cow, and then have a pig or a lamb.” She tapped her finger against her lips. “A pig is bigger than a lamb, yes?”
“I suppose that depends on the pig,” Nathaniel replied. Beatrice continued while Nathaniel abandoned the conversation. None of it held interest for him, not when Charlotte had reared her ugly head again.
Well, not that she had anuglyhead. That was just an expression, of course. She wasn’t pretty either, not that he would admit. Although her eyes did have an enchanting quality, and the light dusting of freckles reminded him of a starry constellation. Then there were her expressive eyebrows and lips that formed a bow.
He shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. He clasped his hands together tightly, reminding himself to be disciplined. He could not allow himself to be swayed by her tempting, poisonous kiss.
Even if she did possess pleasing physical attributes, they were not beautiful, for only good things could be beautiful, and she was most certainly not that. She was infuriating, rude, and had far too high an opinion of herself.
Now, if she had acted meek and obedient when they had first encountered each other, perhaps his judgment would have been more positive. But she had shown her true colors, and they offered an entirely displeasing aesthetic.
“I fear you are both getting ahead of yourselves,” he interrupted the lively conversation just as Beatrice was speaking about a procession of horses. His tone was gruff, for he sought to regain command of the situation. “I believe I still need to look closely at the situation.”
Alfred stared at him indignantly and threw his hands up in the air. “Why are you letting us prattle on like this if you still hadn’t made up your mind? And I know we have rules to obey, but since I am the one getting married, I feel that it’s most important that my mind is made up. I love her.”
“I am aware, which is why I allowed the engagement in the first place, if you recall.”
“So you’ll torture me by giving the engagement and not the marriage? What kind of cruel trick is this?”
“It is not cruelty; it is caution.”
“Caution? You speak of them as if they are brigands! Do you see swords hanging at their sides? Do they have swarthy expressions? No, they are nobles, just like us.” Alfred was getting more animated. He paced around the room with his hands on his hips and his eyebrows raised in an incredulous expression. The tone of his voice had risen as well.
