“Unfortunately, I do not have the same liberty as you, Alfred. My choice is not my own. They are for the family.”
“Once you make this decision, there is no going back. Do you want to look at your life with regret or with pride that you did what you wanted to do? Listen to your heart for once, Nathaniel. Despite the rumors to the contrary, I know that you possess one.”
“I… appreciate your advice, brother. I shall think about the matter.”
“Well, don’t think about it for too long. There are rumors,” Alfred said. The look on his face suggested that he wanted Nathaniel to inquire about them further.
“What rumors?” Nathaniel obliged.
“Did you notice Charlotte dancing with someone earlier?”
“I may have,” Nathaniel replied cautiously, unwilling to reveal that he had taken every opportunity to look at Charlotte.
“Well, Mary had a quick word with Edmund, and she told me that he is hoping that a proposal will be forthcoming. Apparently, they are quite well-suited to each other. He even has an interest in the same areas as Charlotte.”
“I see,” Nathaniel replied, the knot inside his stomach getting tighter and tighter. His blood began to boil at the thought of another man spending time with Charlotte.
Would she be as difficult with him?
Would he be able to offer as much of a challenge at cribbage?
Would there be this sense of tension in the air between them? A sense that the world was about to rip itself apart.
“My point being that if you have certain feelings, you should express them before it is too late. Finding Mary has brought true happiness to my heart. I would not want you to miss out on that because of a sense of duty or because you held your feelings close to your heart for too long.”
“I will take your words under advisement, Alfred. Thank you. I mean that most sincerely.” His words were layered with emotion.
“I know this kind of thing does not come easily to you. I have learned a lot from following your example. Please try following mine for once.” Alfred left him with a reassuring smile.
Nathaniel’s heart was troubled. He sipped his champagne only to find that the glass was empty. He scanned the room, and when he did so, there was only one person he wanted to find.
Charlotte.
Whoever this man was, Nathaniel couldn’t believe that he was good enough for her.
Then again, it wasn’t his place to determine that.
But his thoughts did turn to the future.
Two paths lay before him. One was expected and proper—a marriage to a respectable young woman who was the epitome of etiquette and propriety. A marriage to her would be the picture of perfection.
The other was like entering a storm. The unknown beckoned, a fractious, competitive relationship where he would be continually challenged, where every interaction would be laced with tension, and where there would never be a dull day.
His heart was pulled in one direction while his head went in another.
During his search for Charlotte, his gaze found Honoria. She was speaking to Lydia. He studied her for a few moments. There was no quick heartbeat, no prickle of heat, nothing apart from a calm equanimity.
And that should not have been the case with love at all.
It was Charlotte he wanted, and the thought of her marrying another made him want to scream with rage. The shackles ofduty were beginning to break. For the first time in his life, he sensed freedom.
If he dared to seize it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Charlotte had excused herself from Lord Winstanley’s company. She noticed that he had gone straight to Edmund, clearly not seeking to waste any time. Charlotte’s head was swimming, barely able to believe that she had, in a way, invited a proposal.
Her heart trembled with nerves.
