“Sir, there is a young gentleman and a lady waiting for you in the blue room. They’ve run us all very near to distraction.” At that exact moment, a loud crash—the sound of breaking glass—sounded through the house. Hollis gasped and Robert feared the man would collapse on the spot. “That would be the tea, sir.”
Determined to discover what was going on in his own home, Robert went directly into the blue room. He then stopped cold when he saw little George Destonbury standing above the broken tea set.
“I’m sorry, Robert. I thought I’d surprise everyone by pouring out the tea but the whole tray toppled over.”
Robert’s demeanor softened as he walked over to George, going down on one knee and bringing himself to his eye level. “Think nothing of it. Hollis will have all this cleaned up in no time.” George instantly relaxed and Robert couldn’t help but smile. “So, young man, when did you arrive in London?”
“Just this morning,” George answered. “We’ve already ridden through the park and Charlotte promised to take me again tomorrow.”
Robert felt his breathing halt at the mere mention of Charlotte. “And tell me, where is your sister at the moment?”
“She was just here but now she’s waiting for you in the library.”
Robert slowly stood up. “Thank you, George. Let me go find her and we’ll be back straightaway. Hollis?”
The old butler hesitantly appeared in the doorway, looking quite worse for the wear.
“Have someone clean this mess up and call for fresh tea. And please keep an eye on Master George until his sister and I join him.”
Robert swore he saw Hollis cross himself as he brushed past him to make his way down the hall. He reached the library in just a few determined strides and swung the door open.
At first, he saw nothing. It wasn’t until he stepped behind the sofa in the center of the room that he found Charlotte lying on her stomach on the plush Italian carpet, looking completely at ease as she flipped through a book.
Charlotte looked up as Robert stood austerely before her. “You own a surprising amount of novels,” she said. “I’ve always loved a good romance. Do you enjoy them as well?”
Robert ignored her question. “What are you doing here?”
“George wanted to see London.”
“I’m aware of that, but what are you doing lounging about on a rug in my private home?”
She closed the book and moved her legs forward to sit upright. “You once said you fell in love with me when I rolled around on a library floor. I was hoping magic would strike twice.”
“I don’t have time for this,” Robert said, turning and walking towards the door. “Tell George he may come to visit whenever he likes so long as you are not with him.”
“Will you please wait? I want to apologize.”
“What you want holds little importance to me anymore.”
Charlotte promptly stood up. “Oh, really? Then why did you take it upon yourself to rearrange my entire life?”
Robert stopped walking. “You mean why did I bring your lunatic father to heel and free you from your ancient fiancé? I have no idea. I really shouldn’t have wasted my time.”
“Tell me how you managed it all.” Robert didn’t answer, leading Charlotte to cross the room and spin him around by the elbow. “I have the right to know.”
“Fine,” Robert said, pulling his arm free. “First I went to Lord Brinton. I reimbursed him the money he spent on your father’s debts and threatened him within an inch of his life until he agreed to release you from your engagement. I then went to your father and swore to see him rot in debtor’s prison if he didn’t agree to what I wished. I paid off the full amount of what he owed and sent him to live in one of my family’s estates in Ireland, where he will receive an annual allowance. I also informed him I would tear him limb from limb if he ever stepped foot in England again.”
Charlotte took a strained breath as she absorbed Robert’s revelations. “Just so you know, I had a plan of my own.”
“I have no doubt you did.” Robert tried to control his patience as he stepped around her to walk back deeper inside the library.
“I did,” she insisted. “I was never going to go through with marrying Lord Brinton. I have friends in the country—distant relations of my mother. They would have kept George and me hidden. We may have even left England to live abroad.”
“As I said, I assumed you did have a plan, Charlotte. Maybe I spent enough time with you to know that you would never bend to the will of any man.”
“Then why did you—”
“I did what I did because I wanted to give you the world. I wanted to play some part in helping you live the life you deserved, even if you didn’t want to spend that life with me.”
