‘In any case,’ she said aloud, more to reassure herself than Sarah, ‘I shall be relieved once this is all over. Lord Stanley intends to begin the formal investigations tomorrow, and then we shall finally be free of all this subterfuge.’
A knock sounded at the door. Sarah opened it, and Charlotte turned, expecting Mrs Wilberforce.
Instead, Lord Stanley filled the doorway.
Dressed entirely in black for the evening, he looked strikingly handsome. Charlotte very nearly lost hold of her sensible thoughts altogether, staring a fraction too long before pointedly looking away.
‘May I come in?’ he asked, holding a small velvet box.
Sarah stepped aside at once.
He crossed towards the dressing table and opened the box, revealing a glittering diamond necklace.
Charlotte drew in a breath. ‘Oh—’
Without a word, he stepped behind her. His fingers brushed a curl from her shoulder before fastening the necklace gently around her throat. Her breath caught as his knuckles grazed the nape of her neck more than once, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. She cursed the mirror for betraying the colour steadily rising in her cheeks.
When he finished, he met her gaze in the reflection.
‘Stunning,’ he said simply.
And then he left.
Charlotte stared after him, utterly disconcerted.
She was not entirely certain whether he had meant the necklace. Or her.
And the question lingered—why would he behave so when there was no audience present save Sarah?
However, Sarah wasted no time in expressing her opinion. She cocked one sceptical brow, turning from the now-empty doorway back to Charlotte.
‘Miss, he must be in love with you.’
Charlotte gave a short, incredulous snort. ‘What? That is absurd. Who pray tell could fall in love with me’ She waved a dismissive hand. ‘It is all an act. He is merely remaining in character.’
Sarah scowled. ‘You need to get your mother’s voice out of your head. From where I stand you’d make an excellent baroness.’
Charlotte rolled her eyes as she snatched up her fan and made her way to join the guests.
Of course Sarah was being ridiculous. Charlotte muttered beneath her breath as she reached the top of the grand staircase.
Nearly every gentleman looked up the moment she appeared.
The ladies did so as well, though in a considerably less benign manner.
Feeling painfully conspicuous beneath so many eyes, Charlotte descended the staircase to find Lord Stanley waiting below amongst the family receiving line.
The moment he saw her, he abandoned his place entirely and crossed towards her. There was a softness in his expression, an unmistakable warmth in his eyes as he looked at her, and a sweet smile upon his face.
She suppressed a sigh.
Without speaking, he offered her his arm.
She placed her hand upon it at once, and he drew it into the crook of his arm before leading her towards the entrance hall to greet the arriving guests.
They did not speak further, but remained in companionable silence until the last of the guests had arrived. Charlotte tried not to be conscious of the man beside her. Yet despite herself, she found herself leaning ever so slightly against his arm, drawing comfort from his steady presence.
He introduced her as his fiancée, and Charlotte accepted the congratulations graciously—even if it would only last the night.
