Her eyes widened in outrage. “You kissed me to silence me?”
“It was moderately effective.”
Charlotte stared at him in utter disbelief before realising something even worse.
He kissed me not cause he wanted to. He kissed me as a means to an end.
He looked pleased with himself.
“You are insufferable,” she hissed.
“And yet,” he replied smoothly, “you kissed me back.”
Heat rushed violently to her cheeks. “That is entirely beside the point.”
Victor’s mouth twitched faintly. “Perhaps.”
Charlotte glared at him with all the dignity she could gather. “You are a rake and a… a…menace.”
“And you remain stubborn.”
She opened her mouth to continue the argument, but Victor lifted a hand slightly.
“You may take my grandmother to Hyde Park tomorrow,” he said.
Charlotte blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.”
Suspicion immediately crossed her face. “You only agreed because you kissed me.”
“No,” he replied calmly. “I agreed because you are annoyingly persuasive.”
Charlotte stared at him for a long moment before letting out a frustrated breath.
“I truly do not know what to make of you,” she muttered.
Victor’s gaze lingered on her a second too long. “Neither do I,” he said quietly.
CHAPTER 8
Charlotte stood beside Hannah near the dowager duchess’s dressing table while ribbons, gloves, and shawls had somehow overtaken nearly every available surface in the room. Elizabeth sat before the mirror, positively glowing with excitement as Hannah adjusted the lace at her sleeves.
The older woman had already changed her mind regarding bonnets three separate times in less than ten minutes.
“I declare,” Elizabeth said brightly, “it feels as though I have not stepped properly into society for an age.”
Charlotte smiled as she adjusted the older woman’s shawl. “You are quite excited, Your Grace.”
“Of course I am,” Elizabeth replied. “Do you know how dreadfully dull this house becomes when one remains indoors too long?”
Hannah coughed discreetly into her hand, very likely disguising a laugh.
Elizabeth continued happily, “You shall make a splendid wife for Victor,” she declared. “Clearly you already know how to bend him to your will since you were able to get him to agree to this outing.”
Charlotte nearly dropped the gloves she was holding.
Beside her, Hannah went perfectly still for one second before lowering her head very quickly. Charlotte caught the maid’s eye briefly, and the shared look between them was almost enough to undo her composure entirely.
