“I still do not understand why you seem so calm,” she said suddenly.
Victor lowered the cup slowly. “Because there is an obvious solution.”
Charlotte eyed him warily. “Which is?”
“We allow society to believe we are engaged.”
Her mouth fell open instantly. “No.”
“Then,” Victor continued smoothly, “after an appropriate amount of time, we end the engagement quietly.”
“That is absurd.”
“Practical,” he corrected.
Charlotte resumed pacing. “People would talk endlessly.”
“They already are.”
She looked scandalized by his composure. Victor, meanwhile, found himself oddly entertained despite the situation.
“As not to damage your reputation,” he added, “I shall ensure society believes you were the one to end things.”
Charlotte stopped abruptly. Victor shrugged lightly. “Frankly, that would make you seem highly desirable.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“And your sisters would benefit from the attention as well,” he continued. “A broken engagement to a duke would elevate all of you socially. And you will get what you wanted.”
The words settled heavily between them. Then Charlotte inhaled sharply. “You truly think I planned this?”
Victor held her gaze evenly. “Did you?”
“I did not,” she said quietly.
This time, there was no outrage in her voice. Only wounded disbelief.
“I would never trap someone into marriage,” Charlotte continued carefully. “Particularly not you.”
Something about the sincerity in her expression gave him pause. She looked offended. Not triumphant. Not pleased. Certainly not like a scheming woman who successfully cornered a duke. Very slowly, Victor set down his coffee cup.
“Very well,” he said at last.
Charlotte blinked. “Very well?”
“At the next suitable opportunity,” he replied, “we shall publicly correct the misunderstanding.”
Relief crossed her face so quickly it caught him off guard.
“Yes,” she said immediately. “We must.”
Victor nodded once. “We shall attend some gathering together and clarify matters.”
Charlotte exhaled shakily. “Thank goodness.”
Victor watched her silently for a moment longer. No hidden satisfaction. No manipulation. Only genuine distress. Perhaps she truly had not intended any of this.
How inconvenient.
