Page 20 of Always the Chaperone

She blushed as she stepped away. “In this old gown?”

“You wear it to disappear, to ensure no attention falls on you,” he countered, trying to ignore the thrill of holding her hand. “Otherwise, you would outshine them all.”

“Outshine? Lady Charlotte?” The gentleman who they were circling with snorted. “No offense, Lady Charlotte, but as a chaperone, you do a good job of allowing the young ladies to shine. No one wants a pretty chaperone, do they?”

She stopped in her tracks, and the other lady walked into her. She was staring at William so fiercely, he thought he might burst into flames. Without saying a word, Charlotte released the hands of those on either side of her and marched away.

God’s teeth!William cursed, standing and staring after her. She must have known she would attract such attention if she stood up to dance, and he had encouraged her to expose herself to such degrading comments.

“You, sir, are fortunate I do not have the time to call you out,” he growled, “for you are a fool and a brigand, and I give you fair warning. You are not welcome at any event I attend in the future.”

“But Your Grace, I said naught to you!” The idiot blustered, and William fought down the need to punch him. Charlotte needed him. She was far more important than teaching this cur a lesson.

Ignoring the startled cries around him, William pushed past them and toward the doorway. There were several people milling about in the hallway, some of them taking off their cloaks, a few whispering in surprise, but no Charlotte.

There was nowhere else she could have gone but outside. William nodded to the footman, who opened the door for him.

Evidently forcing back tears as she walked slowly along, was Charlotte.

“Going home, sir?” A carriage driver was smoking a pipe.

William ignored him. “Lady Charlotte, where are you going?”

She made no sign she had heard him, and he rushed to catch her. “Charlotte,” he said gently as he placed a hand on her arm.

She pulled away and glared. “I am going home. Please leave me, Your Grace. I know the way. Mrs. Coulson will take care of Lady Letitia. Good evening.”

William laughed darkly. “If you think I am going to allow you to walk home on your own…”

“You are not my guardian, father, brother, nor friend,” she said fiercely. “You have no right to an opinion. Please, go away.”

William kept pace with her.

“Bath is perfectly safe,” Charlotte said angrily, “and the night air will do me good.”

Her last words were said in desperation, and her tone so exactly like Honora’s, that William was overwhelmed with a savage need to protect her.

“I will never allow a woman to walk home on her own again, and you may as well get accustomed to the idea, Charlotte. Never.”

Although Charlotte did not stop walking, she finally looked at him. “You sound as though you have done that once before.”

William swallowed. This was not what he had expected tonight. His plans had been more, well, romantic. He had been determined to woo this rigid chaperone. He had not expected this to be a night of confessions. He had never told a lady the story before.

“This is not a tale I planned to tell,” he said gruffly as they turned a corner. “But if I must, I am glad it is to you, Charlotte.”

“I am not asking for your confidence,” she said swiftly.

William smiled sadly. “I know. But perhaps it is a story you need to hear.”

He took a deep breath. Just the idea of thinking about that night all those years ago was painful. But this woman needed to know.

“I had—have—a sister named Honora. She was ten years younger than me, and we were inseparable as children—John, too. She was wild and despised rules. We loved her.”

He glanced at Charlotte, who smiled. “I had two brothers, too.”

William nodded. “As I grew older, I needed a profession, and as the eldest son, my parents used what little money they had to buy me a commission in the army. I did well, and with the money I managed to put aside, I dedicated myself to advancement. After notes in dispatches of valor and bravery, I was promoted. With the greater income, I was finally able to support my family. I purchased a commission for John. Soon to become Major Lennox, I came back to London for a visit, and the three of us were invited to a ball.”

A laughing couple passed them, and William stepped closer to Charlotte. He could feel her like fire—hot and tempting.