Page 35 of Always the Chaperone

“Ah,” was all her brother managed.

Charlotte had no idea where to look. She could not meet her brother’s eye, nor his wife’s, and yet there was nowhere else in the room she could gaze. Pain radiated from her heart, and the discomfort was so thick in the air, she could have cut it with a knife.

William the womanizer. William the rake. William, the favorite of women from France.

William, who had courted countless ladies before her, who knew exactly what a lady wanted to hear, knew how to tease her, and convince her to…to what?

How could she trust a man with such a reputation? How could she be sure that he meant anything that he ever said to her?

“You know, I feel ready to eat something now,” Tabitha announced, sitting up.

Her husband laughed. “I am not surprised, even when you are in the depths of illness, you always find it within yourself to eat something!”

He rose and rang the bell by the fireplace, giving Charlotte a moment to collect herself. She would not betray her true feelings, not now. She needed to think on this alone, and it would be many hours before she was afforded that luxury.

“Luncheon, Matthews,” Richard said grandly as the butler entered the room. “On trays in here, if you would not mind, my wife is still feeling a little delicate.”

“At once, Your Grace,” Matthews bowed. As if he had been expecting the summons at any moment, a stream of footmen appeared behind him, bringing in lunch.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at her butler, who gave a brief smile.

“Danvers came to see me before she returned to her linens, my lady, and advised that her grace would likely feel more comfortable eating lunch in the drawing room.”

Tabitha looked astonished, but Richard laughed. “I should have known! You have a good one there, Charlotte, I would not let her go in a hurry!”

Charlotte demurred as a silver tray covered in delicious food was placed beside her. Despite the effort her cook had evidently put in while the Duke and Duchess of Axwick were visiting, she could find no pleasure in eating.

While Tabitha and Richard managed to keep the conversation flowing with little pause, Charlotte saw her brother give her a concerned look at her, but he said nothing.

What was there to say?she thought bitterly. He had done nothing wrong. It was William who had lost her trust this afternoon.

Chapter Ten

“God’s teeth, man,don’t be stupid!”

John raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “I will say it again, Mercia, you seem tense this evening, ever since we left our rooms. Are you certain nothing is amiss?”

William growled rather than respond, his temper on edge but aware that in public, there was no more he could say.

His brother looked away to speak to the gentleman seated beside him, and William tried to breathe out slowly as the musicians at the recital started to tune their instruments.

This was madness.Snapping at his brother was not going to solve anything, and drawing attention to himself would make matters more complicated. If only he could return to the peaceful man he had always been.

John’s foot bumped into his own.

“Keep to your side!” William said.

The people seated around them grew silent as all eyes shifted over to them seated in the front row of the Assembly Rooms, pride of place thanks to Lady Romeril’s invitation.

John turned away from his brother and repositioned his feet in an exaggerated way. William’s cheeks heated.

“What,” murmured his brother in a low voice, “has got you in such a terrible temper, William?”

William sighed. It was not his brother’s doing, and he shamed himself by taking it out on him. “I apologize, John. I am bad-tempered tonight. There is no excuse.”

John gripped his shoulder, then turned to continue his conversation.

That was the thing about brothers—one did not always have to explain things.