Page 52 of To Tame the Wild Rake
Aldridge paced across the room, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, afraid to speak lest his anger exploded.Mama told Charlotte not to marry me. The betrayal cut deep. He wondered at her reasons, but he could not ask if he was to retain any equanimity at all.
Before he had wrestled his feelings under control, the butler appeared with a message that he handed to the duchess, and Frances and Jessica came back into the room followed by a maid carrying their coats and bonnets.
Aldridge forced a smile and a nod for his sisters, then turned when his mother said his name. “Aldridge, I will get my bonnet and come with you, if you will permit. The Duke of Winshire has sent to ask if I will help to manage these rumours. He suggests we also include Matilda and Charles.”
Aldridge inclined his head. “I will send them a message. Your earl, too, Jessica? Or have you not accepted him yet?”
Jessica’s eyes glittered and she hoisted her chin. “Yes, send for Colyton. I might as well find out where I stand.”
Brave girl. He managed a smile for her. “We go via the office and write a note,” he said. He offered an arm each to his sisters and nodded coldly to his mother. “We will meet you at the carriage, Your Grace,” he said, and then felt guilty when she paled still more at the formal address. He would consider forgiving her when he knew how badly she had hurt Charlotte.
25
Once again, the Winderfield family—those currently in London, at least—gathered to combat misinformation.
The note from Aldridge came while Charlotte was still dressing for the day after a restless night. She went down to breakfast to find Rosemary and her shield sister, Mariamne, Drew, Uncle James, Yousef, and the warrior Yahzak already there, and Sophia and Jamie arrived soon after. Nate and Sarah came next, and Prue and David Wakefield joined them.
Prue and David brought Tony, who had been staying with them. They were also accompanied by their eldest daughter, Antonia, whom Charlotte examined surreptitiously. The girl had been the subject of one of the rumours—it claimed that she was Aldridge’s daughter, conceived when he had stolen a march on David who was courting Prue. The gossip said Aldridge had abducted her, making her his mistress, and then abandoned her when she became pregnant.
All untrue, Charlotte was sure, and if Antonia did have Aldridge’s eyes, why, she also shared them with David, Jonathan, and Jessica. And Tony, come to that. The two of them could easily be brother and sister. Even the age gap, only two years, supported that impression.
Then Aldridge arrived with the duchess and two of his sisters. Something inside Charlotte settled to see him, and the small smile that curved his lips as soon as he caught her eye.
Uncle James, after greeting Aldridge, raised his voice over the hubbub of conversation to say, “The Hamners are still on their way, but let us begin.”
“Will you begin without me?” Aldridge asked. “I would like, if Lady Charlotte permits, to have a private word with her ladyship.”
He met her eyes. His face was set in a bland mask, but his eyes yearned. Charlotte did not wait for Uncle James to respond, but crossed the room and beckoned. She led him out into the passage and along to a little parlour that—because of its size and barely operable fireplace--was barely used, except when interviewing an upper servant or someone seeking support for an ill-favoured political or philanthropic idea.
It wasn’t the right place for the coming discussion, but it was closest, and Charlotte couldn’t bear any further delay. In moments, she would tell Aldridge that she was barren, and his response would decide the rest of her life. But how would she tell him?
He spoke first, falling to his knees in front of the chair she’d taken, and enclosing her hands in his. “Cherry, my mother says she told you not to marry me, and I have been desperate to know whether you would have said yes without her interference.”
The social mask had gone. His eyes burned into hers from a strained white face. She blurted, “I am barren, Anthony. That is why your mother is against our marriage. I cannot give you an heir.”
Aldridge gripped her hands more tightly. “Is that all? My brother has two sons and his wife is with child again. I have at least six distant cousins in line to step into my shoes after Gren and his sons. I have heirs aplenty, my heart’s dearest love. I want you. I need you, Cherry, as my wife, my duchess, my partner in all things. Will you marry me?”
“You are sure? You will not come to… resent me?”
“Cherry.” The gentle protest, the hurt in his eyes, melted her last resistance.
“You won’t, will you?” Her question was a soft crow. She leaned forward to fall to her own knees and into his welcoming arms. “You love me. You have given your word, and you never break your word.”
He accepted her kiss, but pulled back before she could deepen it. “You have not given yours,” he pointed out.
Charlotte’s chuckle was born in joy. “Yes, Anthony. Yes, I will marry you.” She lifted her mouth again, and this time he took it, and nothing was said by either of them for a timeless stretch that ended only because of a knock on the door.
“Charlotte and Aldridge?” It was Sarah’s voice. “Colyton and the Hamners are here. Uncle James sent me to fetch you.”
“Come in, Lady Sarah,” Aldridge called, as they got up from the floor and began putting one another to rights. “Cherry, my love, will you marry me immediately? Quite apart from my need for you—though I hope you won’t discount that—nearly all the rumours that are not ancient history will be defanged if you are my marchioness, and not merely the audacious wench that sought me out in my own bed.” He waggled his eyebrows and Cherry administered an admonitory tap on the forearm.
“He’s right,” Sarah said. “A wedding will be just the thing.” She was conducting them back to the main drawing room as she spoke. She flung open the door, “I give you, the Marquis and future Marchioness of Aldridge!”
In the flurry of congratulations that followed, Aunt Eleanor stayed in the background. But she approached Charlotte as the others in the room settled back to weaving the new betrothal into the plan they were making. “Charlotte, my dear. I do not expect you to forgive me, but I am very happy you have accepted Aldridge.” Her eyes tracked her son, who was laughing as he evaded ever more extravagant propositions from his sisters for celebrating his hasty wedding. “He is so happy, Charlotte. It gives me hope, and makes me even more aware I was selfish to intervene.”
Charlotte kissed her cheek, and was rewarded by her lover’s approving smile. “All I ask is that you are happy for us, Aunt Eleanor.”
Aunt Eleanor brushed at her cheek. “So silly. I have wept more in the past twenty-four hours than I have in many, many years. I am happy for you, dearest. Very happy.”
