Page 29 of Married to the Icy Duke
Isaac allowed him a faint grin at the memory of Tristan trying desperately to keep the conversation afloat.
“Oh, I shouldn’t worry about Tristan. He’s good at talking.”
“I noticed.”
He pursed his lips, eyeing her narrowly. “Well, seeing as we are both fully clothed this time, perhaps we could discuss the subject of what your role will be here.”
Her cheeks colored, and he allowed himself a brief smile.
“I suppose that would be sensible,” she responded coolly, her gaze fixed straight ahead of him.
At the moment, Tommy reached forward, plucking a small flower from the shrubbery. Beaming, holding aloft his find, he came running back to his uncle. He held up the flower for inspection.
“Very pretty,” Isaac said, smiling. Tommy gave a little smile at that, and Isaac felt a rush of satisfaction. So, hecouldmake his nephew smile. Well, what was that, if not progress?
Beside him, Charlotte dropped into a neat crouch, inspecting the flower.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, smiling. “Tommy, you are going to be a botanist when you grow up, I’m sure of it.”
“He was very keen to pick that flower in particular,” Sybella explained, wandering back from the shrubbery. She had a soft smile on her face when she looked at her nephew. Her smile was tinged with sadness, much like Isaac assumed his own smile would be.
Tommy held up the flower with a little more urgency, and Isaac realized with a smile that he was offering it to Charlotte. She took it, flushed with pleasure.
“Thank you, Tommy. What a beautiful gift. And look, it’s my favorite type of flower! How clever of you to remember, and how kind of you to give it to me.”
Tommy nodded eagerly. Then, in the silence that followed, he leaned forward, tapping Charlotte on the arm. Then he opened his mouth and quite clearly spoke a single word.
“Daisy,” he said, and nodded happily.
CHAPTER 9
There was a lengthy silence after Tommy spoke. Charlotte stayed where she was, crouched down, clutching a gifted daisy in her hand.
“What did you say, darling?” she whispered, breaking the silence. “Can you say it again?”
Tommy dimpled and dropped his chin to his chest, shaking his head.
At once, Isaac knelt beside her, close enough to brush his broad shoulder against hers. He reached out to touch Tommy, and when Charlotte glanced at him, she had to look away at the raw desperation in his eyes.
“Say it again, Tommy. Won’t you say it again for me?” he pleaded.
Tommy was beginning to look baffled and shook his head more fervently this time. Not entirely sure what she was doing, Charlotte lay a hand on Isaac’s forearm, squeezing warningly, hoping to dissuade him from insisting further. Isaac glanced at her, his gaze darkening. She prayed that he would understand.
“I think perhaps Tommy is getting a little overwhelmed,” Charlotte announced. “It is very late, after all. Mary, why don’t you let Tommy pick a flower for himself, and take him up to bed?”
Mary nodded, coming forward to take the baby in her arms.
“I’ll help you put him to bed,” Sybella offered neatly. “I hardly ever see my nephew these days. You don’t mind, do you, brother?”
Isaac said nothing, but he gave a brief, brittle smile which his sister obviously interpreted as a yes.
The trio filed back into the house, Tommy already half-asleep on his nurse’s shoulder.
That left Charlotte and Isaac alone on the terrace.
It was a great breach of etiquette, leaving them alone in such a manner. Mary could not be expected to understand such matters, and nor was it her responsibility, but Sybella’s actions had surprised Charlotte a little. Perhaps she simply hadn’t thought, or perhaps she thought such rules were silly.
Perhaps she knew enough of her brother’s reputation to know that such things were a waste of time. Either way, her reasoning did not matter because now Charlotte was standing alone on a dark, secluded terrace, face to face with ostensibly the most dangerous man in the ton.
