Page 20 of A Brooding Christmas Promise
“And if it is?” Charlotte let out a huff of breath as Lord Crestwood looked away, clearly uncertain. “You did not think of the consequences of this, Lord Crestwood. You spoke without thinking and now we are in a very difficult situation indeed!”
“I will find a way to fix it,” he promised, his hands falling back to his sides. “I do not know what that will be as yet but I assure you, it will not give you any sort of difficulty. Might I call on you tomorrow?”
Charlotte wanted to rail at him, to tell him that she wanted a solution at this very moment but, seeing that she could not have it, closed her eyes and let out another calming breath, her anger beginning to fade. “Very well.”
“I am truly sorry,” he said, in a manner which made her believe he truly was so. “There is a reason as to why I spoke as I did, a reason as to why Ireactedas I did, but that is not an excuse. By tomorrow, I promise you, I will have thought of something.”
“I hope you do,” Charlotte murmured, before turning away without offering him so much as a nod.
Making her way through the crowd, Charlotte tried to ignore the sudden thrill which ran up her spine when she thought about being engaged to Lord Crestwood. It was foolishness, of course, for it was nothing more than a moment which would soon fade but, all the same, there was something there that was delighted with the notion that she was now betrothed to a handsome, amiable gentleman. Despite her feelings and her lingering anger, a hint of a smile tried to brush itself upon Charlotte’s lips but she refused to permit it. Picking up a glass from one of the footmen’s trays, she stepped back into the shadows, found a place to sit and remained there.
“He will have a solution by the morrow,” she told herself, quietly. “And then this nonsense will be at an end before it has even begun.”
Chapter Ten
“What?”
“Do quieten yourself!” Samuel exclaimed, as Lord Trenton stared at him, his eyes huge. “Yes, I did something foolish but now I must find a way to reverse that very thing. Can you not help me instead of practically shouting your astonishment to the very top of Whites?”
Lord Trenton said nothing for some moments, simply staring back at Samuel, not speaking a single word. His mouth opened and then closed again multiple times and Samuel, growing weary of this, eventually sighed and rolled his eyes, trying to hide his own embarrassment.
“It was only because Lady Grifford asked me to meet with her,” he muttered as Lord Trenton coughed and then shook his head again. “There was no forethought.”
“I cannot quite believe you did such a thing.” Lord Trenton shook his head again. “I thought you a good deal more sensible than that.”
Samuel scowled. “When it comes to Lady Grifford, it appears that I am nothing but a simpleton.”
Lord Trenton shook his head and let out a long breath. “My goodness, you have twisted yourself up into all manner of trouble, have you not?”
“Not intentionally.” Samuel rubbed one hand over his eyes, feeling them gritty and tired. “Miss Millerton was greatly upset, I should add. She did remarkably well in front of Lady Grifford so that the latter now believes that I am betrothed, just as was said, but thereafter, she became quite upset. Not that I am in the least bit surprised or upset by that, of course!” He winced as he recalled how her green eyes had sharpened, how there had beenanger in her expression and in her voice. “I do not even know her very well and that is what I said? Goodness, looking back, I wonder how I ever thought to speak such nonsense.”
“Such serious nonsense,” his friend muttered, before snapping his fingers at a nearby footman so that there might be drinks brought. “Miss Millerton is the one who has already promised her aunt she will stay unwed, yes?”
“Her stepmother,” Samuel corrected, “but yes, that is she. Her father evidently requested it of her in his will and she has felt herself obliged to that.”
“Little wonder that she is upset, then. Other young ladies might have been quite delighted at the prospect and you would find yourself with the opposite problem.” He chuckled a little ruefully. “Mayhap you ought to be grateful, in a way!”
Seeing what he meant, Samuel nodded and then took the glass of brandy from the footman. “Perhaps. Though now I must think of what to do, for I cannot simply go to Lady Grifford and state that what I said was not the truth, for then that will give her the wrong impression.”
Lord Trenton’s expression grew suddenly serious. “Ah, indeed. She will think that either youwerebetrothed but have ended it because she has returned to London and is free to marry, or she will think that you are telling her the truth because you desire to connect with her again.”
“Precisely.”
“But then, if you do not say anything, there is the chance that Lady Grifford will do what you do not want her to do and will tell others around her that you are engaged.”
Samuel nodded, his heart sinking as he realized just how much difficulty he was in. There appeared to be no easy answer, no way to escape this. It was a mess he had made himself and with no simple way to set it all straight again.
“Though,” Lord Trenton continued, a little more slowly, “might this not have an advantage to it?”
With a frown, Samuel looked back at his friend. “An advantage?”
“Yes.” Lord Trenton’s expression brightened as he sat forward in his chair. “You have been eager for thetonto leave you alone, have you not? You want them to step back from you, not to push their daughters, sisters or nieces into your company, so why do you not continue on with this betrothal?”
Samuel blinked quickly, then shook his head. “I cannot. Miss Millerton does not want to be engaged… and I have already determined not to be either.” A little surprised at how little the thought of marrying Miss Millerton appeared to upset him, Samuel took another sip of his brandy. “That is not a solution.”
“Oh but it is!” Undaunted, Lord Trenton’s voice grew a little louder, his fervency increasing with every word. “If you convince Miss Millerton to continue on with this engagement, knowing that, at the end of her time in London, you will both mutually bring it to a close, then you will find yourself without the difficulty of Lady Grifford pursuing youandthetonseeking to press their interests upon you also!”
The idea was not as dreadful as Samuel had expected and, letting it sink into his mind a little more, he considered it silently for some minutes. Lord Trenton, now grinning, sat back in his chair and watched Samuel as he thought, clearly quite certain that what he had suggested was the very best solution to all of his difficulties.
