Page 29 of A Brooding Christmas Promise
She glanced up at him, then away again. “Yes, I hope to do so.”
“I look forward to being in your company again.” Without warning, Lord Crestwood caught her hand in his, lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. The warmthwhich flooded her made her breath swirl in her lungs, her eyes flaring as he looked back at her with a heavy intensity in his gaze.
And then, he was gone.
Charlotte pressed one hand lightly to her stomach as she began to make her way to the staircase which would lead to her bedchamber. She had a great deal to think about already but this newness, this uncertain confusion over Lord Crestwood seemed to take priority in her thoughts. It was as though, in recognizing that there might be some difficulty in what had been asked of her in her father’s will, there had also come the realization that she might now be free to pursue love and matrimony… and then Lord Crestwood had come into view and something had changed.
“There is much to think on,” Charlotte sighed to herself, pushing open the bedroom door and stepping into the room, grateful for the quiet. “Though quite how I am to find out the truth, I do not know.”
Chapter Fourteen
I have done nothing but think of Charlotte.Samuel let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed one hand over his eyes. He had been attempting to keep abreast of his correspondence and sign each of the invitations to his planned ball; however, he had struggled to do so. All he had done thus far was think about the lady and wonder about how they were to find out the truth about her father’s will, only to then remind himself that it had nothing whatsoever to do with him given that he was not a part of that family!
Scowling, Samuel set down his quill and rose to his feet, walking to pour himself a small measure of brandy. His thoughts had been fixed upon her ever since the previous afternoon and though he had tried to stop thinking about her and what her present situation was, it had been difficult.
“I must complete these.” Muttering to himself, he threw back his brandy and made his way back to his desk. He only had a few more invitations to sign before they could be sent out but it was taking him an age to complete them!
“Good afternoon. I hope you do not mind the intrusion?”
Samuel looked up from his desk, glad to see Lord Trenton. “Not at all, otherwise why would I have told the butler to always permit your entry without any need for introduction?” He grinned as his friend chuckled, a welcome relief from his own frustration. “Come. Sit down and tell me all that you have been doing.”
“Well.” Lord Trenton sat down and slapped one hand across his knee. “I have been doing a great many things, including sending my servants out to fetch the Yule log!”
“Something I am still to do,” Samuel murmured, his thoughts turning again to Miss Millerton, wondering if she would like to come out to the nearby forest in search of the best Yule log. “Though I have made certain that the cook knows to prepare the Twelfth Day cakes.”
“And you recall that St Thomas’ Day is very soon?”
Samuel nodded, recalling that there would soon be widows in need coming to the house in the hope of some gifts of food or coin by which they might survive the winter. “I shall also have to have my Christmas boxes soon prepared for the servants.”
“Indeed you shall – though there is to be much gaiety before then!”
Samuel gestured to the pile of invitations sitting on his desk. “Gaiety that I intend to add to! I have decided to have a masquerade ball.”
Lord Trenton’s eyebrows lifted. “Indeed. That is interesting. I do not think you have thrown a ball in many a year.”
“That is because I have been absent from London and endured all of Christmas alone,” Samuel answered, a wry smile on his lips and a heaviness in his heart as he recalled all he had tolerated and suffered – though his previous loneliness had been by his own hand. “I did say that I would do what I could to make certain that Miss Millerton was given some events to attend where Lady Foster would not be present and I do intend to do that.”
“An excellent thing,” his friend answered, still smiling. “I am to have a soiree this week, if you recall?”
Samuel laughed, seeing Lord Trenton’s smile grow to a grin. “Indeed, you have done very well also. The soiree shall be an excellent one, I am sure, and she will be delighted to be present there without Lady Foster’s attendance.” He tipped his head, his lips bunching for a moment as he thought about whether heought to confess the difficulty he was having in removing the lady from his thoughts. “I should also tell you that –”
A scratch came at the door and Samuel, a little frustrated, called for the butler to enter. “Yes?”
“A caller, my lord. She is most insistent and –”
“Imustspeak with you.”
Samuel’s heart leapt – though not with delight – as Lady Grifford hurried into the room, her eyes fixing to his.
“Forgive the intrusion but I have been waiting for many a day now for you to call on me but that has not taken place. I had to speak with you, I had to – ”
“As you can see, I am in company at the present moment, Lady Grifford.” Irritation crept up as a flush in Samuel’s skin, reaching up to his neck. “I did not expect you to call, given that we have not arranged anything.”
“But that is precisely my point!” the lady exclaimed, clearly ignoring all that Samuel had said. “Imustspeak with you! There is so much that I wish to say, so much that I desire to share with you that I feel as though it is a heavy burden upon my shoulders and I am struggling to bear it!”
Samuel bit back his first response, wanting to inform her of just how muchhehad suffered and endured after her decision to step away from him and into the arms of another. Instead, he looked to Lord Trenton who, it seemed, was watching the situation with interest, though Samuel knew that he would not think well of Lady Grifford in all of this.
“With Grifford now gone, my heart is torn into pieces, my shame spread out for all to see.” Lady Grifford’s voice grew softer, her head lowering just a little. “I am sure that thetonnow all whisper about me, speaking of my foolishness and of the scoundrel I once called husband. Not that I do not deserve such a thing.” Her head dropped even more, her shoulders rounding.“I am also well aware that I do not deserve even the slightest consideration from you, Crestwood. Yet, here I am.”
