Page 41 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
“Nonsense. What makes my hair so grand?” Graham was genuinely curious.
Miss Browne lifted her shoulders lightly, and her smile was teasing. “It is very dignified, especially when accompanied by the grey in your beard.”
“Ah, so you are jealous of my beard then?” Graham teased. “I think you would look a bit odd with a beard.”
Miss Browne did not try to hide her laugh this time, or perhaps she was so lost in mirth that she did not have time to do so. She shook her head at Graham. “I think it looks considerably better on you than it would on me.”
Graham felt younger around the woman, maybe because of her age, but she simply made him feel as if there was plenty of life left in him. Graham laid his hand back over the hand that rested on his arm. They caught each other’s gaze for just a few seconds before they both looked away.
When he dared glance at her again she smiled at him, that shy smile she had sometimes. It was as if she held a secret that Graham very much longed to know. What was behind that smile?
They walked on in silence for a while. Just as it seemed they might begin talking Graham saw the Duchess of Windham approaching them with another lady at her side. “Your Grace, what an unexpected pleasure,” Graham said with a smile to the noblewoman as she came to a stop near them.
“Lord Easterly, it is indeed a wonderful surprise to run into you here. Allow me to introduce my cousin, Lady Stewart.” She motioned with a gloved hand to the brown-haired beauty beside her.
Lady Stewart gave Graham a curtsey and he returned the greeting with a bow. “Lovely to meet you, Lady Stewart.”
“And you, Lord Easterly.” Lady Stewart gave him a bright smile before she turned her gaze toward Miss Browne.
Lord Easterly motioned to Miss Browne with his hand as he said, “Allow me to introduce my companion. This is Miss Browne. Miss Browne, this is the Duchess of Windham, Lady Stewart.”
Miss Browne gave the women a curtsey. “It is an honour, Your Grace and Lady Stewart.”
“She is precious, and she looks familiar. Is she out at season this year?” Duchess Windham eyed Miss Browne with interest.
Graham did not know exactly what to say about that, but since the question had been directed to him and not Miss Browne, he felt compelled to answer. “She has attended a few functions. Mostly she has been with Mrs. Lennox while studying.”
“Oh, Mrs. Lennox is a grand woman,” Duchess Windham said with approval. She turned towards Miss Browne. “You have a good teacher in her. How have you liked what of the season you have seen?”
Miss Browne hesitated then said meekly, “I have found it rather entertaining.”
Duchess Windham clearly thought that amusing and so did her cousin. “You will do just fine, especially if Lord Easterly is looking out for you. He is such a kind man.” Duchess Windham’s eyes lingered in Graham.
He smiled at the woman for her compliment. “You just say that because you have never earned my ire,” he teased.
“Is it possible for me to earn such from you?” Duchess Windham fell into her old banter and Graham chuckled.
He admitted, “It would probably be quite difficult for one as lovely as you to irk me enough for that.”
After a few moments more of friendly conversation, they parted ways and Graham guided Charlotte towards where he had spotted the carriage. The driver looked relieved to see him. “Take us back to the estate, would you? I think I have had all the excitement that I care to today.”
*
After they had returned to the estate, Charlotte spent a good deal of time alone in the library. Her thoughts were not on the tea party that she had missed, but more on the walk with Lord Easterly. She had enjoyed it very much.
Charlotte supposed to be completely truthful, she should say that she had enjoyed it up until the Duchess of Windham had arrived on the scene. She really did not like the duchess. At first, Charlotte had admired her, but now something about the woman irked her.
While Lord Easterly may not be able to find fault with the woman, revealed by his words to the duchess, Charlotte certainly found the woman grating. Lord Easterly was a dear, kind man. She wished the best for him, but was the duchess really the best pick for him?
Charlotte remembered the way his blue-grey eyes had lingered on her gaze. She could still feel the touch of his fingers on her hand. Charlotte clasped her hand and held it to her chest. What was this strange tightening of her heart?
She had never felt that bizarre squeezing of her chest at the thought of someone. Was it fear or panic? It did not feel like fear. She was not anxious in the way that a dark shadow across the bedroom window would set her pulse racing.
No. This was a different kind of anxiousness that settled over her at the thought of the man’s tanned skin and his easy smile. Charlotte dropped her hands to her side and hurried up to her room.
Once there, she eyed herself in the mirror. Sure enough, there were blotches of colour appearing along her cheeks. Either she was getting ill or she was embarrassed. Charlotte put her hands against her face and looked at herself.
“This is silly,” she whispered to her reflection. “I am quite over that infatuation I had on him as a child. He shows me a little warmth and I collapse into a puddle of emotions. How absurd.”
