Page 38 of The Brooding Duke's Fateful Letter
“Are you alright, Your Grace?” Charlotte asked, as she looked at him and felt confused by what he was doing.
“Yes, My Lady. I apologize. It is odd being myself again.”
“I am sure, Your Grace,” Charlotte stated with a look of understanding.
They spoke about each shop as they passed them, until they reached their destination.
“I hope this will do nicely, My Lady. My aunt used to meet with my parents once a week here. They have a very eccentric menu that suits every palate,” the duke said. Charlotte took the seat he had pulled out for her and looked to where he had just sat down. He looked at her expectantly.
He is waiting for my response. He cares what I think! Charlotte thought, before her answer came to her.
“That is most considerate, Your Grace. This establishment is lovely. I would have liked to have had tea here with your family as well.” Charlotte felt happiness bubble inside her at the joy her answer brought him.
“Do you know, My Lady? I have been thinking that perhaps it would be fitting to take you to a family dinner.” He said it in such a way that told her he was sincere.
“That would be wonderful, Your Grace,” Charlotte replied immediately.
“My sister is due back from Naples in the next few days. I will speak with her and then go to see my uncle. Once he has given his invitation, then we will dine there.” He said this in such detail that Charlotte knew that he had thought of this before and planned it out.
Did it not mean that he was then proud of me? That he finds this courtship to be already successful and desires his family’s involvement. Charlotte thought with a feeling close to euphoria.
The server soon came to take their order. He waited for her to decide instead of taking over. The other day at lunch had merely been a way for them to have enjoyed the best food on the menu. He was not as overbearing and insecure as most men had come across to her.
They had tried to control her, and she had the distinct feeling that her intelligence had almost insulted them. She had imagined herself with each suitor who had called when the time for courtship had been announced. Each one had quickly fallen short of even her lower expectations. With the duke, she felt that he valued the very things that made her who she was. It was more than she could ever have dreamed to have in a husband.
“I would like to order the same thank you,” Charlotte replied to the question of what she would have to eat. She surprised him by giving him the option for them both. She wanted it to be a gesture of thanks for the way he treated her.
At first he had seemed distant and irritated. Soon it was obvious that he only wanted to be accepted, like most people wish to be. She still felt shame at how she must have looked to him when they had just met. She had simply not been told to expect a man in the condition he had been in. It had not repulsed her in the slightest.
The server left to take their order into the kitchen, leaving them alone to speak.
“What is your aunt like, Your Grace?” Charlotte asked once they were in their own company again.
“She is a very forward lady. Both in her thinking and in the way she is ahead of her time, My Lady,” he answered proudly.
“How so, Your Grace?” Charlotte inquired and leaned in towards the duke, fascinated by his description of her.
“For one, My Lady, she has an impeccable mind for trade. I have seen her walk into establishments, mines and farms that looked lost. Within months of buying these places, she managed to make it work. Within three years, she would make a profit and move on to rescue the next.”
“That is astounding, Your Grace. I hope she will be able to attend the family dinner. Though I hope I have not overstepped my mark in saying so, Your Grace,” Charlotte said, tension making her voice softer.
“I would like very much for you to meet her. I shall have to find out if she has returned from Scotland yet,” he said, and seemed to truly relish introducing her to his family. A true compliment, as he spoke so highly of his aunt.
“Please do, Your Grace. Is the uncertainty you speak of married to this aunt?” Charlotte said, to further the conversation.
“No. Sadly, her husband did not return from the war. I remember the day she received word.
“They had assured her that he had not suffered and that he had fought bravely, saved lives. She had been inconsolable at thetime. My cousins had been what had taken her out of herself. As a mother, she takes the very best care of her children.”
“She sounds as brave as your uncle had been, Your Grace,” Charlotte said, feeling her throat tighten with emotion. She knew how it felt to lose a loved one so dear to you that it physically hurt your heart to hear of it. Charlotte had been tormented by memories of her mother. The happier times made a mockery of how little she had been able to cope on her own.
“Thank you for saying so, My Lady,” the duke replied, in a voice that shook with emotion.
“You speak so fondly of your family, Your Grace. May I hear more about them?” Charlotte asked as their food arrived.
“You may, My Lady. If I am to be honest, I am unsure where to start,” he said in a self derisive way.
“I hesitate to ask about individual members, Your Grace. I fear that I might ask about a person and cause you grief,” Charlotte explained as she maneuvered her vegetables onto her fork.
