Page 56 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
“Agreed,” Adam said.
“Indeed, sir,” the barrister assured him. “I shall carry out the task with the utmost diligence.”
“As you always have, Hartford.”
“Correct.”
Silence stretched for what felt like eternity but was probably less than a minute. “So why have you come back today?”
“Back? When was I—”
Oh no! Please no!
Adam nodded curtly, adjusting the cuff of his coat as though the movement steadied his thoughts. “I am relying upon your discretion in this matter, Mr. Hartford. It would reflect poorly on all parties, were the matter to invite unnecessary speculation but are you unwell?”
“You have my word,” the barrister said solemnly, “I’m healthy and well. Sober too.”
With that, Adam inclined his head slightly, the faintest hint of trust bestowed. “Very well. Then why are you asking why I was back?” Adam had to ask even though he already knew the answer. Sometimes, one’s worst nightmare seemed a little less true if it was spoken by another person.
“The collection was already sorted this morning,” the barrister said, his voice meticulous as he set a ledger to one side. The man spoke as though every syllable were balanced carefully over an abyss, unwilling to tip too far toward error.
Adam halted mid-motion, his fingers still tugging lightly on one glove. The air seemed to shift, a subtle squeezing sensation around the chest that sharpened his focus. His words,low and deliberate, carried the faintest edge of disbelief. “The collection?”
“Yes,” the barrister replied, seemingly oblivious to Adam’s stillness. “You came earlier. The receipt is signed, and the tenant rents noted as received. Most efficient.”
Behind Adam, the soft chime of a distant church bell drifted through the room, blending seamlessly with the muffled cadence of cartwheels rattling over cobblestones. He barely noticed. His attention had narrowed to the ledgers stacked on the desk, the barrister’s ink-stained fingers flipping to a precise page with smooth precision. Every creak of the building seemed louder in that moment, as though the wooden skeleton of the office itself waited for his response.
Adam leaned closer to examine the record, but his chest tightened at the sight. There it was, his name sketched in ink—but he recognized the exaggerated flourish to the ‘A’ as vividly as if it had been seared into his mind. His brother had signed the receipt, his hand unmistakable despite the pretended impersonation. The room, so small, so crowded with papers, now seemed impossibly large and hollow, the burden of realizing the betrayal filling every inch of space. Even the radiance of the small courtyard, visible just beyond the window, seemed dimmed by the sudden weight pressing on Adam’s shoulders.
Adam’s jaw clenched. “There’s been a mistake,” he said, barely containing his ire. “This receipt was not signed by me.”
The barrister blinked, then leaned forward. “Would you like me to alert the authorities?”
“No,” Adam said firmly, his voice sharp. “This is… a family matter. Leave it with me.”
By the time he arrived home again, his head was a storm of thoughts colliding against one another. The betrayal amplified with each step. What was his brother playing at? And worse, as Charlene’s image surfaced once more, a sinking guilt clawedat him. Should he warn her? She deserved to know. But what came of pointing out her vulnerability when Adam had failed to protect her regard for him by tolerating this scandal within his own family?
Over the uproar of Lorena’s arrival and his mother’s sharp directives to the household staff, Adam resolved to keep this to himself, at least for now. Life was complicated enough without adding another thread of chaos. For better or worse, Charlene deserved that much. But even as he made peace with his silence, the weight of it pressed on his chest, burying itself deeper with every unspoken truth.
Chapter Thirteen
Charlene had spentthe better part of an hour debating whether she ought to attend the St. James’s ball or not. She’d come. Then, after arriving, she spent the better half of the next hour debating whether she had made the right choice and whether she should leave. She stayed. It was rather vexing how on the one hand she didn’t want to come, on the other hand she couldn’t stay away.
She should have stayed home and pruned a plant.
But she had to admit, the Bennetts have outdone themselves. Candles were placed everywhere. It all looked so romantic when she first glimpsed it, her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. As for the rest, the music, the dancing, the laughter, while it all brought the scene to a pretty picture, Charlene couldn’t muster up the energy to enjoy the beauty.
“Is he here?” Charlene asked and glanced at Maddie tapping her foot to the beat of the music. She, at least, was enjoying herself. Charlene wasn’t even certain Adam would attend. However, she had hoped that if she attended, he would, too.
“I can’t see him yet,” Maddie said with an air as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Well, typical Maddie, wasn’t it? There was hardly a problem she couldn’t cure with one of her potions, tinctures, or salves.
Maddie suddenly leaned in. “You look like you’ve swallowed an entire tray of lemon tarts. Try to smile.”
Charlene let out a breathy laugh and flashed a short smile. “Is that good or bad?” She loved lemon tarts. However, too much could give a girl a rush, like a certain duke.
“I cannot say. It’s a rather uncomfortable expression.”
Charlene schooled her features. “How about now?”
