Page 79 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
His eyes fell on her before moving to her companion. He had expected many things when he decided to call on Charlene, but this was the very last. Her alone in a room with Mr. Grafton. Not a stranger to the Ton. Not a stranger to him. The man’s reputation preceded himself. In a good way. Despite his lack oftitle, Mr. Grafton wasn’t a bad man. In fact, he was one of the more respectable ones of the Ton.
And he was here.
Alone.
With Charlene.
He didn’t miss how her gaze swung between him and Mr. Grafton.
The nasty suspicion that filled his gut brought Adam to knock on Charlene’s door, consequences be damned. If there was the slightest chance she had run into his brother, glimpsed his brother, he had to know.
This is what you get for holding off on telling her your suspicions.
The butler had informed him to wait, but his feet were as restless as his heart. He followed and almost wished he hadn’t.
Adam cleared his throat. “Lady Charlene. I’ll only take a moment of your time if you can spare it.”
Mr. Grafton crossed his arms over his chest. “She cannot spare it.”
Adam bit down on his jaw. “And who are you to speak for her?” He cocked his head. “Who are you, anyway?”
“I am family.” He cleared his throat. “A family friend.”
Did being Lord Waylon’s friend make him a family friend? Adam thought not. “That’s quite the coincidence; I am a family friend as well.” The true family friend. Minus some obstacles along the way.
“I’ve never heard of you before,” Mr. Grafton said, and Adam wanted to swat the man trying to provoke him with that statement.
“I haven’t heard about your family relations yet. They must not have been terribly noteworthy.”
“I’m Henry—”
“Names and titles all blend together for me. No need for formal introductions.”I hate any men who come close to Charlene. He didn’t want to lose her to another man again.
Charlene sighed, and Adam’s pulse leaped at that small sound. He wanted to look at her, stare at her, search for any sign that she was furious or resentful, but he couldn’t with this pompous dandy in the room. He didn’t want to do anything that would make life even the tiniest bit harder, although he couldn’t seem to stop that from happening either.
“Gentlemen,” she said. “Please, if you cannot be civil, leave.”
“Civil is my first name,” Mr. Grafton said.
“Of course it is,” Adam muttered, but inclined his head. “Civil is the marrow in my bones.”
Charlene pressed her fingers to her temple, as if staving off a headache. “Enough. Both of you.”
Adam clenched his jaw before inhaling a deep breath. “Lady Charlene, please. I came only to speak with you, and a few minutes is all I ask.”
Mr. Grafton, the stubborn fool, did not budge. “I’m afraid that would be improper.”
Improper? “Then by that token, I walked into something improper, didn’t I?”
“Mr. Grafton is waiting for my brother,” Charlene spoke up before she met his gaze. “What could be so pressing that you needed to call on me this very moment?”
He flinched at the note of accusation in her gaze. He couldn’t very well tell her about his brother and that she didn’t show up for their appointment. Not with the barnacle in the room. “There is a matter that came up. It’s imperative—”
“If it was so imperative,” she interrupted, “why only bring it to my attention now?”
“I only confirmed it today.”
“So you had suspicions you couldn’t inform me of? Or didn’t want to inform me of?”
