Page 39 of A Lady’s Dangerous Secret (Scandalous Secrets #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
C harlotte‘s mind raced to process all the new information, but she continued to return to one salient point. “Is le Diable still after us?”
“I suspect as much. I’m working with the Runners to find out more about him. I’ll not let you leave this house until I know it’s safe.”
“You’ll not let me?”
“Lottie, please don’t start this again,” he begged. “I would not like you to leave this house before then.”
“That’s a start.” Charlotte leaned back on the settee and forwent the perfect ladylike posture that was expected.
She could not believe she was entangled with one of the most dangerous men in France, and likely England as well.
Of course, she did not want to leave the house until she knew it was safe, but she had to remind James he could not dictate her every move.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“It looks as if you are not quite ready to leave the house anyway, so I’m going to do everything in my power to find out more and keep the men stationed outside.”
“Captain Hughes!” Aunt Frances floated into the drawing room.
Charlotte let out a groan. James purposely called as early as was acceptable, hoping that her aunt would still be abed.
Given his connection to the Duke, James now stood on a pedestal in her aunt’s eyes, and she fawned over him as such.
However, Charlotte wondered if Aunt Frances’s flattery would vanish if James was not proven to be the Duke’s legitimate heir.
James’s stern visage returned. He stood before he executed a bow. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Lady Hardwicke. I just finished my visit with Charlotte, because I have important business to attend to for my father.”
“Oh! I’m sorry that you can’t visit longer, but the duties of a duke never end.” James’s gaze flickered to her own, and Charlotte rolled her eyes. James was a quick study in knowing how to placate her aunt while finding a reason to make a swift exit.
He said his goodbyes, then briskly walked to the door in order to avoid any last-minute remarks from her aunt.
Aunt Frances took his seat. “Any updates?” she asked eagerly.
“I’m afraid not, but both the Bow Street Runners and the Duke of Westcliffe’s solicitors continue to actively search for the marriage license. They have not lost hope.”
Her aunt let out a dramatic sigh and braced herself on the cushion.
“Thank goodness,” she exhaled. If she became this melodramatic about whether or not James was the heir to the Duchy of Westcliffe, Charlotte could not imagine how she would respond if she knew that someone was trying to kill her niece.
Charlotte paused. Her aunt would likely be more concerned that a murder would dirty her Axminster rug.
Charlotte was glad she had chosen not to reveal any details regarding the danger she faced to her aunt, and instead fed her tidbits about James’s potential rightful place in Society.
This topic was the perfect material to keep her aunt occupied.
“I’m glad to hear they are still on the search.” Her aunt, now satisfied with the latest update on the search for James’s dukedom, sprang up from her seat. “I must get ready for today’s calls.” She swept out of the room with her head held high.
Before Charlotte could get settled, Robinson appeared in the drawing room doorway to announce Beatrice, Eleanor, and Bridget. Charlotte’s mood lightened, and she instructed the butler to show them in. Bailey’s figure appeared behind Robinson.
“Bailey, it looks as if there will be three guests for tea.” Her lady’s maid nodded and headed back to the kitchens.
The women filed into the drawing room. Beatrice at the front, as usual, followed by Eleanor, and then Bridget.
Beatrice held herself regally, being the daughter of a marquess, after all.
Eleanor held herself properly for all intents and purposes, yet she had a mischievous look on her face like she hid the most fascinating secret.
Bridget brought up the rear with her shoulders drawn forward and a forlorn look in her eyes.
Charlotte still could not figure out what made all the Lockharts have that sad aura about them, but Bridget was by far the worst. She always looked as if she wanted to curl herself into a ball and hide from the world.
Bridget opened up somewhat when she was with their group of female friends, but Charlotte still suspected she was hiding a terrible secret.
Charlotte greeted the ladies and answered their inquiries regarding her arm before they seated themselves around the settee upon which Charlotte was perched.
Beatrice arched her eyebrows. “We passed Captain Hughes leaving the house as we arrived.”
“Oh?” Charlotte attempted to respond nonchalantly, but her cheeks flushed anyway.
“No need to be embarrassed, you’re betrothed,” Beatrice reassured her.
“I know, but it still feels, well…odd.” Charlotte had lived her life in the periphery as the forgotten fifth , so becoming the center of attention was a new and unsettling experience.
“How magnificent to be head over heels in love with someone,” Eleanor exclaimed with a glint in her eye. She clasped her hands together.
“Eleanor, we swore never to marry. You can’t wax poetic about love,” Beatrice responded.
“Who said anything about marriage?” The corner of Eleanor’s mouth quirked upward. “You can have love, or lovers for that matter, without nuptials.”
“Eleanor Balfour,” Beatrice chided.
Eleanor rolled her eyes. “Stop being so stuffy.”
Beatrice shook her head. “I have no idea what you were doing in Italy.”
Eleanor waggled her eyebrows. “Neither did my chaperone.”
Charlotte let out an unladylike bark of laughter. After what she had just learned from James and the turmoil she was feeling, the ridiculousness of this conversation was the levity she dearly needed. “You just brightened my day.”
“We’re flattered of course, but we thought you would be in a wonderful mood after seeing Captain Hughes. You love him, do you not?” Eleanor asked earnestly.
Charlotte felt her cheeks heat up once again.
She straightened the nonexistent wrinkles in her skirt and took a moment to compose herself.
She slowly raised her eyes and looked at each of the ladies in turn.
“I’m afraid that I do. A year ago, I was home in Shropshire.
I, too, was not looking to fall in love, or get married for that matter, but I suppose love came looking for me. Now here I am.”
“What troubles you then?”
Charlotte turned to the quiet voice of Bridget and saw concern etched on her face.
Although Charlotte was hesitant to open up to her friends about all her insecurities, she had confided in them about everything related to the Incident and its repercussions. Well, everything except the intimacy she had shared with James.
“Did Captain Hughes learn something new?” Beatrice queried in her direct manner.
“Yes.” Charlotte took a deep breath. “He found out that the king of the French underworld, le Diable , has been the one after my life.”
Charlotte heard a gasp and turned toward the sound, but she could not tell if it came from Eleanor or Bridget. Her eyes roamed over the faces of her friends. Beatrice and Eleanor looked appropriately concerned, whereas Bridget appeared shocked, and her face had lost all its color.
“I’ve never heard of such a man. Who is he?” Beatrice asked.
“He’s apparently very dangerous and not to be crossed.
James is trying to find out more about him.
He has followers, les flammes , in both France and England.
They’ve been associated with some of the murkier situations during the war and continue to be active.
They’re part of le Diable’s l’Enfer, and they have flame tattoos to mark their allegiance.
The man who shot me at the ball had that tattoo, and it matched the symbol found on one of Roberts’s documents. ”
Beatrice and Eleanor appeared understandably uncomfortable while they digested this new information, but Bridget was visibly trembling.
“Bridget, are you quite all right?” Charlotte said.
Bridget swallowed several times, trying to clear her throat. She choked out a response, “I’m fine. It’s just startling news.”
Charlotte nodded and studied Bridget further. She must be hiding something. Whatever it was, it must be horrid for Charlotte’s situation to elicit such a response.
“What’s the plan?” Beatrice quickly recovered and was back to the matter at hand.
“The doctor has not cleared me to leave the house yet. James has men guarding the property while he continues to work with the Runners to learn more about le Diable. ”
“How terrible,” Eleanor exclaimed. “If there’s anything we can do to help you deal with this, please let us know.”
Charlotte looked at her newfound friends and was beyond grateful to finally be part of such a supportive group. “Thank you. You ladies mean the world to me. Coming to visit while I’m trapped indoors is the best thing you can do.”
“Let us talk about other subjects. No need to dwell on murder attempts and death and what not,” Eleanor said.
Charlotte smiled. If death and murder did not ruffle Eleanor’s feathers, she was not sure what would.
Beatrice and Eleanor proceeded to update Charlotte with the latest gossip, while Bridget appeared withdrawn and shaken.
Charlotte’s heart broke for Bridget due to her distress, and wished she would confide in their group.
Charlotte understood, however, why her friend did not reveal what troubled her.
As Beatrice had said when they first met, “We all have our scandalous secrets and nothing in the ton stays hidden for long. The only safeguard is to keep it to yourself or rid yourself of anyone who would tattle.”
How right she was.