Page 3 of One Scandal Too Many (Havenwood Academy #1)

L ate morning sunshine flooded the sitting room, bathing Charlotte in its warmth as she attempted to read. They had lessons with Miss Abernathy in an hour, and they had assigned reading to complete, but Charlotte couldn’t concentrate on the literature. It was the first volume of the Waverly Novels that had caused a sensation when it had been first published. It probably still did in some circles. The historical connotations were actually intriguing, at least Charlotte thought so... if only she could stop picturing that naked man long enough to read more of it.

She’d never seen a completely naked man before. Charlotte hadn’t believed she ever would either. Surely that wasn’t required, even in marriage. He had been a splendid specimen of manly flesh too. She sighed as she recalled every hard plane and delectable muscle she’d been privy enough to gaze upon. Did all men look that impressive? Somehow she doubted they did. He was glorious, and it was unlikely she’d ever forget him.

“Charlotte,” Miss Smith said from the entrance to the sitting room. “Mrs. Havenwood requires you to join her in her study.”

She glanced at Miss Smith and frowned. Mrs. Havenwood rarely summoned them. Jaclyn had gone up to their bedchamber to read, or she’d ask her friend if she knew why the summons had been issued. Her friend always knew the gossip in the school. Her nosiness knew no bounds, and Charlotte always found it amusing.

“Did she mention why she wished to see me?” Charlotte closed the book and stood quickly. It was best not to keep the head mistress waiting.

“She did not,” Mrs. Smith replied. Her gray hair was pulled back into a stern bun that didn’t do anything to soften the older woman’s features. It also didn’t make her appear stern at all. She was the sweetest woman Charlotte had ever met, but that didn’t mean the students could take advantage of her. She kept them all on task quite easily. “On with you, now. She doesn’t like tardiness, and you’re expected.”

Charlotte rushed out of the room and went down the hall to Mrs. Havenwood’s study. She stopped short when the sound of a man’s voice drifted out and down the hall toward her. Who was in there with the headmistress and why had he come to visit the school? Was it one of the students’ family members? Should she wait until after Mrs. Havenwood was done with her meeting? None of this made sense.

“I’m glad you brought this to my attention, my lord,” Mrs. Havenwood said. “The safety of the young ladies at my school is very important to me.”

“I assumed it might be,” the man said. His voice was rich and decadent. The timbre of it sent shivers down Charlotte’s spine in the most delicious way. It held a hint of sensuality that she’d never experienced before, and she wanted to wrap herself within it. “A school such as this is nothing without a pristine reputation to offer.” That sounded like a threat. Had he come to the school for that reason?

“Trust me,” Mrs. Havenwood told him. “I’ll ensure nothing of this sort happens ever again. The young ladies in question should never have gone that far away from the school.” Her tone held a hint of displeasure she hadn’t been able to hide. Something about the gentleman must have seemed off to Mrs. Havenwood. It seemed as if she hadn’t liked the veiled threat any more than Charlotte had.

“I’m glad we understand each other,” the man said.

Charlotte couldn’t listen a moment longer. She had to go into the room and discern for herself the quality of the man in Mrs. Havenwood’s study. He shouldn’t do his best to intimidate her. He clearly wasn’t a true gentleman, or he never would have treated a lady of such high regard so callously. Charlotte stepped into the doorway and paused. She wouldn’t go inside fully until she’d been given leave to enter.

Mrs. Havenwood glanced up and met her gaze, then gestured for her to join them. Charlotte took a few tentative steps until she stood next to the man seated in front of the headmistress’s desk. She peered down at him through her lashes and almost inhaled sharply. It was him . There was only one gentleman that would have immediately gained her attention upon entering a room. He’d been beautiful from a distance, but up close he stole her breath.

His dark chocolate hair fell haphazardly over his forehead, and his blue eyes were as cold as ice as he met her gaze. If not for that taciturn glare she might have reached out and touched him. Something about him spoke to her soul, and it took everything inside of her to focus her attention on Mrs. Havenwood. “You wished to speak with me,” she told the headmistress.

“Yes, I did, Charlotte,” she said. “I am waiting on Jaclyn, and then we can begin.”

Charlotte froze in place. Had he seen them in the woods? Embarrassment flooded her at the idea. He’d been naked, and if he knew she’d ogled him like a fallen woman... she swallowed hard. She closed her eyes and took several breaths. He wouldn’t have mentioned that part to Mrs. Havenwood. It would have left him in an unfavorable light, and a scandal of that magnitude wouldn’t help either one of them.

“I understand,” Charlotte said in an obedient tone. Would he remain for their dressing down? Why wouldn’t he leave already?

Jaclyn came to the door before Charlotte had too long to consider all the ramifications of the situation she found herself in. If her father found out she courted scandal again... she might be sent somewhere she would never be able to escape from, or worse she’d be married off to an old man in the wilds of Scotland.

“Come in, Lady Jaclyn,” Mrs. Havenwood ordered.

Once Jaclyn was in the room, she gestured toward the gentleman and said, “This is Lord Easton.” She waited a moment for that information to settle through them. Charlotte grimaced but remained mute. Saying anything at all would not help. She had gazed upon the Marquess of Easton lasciviously, and he’d caught her. It remained to be seen how much he had disclosed of her wicked behavior. “He’s informed me he saw two young ladies walking in the woods near Easton Abbey.”

Jaclyn pursed her lips defiantly. She couldn’t let her friend say anything because her temper would land them in far more trouble than they were already in. She reached out and grasped her hand and squeezed a silent message. Charlotte prayed that she understood.

Mrs. Havenwood gestured toward them. “Are Lady Jaclyn and Lady Charlotte the two ladies you saw Lord Easton?”

Slowly he lifted his gaze toward them. He had inky black lashes that framed those ice-blue eyes. It made them startlingly beautiful. The marquess was a truly breathtaking man. Too bad he held the ability to completely ruin them both. “I cannot say with certainty,” he began. His gaze traveled over them both with such ease it made Charlotte squirm. Had he found them both wanting? His gaze held little interest as he studied them. “All I can say is one was blonde.” Those cold eyes met hers, and she barely suppressed a shiver. “It might have been this girl.” He waved his hand flippantly.

The marquess turned away as if dismissing her. Her presence meant little to him. She was nothing, an unimportant girl that had dared to trespass near his land, and had also witnessed him swimming naked in the pond there. Clearly he had failed to mention that part. Not that she’d expected him to explain his penchant for swimming nude to Mrs. Havenwood. That would have been ruinous.

Mrs. Havenwood frowned. “I’ll speak to all the ladies to ensure no one goes near the abbey, but I’ll start with these two.” She met their gazes. “If the two of you took the paths we allow you to utilize too far yesterday, please note that if you do so again, you’ll be on restriction. We have rules for a reason. They’re there for your safety.” She pursed her lips in displeasure. “I do believe it was the two of you the marquess noticed, and for that reason I’m going to bar you from the woods for the next week as punishment. You’re to remain on school grounds until given leave to do otherwise. Do you understand? Nod if you do.”

They both bobbed their heads in agreement. It could have been much, much worse. Charlotte held her breath, hoping they would be dismissed soon. She had to speak with Jaclyn in private. Mrs. Havenwood seemed satisfied with their acquiescence. “Go. Prepare for your afternoon class with Miss Abernathy.”

They scurried out of the room as fast as they could. She could hear Mrs. Havenwood’s reassurance as they left. “I can assure you that Lady Charlotte Beckett or Lady Jaclyn Thomas will not wander onto your property. If they disobey my rules, please inform me immediately.” Neither of them wanted to receive any more punishment than they already had. Charlotte stopped briefly and sneaked one last glance at the marquess. She’d probably never see him again, and she needed to memorize his features. He glanced up then and stole her breath once more. This time, she found heat in those blue eyes that burned through her. Perhaps he hadn’t expected to see her still there and must have forgotten to keep the ice at the surface. She rushed away from him and couldn’t help wondering what the blazes had just simmered between them.

*

Declan left the headmistress’s office and frowned. That blonde girl had been quite lovely. Far too beautiful to be closeted away in a finishing school. She should have been launched into society already and married off to some lovesick lord. He bloody hell would never fall into that state of being. He refused to fall in love. When he had to inevitably marry, it would be a union without that impractical emotion. His mother had been in love, and that had ended tragically for her. His father had gotten bored soon after he’d said his vows. Once his mother conceived, he’d gone off and found the first in a series of mistresses and ignored both his wife’s and son’s existence.

He might not want a wife, but he also knew he’d have to marry one day. His title and land demanded he had an heir. When he had children, he’d treat them far better than his father had. No child should feel as unwanted as Declan had. Unwanted wasn’t a fair word. The former marquess had desired an heir, but he loathed the responsibility of being a father. Declan often wondered if his father had actually believed himself in love with his mother or if he’d pretended long enough to marry her. The latter seemed a far more likely scenario.

Either way, Declan knew he’d be a terrible husband. When he decided to marry, he’d have to ensure his bride understood that fact. When it came to love, he’d never be a good bet. That girl though... she had briefly made him reconsider his stance on marriage being something for the distant future. The only way he could have her was to tie himself to her forever. That might be taking things a bit far just to sate his lust, though. What had Mrs. Havenwood said her name was again? Lady Charlotte Beckett. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She’d perused him the day before like a wanton woman who’d found her next conquest. Declan couldn’t have been more surprised.

She was an innocent. He’d known that on an intellectual level. Especially as she’d come from a finishing school for young ladies. Still, he felt desire rise up inside of him. Desire he had thought he might never feel again. No lady, wanton or otherwise, had made him want to strip them bare and have his wicked way with her so much. He’d had many lovers over the years, but they were not memorable. They were part of his past. A past that he didn’t look too hard at. No woman had made him ever rethink the idea of marriage as a feasible prospect. Not until he’d seen her. Perhaps it was the brazenness wrapped in an innocent package that intrigued him. Either way, he had to steer clear of her. She would prove to be his undoing otherwise.

He strolled outside and stopped short. She was there. Bloody hell... he’d hoped to avoid her. Declan nodded at her and then turned, ready to mount his horse. He stopped short when she rested her hand on his arm. This couldn’t be happening. “Yes,” he said without meeting her gaze. Doing that would be a terrible idea, but oh how he wanted to. Her eyes were an amber hue mixed with gold that mesmerized him. He could easily become lost in her gaze if he allowed himself to become ensnared.

“You didn’t tell her everything,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

He stared at her and almost considered not responding at all. But then he thought better of it. She might not let this go if he didn’t set boundaries now. Those limitations had to be clear. She had to know that he did not welcome her in any fashion into his life.

“I didn’t do that for you,” he said in a gruff tone. “I don’t need a na?ve schoolgirl as a wife. Be careful where you tread, darling; you might find yourself caught in a fire you cannot escape from.”

She gasped but didn’t protest. “I’ve never been good at following advice,” she admitted. “Besides, sometimes the heat is worth the potential burn.”

He stared at her for several heartbeats. Declan couldn’t have heard her right. Did she actually match his innuendo with a retort as carnal as his own? He’d never been dumbstruck before. How did he respond to her? Should he ignore her or test her willingness to share erotic barbs?

He decided to test her a little. Surely she wouldn’t continue down this path if she knew how treacherous it would be. He tilted his lips upward into a wicked half smile. “You’re correct, darling.” Declan stepped toward her, but she didn’t back away. There was little distance between them. If he wished to, he could pull her into his arms and let her feel his growing hardness. That might actually frighten the innocent into running from him. “The burn can feel exhilarating when done right.” He leaned down so she could hear his words, but if anyone else were nearby they’d strain to make them out. “Did you enjoy watching us? Are you always that bold? I’m sure you could find a man willing to rid you of your innocence if that’s the path you wish to take.” He stepped back and turned away from her. “But that man is never going to be me. Stay away from my property, Lady Charlotte. You are not welcome there.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond. Declan mounted his horse and rode away from the school. When he reached the abbey, he might have to jump into the bloody pond to cool his heated blood. What was it about Lady Charlotte Beckett that made desire erupt through him with one glance? How could one innocent miss ruin his carefully constructed demeanor? If he allowed her into any part of his life he’d completely fall under her spell. Hell, he’d nearly done so already. A haze of lust had clouded much of his sensibility, and he already craved what he knew he could not have.

Declan rode his horse hard until the abbey came into view. He slowed the horse to a walk when he noticed a carriage at the entrance. This could not be happening to him. Surely his mother hadn’t decided to visit the abbey. Had she learned about the finishing school nearby and taken that as a sign to assist him in finding a wife? There were several eligible young ladies at the school she could present to him as potential prospects.

He closed his eyes and hoped he could convince her to return to London. Lately, she had been urging him to marry more and more. She wanted grandchildren, but he didn’t want the wife required to give them to her. He had to make her understand now was not the time for him to hunt for a wife. Declan would make a terrible husband. No lady should suffer through his apathy.

There was no helping it. He had to face her sometime, and he’d rather have it done with than put off the inevitable. Maybe fate would be on his side and she only intended a brief stay at Easton Abbey. He snorted. That was as unlikely as him waking up and deciding marriage a grand idea indeed. He could never allow her to realize how attractive he found Lady Charlotte Beckett. If his mother hoped to trap him into marriage, she’d make a pretty package to tie himself to. One he already had difficulty resisting.