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CHAPTER THREE

“Am I going to have to worry about your presence here this weekend?’ Alec asked.

“Why? Because I was flirting with the tutor?”

“Miss Walker is a very important member of the household.”

“Am I not?”

Alec pressed his lips together to keep from saying something that might hurt his little brother’s feelings. Charlie was used to it by now.

“Miss Walker isn’t accustomed to dealing with men like you,” Alec said. “She was raised in the local village by her father. He encouraged her education but kept her form venturing into the world.”

“Interesting.”

“I know how much you like to pursue the interesting, but I’m telling you not to”

Charlie could tell by the way his brother’s eyes were drawn together that he was serious about his warning. Even though the tutor had been pretty and quite interesting, the two things Charlie enjoyed most in a woman, he didn’t want to risk his brother’s anger over it.

“I will try to keep my distance.”

That was the best Charlie could promise.

“Fine. Make sure you are not late to dinner.”

Charlie went to his room and took a nap in an actual bed.

His dreams were always faint and unpredictable.

They never told him a story, they were just memories of details he hadn’t noticed while he was awake.

Sometimes those details turned out to be meaningful and sometimes they didn’t.

This time his dreams were filled with soft blond hair that held the scent of rose water and three tiny freckles along a neckline just around a collar.

There was a knock on his door to wake him up and when he looked at his pocket watch he saw it was getting close to dinner time.

Alec’s idea no doubt. Charlie got out of bed quickly and got cleaned up.

He didn’t want the other party guests to think that the duke’s brother didn’t know how to be presentable.

Part of him also didn’t want Miss Walker to think was always disheveled.

During dinner, Charlie sat at the head of the table with the rest of the family.

Miss Walker was at the other end, but still included.

That showed how close she must be. Charlie couldn’t help but notice that she spoke very little and kept looking in the direction of his nephew.

Clearly she saw her purpose for being there was his well being.

After dinner all of the guests, went into the parlor but Charlie noticed that William and Miss walker were missing.

“Strange to find the birthday boy missing his pwn party,” Charlie said when he finally found them playing chess in the library again. “Don’t you want to be entertained by your guests?”

William’s eyes, which were the same caramel color as his father’s, flickered up at his uncle before focusing again on the board. “Those people are not very entertaining.”

Charlie always expected the truth from William, but his directness made him laugh.

“Those are your friends.”

“They are my father’s friends,” William said, “Perhaps. They barely know me.”

“You won’t give them the chance to get to know you.”

“I have more important things to think about than social obligations.”

“Such as?”

William looked up and caught his uncle’s gaze, but only for a moment. “Anything I think about is more important than that.”

Charlie heard a stifled giggle from Miss Walker who was trying to cover it with her hand. Her back was to him as she was playing but he could guess what her expression might be.

“Isn’t it your job to keep him company during the party?” he asked her.

She straightened her back but didn’t turn around. “It’s my job to teach him to think for himself. Perhaps it is you who needs a lesson.”

Charlie knew he should be insulted by such a comment from the help, but instead he found himself smiling.

“Perhaps I could give you more of a challenge then a young boy.”

Now she turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. “If you think your nephew has the skills of a young boy, than you haven’t played against him in a long time.”

Charlie knew that William was gifted when it came to the game, although he usually managed to seize victory. It was only a matter of time before he lost to the young man.

“Uncle Charlie is the one who taught me to play,”

William said that without looking at either of them. He just continued to play while oblivious to the exchange going on around him.

“Oh? Who taught him?” he heard her ask, turning back to the board.

“My grandfather. He was undefeated.”

“Your uncle must be skilled then.”

Miss Walker didn’t know what thought went through his mind shen she said that and he was glad for it. She had no idea the skills he would enjoy showing her he had.

“Why don’t you play a game against me and see for yourself?” He challeneged her.

“This is William’s game.”

“He’s got checkmate in three moves.”

Miss Walker paused, looking at the board. He knew the moment she realized he was right because she game a little sigh. William showed no excitement over his win, just extended his hand for her to shake and then got up from his seat.

“Good game, Miss Walker. I think I will go join my party for a bit before my father comes looking for me.”

Charlie took his nephew’s seat and began moving the pieces to start a new game. He had watched her play and knew he wasn’t going to have to go easy on her. She was very good.

“I should probably go downstairs with him,” Miss Walker started to get up.

“No, stay.” Charlie said. “My nephew was right. Those people are terribly dull. A challenging game would be much more entertaining.”

“I’m not getitng paid to entertain you.”

“No, but we could entertain each other. How about a little wager?”

“Why do you think you have something I want?”

Charlie clutched his chest in jest. “You wound me. I am a man of wealth and privilege.”

“Which does not appeal to me.”

“Then perhaps a favor? Winner gets to ask a favor of the loser that cannot be denied.”

He loved watching the way her eyes flickered while she was thinking. He knew she was calculating the odds she would win against the worst outcome if she lost. He hoped she did not think he was too much of a monster.

“Very well. You play white.”

Charlie grinned at his luck and took the first move. He had underestimated her based on that one game and nearly lost. Luckily he remembered a strategy he learned from a french pirate and was able to checkmate her within the hour. That was before he had to worry about people coming to look for him.

“Good game, Miss Walker,” He offered her his hand as William had done.

She took it, and he felt the warmth of her bare palm against him. It made him glad she took off her gloves to play.

“What do you want as your favor?” she asked,starting to pull her hand back but he held tight.

“The privilege to use your given name,” he said. “At least when the two of us are alone.”

Those big blue eyes blinked at him from behind her glasses.

“Very well, in private you may call me Madeline.”

“A beautiful name.” He pulled her hand up to his lips and burshed a kiss across the back. He felt the tremble in her fingers and smiled. Miss Walker, Madeline, was not as oblivious to him as she pretended to be.

“Good night, Madeline.”