Page 13 of The Virgin Duchess (Unwanted Brides #2)

Chapter Ten

C harlotte held her fingers to her lips, coasting them slowly over the sensitive flesh as she remembered how Frederick kissed her.

“Mistress?”

Shaking herself, Charlotte looked up at the maid standing before her. There was a teapot poised in her grip, and her brows were up as if she’d just asked a question.

“Excuse me, Gemma. I was…distracted. What did you say?”

The girl smiled at Charlotte, her gentle expression making the dimples stand out on her cheeks. She gestured with the teapot and then nodded down to Charlotte’s cup.

“I only asked if you’d care for more, Your Grace.” Charlotte nodded, still pulled into her mind by uneasy thoughts. “You do seem a bit…off this morning. Are you quite well? I could call for the physician if needed.”

The memory of last night's events and discussions struck Charlotte, and she was quick to shake her head.

“No, that is quite all right, Gemma. I am well.” She looked around the room, noting how she was seated at the breakfast table alone this morning. “Though, I do wonder where Rose and His Grace have gone to.”

Tea poured into Charlotte’s cup, and she watched the charming brown liquid fill up the well, smoothing over the white porcelain and tinting the painted pink flowers to make them look orange. Oftentimes, it was relieving to even just smell the drink or watch it fill her cup. The habit of drinking tea to settle her nerves was so ingrained in her.

“Lady Rose remains in her room this morning, and the Duke has gone out for the day. He assured the staff that you were aware of his absence.”

As Gemma finished pouring and stood back from the table, Charlotte had to bite her tongue—hard enough that she thought she might actually taste copper.

Of course, Frederick had “gone out.” He kissed me just last night without a word of warning and then left my room just as quickly .

“Thank you, Gemma.”

Silence returned, and Charlotte considered what her maid had said about Rose. It wasn’t wholly uncommon for her to be holed up in her room. Still, the duchess couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with their strained parting from the other day.

Rose had her heard speak poorly of Frederick, and though, she didn’t have the context necessary to fully understand Charlotte’s words, it was more than likely that Frederick’s sister was avoiding her. With a sigh, Charlotte resolved to finish her tea and then make her way to the girl’s room.

They needed to have a heart-to-heart.

Knock, knock, knock.

The echo of Charlotte’s rapping on the door slipped down the hall as she stood and waited for Rose to answer. It was several moments before she heard the floorboards creak on the other side of the wood and the click of the lock turning over. She swallowed down her nerves as Rose pulled the door open and greeted her with a narrowed stare.

“Your Grace,” Rose ducked her head, “is there something I can help you with?”

To say that there was tension was putting it mildly. Charlotte had been in spats like this with only Magnus. Still, he was excellent at keeping up his sour mood unless Charlotte moved to rectify things quickly. She had to assume that Rose was no different, considering the irritated countenance she wore.

“Rose, I’ve come to apologize once more. I am truly sorry that I spoke out of turn regarding your brother. I let my frazzled mood get the best of me, and I shouldn’t have said such things.”

There was a pregnant pause before Rose’s posture relaxed a hair, and she blinked slowly as she let out a long breath.

“Thank you for saying that.” She nodded and then met Charlotte’s eyes. “I love my brother, and his happiness matters a great deal to me.”

Charlotte mirrored Rose’s deep breath, allowing her shoulders to unclench. With a soft smile, she put her hand over her heart to ask Rose to join her for the day—an idea she’d only come up with moments ago on the stairs.

“Would you like to join Selina and me in the shops today? The Season is almost upon us, and we would love for you to join us in finding new items for the coming gatherings and parties.”

Rose’s eyebrows rose as she regarded Charlotte. She didn’t answer immediately, and Charlotte aimed to sweeten the offer with something that might appeal to a young woman like Rose.

“And I should mention that Selina is usually the one with the best gossip. I am not usually so invested in it, but I’ll admit that hearing her stories is unavoidably entertaining.”

Laughing lightly, Frederick’s sister nodded. “My goodness. As it stands, I am free this afternoon.”

They both chuckled lightly at that one. Rose hardly ever left the house, and they were both well aware that she did not have plans that day.

“So?” Charlotte asked encouragingly.

“I would love to join. It will give us a much-needed opportunity to get to know each other.”

Grinning wider, Charlotte clapped her hands together softly. “Precisely! Oh, wonderful. This will be a delightful afternoon. And I can distract Selina from going on about the Duchy of Soulden with your presence, which is all but guaranteed.”

There was another hearty round of laughter after that, and then Rose excused herself to make ready for the day at the shops. It wasn’t long before she joined Charlotte downstairs to set off in the carriage into London proper.

As they stood near the door, readying themselves for the sun and streets, Frederick came in from the front door, nearly running Charlotte over in the process as she gripped the knob.

“Oh!” Charlotte exclaimed, and Frederick stepped backward abruptly, countering his wife’s imbalance with a firm grip on her elbow.

“Apologies,” he offered, meeting Charlotte’s eyes and then quickly sweeping them to Rose. “And where are you two off to?”

Before his sister could respond, Charlotte retrieved her arm from Frederick’s hold and stepped in front of him, holding her spine straight as a pin and her eyes training confidently on his despite the cool breeze that wafted inside.

“Out.”

It was all she said, eyeing him with a teasing smirk. Should he not wish to discuss where he was going, she wouldn’t either. Go on, husband. Refuse your wife what you’ve promised.

He narrowed his stare on her, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk that should not have been as attractive as it was. Charlotte swallowed, doing her best to conceal the sudden rush to her pulse, the heat that crawled up her neck to her cheeks.

“A fantastic idea. Rose had needed an afternoon out and about for some time. I do hope you both thoroughly enjoy yourselves.”

Rose stepped forward, greeting her brother with a brief embrace as she thanked him. As he held her close for just a moment, Frederick’s eyes remained locked on Charlotte, and she felt the intensity of his stare on her skin. Had it been any other day, Charlotte might not have given it another thought. But as it was, she was confident that for scarcely a second, Frederick’s gaze flicked to her lips.

Confound you.

She rolled them between her teeth, darting her stare to the side in a vain attempt to distract herself. The curtains in the sitting room to her left wafted in the wind from the door, and she cleared her throat before turning back to Rose and her brother, especially ready for a breath of fresh air.

“Shall we, Lady Rose?”

The young woman smiled at Charlotte, nodding as she extended her arm so that they might walk arm in arm to the carriage. From behind her, Charlotte could hear Frederick call out lightly.

“Have a wonderful time. And I wonder,” Charlotte dared to cast a glance over her shoulder at Frederick, “shall see you this evening?”

She grinned, knowing precisely what her husband meant. “Perhaps.”

“We would just love to see you at the estate for the next drum.”

Selina’s voice carried through the shop as she hopelessly flirted with the man who was helping them find a suitable new tablecloth for the upcoming Season. Selina refused to use anything twice, and it was exceedingly likely that her home was filled to the brim with sets of clothes, table covers, and the like that had been used once and then packed away.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, hiding a grin behind her fingers. The entire estate will be worth more in textiles than a mill at this rate.

Turning to Rose, Charlotte offered a sympathetic grin as the young woman stole her eyes away from gawking at Selina. She was clearly taken aback by how much the Dowager carried on with anyone who would let her, spouting coquettish jokes at every turn.

“Does she always carry on like that?” Rose asked, keeping her voice low enough that Selina wouldn’t hear her over the sound of her own speaking.

“Indeed, she does. It has become a bit of a jest between us all, actually. Selina married young to an older gentleman who passed nearly immediately after their wedding. She’s hardly had the encouragement to mature, and I can’t see her doing it now that her future is relatively secure.”

Rose shook her head, her stare dropping to the floor as she considered what Charlotte was saying. After a moment of blissful silence—the day overly stuffed with small talk and gossip for Charlotte’s liking—Selina hurried over to them, intent on leaving the shop to go observe the dresses that had just arrived from France.

Selina loved all things France.

“All right now, ladies, that is settled. Let us please find our way to the dress shop now. I am dying to see those fabulous new gowns for the Season.”

Charlotte chuckled lightly, looping her arm through Rose’s as Selina scurried out of the shop and onto the street.

“There’s no point in arguing with her. I’ve found it best to just go along with her. Selina’s whims are strong but fleeting.”

Doing her best to hide her own grin, Rose nodded and followed along after her sister-in-law, the Dowager’s piercing voice ringing out as she spoke without stopping as they walked to the nearby dress shop.

“And did you hear!” Selina stopped suddenly, pulling the two women with her into a tight circle. “The Duchy of Soulden has finally been notified of my husband’s death, and he is on his way to receive his new title as we speak! At last! I have been at my wit’s end trying to get the man to come a pay me a proper visit as his father’s widow.”

Charlotte pulled back, surprised. “Selina, you’ve been waiting some time indeed. I was beginning to think the man wasn’t interested in his title. Have you heard much about him?”

The Dowager shook her head, and despite not being one for gossip, Charlotte couldn’t help but listen with rapt attention—and nor could Rose.

“No, unfortunately, I have not. I have only heard,” Selina dragged out a pause, leaning in so that the women with her couldn’t miss the wide look of intrigue in Selina’s brown eyes, “that he has been gone this entire time in America. Doing business in some fashion. And apparently, he is quite ruthless at it as well.”

That certainly was news. The returning new Duke of Soulden coming home from America was certainly not an everyday occurrence.

Interesting indeed.