The Kiss of a Viscount (The Daughters of the Aristocracy) (40 page)

“If it would be more comfortable for you, please feel free to remove your mask,” Charlotte suggested, her hands folded loosely in her lap. The deep blue of her gown set off the creamy skin of her face and neck, and it’s snug fitting bodice showed off just a hint of décolletage. “Your scars do not offend me.”

Surprised by her suggestion and even more so by her statement, Joshua shook his head. “I could not,” he replied sternly. “Certainly not in the company of such a beautiful woman as yourself.”

Stunned by the comment, both by the compliment and by the realization that he seemed to have forgotten that she had already seen him in a much worse state, Charlotte stilled herself.
Perhaps he doesn’t remember
, she thought suddenly. “As I recall, Your Grace, you were in hospital for nearly a month,” she said quietly, not wanting the footman near the door to overhear her comment.

Joshua turned his head slightly, eyeing her with a bit of suspicion and wondering when a footman had come into the study.
Or is he always there?
he thought absently.
Like he’s become part of the furniture.
“Twenty-nine days,” he affirmed with a nod, his lips forming a straight line that suggested he was not the least bit pleased she knew anything about his time in hospital. To remember those days was to relive a kind of torture he couldn’t wish on his worst enemies. To remember those days meant he had to admit that, whenever he had been conscious, he had wished he could simply die. The pain had been excruciating. Death would have been a welcome respite. “And from who did you learn this information?”

Charlotte lowered her gaze, wondering if she should admit her part in those first few hellish days of his hospitalization and the even worse days that followed. “I was ... there, of course,” she said in a whisper, forcing Joshua to lean in closer. He caught the familiar scent of jasmine, and as much as he wanted to inhale deeply, he forced himself to remain still. “I was already volunteering in the children’s ward several days a week. Once you were brought in, I made it clear to your physician that I be employed to see to your care.”

Joshua’s brows knitted together, the implication of her statement slowly sinking into his brain.
Christ, she’s probably seen everything!
Every last gruesome burn and the raw wounds he sported for so many weeks after the fire. And, yet, here she sat, as if he’d only been in hospital recovering from a fever. “But, why?” he wondered aloud.

Lady Charlotte’s eyebrows shot up. “We were ... we are betrothed now.”

Although he heard the words, Joshua didn’t immediately comprehend them.

“I wanted to be sure you received the very best care. Sometimes those with burns are treated ...” Charlotte paused, not wanting to say, “Horribly,” but knowing that’s what she had witnessed while volunteering at hospital. “Poorly,” she finally finished, trying to hide the awkwardness of her statement with a shrug.

Suddenly very self-conscious, Joshua shifted in his chair. “So, you are aware of the ... extent of my injuries,” he countered in almost a question, his eyes not making contact with hers.
Betrothed?  Matrimony?
Given the events of six months ago and the subsequent work he’d had to do to recover and then see to the recovery of the Chichester duchy, the very
last
thing he was considering was marriage.
I cannot allow this woman to think she must marry me!

About the Author

A voracious historical romance reader and movie fan, Linda Rae spent many years as a technical writer specializing in 3D graphics workstations, software and animation (her movie credits include
Shrek
and
Shrek 2
). During the winter, she hosts junior hockey players, and an indeterminate number of tropical fish live with her year-round. She makes her home in Cody, Wyoming.

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