The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake) (12 page)

"I don't see what the fuss was. It's not as if your purity will be worth much by your commoner hus-" she hissed.

"It's worth more than anything!" he felt his chest tighten at the thought.

Lady Deirdre no longer had anything to say. Charlotte could not help but see his gaze stray to her legs and quickly dart back to her eyes after traveling slowly up her body. She wondered what he was thinking.

He was thinking he should try his luck and see if he got slapped as well.

When back at the estate, Lady Deirdre bustled into the house. Charlotte rushed up the stairs and attempted to go to her rooms, still flustered from earlier. Alexander stopped her "Charlotte."

"Yes?"

"I don't want you going out alone without me there." "Why?"

"Because you need a chaperone. So this nonsense doesn't happen again."

"As If I would let it!" She was outraged. "I can handle myself, my Lord. I can assure you of that."

"I don't give a damn if you can take care of yourself. You will not leave this house unless you are accompanied and especially not with anyone I have not met!"

Charlotte saw that there was no arguing with him.

"You, sir, are just angry because you'd rather it be you than anyone else! Well I am sorry. I won't shelve myself while you go and gallivant with the guests who are here to marry you! When God knows, I haven't an icicle’s chance in hell!"

"I can assure you that I have had no thoughts." He saw a flash of pain go through her gaze and it broke his heart.

"Good." She huffed for a moment, trying to say anything that would put him in his place. The look in his eyes startled her and she fled to her rooms, making sure her tears were unnoticed.

Charlotte was downstairs with everyone making supper. Precious was at her heels, as always and she was quite an amusing sight for the staff in the kitchen. But none of that mattered to her. Alexander had been avoiding her for three days!

Every time he saw her he all but ran. He avoided her touch at all cost as well. But each time he did see her, he reminded her to stay in her rooms.

“That man is infuriating! Can you believe he thinks he can tell me whom I can see? Where I can stay! 'Stay in your rooms.' he says." She growled low in frustration.
 "Why can I not stay with you?” Charlotte motioned to Sophie and Francesca, as Mary and Laura bustled back in from serving the Ladies evening tea.

“Well Charlotte, don’t fret…at least you are being treated nicely.” Francesca nodded, as she had her hands full with dinner’s bread dough. Precious played with a stray ball of dough, that had 'accidentally fallen off the table’, hardly interested in eating it.

“Nice, as in waiting hand and foot on the frilly things that are in the Sitting Room?” she chuckled. “Not that I mind. The women are kind to me…all but one,” she grumbled.

Charlotte was cleaning silverware sitting on a little bench. “But I still do not understand why he has to be so pig headed. I don’t want special treatment.” She rubbed her hands on the cotton apron that she had quickly put on. Charlotte sighed as her hair fell from the combs; she had used to put it in order.

Giselle bustled in; checking to make sure everything was in order. “You, ginger girl, what are you doing?”

“Must you keep calling me that? It is rather rude…and what does it look like I am doing? I'm planting corn!” Charlotte’s words snapped out before she could stop them.

Giselle’s face scrunched together in irritation, as if she had smelled something bad. “Well, I can see that your manners are lacking, if you speak to me in that way. Get on with whatever it is you are doing and behave. Alexander will be bored of you soon enough. And your scrap of fur will be gone too…”

She sniffed and after checking that dinner preparation was in order, she left with an air of annoyance.

“Oh, dear…” Charlotte cradled her head in her hands “God, what did I have to go and do that for? Am I daft? It must be from that cut on my head!”

James had come in after chuckling uncontrollably. “Well, that was rather amusing!”

“James, it is not very funny. She dislikes me.” Charlotte’s chest felt uneasy when she thought of Giselle.

“She does not like anyone, Miss Charlotte.” James corrected, smiling at her warmly as he retrieved tableware and fresh-ironed napkins. “Off to the Dragon’s Lair!” he whispered theatrically to make her smile.

Francesca pointed at Precious. “Take the cat, I hear they scare away evil!”

They all smiled at his dramatic exit. Charlotte beamed. She loved how he did things to make her smile, things that were so unbecoming to the stoic butler, when suddenly someone who they did not expect to see walked in.

“And what Dragon are we speaking of? Shall I get my gun?” The joking smile on his face startled Charlotte. When his gaze met her own, it lingered before going to Francesca.

“Alexander! What are you doing here?” Francesca smiled, and Charlotte nearly dropped the spoon she just cleaned.

“I haven’t seen you all, or had the time to check in on things, and wanted to make sure you did not need something. So? Does anyone need anything?”

A round of “No, I’m alright my Lord” from passing staff.  

“No thank you, but the thought is kind my Lord!” from Laura.  

“I’m alright Alexander, you’re very kind,” from Francesca.

Charlotte stayed quiet, fiddling with the silverware in her hand, when a much larger, warm hand blocked the spoon. “Do you need anything Miss Charlotte?” he asked softly.

“No, my Lord…I find myself given more than I could ask for." He seemed irritated with her answer.

“If I may have a word with you, Miss Charlotte?” His voice sounded tight and strained.

She questioningly looked at him before nodding. “Of course, is there anything you need?”

“Just for you to clear a couple things up, come. James will take Precious to your rooms.” She removed her apron and folded it neatly on the bench, when she caught his gaze, though she nearly stopped breathing.

He looked angry…She glanced to the others who were busying themselves at their work.

Had she done something wrong in the house? Would he send her away? Fear pooled in her belly as she followed him down the hall and up the stairs to his study. The fear mounted when he would not look, or speak to her, finally she was inside the study and he shut the door.

But to her surprise, he locked the door behind her, walked to the opposite door, and locked it as well. Alexander also pulled the drapes completely shut, letting in only a few shafts of light from the midday.

“Um, my Lord?” She sounded shaky and tried to steady herself.

His head snapped to her direction and his mouth was in a firm line, brows drawn in agitation. Alexander’s entire body radiated frustration, but what kind she could not put her finger on.

He walked over and came so close that she had backed up against the door they had just entered to avoid colliding with him.

“M-my Lord, what have I done? I am sorry you’re angry. Whatever it was I could fix it! Please don’t make me leave…” The last sentence fell on a sigh of defeat if that was her fate. She noticed his anger sparked even more and she hurried on. “If I did the silver wrong, I’m sure Francesca can watch me the next time…” She mentally grasped at straws.

Alexander’s blood was in flames, he had spent three days avoiding her, three. He had promised himself to avoid her. Three? Was that all he could stand without his body thinking for him? Or that unknown feeling he had never felt even with Lissie?

Jealousy
.

It was there and the growl escaped his chest before he could stop it. Her apprehensive look reminded him of the animals he hunted.  He let her continue her silly tirade, before he took what was his. He had received word that she was probably the courtesan from London, after all. With red hair like hers, it had to be. No other word had come forth.

He had to be rid of her temptation. Soon.

Charlotte saw he was watching her, with a bemused look on his face, that mouth still in a firm line, wanting desperately to know what he was thinking.

“Or perhaps, if it was the furniture?” she gasped “I think we have more beeswax in the pantry…or I could get some on the run to market? I-I…I mean…I could spend more time? Doing-do-doing…“ she stammered nearly on the brink of tears. Her head drooped and he caught her jaw and tugged her head up, his eyes glittered with an emotion she puzzled over.

“It’s not the damned work, Charlotte.” He strained each word, especially her name.

“Not the work? Then what on earth are you so upset about my Lord?” she was utterly confused, but relieved.

Alexander braced one arm on either side of her, leaning down so his nose touched her own. She inhaled his spiced male scent and was dizzy with it.

“What are you doing? This is quite inappropriate.” Her blood rushed through her veins, as she looked to either side of her, his arms a cage near her neck and head his forearms resting against the door. His lips were so close if she just tilted her head…if he would just lean down a bit more.

"Will you slap me?" he asked as if testing her.

She blushed furiously "Of course not, do not be stupid!" He seemed pleased with this reaction.

Charlotte quickly inhaled as his hand lazily dropped and ran up her clothed thigh. "And now?"

She shook her head furiously wondering what spell he had cast on her, "What on earth are you doing?" she exhaled. The feeling was exhilarating, as though he lit her in flames from the inside out.

“Why do you have to be so damned tempting?” His question was rhetorical. “You appear on my lawn and in my woods like a one of those mythical creatures…Are you a witch, sprite, or perhaps a nymph, fairy? Bent out for my destruction, eh?” His nose still pressed softly to hers, he longed for the words in her mind to speak to him, to know what secrets she had for him, about him. “I’m going to get you out of my system…now. And if you ever let that bastard touch you again, I will kill him.” The last words were the tone only a man could muster in jealous rage.

“What are you-“ she stopped her mouth open from shock at his brazen manner.

“Oh, do shut your mouth, Sweetling or better yet-“ a wicked smile appeared and it made her stomach flip.

His voice dropped two octaves and roughed as he softly nuzzled his nose to her neck and inhaled her scent. When he let out the breath in was in a deep groan. “Let me shut it for you.”

With that, she was silenced-and stunned- when his mouth crashed down on hers, one hand gripping the back of her neck to keep her where he wanted her.

Alexander groaned. She was far sweeter than he had remembered. The natural scent he had grown to learn as hers tantalized his senses. Damn! He had hoped it had just been his mind playing tricks; that he’d be disappointed with the reality of his fantasies each and every night. But no, his fantasies could not even compare to her in flesh and blood, in taste and smell.

She was stunned and her lips were frozen still. He gripped tighter around her neck as his tongue slid along her bottom lip. He tilted her head back more as his other hand clasped her waist against himself.  He pressed her skirts against the swell in his breeches.  Alexander hissed in a frustrated breath between his teeth when she wrenched her mouth from his.

“My Lord-“ her breathing erratic and the swell of her breasts rising and falling rapidly pleased him.

“Alexander.” He growled softly at her.

“But-“ he quieted her with a soft yank of her hair, tilting her head so her petite neck was bared.