Duke of Disgrace (Dukes of Destiny Book 3) by Whitney Blake

Author:Whitney Blake [Blake, Whitney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2019-11-24T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

There wasn’t any reason to sequester herself in her room because Lady Hareden was not in the manor. Charlotte tried to be logical.

She was still at the inn in Aldbury.

Just before Charlotte had stood up to leave and ideally see the woman on Hanover Street about those rooms, Lady Hareden’s companion nodded to her, pointing her out to the duchess, and Charlotte found she was pinned to the spot by several emotions coursing through her.

One was fear, of course, which didn’t entirely make sense. They were in public; what could Mrs. Emily Rattray hope to do?

The rest of her feelings were comprised of a strange mixture of loathing, confusion and annoyance. She and the duchess were scarcely acquainted. They were, almost without exception, strangers. She had seen neither hide nor hair of Lady Hareden since coming to be in the duke’s employ, and she preferred it that way.

Swallowing, Charlotte did not get up from her chair and she waited for the imperious woman to come to her. Her lack of deference galled Lady Hareden, she could tell by her expression, but Mrs. Rattray and Miss Harrison, unlike Lady Isabel Hareden and Miss Charlotte Masbeck, were on nearly equal social ground.

Charlotte tilted her head curiously, waiting to see if Lady Hareden’s charade would end because she felt due a respect she did not deserve. The charade didn’t end or even falter, though a becoming blush spread across her unblemished cheeks.

Damn, the woman even blushed prettily.

She sat across from Charlotte.

Without breaking eye contact with her, Lady Hareden said lazily to her companion, “Walter, do come sit with us. Stop lurking.”

Walter complied with a toothy grin and sat directly next to Charlotte, who only glanced at him. She tried her best not to show she was uncomfortable with a strange man being so close to her, because it was fairly obvious that Walter, if that was even his true name, did so to intimidate. There was plenty of room next to Lady Hareden, or at the foot of the table, and no true gentleman would have claimed a seat so close to a woman with whom he was not acquainted.

“I was only pointing you out because you are a pretty thing,” said Walter. “I thought perhaps you may be open to… well.” He broke off, and shook his head. “Then I find you’re already known to Mrs. Rattray.”

“She would not want to watch, Walter,” said Lady Hareden. “And she does not need the money. She has Jeremy’s. Don’t waste yours on her.”

Watch? thought Charlotte blankly.

“So, this is the secretary. She’s off limits, then? What a pity,” said Walter.

Oh. They meant watch them.

They had to, if Walter’s look of intrigue and Lady Hareden’s amusement at Charlotte’s evident surprise were any indication. Charlotte had heard of such things—she’d had an older brother, after all—and did not necessarily have an opinion on them one way or another if all parties were consenting. She’d simply never thought about it.

But she did take issue with Lady Hareden.

Finding her voice, she said, “I would only watch if I did not disdain one of the parties in question.

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