The Marquis and I (The Worthingtons #4)(84)

“Despite what he said, he looked eager for a bath.”

“I do think he enjoys it more than he lets on.” Charlotte laughed. “My brothers are the same.”

“My mother will tell you that young boys are heathens, and she only had me.” An ostler came out to take the horses. “Well, my lady, let’s find out if Jemmy has a new family.”

“Yes, let’s.” She smiled as he came around to her side of the carriage.

Constantine lifted her down from the phaeton, lowering her slowly to the ground. “I have a feeling Worthington will try to make you return to Town with him.”

“I won’t, even if he orders me. We are to be married next week at the latest. He can be very intimidating. Yet, for good or ill, he doesn’t have the same type of power over me that he did over Louisa. If he pushes me, he will discover just how determined Carpenter ladies can be.” Constantine raised a dubious brow. “Aside from that, he wants this marriage. Dotty and Merton must accompany us in any event. I do not think either the innkeeper of the Hare and Hound or his wife will remember us fondly.”

“Not after the way we tied up their daughter,” Con mumbled.

“Precisely why we need them with us.” Charlotte tried to suppress a giggle and couldn’t. “Merton is so very good at being a marquis.”

Her betrothed turned an outraged face to her. “Are you saying that I do not present the proper countenance for a marquis? I will have you know, my lady, that my title is older than his by at least fifty years.”

She went off into a peal of laughter. “Oh, no, my love. It’s just that he used to be so pretentious. Did you not know him then?”

“Not well,” he grumbled. “I do recall something about him being stuffy.”

“He was so puffed up in his own consequence that the younger children, Theo especially, used to call him His Marquisship.”

“That is bad.” Constantine’s face was still all lean, hard planes, but his eyes twinkled and the corner of one lip trembled. “I see your point.”

She tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “I can’t wait to hear what Dotty has to say about Jemmy. And I am sure she will have the whole story out of us before my cousin returns.”

Con left Charlotte at the door to the parlor, and he went to his chambers to wash his face and hands, and get one small item he had not yet given her.

Once he had washed and changed his cravat, he called for his valet.

“My lord?”

“Bring me my jewel box.” His mother had given him three rings before they’d left Hillstone Manor. At the time, neither of them knew Charlotte well enough to guess what her tastes were. Now he knew that he would let her pick her own ring.

Cunningham placed the box on the dresser and opened it. “Which of them will you give to Lady Charlotte, my lord?”

“She shall decide.” Con picked out the rings. Each one had different stones and were from different centuries. The newest being scarcely a hundred years old.

“A wise decision, my lord.” His valet closed the box and took it away.

Holding the rings in his hand, he knocked before opening the door between their chambers. “Charlotte?”

Her maid finished tying a green ribbon in her mistress’s hair, and giggled. Charlotte had changed from her carriage gown into a frothy confection of yellow muslin trimmed with green grosgrain ribbon.

She met his eyes in the mirror and smiled. “You may go, May.”

The servant bobbed a curtsey, and disappeared through a door Con hadn’t noticed before.

“Forgive me, my love. I did not even think of your maid being present. Will she make problems for you?” he asked, thinking the girl might tell Worthington that he’d come into her bedchamber. Worthington was already unhappy with them.

“No, she has been with me for years. I told her we are going to marry, and she is ecstatic.” Con stood behind Charlotte, his hands resting on her shoulders. He didn’t dare touch more of her for fear he would not be able to stop before she looked thoroughly kissed. Her slim hand came up and covered one of his. “Not to mention that ever since Dotty and Merton married, my maid has wished for me to wed as well.”

Con didn’t understand. His friends’ weddings had not prompted a desire in his valet for him to join their new state. “Why is that?”

Charlotte laughed. “Dotty’s maid and my maid, May, are best of friends, but also rivals in a way. Now May will also be lady’s maid to a marchioness.”

“Ah, I understand.” Affecting a calm he did not feel, he leaned over, opened his hand, and spilled the rings onto her dressing table. “Speaking of marriages. My mother gave me these. Rather than choosing one for you, I decided you should pick the one you like best.”

She cast him the most brilliant smile he had seen yet. “They are all beautiful.” Her index finger fluttered over the jewels as she studied each ring. Finally, her finger hovered over a figured gold band set with a large emerald and flanked on each side by opals. “This one I believe. Green is my favorite color and my birthday is in October.”

Picking up the other two rings, he placed them in his waistcoat pocket. He took the one she had selected and held her hand as he slipped the ring on her hand. “It’s perfect on you.”

Forgetting his resolve, Con lowered his mouth to hers, slipping his tongue along the seam of her deep-pink lips. Charlotte opened, touching her tongue to his, as he tilted his head, wanting more, wanting to be closer to her. “I want to be with you more than I can say.”