What the Duke Wants(42)
“I was quite offended that she’d think so low of me—”
“Because your reputation is all sweetness and light, is that correct? Did you ever consider that she knows all about you? Your reputation that is?”
“I assumed yet didn’t think… oh.”
“Oh.” Lady Southridge mimicked.
Charles glared.
“You need to make this right.”
“Your power to state the obvious is astounding. I’m quite breathless with anticipation over the mysteries you’ll unravel with your next words.”
“Don’t mock me. I’m your only hope.”
“Save me.”
“Believe me, your blackened soul is going through its share of penance with what you’ll be needing to undertake to win this girl.”
“How do you know that?” Charles bit back.
“Think—”
A knock sounded at the door, immediately arresting Charles’ attention. For a moment his heart stopped as he thought it just might be Carlotta, but the very thought mocked him. Why would she want to talk with him after his last performance?
“Enter,” Charles called, his tone authoritative. The need to feel in control of something, even as small as someone’s entrance, was overwhelming after the uncertainty of the past few moments with Lady Southridge.
The door didn’t open.
“Enter,” Charles called louder, but he shared a curious glance with Lady Southridge who simply shrugged.
When no one entered, he strode to the door and opened it himself.
“Hello, your grace.” Berty curtsied prettily and batted her dark eyelashes at him.
“Er, hello, Berty.” He stumbled. “What brings you… here?”
“I live here, your grace.”
“Yes, I’m quite aware of that.”
“Then why did you—”
“Why are you knocking on my study door?”
“Oh, well I was hoping to say hello to you, since you haven’t seen us yet.” She beamed at him, one tooth missing from her top row and making her smile almost comical.
“Well, hello, Berty.”
“Hello, your grace.”
Charles wiped his hand down his face. This conversation was going in circles.
Tight circles.
Berty didn’t seem concerned however; she continued to beam at him.
“Berty!” Carlotta’s voice carried down the hall as she strode towards them, her eyes fixed on her young charge. But Charles noticed a becoming blush to her cheeks that wasn’t there a few seconds ago.
“Miss Lottie.” Berty turned and curtseyed, all sweetness and light as if she were not about to get a scolding.
Charles had to hand it to her for being so brave.
Or foolish.
At the moment, he wasn’t in the frame of mind to decide.
Not when his focus kept straying to the lightly pursed lips of Miss Lottie. They were no longer bee stung from his earlier kisses, but their color, the color of his favorite pink roses in his mother’s rose garden, captivated him, stealing all rational thought.
“Berty, you are to be studying with your sisters in the school room. You did not have my permission to leave. And we’ve spoken about his grace’s need for privacy.
“I did give him privacy. I didn’t even go into his study. It’s not allowed and I obeyed. I just waited in the hall.” Berty shrugged.
Carlotta closed her eyes, her exasperation evident. “Be that as it may, you still did not have my permission to leave.”
Berty sagged her shoulders and nodded. “Yes, Miss Lottie.”
“Please excuse us, your grace.” Carlotta spoke without looking at him.
Who knew that the lack of a glance could hurt worse than the worst glare?
Chapter Ten
Carlotta refused to look at him. No good would come from that; all it would do was remind her of his lips, the touch of his hands at the small of her back, the heat from his body as it pressed up against hers while he stole her breath with his kisses.
Yes, it would be a very bad idea indeed.
No, no, no, no…
She glanced up. Betrayed by her own body, her traitorous eyes glanced up at him and immediately her heart shuddered at the blatant heat in his expression.
Heat she knew all too well.
She was still feeling the burn from earlier.
Turning to Berty, she said, “Bid his grace good day, Berty.”
“Good day.” Berty curtseyed, again, then beamed at him, offering the duke a smile that revealed almost all of her little teeth, at least the ones she had not lost recently.
Then it struck her.
Her teeth.
Berty had been so delighted when she finally lost her baby teeth and the fact that she lost the one in front, absolutely overjoyed her. Her sisters teased her that she looked like a pirate, and Berty had basked in their story spinning over the idea.
Berty was still beaming at the duke.
He was staring at her as if he were trying to understand why.
Carlotta’s heart pinched as she felt pity on him for being so out of his element, so she went against her own self-preservation and reached out an olive branch.
She moved slightly so that she was behind Berty, then glancing up she waited till she got the duke’s attention. Quickly, she smiled and pointed to her teeth.