Upon entering the house, Emma ushered the girls upstairs for a bath before supper. Nathanial grimaced for it seemed, despite his best efforts, some lake water had remained in his boots. The water squished loudly as he walked across the hardwood floor. “I have no idea how this can be,” he remarked, a deepening frown coming to his forehead. “They felt dry when I checked them only a little while ago.”
Charlaine bit her lower lip, trying her best to hide a grin. Still, the second Nathanial looked up at her, incredulity in his eyes, she was lost. She burst out laughing until her sides ached.
Nathanial huffed out an annoyed breath, fixing her with a dark glare. “Oh, you think this is funny?” Then he stilled, his eyes slowly narrowing as he watched her carefully. “Did you have something to do with this?”
Fanning her heated face, Charlaine met his gaze, breathing in slowly, trying to calm enough in order to speak. “Whatever do you mean?” As much as she tried, though, she could not quite keep a grin off her face.
Nathanial rolled his eyes. “Yes, I can see quite well that you were innocent in all of this.”
Charlaine lifted her hands in appeasement. “I did nothing!”
“But it was your idea, wasn’t it?” Nathanial asked, and a part of her loved how well he knew her. “You – let’s say – inspired the girls?”
Charlaine grinned at him. “I may have,” she admitted slowly, seeing how he fought the smile that inched onto his face. Then she sighed, stepped toward him and gave him an honest smile. “I’m sorry, Nathanial. I suppose I shouldn’t have.”
“Then why did you?”
Charlaine shrugged. “I’m not certain,” she admitted. “Perhaps I simply like to ruffle your feathers, has that never occurred to you? I like the way you roll your eyes at me, the way you try not to laugh, and the way you fight to be so very serious.”
A warm chuckle rumbled in his throat and, for a second, Charlaine thought that she saw a tinge of red creep onto his cheeks. “Do you now?” he asked as the grin upon his face grew wider.
“Are you angry with me?”
Nathanial threw up his hands. “As though I ever could be.” Then he turned and headed up the stairs, glancing over his shoulder at her, a warm smile upon his lips. “I’ll see you at supper.”
Watching him vanish from sight, Charlaine momentarily contemplated changing herself. Still, her dress only had a few wet spots here and there and hardly any green grass stains at all so she shrugged and headed toward the library instead. Perhaps she ought to pick a good book to read tonight to help her mind drift off to sleep after such an eventful and exciting day.
As she walked down the corridor, Pierce’s voice called out to her. “Charlie, do you have a moment?”
Turning toward him, Charlaine stepped past him into his study, her eyes lingering upon his face, noting a slight strain there. “Are you all right? Is Caroline?”
Closing the door behind her, Pierce heaved a deep sigh, then beckoned her forward, urging her to sit down in the armchair opposite his desk. “Do not worry,” he told her as he seated himself. “We are all fine. I simply meant to speak to you.”
Charlaine held his gaze. “What is it then? I must admit, you look quite uncomfortable.”
Pierce chuckled. It was a slightly tense sound. “You may be right about that,” he admitted. Holding her gaze, he inhaled a slow, deep breath, then said, “This is about Nathanial.”
“Nathanial?” Charlaine frowned. “You speak in riddles, Pierce. Would you please explain yourself?”
Clearing his throat, he leaned forward and rested his elbows upon his desk. “Very well,” he began, still looking slightly uncomfortable. “I admit I meant to speak to you even before now, though, I never quite found the right moment.”
Charlaine chuckled. “Or the courage.”
Pierce grinned at her, then nodded. “Quite true.” He cleared his throat. “Well then, to get this over with: what I meant to speak to you about is your reputation and how it might suffer if you continue to spend time alone with Mr. Caswell.”
Charlaine fought to suppress a grin. “Mr. Caswell? What happened to Nathanial?”
Pierce rolled his eyes at her. “Do you have to make this so difficult?”
“It is not difficult for me,” she remarked with a grin, then sighed. “Are you truly intent on having this conversation?”
“I am your guardian,” Pierce pointed out, a new sternness coming to his features. “Peter entrusted your well-being to me, your future, and I intend to take it seriously.” For a moment, he held her gaze, and his features softened. “You’re family, Charlie, and I only want the best for you. I hope you do not hold it against me.”
Leaning back in her chair, Charlaine settled herself more comfortably, now completely at ease knowing that no disaster or tragedy awaited her. “I love you as well,” she told him openly, amused by his way of shifting in his seat and dropping his gaze ever so briefly. “However, I do not believe there is a point in speaking about my reputation.”
Pierce lifted a finger to object. “I disagree. You might not be as familiar with English society as I am, I’m afraid, but I assure you that finding a decent husband will be almost impossible if your reputation is in tatters. People here do not forgive and forget. Not ever. And at some point in your life, you might find yourself at their mercy.”
Charlaine sighed, knowing full well that her life in England would not be as simple as the one she had left behind. “Pretend all you like,” she told Pierce with more bravado than she felt, “but we both know that being who I am, I’ll never have a chance at a so-called decent husband.”
All but hanging his head, Pierce sighed. “All right,” he said, his brown eyes lingering upon hers. “I assure you, I do not wish to cage you in any way. I was simply worried and thought to put you on your guard.” For a moment, he remained silent, his gaze still lingering. “Is there a reason why you invited Nathanial here beyond the one you have shared with us?”
Charlaine tensed, feeling an odd tingle dance over her skin at the underlying suggestion in Pierce’s question. “I do not know what you mean.”
A slow grin spread over his face. “Let’s just say I believe you,” he remarked, then paused once again. “Do you trust him?”
“I do,” Charlaine replied without hesitation.
“Fully?”
“Yes!”
For a moment, Pierce’s fingers drummed upon the desktop. “You’ve known him for only a short time,” he pointed out correctly. “How well can you truly know him?”
“Are you suggesting anything?” she demanded, her own gaze now inquisitive and locked upon his. “For I must say, it does sound as though you are. Are you testing me? Or do you truly distrust him?”
Again, a chuckle rose from Pierce’s throat. “You know me too well, dearest Charlie. Indeed, Peter was right to put me on my guard about you. You are a handful.”
Charlaine’s heart paused in her chest. “Are you disappointed?”
Pierce shook his head, that grin back on his face. “Not in the least. You’re exactly how I remembered you, and I’m glad for it. Strong and resourceful, and I have the utmost faith in your judgment.” Pushing to his feet, Pierce walked around the desk, then held out his hands to her.
Charlaine grasped them and rose as well.
“Nonetheless,” Pierce told her with a new warmth in his eyes, “be careful and watchful.” He chuckled. “You don’t know what men are like.”
Charlaine laughed, loving the way he worried about her. Even though she knew it to be unnecessary, it felt so very good to have someone care in such a profound way. “You are aware, are you not, that that statement says more about you than anyone else? Do I dare ask?”
Pierce laughed, then took a step back as the desire to flee her question danced across his face. “Whether you ask or not does not matter for I surely won’t answer.”
Charlaine smirked up at him. “Well, in that case, I’ll just go and ask Caroline.”
His gaze darkened, but he was still smiling. “Don’t you dare.” Then he gestured toward the door. “Go and change for supper.”
Charlaine looked down at her dress, then back at him. “Why?”
Seating himself back behind his desk, Pierce rolled his eyes at her in a very exasperated way. “Forget I said anything,” he replied, then turned back to the papers before him.
Charlaine left his study with a wide smile upon her face and a lingering warmth in her heart, knowing how truly fortunate she was to have family around her once more.