A Gentleman's Promise (8 page)

Helsing punched the bastard and a fire in his stomach ignited as he watched him smack against the cobbled road.

“I should kill you now. No one would know.” Helsing leaned over Charlotte’s husband and kicked him in the balls for good measure. “Start treating your wife with respect or I’ll hunt you down each and
every time
I see a new bruise on her face and I’ll make sure you sport one a lot bigger and darker.” He paused. “Do you understand?”

Remmick
glared and wiped the blood from his nose. “You’re a fool to care for her. She’
s the coldest, most uncaring woman I know. And she’s married to me. You can never have her.”

Helsing refused to react to the bastard
’
s taunt. Charlotte was anything but what her husband proclaimed her to be. Never had he known a more caring, warm person in all his life. Why, the day they’d met as children was
entirely
due to her finding his lost wolfhound. She
had been
a girl full of life and immense chatter
in those days
, and she would be again one day, as soon as Mason rid her of her diseased and unhinged husband of hers. Freed her of a life
of which
she was no longer happy to be a part.

“Do you understand
?
” Mason repeated, kicking Lord
Remmick
in the stomach just for the sake of it.

Remmick
sputtered and rolled onto his side. “I understand, Helsing. Now fuck off.”

Mason smiled. “Gladly. Goodnight.”

He walked away and summoning a hackney
,
headed back to Mayfair.
As the cab pulled away he looked out and saw
Remmick
get on
his feet and stagger off into the night. Unease crept down his spine and he hoped he hadn’t just made Charlotte’s life harder. That
had
never
been
his intention.

Chapter
Ten

Charlotte walked into the foyer of her London home and watched as an array of luggage was piled at the base of the stairs
by busy footmen
. A moment later, her cousin
, Rose
from Bath
walked
serenely
into the house and came toward her, a smile on her lips.

“Charlotte, it’s so wonderful to see you again. You cannot believe how excited I am to be in the capital
at last
.”

Charlotte kissed her cheek and note
d
her cousin
’s appearance and apparel. “And you, my dear.” She looked toward the carriage and frowned when it pulled away from the curb. “Where is your mama? I thought she was to accompany you.”

“She fell ill, unfortunately. Or perhaps, fortunately I should say. But that does not
matter
as I’m here now and you’re married and able to chaperone me to
all
the balls
and parties
.”

Charlotte started at th
is
tidbit of information that she’d gone from having guests to stay to being a lady who sponsored a debutante
about London.
It was Rose’s
first London season
, due to
Bath having been a disaster
the year before
. The poor girl had formed
a
tendre
for
a
particular
gentleman
,
who ha
d hightailed off to London before asking Rose to marry him.
Rose’s mama
, worrying
about
her daughter
‘s future,
had suggested London
.
A
change in location was
surely
what was needed
,
to raise her daughter
’
s spirits.
And so
here she was.

“Well, I hope Aunt May recovers soon. And of course I’ll chaperone you. In fact, you
’d
better have your things unpacked and perhaps have a lie down before tonight. We’re attending a
m
asquerade.”

“I’m not sure if mama would approve of me attending a
m
ask, Charlot
te. Are they not where trysts of
the night occur
?
”

Charlotte laughed and hoped that
was
the case.
Especially when it involved Mason
and herself. She shook away the unhelpful thought. “Not the masquerade we’re going to
, my dear.
But I will not lie to you, there are sections of society that partake in such risqué behavior, but I’m not one of them.”
The image of what she’d done the night before in the garden bombarded her mind and heat coursed up her neck.

“Are you well, Charlotte. You seem to have
reddened. You’re not blushing, surely?
”

Charlotte
laughed
,
cover
ing up
her
discomfiture.
“I’m fine dearest. Now, run along upstairs,
I’ll have a
maid
sent up to
help you unpack
and prepare you for tonight
.”

“Thank you,” Rose said, kissing Charlotte’s cheek. “I’m so grateful
to
you
. I’m sure by the end o
f the season I’ll be happily married like you and living probably across the park
from this very house
.”

“I hope so too,” Charlotte said, pushing her cousin toward the stairs. “And make sure you rest. That’s an order.”

Rose smiled. “I promise.”

Later that eve
ning
, Charlotte stood beside Rose in
a room full of the ton, some dressed in dominos and masks that completely
concealed their identity.
Others, like her
self
, wore an elaborate hair piece or half mask and regular gowns. Either way, the room was a kaleidoscope of color and elegance. Charlotte smiled at Rose and wondered if she
too had
looked like that three years ago
, full of hopes and dreams,
when she’d had her debut in London.

The memory of James and his elegance of courtship that
had been
a mask like
the one
she now wore
,
made her tremble with regret. How had she not sensed his rotten core?
Rose clasped her arm
and pulled her from her musings and Charlotte promised she wouldn’t let her cousin
suffer
the same fate. She would
have her
marry for love and nothing less.

“He is here,” Rose said.

Charlotte frowned and turned to her cousin. “Who is here, dearest?”

“The gentleman I wrote to you about. You know, the one
who
had to leave on urgent business in London just
,
be
f
ore he could propose.”

Charlotte refra
in
ed from mentioning to her young cousin that the gentleman’s hightailing it to the capital could have been because an offer of marriage was expected. It was just like something James would do. Take his fill and then walk away without a backward glance, and not
a blot
on his conscience.

“Perhaps you could introduce me.” Charlotte smiled at Rose and she
nodded
her eyes bright with excitement.

“I would like that,” Rose said.

Charlotte turned her attention back
to the guests, some dancing, others gambling and chatting in groups about the room. She spied Amelia and waved to her dearest friend who was dressed as a tavern wench, her bust almost spilling from her gown.

Feeling a prick
l
ing of desire across her skin, Charlotte looked towar
d the card room and spied Mason
leaning casually against the door
. He was dressed in
a black superfine suit and black silk breeches. His waistcoat embroidered with intricate gold stitching matched his golden cravat.
Never had she thought she’d react to a ma
n like she did when
he was present.
Like her skin, her very being was attached to him in some way, reliant on him to keep her alive. Alive with desire and love.

“He’s coming this way.”

C
harlotte tore her gaze from Mason
and turned
toward
Rose
as
a
sli
v
er of dread ran up her spine. “
You never told me the gentleman’s name, Rose. Who was it that you formed an understanding with in Bath?”

Rose l
eaned
toward her to enable
privacy. “Lord
Helsing from Somerset. Perhaps you know him as I understand his country estate resides not far from your
parent
s’
home.”

Charlotte
fought the bout of nausea that settled in her stomach.
“
Lord
Helsing was
the one from
who
m
you expected an offer of marriage?”

Rose nodded. “Yes. He courted me most ardently in Bath and mama was sure he was in love with me. But then he just up and left, made an excuse to papa about urgent business in the capital.”

Urgent business
. Was
she,
Charlotte
,
the urgent
business?
She had wondered why all of a sudden he was back in town and seemingly courting her. Anger thrummed through her veins at the thought he’d used her cousin and
now
her.
But that wasn’t really the case, as Charlotte was the one who sought him out. Asked him to lie with her.

She watched him walk toward her and noticed his step
faltered
when he spied Rose standing beside her. Charlotte ground her teeth.
W
hat Rose had said was true. He’d cour
ted her cousin and left her hang
ing like a ripe apple on a tree.

He continued
on
and bowed when he stopped before them. Charlotte held his gaze before
she curtsied. “Lord
Helsing, you know my cousin, Miss Rose Lancer of course.”

Charlotte didn’t miss
the widening of his eyes at the
manner of
her introduction that held no warmth.

“Of course,” he bowed. “It
’
s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Lancer.”

“Rose, please, Lord Helsing. We are
acquainted
well enough for
you to use my given
name.”

“Perhaps in Bath, my dear but in London it is best to use your proper salut
ation.” Charlotte glared at Mason
and hoped he could read the fury over his behavior in her eyes. “
My cousin was telling me about your time in Bath, my lord.”

He nodded his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Would you care to dance, Miss Lancer. For old times’ sake.”

“I would love to, thank you, my lord.”

Charlotte sm
iled at Rose and watched as he
led her cousin onto the floor. They did make a striking pair. She was fair and he was not. Both tall, yet perfectly proportioned for one another. Not to mention
the fact that
neither were married.

Despair threatened to make her
ill
. What was she doing? Having an affair with a man who could not save her. Only she could save herself and as much as Charlotte hated to admit it, she was too weak to leave. T
o t
hrow society the biggest scandal of the year and divorce James like she should. But she could not
. And here she was
,
angry at Lord Helsing
,
and all because last season
,
he
had
courted her cousin in Bath.
Perhaps.

Granted having done so, he should have offered marriage. But had he
really
courted her or was Rose’s attachment to him so strong that she desperately hoped his attention toward her was just that
?

Charlotte turned away from the couples dancing a fast quadrille and went to find the ladies
’
retiring room. She slipped through a door and walked toward a footman who stood before a door near the end of the passageway. Tiredness swamped her and all she wished
to
do
was leave.

“Charlotte!”

She whirled to find Mason
storming toward her, his
countenance
one of frustration and
concern.

“Where are you going?”

“Away from you.
”
She continued
past the footman and toward a door that seemed to lead outside. He followed her and she fought the urge to turn about and
scold him
in front of a servant.

The balmy night air kissed her skin as they stepped onto a darkened terrace. Charl
otte continued on and heard Mason
close the door behind them.

“Charlotte
,
stop.”

She did and took a moment to calm down before he joined her. “
I request that you leave me be.”

“Don’t be absurd
. Why would I do that?”

She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know.
Pe
rhaps because you owe my cousin a propos
al
of marriage
after you
courted her
last season
.”

“I never courted her. I was her friend and acquaintance, but that’s all.” He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “She
resembled
you and I suppose I gravitated toward her because of
that
.”

Charlotte stepped away from him. “You used her then, which is worse. How could you,
Mason
?
”

A muscle ticked at his temple. “I apologize if it seems like I did, but I didn’t do it intentionally.
You did marry someone else, Charlotte.”

“You didn’t ask me to marry you, Lord Helsing need I remind you
?
” She took a calming breath.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your relationship with her? Why keep it a secret
?
”