The Corinthians Series: Rules of Masquerade

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“Will the duke be joining us soon, my lord?” Charlotte quickened her pace to match William’s long purposeful strides. “I fear I did not see His Grace during dinner last night or in breakfast this morning.”

William sighed and hastened his steps in effort in trying to get away from Lady Charlotte’s persistent queries regarding his grandfather’s whereabouts. Truthfully the Duke of Sheffield will not be joining the soiree until the end of the festivities, which is the grand ball held on the last night of the week long gathering, where William would finally unveil the identity of his fiancée to the ton. For now his grandfather was spending his time in Cornwall, overseeing the building of a manor he intended to lease over to a French count once the lavish summer house was completed. 

“You are ignoring me.” Lady Charlotte suddenly blurted, folding her arms and pouted slightly when she came to the conclusion. William halted, turned around and immediately regretted his actions.

Today’s event includes a picnic during the afternoon and archery for willing ladies and gentlemen in the garden. Both of them were staying away from the eyes of other guests as William hurried to fetch his other bow and Charlotte had seized the opportunity to harass him since she was denied the chance during breakfast. William had purposely excused himself from the company for a brief respite so that he could spend some time alone with himself.

The look Charlotte kept giving him during the picnic was tying his nerves in knots and he needed to gather his thoughts in private, away from her. But as he excused himself Charlotte had gotten up and declared that she could make use of a little walk because sitting down for so long, she was feeling the prick of pins and needles in her legs.

Lady Charlotte was dressed in a sunny yellow dress today with a white bonnet on top of her raven curls, a cluster of faux fabric Chrysanthemums pinned on the brim of her sun-hat. Her dress had a square cut bodice, cinched just below her bosom. The bodice features minimal embelishment save for ivory lace which softened the cut. One only needed to dip a finger to claim the sumptuous treasures that lay beneath. She also wore minimal jewelry, only an opal chocker clinging around her neck and matching opal earings. The soft fabric of her dress hugged her womanly curves and accented a lean waist, and flaring out to accommodate her delicious round rear. Standing with the lush green backdrop of Moonhurst garden and yellowing leaves of the shrubberies Charlotte looked like some kind of alluring fairy queen, seductive, enchanting and tempting.

On her little nose, sat a half moon lady’s spectacles which affectively warped the image he had invented earlier. With that glasses rested on her upturned nose Lady Charlotte looked like a snooty bluestocking. William’s perverse mind suddenly conjured an image of Charlotte: hair tousled, dressed in nothing but the spectacles, corset and garters while lying seductively on his bed sporting a come-hither look which knocked the air out of his lungs.

Groaning he shook his head to clear his mind of the ludicrous image. And since he was annoyed with her, William managed to push the picture into the corner of his mind and stifled the urge to sweep Charlotte off her feet and tweaked her nose while she frowned.

“Yes I am ignoring you, how perceptive of you to notice.” William took one last look of her before he resumed his walk again. Lady Charlotte harrumphed and tried to match his pace as he walked to the direction of the house.

“Why are you ignoring me my lord?” She asked in mid walk and the question slowed him down considerably. “Pray tell, what have I done wrong this time?”

William paused yet again and by doing so Lady Charlotte almost collided to his back. Fortunately William had the instinct to step sideways. Lady Charlotte on the other hand surrendered to the rule of inertia which caused her to hurtle forward and tumbled down. The sight of her sprawling on the ground made William’s lips twitched but he held the laughter in.