“Well, I promised you brutal honesty, did I not?” she asked him with a grin as they ventured off the terrace and proceeded down into the gardens.
Nathanial chuckled. “Did you not define brutal honesty as speaking the truth even when it hurts?” He eyed her carefully.
Charlaine nodded. “Well, revealing one’s affections for another makes one vulnerable, does it not?” She held his gaze, seeing with perfect clarity that he understood, that he, too, had been hurt because of it. After all, love brought the risk of loss.
Remembering the loss of her family, Charlaine looked up at him, her hand tightening upon his arm. “Don’t hurt me,” she pleaded, knowing that she would have to offer trust in order to receive it.
Nathanial swallowed hard, his gaze betraying the deep emotions that lived hidden within. Then his other hand rose and gently settled on hers. “I won’t,” he promised her. “Not ever.”
Charlaine smiled at him. “I knew I chose wisely.”
The serious look in his blue gaze vanished, and he chuckled. “Indeed, no one can deny that it was your choice.”
“We all make choices,” Charlaine told him. “All the time. We can only ever hope that they’ll be good for us.” She held his gaze. “You chose to come here today.”
Nathanial nodded.
“Do you regret it?”
“No.”
“Then that was a good choice as well.”
Slowly, his head bobbed up and down.
Over his shoulder, Charlaine glimpsed Daphne and Susan headed their way, their faces flushed and their eyes wide with excitement. “I believe another choice will be upon us in a matter of seconds.”
Frowning, Nathanial turned to follow her gaze.
“Charlaine!” Daphne exclaimed, panting as she glanced over her shoulder at Susan, equally out of breath.
Charlaine laughed. “Who are you two running from?”
Pulling to a halt at their feet, the girls looked at Nathanial with curiosity. “Who are you?” Daphne asked, looking him up and down. “Are you Charlaine’s friend?”
Charlaine could feel the muscles in Nathanial’s arm tense. For a second, he glanced at her before looking back at the girls. “I…suppose I am.”
“You suppose?” Daphne asked with a frown. “You don’t sound very certain.”
Susan giggled, then pulled on Daphne’s arm and whispered something in her ear.
Again, Nathanial turned back to her. “Who are…?” His brows rose before he glanced at the two girls.
Charlaine laughed. “Ladies, may I introduce my dear friend, Nathanial Caswell. Nathanial, these are Daphne, Pierce’s daughter, and Susan, Emma’s daughter.”
Again, he frowned. “Emma?”
“The governess,” Daphne supplied helpfully with another wary-looking glance over her shoulder. “Miss Glass.”
Nathanial’s eyes widened ever so slightly before he leaned closer once again. “Pierce hired a governess who has a child?”
Knowing that old habits died hard, Charlaine met Nathanial’s gaze with a challenging one of her own. “Is there any reason why he shouldn’t have?”
His gaze narrowed, and she could see his mind churn. Then he sighed and shook his head, the hint of a smile upon his face. “None I can think of.”
Charlaine could have hugged him. “Now, about you two,” she said turning back to the girls. “Who are you running from?”
“My mother,” Susan answered without hesitation.
“Why?”
Daphne made a face. “Because she wants us to change, but those fancy dresses itch.”
Charlaine laughed as she looked at the two rather forlorn-looking girls. “Did you try them on?”
“No,” Susan admitted openly, which earned her an elbow-jab from Daphne.
“Then how can you know they itch?” Charlaine inquired.
Daphne sighed rather theatrically. “Fine, they don’t itch, but they look ugly.”
“And Mother says if we don’t change, we can’t have cake,” Susan exclaimed, her little arms gesturing wildly toward the terrace.
Charlaine nodded. “That is a problem.” Noting the way Nathanial stood rather stock-still beside her, she asked him, “What do you think?”
Clearly shocked, he stared at her, his mouth opening, then closing. “I…don’t…well…”
“We want cake,” Daphne stated vehemently, “but we don’t want to wear those dresses.”
“Well, if you want cake,” Charlaine said, “then you’ll have to dress up. After all, it’s Pierce and Caroline’s engagement celebration.” The girls pouted, their little arms crossing over their chests. “But perhaps we can find other dresses.” She looked from Daphne to Susan. “Pretty ones. Or we could add a few pretty accessories?”
The deep frowns upon the girls’ faces seemed to lessen a little. “What accessories?” Daphne asked, her brown eyes beginning to glow.
Charlaine grinned. “I’m certain we can find something.”
“And I want to bring Mary,” Daphne threw in as an afterthought.
“Mama said Daphne couldn’t bring her,” Susan explained. “She said she was too ugly.”
Again, Daphne’s little arms crossed over her chest. “She’s not ugly! She’s…one of a kind.”
“Mary?” Nathanial asked with a frown.
“Her doll,” Charlaine whispered so the girls couldn’t hear. “Unfortunately, she had some sort of accident, which rendered her rather…hairless.”
“Oh,” was all Nathanial said.
“Very well, here is what we’ll do,” Charlaine said as she leaned forward and gestured to the girls to come closer. “Nathanial and I will smuggle you back upstairs without your mother noticing. Then I will help you get changed, and Nathanial will check my jewelry box for something fitting, all right?”
Grinning from ear to ear, Susan nodded.
Daphne, however, still had a bit of a glower in her eyes. “What about Mary?”
Charlaine thought for moment. “How about a compromise? Mary can attend, but we’ll find her a good hiding spot from where to watch. That way, she’ll no doubt pick up all the gossip and can share it with us later.” She held her hand out to Daphne. “Deal?”
Reluctant to give in this easily, Daphne hesitated. Indeed, if she kept this up, the girl would one day be a negotiator that would bring others to tears. “Deal,” she finally said, “but only if we can have two pieces of cake.”
Chapter Nineteen
A Cake Conspiracy
Nathanial wanted to sink into a hole in the ground. Unfortunately, there was none around.
Instead, he was marching arm in arm with Charlaine around to the servants’ back door with two little girls hiding behind them. Charlaine’s skirts provided better cover compared to his own silhouette. However, together, they managed to reach the house undetected.
Not counting a few odd glances here and there.
“Why are we doing this?” Nathanial whispered to Charlaine as they stepped into the hall. Never in his life had he felt as foolish as he did in this moment.