Rules of Surrender (38 page)

Each rider held a bouquet of blossoms from Austinpark Manor’s garden, reaped one by one through an exercise wherein the rider leaned off the horse and snatched it out of a maidservant’s extended hand.

Charlotte was miserably aware that the flowers looked better than she did.

Leila removed the scarf, revealing her braid. Under her urging, her horse bowed before the company. Being on a horse lifted Leila to almost the same level as the company on the portico, and so she was able to extend her bouquet to Queen Evangeline. The queen took it with thanks, and Charlotte thought the pleased grins of child and queen were almost identical.

Robbie repeated the exercise to Queen Victoria, removing his turban, bowing with his horse and extending his bouquet. Queen Victoria did not grin, but her cheeks were rosy with the excitement she had finally been unable to suppress.

Then Wynter moved into place before Charlotte.

Charlotte glanced at Adorna, trying to tell him he was making a mistake, that propriety demanded he give the bouquet to his mother, the hostess.

She should have remembered that Wynter never did anything he didn’t want to, and for some reason, he wanted Charlotte to have the flowers.

He removed his turban, displaying his mussed hair and his barbaric earring. He bowed with his horse, a gracious motion of the upper body. And when he reached out with his bouquet, he said, ”I offer this to my lady wife, who with her beauty puts the first flower of spring to shame, who with her knowledge has brought my children and I into the arms of civilization“—he looked into her eyes—”and who with her love has conquered my heart.“

She had started to extend her hand, but now she drew back. ”No, I haven’t.“

”She
was a finishing governess?“ she heard Queen Victoria ask incredulously.

”All my heart,“ Wynter clarified. ”My
whole
heart. My whole heart, which beats only for you, oh dearest and most brilliant star in my sky.“

He didn’t mean it. He couldn’t have changed his mind in so little time. Yet he looked earnest enough, and she couldn’t imagine why he would lie. Not this man, who insisted on honor in all things.

Charlotte clasped her hands together. ”Really?“

”If you will not believe me,“ he replied, ”ask my children.“

Both Robbie and Leila nodded their heads enthusiastically.

”For you,“ Wynter vowed, ”I will get my hair cut. I will remove my earring. I will wear proper English clothing at all times and always sit in a chair.“

”I don’t want that.“ Charlotte’s voice rasped in her throat. ”I just want you to say it, plainly.“

He smiled at her. Only at her. ”Lady Miss Charlotte Wife, I love you.“

Never, not even in her dreams, had she imagined happiness like this. ”I love you, too.“ Extending her hand, she reached for the flowers. She got them, as well as his fingers clasping hers. He brought his horse alongside the railing, and carried her hand to his lips, and kissed it passionately.

”Well! This has been most entertaining,“ Queen Victoria said. ”We thank both the Lady Ruskins, and Lord Ruskin, of course, and his children, who are most talented. But if we are to get back to London before dark, we should start at once.“

Prince Albert harrumphed. ”Yes, indeed.“

Charlotte managed to wrestle her hand away from Wynter’s and turn to face the company.

”Most entertaining.“ King Danior sounded as if he were amused.

”I never imagined being this entertained.“ Queen Evangeline leaned against King Danior’s shoulder.

”Thank you, thank you.“ Adorna fairly gushed with pleasure. ”I always try to make my galas memorable.“

”I think we can safely agree you have done that,“ Queen Evangeline said.

Wynter, Robbie and Leila dismounted. They gave their horses over to the stableboys and climbed the stairs. The royal children surrounded Robbie and Leila at once. Wynter never took his gaze away from Charlotte, and no one got between them as he made his way to her side.

The royal leave-taking proceeded around them, and Charlotte stared at him, still not quite believing. He didn’t touch her. She didn’t touch him. They didn’t dare, or she knew they would behave in an even more improper manner than they already had, and dimly, in some now-unexercised corner of her mind, Charlotte was aware they had behaved most improperly, indeed.

”Dears,“ Adorna trilled. ”Their Majesties are departing!“

Side by side, Wynter and Charlotte walked to Adorna. Charlotte curtsied and took personal pride in Wynter’s elegant bow. Smiling and waving, they observed as the royal party stepped into open carriages and at last, at long last, drove away.

Blessed silence fell. Adorna, the children, the servants were watching Wynter and Charlotte. Charlotte knew it, but she didn’t care. All of England could discover how much she loved her husband, and she didn’t mind, because he loved her back. She had everything she could ever want.

”I will make you happy,“ Wynter vowed. ”I will pleasure you every night.“

Adorna sighed. ”That might make up for being such a jackass,“ she murmured. Lifting her voice, she said, ”Come, children. I’ll teach you how to play whist.“

As she began to herd Robbie and Leila toward the house, Wynter and Charlotte reached out to each other—and heard the sound of carriage wheels returning on the gravel drive.

Wynter’s hand dropped. ”They forgot something.“

”I suppose.“ Adorna sounded disgusted. ”I would have sent it on.“

But Charlotte didn’t recognize the coach that drove up. It was closed, for one thing, and draped red silk covered the door as if concealing a crest. The coachman wore red, too, an eighteenth-century oddly mismatched nobleman’s costume. He grinned at the assemblage as he pulled the vehicle to a halt.

The door was flung wide. A masked man dressed all in black leaped to the ground.

He wore a short cape, a doublet, tights and leather gauntlets. He strode up the terrace steps with an arrogant gait, and at the top slung his cape over one shoulder and stood, fists on hips, glaring at Adorna through the slits in his mask.

”Grandmama, who is that man?“ Leila asked.

Adorna stared, head tilted, and finally guessed, ”Lord Bucknell?“

Beside Charlotte, Wynter gave a slight and almost silent chuckle.

”Lord Bucknell?“ Adorna sounded a little surer this time. ”What are you… ?“

The masked man didn’t answer. Instead, he walked to Adorna, bent and picked her up.

As she hung over his shoulder, she shrieked.

Charlotte stiffened. What had Wynter said when he carried her off to their wedding bower?
Bucknell reminded me that reluctant maidens should be kidnapped.

Lord Bucknell was carrying away her mother-in-law.

As he stuffed Adorna into the coach, she shrieked again, but it sounded as if she were laughing.

Her abductor leaped inside. He shut the door. The coachman whipped up the horses, and they were gone.

Shocked, Charlotte stared after them.

”Mama, why did Lord Bucknell take Grandmama?“ Leila asked.

As generations of parents had done before her, Charlotte replied, ”I’ll tell you when you’re older.“

”Come on. Let’s go get something to eat.“ Robbie put his arm around Leila’s shoulder and led her away. ”And I’ll explain.“

Pointing a shaking finger down the drive, Charlotte said, ”My lord husband, I recognize your fine hand in this scandal.“

”Yes.“ Wynter couldn’t have sounded more delighted. ”Bucknell will make my mother very happy.“

She despaired of ever making him understand, but as the former Miss Priss, she had to try. ”You must realize that in civilized society you cannot indulge in the kind of barbarism you so relish.“

Leaning against the railing, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her challengingly. ”Why not? Bucknell’s barbaric behavior succeeded where his domesticated courtship did not, and in the struggle between you and me, dear wife, it is obvious who is the victor.“

Charlotte almost chocked on her indignation. ”The victor? I prefer to think that there is no
victor
between us.“

”You are right. We do not have to say there is a victor.“ He straightened up and moved toward her. ”As long as we are agreed I always get to win.“

She stood her ground. ”In marriage, there is no winner and no loser, no right and no wrong.“

Seductively, he crooned, ”We can go upstairs. You can take off your shoes, Lady Miss Charlotte, and I will massage your feet.“

”It is obvious to me that removing one’s shoes is a symptom of—“ Now she backed away from his looming figure, excitement beginning to banish wrath. ”—of the kind of crude and uncultured comportment which will result in illicit passion—“

Wrapping his arms around her stiff form, Wynter brought her close to him and sought her lips with his. At last she collapsed against his warm body and let him kiss her. Kiss her until she was pliant, inarticulate and quite improperly passionate.

”Then I submit that more Englishmen should remove their shoes, so they can be as happy as we are.“ He smiled down at her. ”My dearest and only love.“