Page 46 of Unmasking the Diamond
“Well, you just told the Duke of Brackenford that you are engaged. Within the hour, half of Mayfair will be whispering about it. The gossips’ tongues will be wagging before supper is served,” Jane said.
A knot twisted in Charlotte’s stomach. She pressed her palm against it, as though she could still the storm inside. “What have we done?”
Jane’s gaze softened, brimming with understanding. “I will give you two a moment to speak privately.”
The minute the door closed behind Jane, Charlotte crossed the room and sank onto the settee, her body suddenly heavy, her thoughts too loud. She lifted her eyes to Luca. “Why did you have to say we were engaged?”
He stepped towards her. “What else could I say?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. He had a point, curse him. But that didn’t mean she would surrender. “I refuse to marry you,” she said. “Not even if you were the last man on earth.”
He smirked. “You do know how to make a man feel special.”
“Do be serious.”
“I am,” he responded, lowering himself onto the settee beside her. His nearness was distracting, infuriating. “Think about it. Being engaged has its advantages. We can spend time together freely, without anyone questioning it. And more importantly, we can investigate The Chelmsford Asylum without raising suspicion.”
Charlotte’s pulse skipped. He had a way of making the preposterous sound almost reasonable. Almost. “And what happens when we do not marry?” she asked.
His grin was easy, confident, reckless. “We will deal with that when the time comes. You are the diamond, Charlotte. I have no doubt you will sparkle your way out of it.”
She pressed her lips together, feeling the weight of expectation pressing down upon her. “I wish I shared your confidence.”
“Then borrow mine,” Luca said, reaching for her hand.
Charlotte should have pulled away. She should have reminded him of boundaries, of propriety, of the danger in such familiarity. But instead, she let his fingers twine with hers. The contact was warm, grounding, and against all logic… comforting.
The worst part was that she did trust him. A little. Enough to terrify her. Trust was not something she gave easily, and he had found a crack in her armor far too quickly.
Staring down at their intertwined hands, she whispered, “You had better not be wrong about this, Luca.”
He leaned closer, his voice low and certain. “I am not.”
Against all logic, Charlotte heard herself whisper, “Then I trust you.”
The words startled her as much as they seemed to startle him. For a heartbeat, something unreadable flickered in Luca’s eyes—surprise, yes, but also something deeper, steadier, something that made her pulse quicken.
“Thank you, Charlotte,” he said softly, holding her gaze with a sincerity she had not expected.
For the briefest of moments, she allowed herself to truly look at him. She noticed the brown flecks hidden in his green eyes and the faint scar near his brow that only showed when he leaned close. In that instant, he was not the infuriating man who delighted in teasing her, but rather a man who had glimpsed her vulnerabilities and chosen to stay.
The creak of the door shattered the fragile spell.
Jane stepped into the room, her sharp gaze immediately sweeping between them. Luca released Charlotte’s hand, springing to his feet with far too much haste.
Jane’s expression turned pointed, one brow arched in silent reproach. “I do believe I gave you two sufficient time to come up with a plan.”
“You did,” Luca replied.
“Good,” Jane said. “Then I will expect you at dinner tonight, so you may explain it to Alistair.”
Luca inclined his head. “Yes, my lady.” He shifted his gaze to Charlotte. “Until tonight, Diamond,” he said before departing from the room.
Jane crossed her arms. “I hope you know what you are doing.”
Charlotte sank back into the settee, pressing her hands against her skirts as though to keep them from trembling. “So do I,” she murmured, though in truth, she suspected neither of them had the faintest idea what she had just stepped into.
“You are engaged?!”
