An Unconventional Courtship (2 page)

“You are free to leave anytime you desire, sir. I happen to believe in Miss Wright’s stand on the rights of women. But if you don’t share those beliefs, you may go. ”

She smoothed out her lavender skirt, and in the process, her hand brushed his leg, which was scandalously close to hers. She pulled her hand back quickly, as if she’d been burned. Perhaps she had.

Regardless of her statement that he was free to leave, she hoped he would stay. She’d never been this close to a man before, even an escort. Her stomach was quivering, and her palms were damp. Thank goodness her gloves hid that fact. She had a feeling her life was about to be turned upside down by a man in a jaunty, blue bowler hat. She couldn’t wait.

There was no logical explanation for his behavior. All George could grasp, from the moment he’d spied this lovely blonde woman now sitting beside him, was how his world had tilted. One glance into her deep brown eyes, and he couldn’t add two sums together. A brown-eyed blonde was an anomaly, but she was proving to be unusual in more than her coloring. She was young and exciting as she skated perilously close to scandal.

He prided himself on being a respectable member of society. He had steady employment at one of the largest banks in the city, and he always reported for work on time. His suits were impeccable, befitting a young banker. His hats, however, were where he revealed his true personality. While he donned a top hat during the week, his weekend hats were quite different. He had a particular fondness for the one he had on today. The feather he’d placed on it before he set off this morning had been the finishing touch the bowler hat needed.

His personality may indeed be a bit more exciting than the staid exterior he had to show to the world, but Miss Ashcroft was breaking all kinds of society’s rules simply by being here, in this hall, unescorted. Not to mention taking public transport to get to her destination. She was the most exciting woman he’d ever come across, and the most dangerous. He stole a sidelong glance. Her expression was rapt as she listened to Fanny Wright. As if she hadn’t a care in the world. As if she hadn’t just lied outrageously in front of her mother’s friend. As if she knew who he was.

Miss Wright was getting into the heart of her speech, delivering her statements with a flourish.

The only word George caught was “experiment,” something he had definitely been part of this afternoon. He still wasn’t sure it set well with him or his orderly life, however adventurous the spirit that lurked under his fine linen shirts and frock coats.

He leaned over again, inhaling Charlotte’s scent of lilac water, and stopped thinking. All he could do was focus on her profile, which was quite lovely. He should say something, anything. “Even though I’ve been introduced to the unpleasant Mrs. Beasley we haven’t been properly introduced yet. I’m George Fitzpatrick, and I’m in the business of finance. My father owns a bank and I work with him.”

She tapped his arm with her fan, admonishing him. “Shh. I’m trying to listen to Miss Wright.”

“I do believe I saved your hide today. The least you could do to pay me back is to speak in a civil tone to me.”

She turned in her seat and stared at him, her chin rising in feigned annoyance. He could tell it was feigned because of the twinkle in her eyes. “Well, your services are no longer needed. If you persist in disturbing me, I shall have you hauled off by the security forces.” She could barely control the laugh in her voice.

“And perhaps I shall have you hauled off. After all, you’re the one who accosted me, not the other way round.” But he smiled at her as he countered her suggestion.

She grinned, the sparkle even stronger in her eyes. His face split into a grin as well. “You’re correct, and my behavior has been out of line. However, I’m glad of it, since otherwise we would never have met,” she whispered. “I’m Charlotte. Charlotte Ashcroft. Now hush, so I can hear the last of Fanny’s speech.”

Charlotte. The name had been rolling over and over in his mind since he first heard the dreadful Mrs. Beasley refer to the woman now sitting beside him. A lovely name. A lovely woman. George settled back into his chair but kept his eyes on her. He enjoyed how her bonnet had only a shallow brim, so he could see her face, even when sitting to the side of her. Her lashes were long, and created shadows on her cheeks. And lovely cheeks they were, the skin unblemished and almost porcelain-like. The words coming from Frances Wright buzzed around his head like honeybees, but none were making their way into his mind. He shouldn’t be entranced by the daring Charlotte. As a matter of fact, he should stay as far away as possible from her. The kind of upheaval a woman like this would bring to his life was not something he should be entertaining. Not at all. He was better suited to Jane Weymouth, his father’s pick for him. He tried to formulate a picture of Jane in his mind, but his eyes kept straying to Miss Ashcroft instead. Jane had dark hair, didn’t she? He couldn’t remember. Charlotte’s blonde locks kept clouding his vision.

He could tell from the way she herded her two friends along that Charlotte was the ringleader of their merry little band. The troublemaker. Life with her would be one bold adventure after another. When she had corralled her friends and tossed aside their laments about how risky their behavior was as they got on the bus, George could tell she would be good with children. He did want children. He wondered if Jane wanted any. She’d never expressed a desire to, but then, they’d only been with each other a handful of times, and their conversation had never gotten so personal. Then he wondered why he was thinking of potential children as he sat next to this woman.

Admittedly, at this point in his life, he was ready to take the next step into his future. He had a good, steady job at his father’s bank, and had plans to chart his own course, perhaps open his own bank or take over from his father at some point. All he needed now was a wife, a house, and a family to make his life complete. He was nearly twenty years of age and ready to settle down. Although, until he’d spied Charlotte herding her charges onto the omnibus with a devil-may-care glint in her eyes, he hadn’t really thought about his future other than in the vaguest terms. And most certainly he’d not given a thought to who his wife would be. He’d been content to follow his father’s wishes and court Jane. He’d shared dinners with her, her parents, and his father, but their relationship was not yet even at the handholding stage. One could not say the same about Charlotte, though. Not only had she kept her hand on his arm for an outrageously long time, but she was also sitting next to him, with parents nowhere to be seen, and with their legs nearly touching each other. This was scandalous behavior. Charlotte was a scandalous woman. And he was mesmerized.

The image of Jane wavered as the scent of lilac made its way to his olfactory senses. He should leave right now, since his unexpected charges were well taken care of, properly in place at their destination, and able to find their way home by themselves, just as they had gotten here. Yet he sat, unable to make his body do what his mind screamed he must.

• • •

Charlotte’s heart was surely going to gallop out of her chest. At the very least, she was certain George Fitzpatrick, in all his carefree glory, could hear its erratic beat. He was probably secretly smiling, knowing his outrageous behavior had been the cause.

She stole a sidelong glance at him, only to find him staring at her instead of at the stage. “Stop it,” she whispered to him, her cheeks beginning to heat with blush. Emma and Katie were taking notice of her muted conversation with George Fitzpatrick, not at all appreciative of how timely his entrance into their lives had been, and how their respective hides had been spared. But Charlotte knew. He could stare at her all he wanted if that was to be his payback. Even as she admonished him. Even if his gaze did make her blush. She owed him at least that much.

He turned his head so he faced the stage, but he made one more quiet evaluation. “Fanny Wright pales by comparison to you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. In all her seventeen years, no man had ever paid her such an outrageous compliment. She became very warm and tugged at the neckline of her dress. George Fitzpatrick had made a substantial impression on her. The very first man to ever do so. Now what to do about it?

They sat silently for the remainder of Miss Wright’s speech, but Charlotte didn’t hear much of the talk. Every time George moved, his arm would brush up against hers in the tightly packed hall, and her entire body would begin to hum. When he uncrossed his legs and his left leg met her right one, even with all the layers of cloth and petticoats between them, his touch sizzled her skin. She’d never responded in such a manner before. She had thought Frances Wright would rile her emotions today, but instead it was a man named George Fitzpatrick who had hold of the spoon and was stirring her up. She had to think about what to do. She wrung her gloved hands together and then she tapped her teeth with a finger as she plotted her next move. After all, she decided, a man as delicious as Mr. Fitzpatrick, and one who had the silver tongue of a devil, just might make good husband material. A much better choice than Theo, although her mother was campaigning hard for him to be her choice. She must come up with a plan to snare George Fitzpatrick before her mother won out and Theo proposed.

Fanny Wright finally brought her long-winded speech to an end. As the applause died, Emma, Katie, and Charlotte rose in unison. George sprang from his seat as well.

Charlotte turned to him as the quartet once again entered the street. “Thank you, Mr. Fitzpatrick, for your service today. As payment for your time, I’d love to have you join us for coffee at a nearby restaurant.”

He seemed a bit flummoxed by her bold invitation. “You’ve adopted coffee as your beverage of choice?”

“Well, I’ve tried it, certainly. One can’t let the current trend pass one by. It may be unpopular again in another year or so. The time is now.” She laid her hand on his arm. “If not for everything, for coffee, anyway.”

George seemed to waver in his decision. “Thank you, but I must resist, even though the idea of sharing a cup of the newfangled beverage is appealing. I’ll wait with you until the omnibus arrives, but after that, I must be on my way.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She’d never been rejected by a man before. But then again, she’d never been so brazen with a man before, either. Her behavior today had been outrageous at the very least, but she was undeterred. Mr. Fitzpatrick was going to take some work if she were to convince him they should wed. “Yes, of course. We’ve held you up enough for one day. Thank you again, Mr. Fitzpatrick, for your assistance. We got here just fine by ourselves, and we’ll get home the same way.”

• • •

George waited with them for the omnibus to stop at its designated spot. As the ladies were about to board, he turned to Charlotte. “It’s been my pleasure to meet you today. I am quite certain I won’t have another experience such as this ever again.”

Charlotte couldn’t keep the chuckle from her voice and placed her hand on his arm. “There can be many more experiences such as this, Mr. Fitzpatrick, if you’re up for it. Emma and I like to stroll in St. John’s Park on Monday afternoons before dinner.” George’s eyes lit up even as he removed her hand. He placed his hat on his head at its customary, jaunty angle, bowed to the ladies, and replied, “A walk in St. John’s Park, eh? Perhaps I’ll see you there someday.”

He was gone before Charlotte could say anything further. She had hoped for a more concrete response.

As the trio of women took their places inside the omnibus, Charlotte was lost in thought. George Fitzpatrick would make a perfect husband for her. He hadn’t gotten angry when she’d pulled him into her ruse, as so many would have. Instead, he’d played along with her and helped put Mrs. Beasley’s fears for her reputation to rest. She could not abide a man who forced her to play by the rules. Somehow she knew George would be open to her causes and would love her because of her stand on various issues, not in spite of them. He was a professional, in the staid banking business. She wanted to shake up his orderly life. They could be very good for each other. He’d already shown his impulsive streak by pretending to be her escort in front of Mrs. Beasley. But he was a conservative banker, who probably didn’t have enough fun in his life. Besides, she’d never met a man who affected her as he had. To make her skin tingle when they touched, to set her heart fluttering. Their quiet conversation during Fanny’s speech proved to her he could hold his own as they teased each other. Yes, George Fitzpatrick was a perfect choice for a husband. She’d show him how to have a good time, and he could keep her from getting into too much trouble. They’d fit quite nicely together. Now she just had to convince him of that fact.

“What a pity that Mr. Fitzpatrick left us. But what a salvation he was, helping us deceive Mrs. Beasley. He’s most handsome, don’t you think?”

Charlotte gave her friend a nudge. “Hands off, Emma. He’s mine. Although he doesn’t know it yet.”

“Well, if you feel that way about him, why did you not give him your address and allow him to call on you?”

Charlotte laughed. “Because that would be too easy. If he wants me, he’s going to have to work for it. St. John’s Park isn’t so big that he can’t find me should he so desire. Thank you, Katie, for giving me the idea. Maybe we’ll both come across our future husbands while we stroll through the park tomorrow. And if he can’t find me there, I’ll figure out another way to track him down.”

Emma’s eyes were filled with doubt as they bounced along in the omnibus. “It is a plan, but not a very concrete one. What were you two talking about, anyway? I could hear you whispering all during Fanny’s speech.”

“He accused me of accosting him, and he threatened to have me hauled off by security.”

“Ooh, that just sent chills down my spine.”

“I had the same reaction but for a different reason. I’m going to marry that man.”

Emma took hold of Charlotte’s hands and swung them as if they were still children. “Oh, Charlotte. I had a feeling you’d be the first of our circle to wed. You’re so lucky.”