How to Turn a Frog into a Prince - Bree Wolf Page 0,75

to her voice. “Or my stomach has decided that food is no longer something desirable.”

Laughing, Charlaine hugged her. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.” She sat back. “Does Pierce know?”

Caroline shook her head. “Not yet. I wasn’t certain. I’m still…perhaps I should send for the doctor.” She sighed. “I don’t want to tell him only to find out that—”

“But he should know,” Charlaine insisted. “Even if…” Her words trailed off. “He should be at your side.” She squeezed Caroline’s hands. “He’d want to be at your side. Believe me, you’ll never hear the end of it if you keep him in the dark much longer,” she added laughing.

With a luminous smile upon her face, Caroline nodded. “You’re right. I should tell him, and I will.” Her gaze moved to Emma and she gestured for her to seat herself in the armchair opposite them. “But first I want to know what happened.” She looked at Charlaine. “Who did you kiss?” she asked as though she didn’t know. The look in her blue eyes told Charlaine that she had her suspicions.

Very specific suspicions. After all, Markham Hall was not exactly crawling with eligible, young men!

“I kissed Nathanial,” Charlaine admitted and then told the other two women about the day before, how they had found the frog and how Daphne and Susan had wanted to know how to kiss. “It was an impulse, and I know I shouldn’t have, but…”

“But you wanted to,” Caroline finished for her, her brows once more rising, daring Charlaine to confirm her words.

Charlaine nodded. “Yes, I wanted to.”

“But why shouldn’t you have?” Emma asked carefully with a respectful glance at Caroline.

For a reason no one could understand, Emma had a hard time forgetting that Caroline was a baroness, a peer, of upper society, a member of the ton while she herself was only a governess, with an illegitimate child no less. Charlaine could not help but wonder what it would take for Emma to see herself in a different light, to see herself as they saw her: a tender-hearted, wonderful young woman, who had fought hard to give her daughter the life she deserved.

“Emma is right,” Caroline agreed, smiling at the other woman. “You’re unattached as is he, and if you both—”

“We’re friends,” Charlaine pointed out with a sigh. “I promised him to be his friend and only his friend.” Remembering when they had first met, she shook her head. “He was so…suspicious, expecting betrayal, expecting to be made a fool of, and it took a while for him to look at me and not…see someone who would hurt him at any moment.” She looked from Caroline to Emma and saw understanding on their faces. “He needs me to be his friend and nothing more.”

Caroline patted her hand. “But you no longer see him as only a friend, do you?”

Admitting defeat, Charlaine hung her head. “I’m afraid I don’t.” She looked from Caroline to Emma. “I…I’m not certain when it happened, but now when I look at him, I…” Utter joy filled her heart and teased her lips into a wide smile.

“You’re in love,” Caroline observed with a chuckle.

Shocked to hear those words, Charlaine shook her head. “No. No. No.” Her head kept going from side to side. “I can’t be. Perhaps it’s only a passing infatuation…because he almost kissed me, because I kissed him, because…”

Emma stilled. “Wait! He kissed you?”

“Almost,” Charlaine corrected, then frowned. “Perhaps it was only in the moment. Or perhaps he wouldn’t have and I misinterpreted the situation. He seemed tense after as he did when I kissed him.” She sighed. “I think it is clear to say that he only sees me as a friend.”

“Are you certain?” Caroline asked gently, her blue eyes whispering of disappointment.

Charlaine looked away. She would not entertain these thoughts for they would only lead to a place of regret. “Yes, I’m certain. He is the best friend I’ve ever had and I will not risk what we have.” She looked from Caroline to Emma. “Please don’t say anything to him.”

Both women assured her they would not. “But what of—?” Caroline began.

Charlaine immediately interrupted her. “It is not about what I might want, but about what he needs.” She managed a small smile. “And he needs me to be his friend.”

Caroline met her gaze. “But friends are honest with each other.”

“Brutal honesty,” Charlaine whispered with a heavy heart.

“Pardon me?” Caroline and Emma said as one.

Charlaine shook her head. “It’s nothing. I will be as honest with him as I