Spinster Ever After (The Spinster Chronicles #7) - Rebecca Connolly Page 0,100
either.
Epilogue
On occasion, one must be rather decisive about things. It is the only way to bring about results. But only on occasion.
-The Spinster Chronicles, 15 November 1819
There was something about being in the Wright family home that made Michael smile no matter the occasion. It was his home away from home, and events held there might as well have been ones he hosted. He didn’t mean to take up the responsibilities, but he knew the house and the people so well that he seemed to take part in the duties without intending to. Any time he saw opportunity, he acted on it.
The garden party today would be different. Mostly because he was fascinated by what Charlotte would try to do.
After their private word on the terrace, she’d tried again to speak with him alone when they were at the Ingrams’ home for an afternoon of conversation and games. Unfortunately, she had tried to commandeer him during the lawn games that had started, which had not helped matters.
“Michael, there is something that I really must discuss with you as soon as possible. Would you mind walking with me?” she’d asked, her smile bright, but forced.
He’d nodded, but then Aubrey, Lord Ingram, had come and insisted that Michael come and partner him for bowls. With an apologetic shrug to Charlotte, Michael had gone along with him rather than take the private word with her.
The glare she had launched at Aubrey’s back would have killed the man had anything materialized from it.
The ferocity in her eyes had started Michael thinking, and he had done little else since. What could she want to speak with him about that could not be said before company? She’d never been particularly private, though some occasions between them had held conversations he doubted she had shared with others. But those times had usually come when they were already in each other’s company, and not from any structured moment alone. They’d never intentionally had moments alone; it had always happened as the natural way of things.
What was she trying to accomplish?
It didn’t take long for him to get a fair idea, considering the last few weeks and the looks, conversations, and contact they’d had. He didn’t dare put a name to it, having felt the wounds of disappointed hopes for years, but if he was right, Charlotte might have something vastly intriguing to tell him.
But there was no sense in making it simple for her to do so.
It was not particularly accommodating of him, but there was an inordinate amount of fun in being pursued by the woman he had pursued for years. He’d let her tell him eventually, he was not entirely cruel. He just needed to see how determined she was. There was nothing that drove Charlotte more than obstacles to her success. A driven Charlotte in this regard could be a rather grand sight.
All the better for him.
Striding out to the gardens, Michael eyed the gathering with some anticipation. All of Charlotte’s friends in the Spinsters were here, or would be shortly, as well as Lord and Lady Sterling, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, who were great friends of the Vales as well as the Radcliffes, and various other members of Society that he actually could tolerate for more than five minutes at a time. Any event hosted by the Wrights usually involved the best of Society, which made invitations difficult to come by.
Michael always had a standing invitation, and had the last week or so not happened, he might have had that revoked this time.
“My sister was looking for you,” Charles Wright mentioned as he passed him to head out to the guests. “I’d make yourself scarce, she’s rather in high dudgeon.”
The warning made Michael laugh to himself. She’d be in even higher dudgeon once he played with her a little.
“That should not make you smile.” Charles shook his head, exhaling heavily. “What are you up to?”
He shrugged easily, loving the edge of excitement he felt nipping at his heels. “I thought I might provoke your sister a little. For her own good, of course. It will be worth it.”
Charles grinned the way only an older brother can. “It is always worth it to provoke Charlotte. Carry on.” Chuckling, he moved out into the gardens fully, shaking his head.
Well, at least somebody else would appreciate Michael’s plan.
Michael continued to survey the gathering, and suddenly locked eyes with Charlotte, who was watching him steadily from her present position under a tree.