Free A Gentleman's Promise by Tamara Gill Page A

cousin was telling me about your time in Bath, my lord.”
    He nodded his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Would you care to dance, Miss Lancer. For old times’ sake.”
    “I would love to, thank you, my lord.”
    Charlotte sm iled at Rose and watched as he led her cousin onto the floor. They did make a striking pair. She was fair and he was not. Both tall, yet perfectly proportioned for one another. Not to mention the fact that neither were married.
    Despair threatened to make her ill . What was she doing? Having an affair with a man who could not save her. Only she could save herself and as much as Charlotte hated to admit it, she was too weak to leave. T o t hrow society the biggest scandal of the year and divorce James like she should. But she could not . And here she was , angry at Lord Helsing , and all because last season , he had courted her cousin in Bath. Perhaps.
    Granted having done so, he should have offered marriage. But had he really courted her or was Rose’s attachment to him so strong that she desperately hoped his attention toward her was just that ?
    Charlotte turned away from the couples dancing a fast quadrille and went to find the ladies ’ retiring room. She slipped through a door and walked toward a footman who stood before a door near the end of the passageway. Tiredness swamped her and all she wished to do was leave.
    “Charlotte!”
    She whirled to find Mason storming toward her, his countenance one of frustration and concern.
    “Where are you going?”
    “Away from you. ” She continued past the footman and toward a door that seemed to lead outside. He followed her and she fought the urge to turn about and scold him in front of a servant.
    The balmy night air kissed her skin as they stepped onto a darkened terrace. Charl otte continued on and heard Mason close the door behind them.
    “Charlotte , stop.”
    She did and took a moment to calm down before he joined her. “ I request that you leave me be.”
    “Don’t be absurd . Why would I do that?”
    She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Pe rhaps because you owe my cousin a propos al of marriage after you courted her last season .”
    “I never courted her. I was her friend and acquaintance, but that’s all.” He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “She resembled you and I suppose I gravitated toward her because of that .”
    Charlotte stepped away from him. “You used her then, which is worse. How could you, Mason ? ”
    A muscle ticked at his temple. “I apologize if it seems like I did, but I didn’t do it intentionally. You did marry someone else, Charlotte.”
    “You didn’t ask me to marry you, Lord Helsing need I remind you ? ” She took a calming breath. “Why didn’t you tell me about your relationship with her? Why keep it a secret ? ”
    He tried to pull her into his arms , but Charlotte pushed him away. “Don’t touch me. Tell me why you didn’t say anything ? ”
    “Because I knew you’d react this way. Innocent or not, my actions with your cousin seem heartless. It was not my intention.”
    The thought of Mason with Rose turned Charlotte’s stomach and made her tremble with jealousy. “Did you kiss her?”
    He paused. “No.”
    The quiver in his voice gave him away. “You lie.” Charlotte clasped her stomach and swallowed. Hard. “How could you lead her on so , then come to London and seek me out as you did . Kiss me, make love to me?”
    “When I realized her attachment to me was beyond that of a friend, I left. I suppose I panicked. I know I should have stayed and let her down in the nicest way possible, but I didn’t. Men kiss debutantes all the time, Charlotte, not all the mamas make them marry . ”
    Charlotte scoffed. “You’re a cad and I’m a whore. What am I doing?”
    She pushed him away again when he went to pull her into his arms. “What we’re doing is wrong and we need to stop. I’m married and you need a wife at some p oint.” She sighed and met his troubled gaze. “Just