Free The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake) by Amelia Clearwater Page B

called The Americas. Alexander’s friend Kade had made a rather large investment there in someplace called South Carolina, selling tea from India and bringing back tobacco, cotton and indigo.
     
    But she always did sneak a glass, when offered by Lady Anne, who had wriggled out of her that she loved the drink, and would ask for it when Alexander was not around, just to sit with her under the willow tree in the gardens and chat. The way they chilled drinks was fun to do, a bowl was filled with ice chips- ones she had to bludgeon from the large block of ice in the house and the pitcher was placed in till it was cold. - it was especially helpful if Lord Cromwell had agitated her that day. In summer one would bring drinks down to the icehouse and leave it there for an hour or so, till a thin sheen of slush formed on top of the liquid.
     
    Charlotte hated going down into the icehouse. It was dreadfully cold. The room consisted of a ladder that led into the large round, deep, stone cellar.  The ice was collected during winter from a nearby pond. After cleaning, it was lowered into the deep, underground chamber, where it was insulated with hay or straw and stored. Charlotte was always afraid she’d be locked down there, and one time nearly scared herself witless when the door swung as someone bustled out of the root cellar next to it and closed her in.
     
    Thankfully, James had been walking by and opened the door, to which she gratefully after climbing the ladder, flung her arms about him and hugged him. He chuckled and patted her head like a child and sent her on her way with her bucket of chipped ice.
     
    Charlotte found that she was rather good at cooking too! She was able to make dishes and loathed that she had to bring them to Alexander, but she also found it amusing. She put a sway in her walk as she saw the Ladies sometimes would do as they'd walk away from him, and found a natural gait that when she caught her own eye in a mirror. Charlotte realized she looked sultry and elegant despite her clothing. She wore a soft white dress and she gathered the tray of biscuits and beef stew for Alexander and walked up to his study.
     
    "Come in." Alexander was irritated beyond measure; his neck had a crick in it from tossing and turning in turmoil deep in his sleep. 
     
    "My Lord?" the whisper hit his ears like a gong and he looked up to see the object of his turmoil standing at his door. 
     
    "Come in, set it down over here." he tapped the right side of his desk and in reality cursed himself, as he simply wanted to get a better look at her. She walked like a dancer, her feet lightly moving, her neck held high. No. She walked like a Lady. It startled him, and soon she was at his side setting the tray down, but not before giving him a side look as she had leaned over his desk her hand brushing his arm 'accidently' as she drew away.
     
    "Sorry my Lord." she whispered and backed away. "Is there anything else my Lord needs?"
     
    My lord…your Lord needs something all right…Hm; I'd like you to call me that in another manner. He thought with his teeth grit.
     
    "No, Charlotte that will be all."
     
    "Yes, my Lord." she curtsied gracefully and floated out without so much as a look back at him, her copper hair tantalizingly flowing around her shoulders from where the curls attempted a mutinous escaped.
     
    Charlotte chuckled as she closed the door; she had no idea what she was doing. But he was flustered, and she liked it.  Perhaps she liked it a bit too much.
     
    On a particularly irritating day, Lady Deirdre was playing badminton with Alexander, as the rest of the Ladies lounged with family and she sat quietly to the side. Charlotte hated watching, because she was always drawn to how easy Alexander moved. The grace of his form left her entire body on fire. She had no idea what her body was doing, but she shifted in her chair, leaning ever so slightly, acting as if to get a better look of the event, but really just to get a