“You do not have to decide now,” she said, softly. “Just think of me,” she said, standing from her seat and pressing a gentle kiss against William’s cheek. It felt like the most genuine affection she’d ever shown him, but it was not nearly enough to prove to him that she had ever cared.He couldn’t help but wince at her touch.
She pulled back, staring at his mouth. It wasn’t tempting necessarily. It was sort of the same reason why one might reach for a cigar. The feeling of having indulged was bound to make him feel more relaxed. It was familiar, it was safe, and as much as he hated what had been, it was what he was used to.
They had kissed a lot, and even William could admit he’d had some fun with her, even if he refused to join with her as one. She knew how to make him feel good. They had spent so much time together that seeking comfort from her was familiar. He had done it so many times, and her appetite had typically been enough to satisfy him.
Maybe he was just lonely, because there was no coincidence that he had thought of Charlotte instead of her when he was confronted with the potential of a kiss. Half of him wanted to say yes and have her right here in the living room while imagining that Charlotte was beneath him the entire time, but he couldn’t. She was nothing like Charlotte and the thought of using her, even if she had so cruelly done so to him felt callous and vulgar.
He turned his head away from her just in time to make her stumble, kissing nothing but the air. They locked eyes once more. Her face was red and her teeth were bared like the snarl of a dog. William was sort of amused at the whole situation, so he plainly stared back, hoping that he had had his last dig at her before he said goodbye to her for good. Before either of them could say anything, there was a soft knock on the front door.
“Oh my God,” Octavia hissed, picking her cloak up off the couch. “Who could that be? You are entertaining tonight?”
“I am not supposed to be,” he said, but the thought that it might be Charlotte made his heart race with anticipation. That was too good to be true. It was likely urgent business. “Go out the back door or your reputation will be even more tainted than it already is,” he ordered. She hurried back into the townhouse that was as deep as it was tall. At the grand entrance, William opened the door.
Charlotte stood at the threshold, the cool spring night blowing her cape around her like she was otherworldly, coming to haunt him one last time.
She cleared her throat. William’s mouth went dry. It really was her.
ChapterFifteen
When Charlotte’s eyes met William’s, her heart stilled and for a moment, she stood, the agony of having lost him burning a hole straight through her chest.
“I am sorry,” was all she could whisper.
William opened his mouth to respond before a noise further in the house pulled her attention back. A figure sauntered down the hall and leaned against a wall halfway into the foyer. Octavia smiled.
“I should have known,” she said.
“Octavia, go home,” William hissed, looking over his shoulder.
“Well now things are getting interesting. You are very in demand tonight, are you?”
“Octavia!”
She laughed lightly, her eyes flickering to Charlotte. “He is very in demand. Do you wonder what other women we might find here?” She asked. “We may be able to start our own sewing club.”
Charlotte opened her mouth to respond, but she was lost for words. She glanced back at William with apprehension. “I am…such a…such a fool.”
William stepped forward, reaching for Charlotte, but she pulled back, stumbling on the cement landing at his door. “It is not what it looks like,” he said.
“And what, pray tell, does it look like?” Octavia smiled in amusement. “Does it look as if I was in your bed after all these years? Does it look like we’ve been drinking sherry and kissing on the couch while the rest of the world is sleeping? Is that what it looks like?”
Charlotte was lost for words for a moment. “I would not have worded it so specifically.” The truth was that the thought of him kissing anyone else so intimately made Charlotte feel hollow like an abandoned home. She tried not to imagine him kissing her but it was easy and it cut deeply.
“If you think he would take me into his bed, then you are not only wrong, but bound to be very surprised,” she said. “I am notworthy.”
Charlotte looked back at William. His mouth also hung open in trepidation.
“Well, I must leave you to it, then. My only wish is that you may remember what I told you tonight while your big strong arms were wrapped around—”
“Octavia!” William spun around, his voice raising with fervor. “Leave me, the same way I asked you when you arrived.”
“Very well,” she shrugged with a smile at Charlotte. There was no malice in her face. Instead, she just winked like they were old friends. She walked back down the hall to the opposite end of the house. When a door clicked shut, whatever had a hold over him and kept him so rigid disappeared. He urged Charlotte into his townhome and locked the door behind her. It was very neat and stylish. Charlotte’s legs shook with uncertainty. She hadn’t expected to find Octavia here.
“Did you invite her into your bed?”
“Why should it matter?”
She bristled, wrinkling her nose. “Did you?”