her brain fired, adding two and two and coming up with four, damn it.
“He’s responsible for those disgusting things on your neck.” Elizabeth gestured at her in disdain. “You slept your way into this job.”
“That’s enough,” Gran said, steel behind her words. “Charlotte won this job fair and square.”
“I’ll see you at home,” Elizabeth said, and Charlotte could tell she’d managed to land herself in deeper trouble.
“Charlotte is going out for dinner,” Gran said.
Charlotte frowned. Gran didn’t look well at all. “I’ll get a nurse for you.” She stooped to kiss Gran’s soft cheek and smiled, even though she wanted to cry at the way Gran appeared in the hospital bed. Her earlier bravado had faded, and she now looked pained and shrunken.
“Tell me about your date when you come to visit tomorrow,” Gran said, a trace of sly darting across her face. “I want to hear everything.”
“Charlotte can’t gallivant around town while you’re ill.”
“Hearing about Charlotte’s dinner will give me something to look forward to.” Gran closed her eyes, her breaths harsher now.
“I’ll give you a report tomorrow,” Charlotte promised. “I’ll send in a nurse on my way out.”
Worry cast a heavy weight on her shoulders for the rest of the afternoon. She couldn’t get excited about a date—the first one she’d had in months—when Gran was so sick. But she couldn’t beg off either because Gran had made it plain to both her and Elizabeth she expected a report the following day.
She spent the unexpected free time spring cleaning the lounge and preparing dinner. After making a vegetable bake and a large salad for her stepmother and sisters’ dinner, she mixed a batch of cupcakes. Once they’d cooled, she pulled out her piping bag and decorated them, making each one unique.
Her stepsisters arrived home, and Charlotte retreated to her room to change. With limited wardrobe choices, she went with her black skirt again, adding a castoff pale blue blouse she’d remade to look modern. She decided to leave her hair loose but applied a little more makeup than she had for her interview.
The doorbell rang at two minutes to seven. Charlotte picked up her black handbag and slipped her feet into a pair of black heels.
“Ash, what are you doing here?” Jenny recovered from her shock with style. “Come in. Would you like a drink?”
“No, thanks. Ah, Charlotte. You look lovely.”
Charlotte joined them in the entrance hall, a laugh slipping free when she spied Jenny’s gaping mouth.
Ash grinned at Charlotte. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her firmly on the mouth, despite their audience. “Are you ready?”
One kiss was all it took. The slow burn of desire simmered through her, and she realized she’d been fooling herself. The wretched man had burrowed under her skin like a nasty parasite the second she clapped eyes on him at the ball. While the feminine part of her enjoyed the attention, she knew it could only be fleeting. Their lives were too different. He had everything and she…she had nothing.
But that would change, she told herself. One day.
“You’re going out with her?” Jenny found her voice.
“I am,” Ash said. “We’re going out to dinner.”
“But what about our dinner?” Jenny asked.
Ash’s dark brows rose, and Charlotte spoke before he could voice his disbelief. “There’s a vegetable bake in the oven and I made a salad. It’s in the fridge. There are cupcakes for dessert.”
“Cupcakes?” Ash’s eyes blazed with interest. “Could I have one?”
“I thought you wanted to leave at seven?”
“I have time to get a cupcake. Maybe we could get two and have them for supper?”
“Supper?” Jenny said sharply. “How long have you two known each other?”
“Okay,” Charlotte said, accepting the inevitable. Rachel was in the kitchen or she had been. She led Ash through to the kitchen, aware of his hand at the small of her back. He
“He’s responsible for those disgusting things on your neck.” Elizabeth gestured at her in disdain. “You slept your way into this job.”
“That’s enough,” Gran said, steel behind her words. “Charlotte won this job fair and square.”
“I’ll see you at home,” Elizabeth said, and Charlotte could tell she’d managed to land herself in deeper trouble.
“Charlotte is going out for dinner,” Gran said.
Charlotte frowned. Gran didn’t look well at all. “I’ll get a nurse for you.” She stooped to kiss Gran’s soft cheek and smiled, even though she wanted to cry at the way Gran appeared in the hospital bed. Her earlier bravado had faded, and she now looked pained and shrunken.
“Tell me about your date when you come to visit tomorrow,” Gran said, a trace of sly darting across her face. “I want to hear everything.”
“Charlotte can’t gallivant around town while you’re ill.”
“Hearing about Charlotte’s dinner will give me something to look forward to.” Gran closed her eyes, her breaths harsher now.
“I’ll give you a report tomorrow,” Charlotte promised. “I’ll send in a nurse on my way out.”
Worry cast a heavy weight on her shoulders for the rest of the afternoon. She couldn’t get excited about a date—the first one she’d had in months—when Gran was so sick. But she couldn’t beg off either because Gran had made it plain to both her and Elizabeth she expected a report the following day.
She spent the unexpected free time spring cleaning the lounge and preparing dinner. After making a vegetable bake and a large salad for her stepmother and sisters’ dinner, she mixed a batch of cupcakes. Once they’d cooled, she pulled out her piping bag and decorated them, making each one unique.
Her stepsisters arrived home, and Charlotte retreated to her room to change. With limited wardrobe choices, she went with her black skirt again, adding a castoff pale blue blouse she’d remade to look modern. She decided to leave her hair loose but applied a little more makeup than she had for her interview.
The doorbell rang at two minutes to seven. Charlotte picked up her black handbag and slipped her feet into a pair of black heels.
“Ash, what are you doing here?” Jenny recovered from her shock with style. “Come in. Would you like a drink?”
“No, thanks. Ah, Charlotte. You look lovely.”
Charlotte joined them in the entrance hall, a laugh slipping free when she spied Jenny’s gaping mouth.
Ash grinned at Charlotte. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her firmly on the mouth, despite their audience. “Are you ready?”
One kiss was all it took. The slow burn of desire simmered through her, and she realized she’d been fooling herself. The wretched man had burrowed under her skin like a nasty parasite the second she clapped eyes on him at the ball. While the feminine part of her enjoyed the attention, she knew it could only be fleeting. Their lives were too different. He had everything and she…she had nothing.
But that would change, she told herself. One day.
“You’re going out with her?” Jenny found her voice.
“I am,” Ash said. “We’re going out to dinner.”
“But what about our dinner?” Jenny asked.
Ash’s dark brows rose, and Charlotte spoke before he could voice his disbelief. “There’s a vegetable bake in the oven and I made a salad. It’s in the fridge. There are cupcakes for dessert.”
“Cupcakes?” Ash’s eyes blazed with interest. “Could I have one?”
“I thought you wanted to leave at seven?”
“I have time to get a cupcake. Maybe we could get two and have them for supper?”
“Supper?” Jenny said sharply. “How long have you two known each other?”
“Okay,” Charlotte said, accepting the inevitable. Rachel was in the kitchen or she had been. She led Ash through to the kitchen, aware of his hand at the small of her back. He
Similar Books
