Featherstone, Charlotte Mistress of the Night (NCP)

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struggled to walk up the stairs with some measure of dignity, that he d finally admitted to
himself that bringing Madeline into his household was a fatal decision. He could not
subject her to the chaos, the disruption of life when one of his fits decided to strike. He
couldn t allow her to see him in such a state, and he knew, without a doubt, he could
never completely hide his condition from her.
There was only one thing to do. He had decided upon it that very morning. He had
to give her up. To forsake his dreams of having her in his life, in his bed, in his heart.
He d written the words from Byron, hoping to give her a glimpse of what was
inside his heart. She had awakened him from his darkness. She had made him see, made
him want as no other woman had ever done. But in the end it wasn t enough. Nothing
was enough to banish his demons.
Stepping closer, he watched as she clutched his letter to her breast. He would
never forget, never stop thinking--stop dreaming of her.
With a sigh, he looked at her one last time, committing every inch of her face to
memory. Memorizing for eternity the way she looked, her brilliant eyes sparkling in the
moonlight, his words and thoughts clutched tightly to her breast. She was beautiful,
remarkable. She was everything he would have desired in a wife, but he was not what she
needed. He could never make her happy and she deserved that above anything. Madeline
Brydges was the beauty and he was nothing more than the hideous beast.
With one last glance, he left the garden, wondering when the pain of regret would
Mistress of the Night Charlotte Featherstone 55
abate. When, he asked, as he stalked to his carriage, would he realize that forgetting her
was the right the thing to do?
Mistress of the Night Charlotte Featherstone 56
Chapter Seven
Three days and still he shuns me, Madeline huffed, blowing an errant curl from
her face.
Dearest, Phoebe demurred as she placed a pile of embroidered handkerchiefs in
a box. A lady must always act aloof. You must distance yourself. That s surely what
Hardcastle is doing.
Distance myself, Madeline scoffed as she lifted a box full of linens from her
desk and placed it onto the floor. Why in the world would I wish to distance myself? I
don t understand. He sends me the most beautiful, passionate poem I ve ever read and
then he wishes to distance himself from me? Whatever for?
Because, Dearest, that is how the game is played.
What game?
The games of lovers. You don t expect him to fall at your feet begging for your
hand, do you? You have to make him want to give in. You have to give him a reason to
defy his past behavior and come out into Society to claim you.
Games, secrets, poems, Madeline grumbled, reaching for another box to fill for
the Faire Day at Covent Garden. I don t understand any of this. Why can he not be more
like Tynemouth? With him, everything is straightforward.
They are two very different men. Tynemouth is a man with a mission. He needs
a wife, a political mate. He s confident and amusing and he ll be a good husband to you.
He has nothing to hide. Hardcastle on the other hand is deep and mysterious. He never
looks at a woman, never tries to be outgoing or sympathetic. Simply put, he s not looking
for love.
Madeline stared down into the empty box. I just wish I could understand what
was going on inside his head.
What is Hardcastle s greatest weakness?
I don t know. I have yet to get to know him well enough to learn that.
Nonsense, Phoebe scolded. You ve been studying that man for a year.
Arrogance, I suppose.
Why is he arrogant? You must ask yourself these questions in order to
understand him.
I don t know, Madeline moaned. I don t understand men the way you do.
All right, Phoebe said, calming her with a gentle squeeze of her hand. I ll tell
you only because I can see you re working yourself up into a state. Now, Phoebe
continued, running a hand along her skirts. Hardcastle s arrogance stems from
vulnerability. You ve discovered he doesn t want anyone to get close to him, he doesn t
want anyone to know the real him. Now, if arrogance and vulnerability are his weakness,
then his pride is his strength.
What does pride have to do with anything?
Mistress of the Night Charlotte Featherstone 57
Pride, my dear, is what makes the male species very male. It s what separates the
men who we feel affection for, from the men we fall head over heels for.
Pride and arrogance are faults. They cannot be considered strengths of
character.
On the contrary, Dearest, pride in a man is a very great asset to a woman. Along
with pride goes possession.
How in the world is a possessive nature supposed to help a woman?
Because a man who is possessive cannot rest until the woman he desires is his.
All men have a propensity for possession, and your Lord Hardcastle is one of them. He s
possessive about his privacy and his secrets. In fact, his possessive nature has even been
directed at you. He wouldn t have lashed out at you after seeing you dancing with
Tynemouth if he didn t already think of you as his.
I ve been raised believing that a possessive, greedy nature is a sin.
Not greedy, merely a sense of ownership, of mastery. A man like Hardcastle
won t rest until he has what he wants. It may take some time before he can bring himself
to admit that what he wants is you. But when he does, nothing will stop him. For now,
I m afraid, you ll have to play by his rules.
His rules, Madeline mumbled, attempting to process all of Phoebe s insight
into the male brain.
Unfortunately, that s where the arrogance falls in. He won t allow anyone to talk [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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