The Corinthians Series: Rules of Masquerade

Chapter Eighteen

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 Chapter Eighteen

Charlotte thought her eyes would fell out of their socket and roll on the floor when William finally appeared through the double doors of the largest salon where the guests had been waiting for luncheon.

Good lord he looked absolutely amazing she was sure her face bleached white from surprise of seeing him traipsed into the room – with his freshly shaven jaw and his newly cut hair. No longer had they hanged too long and reaching his shoulders – they were now cut to a fashionable length, though only a little bit in the long side, she suspected William preferred it that way. His shaven jaw clearly boasted his strong jaw. No longer had the growth of hair hid his elusive dimples, Charlotte spied them as a lazy smile graced his lips. He no longer looked very much like the pirate she always thought him to be, but that does not mean he had lost his air of mystery and dangerousness with his new look. He merely looked well groomed and sophisticated, and if possible, handsomer. The effect of it all overwhelmed her to a point of suffocation. She could hardly breathe when she looked at him.

And apparently everyone else noticed the change as well.  She could almost see the ripple effect that had taken over the ladies: they giggled and smiled and batted their calf eyes at him. A whisper of gossip took over the lot and Charlotte felt gall rose to her throat. She saw William performed a sweeping bow and winked for the ladies, raising the volume of the maddening giggling.  Charlotte frowned as she felt a sudden urge to smack everyone of those ladies with her fan. The idea of women – other women – twittering for William’s attention was utterly intolerable to her.

Charlotte grimaced. What on earth was wrong with her?

Then, while her gaze roamed about, their eyes finally met each other. Even from across the room Charlotte saw the twinkle of mischief glittering merrily in William’s eyes. His expression on his face was perfectly pleasant – cheerful in fact. Her stare travelled down and saw his smile and his ridiculously adorable dimples, resting on his full lips. Looking at them, she was reminded of the kiss they had shared last night, down to the last hot, passionate detail. That made her eyes went round and to save her from further embarrassment, Charlotte abruptly turned her back to him.

The day could not get any worse for her, she thought. But again, Charlotte was proved wrong when she discovered the seating plan for the luncheon. She had been seated so close to him, close enough that it would be expected of each other to form a polite conversation with each other. Charlotte muttered a silent gratitude because she was also placed near Edwin and Sam, her new friend. Perhaps when William’s staring become too much for her to take, she could rally some support from them both. Perhaps she could just muster just enough courage to act indifference or attempt to ignore him completely.

She was dead wrong.

Charlotte discovered that she was doomed not more than five minutes after she had taken her seat. Their nearness made her anxious and William’s relentless stare made her skin burn. The very air between them crinkled with tenseness, like a cord wound up too tightly. Her mouth felt dry and everything she ate tasted like dirt. Finally, when William decided to speak, Charlotte had to restrain herself from getting up and fleeing the room. So, she braved herself and tried her hardest to look serene. When she looked up and met his eyes however, she lost all of her courage, muttered a few words before looking down again.

He prodded her with more questions and Charlotte continued to answer him in short sentences. She could not bring herself to look at him, let alone maintain a conversation with him. The sickening twist in her gut tightened and when Lord Paris decided to chat, Charlotte had latched on him instantly and perhaps too enthusiastically. Which would explain the dangerous glint that had suddenly surfaced his William’s eyes while he frowned. But Charlotte did not care; she was relieved to have someone that could distract her from William.