She licked her lips. “On the last night, Uncle Theo held a ball. It was my last attempt to make Reese fall in love with me. However, he wouldn’t leave my sister’s side. He even asked Charlie for the dinner dance. My heart broke when she answered yes.”
Their gasps filled the room at her sister’s betrayal, which was so far from the truth.
“Charlie only agreed because Jasper Sinclair had distracted her, which is another story itself. Anyway, Charlie only agreed so she could get rid of Reese. He was a thorn in her side and she figured if she agreed, he would leave her alone for a while. And he did. I finally understood that I never held a chance and never would. With great despair, I retired to my bedroom to lick my wounds.”
Graham smirked. “I am in love with your sister. Is she available?”
Evelyn laughed. “No, I am afraid not. You would never have had any luck with her anyhow.”
“Jasper Sinclair?”
“Yes.”
Graham tsked. “The lucky blighter. Oh, well, you win some, you lose some.”
“I still adore her, and we have not even met her yet,” said Eden.
Lady Worthington shot her children a look. “Children, you are being unfair toward your brother. What will Evelyn think of us?”
Graham snorted. “Mother, I think our dear new sister has the gist of her husband’s character. There is no need for us to put on empty airs around her. Evelyn will learn soon enough the full depth of his character and she needs to know she has our support.”
Evelyn bit her lip. “You may not feel the same way after I finish my story.”
Eden smiled brightly at her. “Nonsense.”
Evelyn took a deep breath and continued. “As I lay crying on my bed, Charlie arrived in our bedroom. When she noticed my tears, she comforted me and explained her reasons for accepting Reese’s invitation. I knew she never meant to betray me. Her heart was as confused as mine. Our cousin Lucas arrived for Charlie. Her horse had gone into labor, and they needed her help. Charlie changed her clothes and promised to plan a new strategy on her return. However, I took matters into my own hands. I saw her discarded dress and took it upon myself to change into it. I brushed out my hair as Charlie had hers styled and I returned to the ball to wait for Reese to claim Charlie’s hand for the dinner dance.”
Evelyn paused, unsure how to continue. The room held an eerie silence. She hazarded a glance around the room to catch their reactions. They appeared eager to hear the rest, Reese’s mother and brother already drawing their own conclusions. “The rest is history.”
“Your story is far from over. You have left out the most scandalous of details,” baited Graham.
Evelyn cast a glance at Margaret. “Yes, well, those details are not for the ears of innocence. The rest you can assume and would probably be correct.”
Graham sighed. “You have a point, my dear. Anyway, it ended by giving us a new sister to call our own.”
Lady Worthington drummed her fingers on the arm of her seat. “Graham, perhaps, you and Margaret can find your brother and inform him he missed tea, but I will not tolerate him missing dinner.”
Graham nodded his understanding. His mother wished to hear the full details of Reese’s journey to the marriage alter, details that weren’t suitable for Maggie. He would love to hear the rest of the story, but already understood what happened. Graham knew Reese attended the house party to gain a wife, however he married the wrong twin. At least with this scandal hanging over their family’s head, Graham’s antics would go unnoticed.
“Come along, Mags, I believe we will find Reese in the stables.” Graham walked over to his new sister, lifted her hand, and placed a kiss upon her knuckles. With a wink, he and Maggie left the parlor.
“You may continue, my dear.” Lady Worthington sat back on the settee with her hands clasped in front of her.
Evelyn hesitated. “It is most inappropriate for Eden and Noel to hear.”
Lady Worthington shook her head. “No, they must understand how even a gentleman can act. Brother or not, Reese displayed the behavior of a scoundrel. Not the gentleman I raised him to be. I taught him how to treat a lady as a precious gift. I am afraid Reese has taken the character of my late husband lately. I prayed that day would never happen. However, his actions speak otherwise.”
The only option Evelyn held was to continue her story. Her mother-in-law had a point. Before long, she would launch her daughters in the Marriage Mart and they needed to prepare themselves against unscrupulous gentlemen. Not that Reese was unscrupulous. Evelyn held that trait. Still, he took her innocence, and for that, it made him guilty. Even though she had given herself to Reese willingly.
“Very well.” Evelyn inclined her head. “When the dinner dance started, Reese claimed the dance. Once again, while he held me in his arms, the sparks ignited and only built the longer we were in each other’s company. During dinner, he sequestered an intimate table for two. We talked little, just stared into each other’s eyes with the unspoken question of whether to act upon our desire. With each touch of affection, I knew what I wanted. And that was him. I held no doubt of the feelings I held for Reese. At that point, I no longer cared if he did not realize who I was.”
Lady Worthington sighed. “It should have mattered, Evelyn.”
“I see that now. At the time, it only mattered that he desired me, too.”
Noel pursed her lips. “I do not care that nobody believes me, but I think that Reese cares for you too. Did he share the same spark with Charlotte?”
Evelyn shook her head. “No, I do not believe he did.”
Triumph gleamed in Noel’s eyes. “There, you see. He may have been blind, but his heart knew the difference.”
“I wish that were true.”
“What happened after dinner?” asked Eden.
“We stepped out onto the terrace for a breath of fresh air. After the other guests entered the ballroom, Reese pulled us into a darkened corner and kissed me.” Evelyn sighed.
Noel sighed, too. While she knew Noel believed it all to be romantic, Evelyn wished it had been all directed toward her, not Charlotte.
“Then?” Eden prompted.
“One thing led to another, and we ended the ball spent in each other’s arms in his bedroom.”
“May I ask why?” asked Lady Worthington.
Evelyn blushed, her face on fire from the direct question. How could she explain the reasons to Reese’s mother on what tempted her to throw caution to the wind? How did one explain how the fire Reese ignited in her turned into a passionate frenzy? That, even now, if he were to come into the parlor and crook his finger her way, she would follow him anywhere he desired.
“Honestly?”
Lady Worthington cocked an eyebrow. “Yes.”
“I do not understand myself. It is as I explained to my sister. Reese makes me feel alive. He gives me a reason to live. For years, I lived inside a shell after I lost my parents, too afraid of life. After one kiss from Reese, the fear I clung to vanished. When he arrived at the house party, I wanted to explore those feelings to see if I imagined them. And I did not. The connection held strong, tempting me to explore the depths of its bond.”
Lady Worthington wanted to sigh at Evelyn’s description of her son’s unorthodox attempt of courtship. The blush across Evelyn’s cheeks only accented her beauty. Her son was a fool, just as his father had been. She wholeheartedly approved of the union. The new countess would elevate their family in society once again. Evelyn was polite, graceful, and held a kindness in her eyes that was illuminated with each word she spoke. No mother wanted their child to marry in haste. For Reese to take that risk only proved he harbored feelings for the girl, ones he would no doubt deny because of Evelyn’s deception. The entire family needed to make Reese see reason. And reason he would see. If not, then he would lose the most amazing gift he received.
Evelyn wouldn’t stay and endure heartache the way she had. Lady Worthington had loved her foolhardy husband just as passionately.
However, he had never felt the same. If he had, he never would have strayed. He’d returned to his bachelor ways after securing enough children to keep her occupied and out of his business. Nay, his life. She would use everything in her power to make sure her son didn’t make the same mistake. Their passionate embrace this morning hadn’t gone unnoticed. She wasn’t mistaken. The spark sizzled in the air surrounding them.
“I understand. Now, girls, let this be a lesson to you. A true gentleman would secure your happiness before his own. If any gentleman persuades you to be alone with him, it is only because of nefarious reasons. Not all will end with him taking your hand in marriage. Your brother may have demonstrated the behavior of a scoundrel, but in the end, he was a gentleman and married Evelyn. Not all of them will.”
“Yes, Mother,” Eden and Noel answered.
“Now that we understand the complete story and depths of Evelyn’s emotions toward Reese, we will now help Evelyn to win Reese’s heart,” Lady Worthington said and winked at Evelyn.
Chapter Five
Worthington stood with one arm on the top rail of the fence and one booted foot resting on a lower rung. He watched his trainer exercise Mayhem. The horse was his latest acquisition before his father died and left him without the finances to see to the horse’s success.
Still, he made sure the horse kept trained to race. One day, he would have the funds to enter him at Newmarket. He had a month to shift his funds around before the horserace. If Mayhem won, he stood a chance at making a small fortune from the winnings.
He tried to enjoy the training, but his guilty conscience kept nagging at him on what a bastard he was by abandoning Evelyn to deal with his family alone. Hell, knowing his family, they had already taken her side. Everything he did lately, they found fault with. Eden most of all. His mother had made plans for Eden to make her debut this season, but with the family’s limited funds, he had to nix the plan. The cost of new dresses made him shudder.
“I thought this might be where you hauled your tail to hide,” drawled Graham.
Maggie jumped on the fence next to him, hanging on the top rail with her feet dangling below. She held her gaze fastened on Mayhem.
“Evelyn is smashing, Reese. We all agree that she makes the perfect addition to our family, even though you ruined her with a kiss. I think there was more, but Mama made me leave.”
If only a simple kiss ruined Evelyn Holbrooke. No, it involved more than a kiss. It was an evening he kept reliving over and over whenever he closed his eyes.
Had Evelyn shared the details of their horrid courtship with his family? No, she wouldn’t. They had agreed to discuss what his family should know... However, he’d given away that option by not joining her in her bedroom and staying away from tea, hadn’t he? The temptation to be alone with her was too strong. If Worthington joined his family for tea, he could have directed the conversation as he saw fit. Now he would have to deal with the aftermath of her confession.
It couldn’t be too bad since the chit was too shy to share such intimate details. He didn’t think her dull for no reason at all. He’d given her many opportunities to interact with him during the house party. Instead, Evelyn had clammed up. Her shyness caused her to stutter when nervous. He wondered how she had captured his attention as Charlotte. Perhaps they never switched places. Did they play Sinclair and him for fools? Did Charlotte dally with both men and chose Sinclair the victor? Either way, Evelyn was now the wife he was saddled with.
Then he recalled their wedding night. The girl he slept with was no virgin. Was that the reason for their deception? Did another gentleman pass her over, and they used him to secure Evelyn a marriage with a peer? He sighed. Foolish wonderings. That was all they were. Worthington didn’t believe them himself. Evelyn had been a virgin the night he made love to her. She was the twin who had gotten under his skin and captured a part of him. He clung to the remaining part of his soul, for fear of the power Evelyn would hold over him if he allowed her too close. A power he would never relinquish.
“What I do not understand is how you could ever mistake the lovely Evelyn with anyone else?” baited Graham.
Worthington raised his eyebrows. “You realize her sister is her identical twin.”
Graham waved his hand. “Rubbish. They may look alike, but they sound like two different ladies. How could you not tell the difference? Charlotte must be a wild hellion. I do not need to explain to you how amazing Evelyn is. Divine would be too tame of a description.”
Worthington growled at his brother’s regard toward his bride. He must make sure they were never left alone. His brother held no set of boundaries. Graham’s indulgence of the opposite sex put most gentlemen to shame, including himself.
By then the trainer walked by, urging Maggie to help him brush down Mayhem. With a jump over the fence, his younger sister skipped alongside Mayhem, chattering with the trainer.
Now that Maggie was gone, Reese pierced Graham with his stare. “I will only say this once. You are to keep your distance from Evelyn.”
Graham met his gaze defiantly. “Why, big brother? Do you consider me competition? That’s nonsense since you already won her hand. I consider Evelyn to be a very dear sister that I shall enjoy growing close to on a friendly basis.”
Worthington advanced on Graham, then backed off when he noticed Graham took pleasure in baiting him. He had done that their entire lives. His brother took nothing and no one serious. So, getting angry at his brother would solve nothing. Plus, Worthington couldn’t afford to allow his family to understand the power Evelyn held over him. If any of them learned, they wouldn’t hesitate to conspire with Evelyn.
“What has my wife shared of our courtship?” asked Worthington.
“Enough to know that your so-called marriage was a hasty union. It would appear you ruined our lovely Evelyn in the most scandalous of settings. As a guest of her uncle’s no less.” Graham made a tsking sound.
Reese ground his teeth. “Did my lovely Evelyn explain her deception in trapping me?”
“I only had the pleasure of learning a small portion of her deception. Mother dismissed Maggie and I from the parlor before allowing Evelyn to finish her story. I shall have to learn the details from Eden later.”
Worthington moaned. He didn’t think his wife was capable of sharing her guilt about their marriage. But it would appear he’d underestimated her. Now his entire family knew of the sordid debacle. He felt his mother’s disapproval all ready. Oh, not at Evelyn. His mother would lay the blame at his feet.
With his thoughts wrapped up in Evelyn, Worthington didn’t take notice when Graham changed the conversation. His brother inquired about Mayhem’s entry in Newmarket.
Reese shook his head. “No, I have no available funds. I still need to raise the money for the entry fee.”
“That should be no problem once you receive Evelyn’s dowry. She should have a nice settlement since she is one of the Duke of Colebourne’s wards.”
“Which I tried to negotiate when I thought I had slept with Charlotte. The duke refused any agreement until I married Evelyn. We did not part on the best of circumstances, so I do not expect a generous offering coming in my direction.”
Graham chuckled lowly. “Yes, I can understand calling the duke’s niece a dull debutante would not please Colebourne. I did not imagine you for a dimwit, brother.”
“Not one of my finer moments.”
Graham glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Is that your true opinion of Evelyn?”
Worthington sighed. “No.”
Worthington refused to discuss the matter of Evelyn. Graham would just have to wonder how he felt about his bride. Worthington had yet to examine his feelings, for he feared Evelyn meant more to him than he wanted her to.
Graham nodded in understanding. “Mother demands your presence at dinner since you missed tea. I am to issue her threat if you do not concede.”
Of course she did. “I will be at dinner. In fact, I think I will interrupt thei
r tea now. Will you make sure Mags keeps out of their way inside the stables?”
“Will do.” Graham smiled, watching Reese’s quick strides toward the house. He’d baited his brother with enough information to make him wonder what Evelyn had said. He was correct. His return home would go unnoticed in place of Reese’s nuptials. Graham whistled, walking into the stables in search of Maggie.
WORTHINGTON LURKED outside the parlor doors, listening to Evelyn laugh with his mother and sisters. The soft melodic sound settled over him, conjuring memories of their time spent alone.
He banged his head back on the wall, calling himself a fool. The signs were there all along, but the prize had blinded him toward their duplicity. While Evelyn’s laughter was a melody that soothed his soul, Charlotte’s laughter had confused him. It left him feeling empty. He hadn’t understood the chit’s sense of humor and how it kept changing. Now he saw the differences. Did Evelyn laugh at him now? Did she find humor in her deception? How she must have laughed with her family over his ignorance. And now with his family.
He stepped in the doorway and waited for their attention. However, they paid him no heed. Instead, they fell into another peal of laughter. Evelyn laughed so hard, tears slipped from her eyes. She wiped them away, laughing harder. All at his expense.
He cleared his throat, capturing their attention. But not the attention he wanted. His mother’s disapproving stare said everything. Even though he was the head of the family, it still didn’t keep him from falling under his mother’s wrath. He would deal with her later. Now he wanted to address his wife and her chatter of their courtship. He needed to end this now before he became more fodder for his sibling’s entertainment.
“Lady Worthington, I expect you in my study at once.” With that, Worthington turned and stomped away.
Eden laughed. “Oh, my, Reese is in a snit. Which Lady Worthington do you imagine he wishes to scold?”
How the Earl Fell for His Countess (Matchmaking Madness Book 2) Page 4
