A Wicked Earl she can't Resist: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Olivia Bennet

  If he did not know for a fact that it would hurt rather than help, he might consider taking his own life.

  Or maybe I’m too much of a coward to do that either.

  The sound of a footfall had him turning and he saw the Earl making his slow way toward him, his tall straight-backed, broad-shouldered figure an intimidating sight indeed. Arthur looked around for somewhere to escape, but it was evident that the Earl had not only already seen him but was headed right toward him, no doubt to give Arthur a piece of his mind.

  Arthur could not blame him one bit.

  The gentleman came to a stop a few paces away from Arthur and inclined his head. “We have not been properly introduced. I am Duncan Kinsley, the Earl of Sulby.”

  “Arthur Fletcher, former merchant, current dissolute gambler and failure of a parent.” Arthur hunched forward, feeling miserable.

  The Earl nodded. “I can see how you would feel that way. I myself recently suffered a crisis of confidence when it came to my eldest daughter. I think it comes with the territory of parenthood. Do you not agree?”

  Arthur looked up, surprised that this nobleman would speak to him so civilly. He huffed, “I suppose so.”

  “Your daughter has been very helpful to me in that regard. She always seems to know the right thing to do.”

  Arthur nodded. “Aye. That’s my Emily. She’s always been like that, ever since she was a wee tot. Always knew when I needed a smile or her mother was too tired to entertain her chatter…” he shook his head, biting his lip, “Believe it or not, at one time, she even looked up to me. I wasn’t always a washed-up old fool.”

  The Earl nodded. “Maybe she will look up to you again. It is not too late.”

  Arthur met the Lord Sulby’s eyes. “You think so?”

  “I know it. I can see it in your eyes. You’re ready to be a better man.”

  Arthur nodded and then huffed a laugh, “I have to be. I believe I am scraping the bottom of the barrel here.”

  “It must have been a shock to see her in those circumstances.”

  “It brought home to me, every single mistake I’ve ever made.”

  Lord Sulby took in a deep breath. “You should probably know something. It is what I came out here to discuss with you. I intend to make an offer for your daughter, if she will have me.”

  Arthur looked up, unable to hide his surprise. “Even after…?”

  Lord Sulby looked away, “I believe we have just finished lamenting about how much we might have failed her there. Are we then to blame her for that?”

  Arthur shook his head vigorously. “Absolutely not.”

  “That’s what I thought. I just wanted you to know that we are to be kin. You are welcome to stay here as long as you please, or ask of me for whatever help you need.”

  Arthur gave him a measured gaze before nodding. “I should like to stay a bit longer. Perhaps until the wedding? And then I will go back home. I have a business there still. It is time I made something of myself again.”

  Lord Sulby smiled. “I’m sure it will be both of our pleasure to have you.”

  Arthur smiled back. Then he took a deep breath and let it out, “I saw a chess set in the drawing room. You do not play by any chance, do you?”

  The Earl quirked an eyebrow. “Do you fancy a game? I must warn you, I play to win.”

  Arthur let his smile become challenging, as he gestured with his hand. “Please, lead the way.”

  Emily was wandering down the corridor, lost in her head as she arranged the vases when she heard a hail. She looked around to see the housekeeper hurrying toward her and smiled.

  “Betsey! How nice to see you.”

  Betsey smirked. “Oh, yes? Is it me you’re happy to see or is your head lost in the clouds?”

  Emily gave her a sidelong glance. “Can’t it be both?”

  Betsey laughed. “I thought I’d come and see if you have time for a hot chocolate.”

  Emily smiled. “But it’s barely sunset.”

  “True. But I overheard the twins plotting about convincing you to have another outdoor sleepover on the turrets tonight. I believe I saw Lady Nancy carrying blankets up there already. I fear they mean to take all your time this evening.”

  That made Emily smile harder. “That’s very sweet of them.”

  Betsey’s face sobered. “They missed you. We all did.”

  “Well, I am here now,” Emily said brightly, “So let us go and have some hot chocolate and then I must check on my Father. Phineas tells me that he and the Earl have been at a game of chess all afternoon!”

  “Yes, I had coffee and brandy delivered to them. It was very intense I heard tell.”

  “Yes, well, my father is a very good chess player. I hope the Earl won’t be too angry when he beats him.”

  Betsey laughed. “We shall leave them to it. Tell me about you. Are you all right? Truly? Did they do awful things to you?”

  Emily sighed. “I was scared out of my mind. Terrified really. But the Earl came for me in time.” She was unable to hide her shining eyes or blushing cheeks. Betsey’s eyes softened.

  “That’s good. We were all praying for your safe return.”

  Emily reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  Betsey squeezed back before releasing her hand and going to get the chocolate. “Now tell me this, has the Earl proposed yet?”

  Chapter 31

  Emily knocked softly on her father’s door later that evening and listened for him to bid her enter. Poking her head into the room she smiled. “Are you decent? I thought I would visit with you for a while.”

  Arthur smiled. “Do come in. I have been expecting you.” He pointed to the table where two snifters of brandy stood.

  Emily made a face. “I suppose this might be a good time to confess that I don’t really like brandy.”

  Her father’s face fell. “Oh.” He looked lost for a moment.

  “But I will have a drink with you, just this once.” She walked to the table and took the winged armchair on one side. He took the other and they stared at each other before both picking up a glass to toast.

  “To us. May we honor the memory of your Mother by going forward with good cheer and better decisions.”

  Emily clicked her glass to her father’s and drank it all down.

  Arthur cleared his throat. “I should tell you that I have decided to put aside the drunken behavior, so drinking milk and cider together in the future will not be a hardship for me.”

  Emily smiled. “That is good to hear.”

  “I would also like to say that my past decisions were born out of pain rather than lack of care. I hope that one day you will forgive me for that.”

  Emily sighed. “I already forgave you, Father. If anyone knows what kind of pain you were in, it is I.”

  “True. But you were in pain too. It doesn’t justify what I did. I shall spend the rest of my life making up for it.”

  Emily reached out and squeezed his hand. “You do not have to…but thank you, Father. Thank you for saying the words. I did not know that I needed to hear you say ‘I am sorry’ but I truly did.”

  Arthur grabbed her hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles gently, “I am sorry,” he said again.

  “I am of the opinion that worrying what the Beau Monde will say of your match is a waste of time. I can’t recall the last time you were this happy, Sulby. It’s quite refreshing to see. I had forgotten that you knew how to smile.”

  Duncan gave the Marquess of Holburn look that conveyed both his irritation and amusement at the topic, “You know full well I don’t give a tinker’s damn what the ton thinks of me and mine. It’s just that they might make life difficult for her.”

  “Well, if you don’t care what society thinks, I’m sure she doesn’t either. She seems quite happy to potter about the house and play with your children.”

  They both stopped to watch Emily and Nancy as they turned the rope while Anne and Harry skipped to the
ir hearts’ content. They’d just had a picnic to celebrate the twins’ one-and-tenth birthdays. Anne and Harry had declared that they didn’t want a big affair with a multitude of strangers.

  “No, we want a picnic in the gardens with Miss Fletcher and Papa and Uncle Cecil. He always has such good presents. Nancy can come too,” they said.

  Emily had gone all out to make it extravagant in any case. The servants had arranged flowers in various decorative ways all over the awning they put up by the pond. There was such a variety of food that it was impossible they would finish it all. Emily had said they would take the leftovers over to the vicar who had saved her, Thomas Harrison, to distribute to his needy flock.

  The children had very enthusiastically agreed, begging her to go along when she took the food. The servants had decided that they were going to form a band of musicians, using pots and pans and spoons to create a variety of sounds to go with their music. Phineas and one of the kitchen maids put on a Punch and Judy pantomime that had Duncan roaring with laughter along with his children.

  It was the most enjoyable time.

  Duncan sighed. “I expect you’re right. I’m worrying for nothing.”

  “I’m not saying you’re worrying for nothing. Obviously she’s going to be the recipient of cruel asides and snide remarks. But I trust you’ll keep her away from the worst of it.”

  Duncan clapped him on the back, “And of course you’ll help me to do it.”

  Holburn gave him a look. “You do love to state the obvious, do you not?”

  Duncan threw back his head and laughed. Arthur Fletcher looked over, his eyebrows raised. He’d gained a bit of weight in the time he’d spent with them, as well as reestablishing contact with quite a few of his suppliers. He looked much brighter and healthier. He was even starting to have a twinkle in his eye. Duncan shook his head at him.

  “Just Holburn being a fool as usual.”

  “Ah,” Arthur said with a nod, “is he trying to compete with me?”

  “Never,” Holburn said. “You quite take the trophy on that one.”

  Duncan just lifted an eyebrow. Of all the things he could never have predicted was the curious friendship that had been struck up between his particular friend and father-in-law to be. It seemed to consist of trying to out-insult each other. Duncan might have been concerned if they both didn’t seem to enjoy it so much.

  As the party wound down and the servants cleared up the dishes and packed the excess food for delivery, Duncan beckoned to Emily and she came up to him, smiling from ear to ear.

  “You called?” she asked.

  “Yes, I wondered if you might have enough energy to walk with me.”

  Emily looked around, seeing the children busy with clean up and her father walking slowly back to the manor, a brandy in hand. She turned back to Duncan. “I suppose. Nobody else seems to need me at the moment.”

  Duncan crooked his elbow giving her a chance to slip her hand into it. “It’s good to know how high I am on your priority list.”

  Emily laughed. “Force of habit. Sorry.”

  They walked in silence toward the gate at the back of the garden, and soon they were beneath the trees that led to Hyde Park. Duncan did not take them very far before he was turning to her, head swooping down, mouth pursing to capture hers. She arched into his arms, effortlessly, easily, letting him cleave her to his bosom as if they were one person. His hands trailed over her back, creeping downwards until he was squeezing her bottom.

  She giggled softly, moving away from him. “Is this what you wanted?”

  “I have been dying to kiss you all day,” he whispered hoarsely.

  She sighed theatrically, “In that case,” she lifted her head, lips pursed, awaiting his assault to continue. Instead, he pushed her away and stood facing her, his face serious.

  “But that’s not why I brought you here.”

  She opened her eyes in disappointment. “Oh? Why did you bring me here then?”

  “I wanted to…” he took a deep breath and started again, “Ever since we met, you have seemed to me to be too good to be true. You’re kind, generous, you have endless patience with my children. You’re honest–”

  She opened her mouth to protest but he lifted a hand to stop her.

  “Let me finish. You’re honest and trustworthy. Yes, you did what was necessary to get away from an untenable situation but that doesn’t change the facts. On top of those wonderful virtues, your beauty is ethereal.”

  He ran a hand down her cheek as she blinked up at him, face warm.

  “It keeps me up at night, just imagining running my fingers through your feather-soft hair. Or inhaling your intoxicating scent. I could spend hours running my fingers along your collarbone, relishing the smoothness of your skin. I intend to. Once we are married. Which is what brings me to what I’m here for today. To ask you, my dear Miss Fletcher, to be my bride. Marry me, please?”

  She laughed aloud, disbelieving. “You mean it?”

  “Of course.”

  She threw herself at him, flinging her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he laughed into her mouth. They kissed frantically wanting to be as close as possible before Duncan broke away with a grin. “Is that a yes?”

  “Oh God, yes!” Emily exclaimed, chasing his mouth. “Yes,” she kissed his lips, “Yes!” and again, “Yes!” she pressed her lips to his, mouths moving together, bodies trying to get impossibly closer.

  He took the two steps necessary to have her back against the bark of a tree, pressing into her from shoulder to hip. He groaned into her mouth, hips jerking involuntarily, his hardness apparent even through all the layers of cloth between their naked skins.

  “Can’t wait to have you, all mine,” he said as he sucked a mark into her neck.

  “Oh!” she cried whole body shivering. “You’ll make it soon? The wedding?”

  He let her go so he could laugh. “But of course,” he said.

  The country house he chose was secluded and large. It had belonged to his grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Bloomsbury. She had left it to him in her will but he’d hardly been by to even see it. A week to the wedding, he dispatched Mrs. Cooke to ensure that all was in order and that the place was adequately ready to receive them.

  “Make sure that when we arrive, the place is ready for a wedding. I trust you Mrs. Cooke.” Duncan said to her as she left in the carriage.

  She patted his arm. “Never fear, everything will be up to standard.”

  It was a small wedding party. Just the children, his friend Holburn, his future bride, his future father-in-law, and some of the household who had insisted on coming to witness their union. In addition to them, his parents were coming in from Spain where they spent the majority of their time. His aunt and her family would also be in attendance, traveling all the way from the Cotswolds.

  It’s fortunate that the house is big enough to accommodate them all.

  Thomas Harrison was set to conduct the wedding ceremony and he and his family would be traveling with them. Duncan was already tired of it all and they had barely arrived.

  I just want the ceremony to be over and done with so that I can whisk my bride away and have my wicked way with her.

  The cottage where they were to spend their wedding night had once been the dower house but now also stood empty on the grounds of the country house.

  It was the perfect place to begin their married life. The children would not be far and under Mrs. Cooke’s care. Mr. Fletcher had also turned out to be quite talented at distracting them from their naughty ways and happy to do it. It put a smile on Emily’s face to see her father so engaged again and that was really enough for Duncan.

  “He really is good with children,” she told him with shining eyes, “He was good with me when I was young. It was only later, after Mama died that…” she trailed away, eyes dimming and Duncan distracted her at once by stating how fortunate that was because her father would run himself ragged trying to keep the twins from e
xploring every nook and cranny of the castle.

  Emily grinned impishly. “Can anyone really prevent that? I fear they will slip any attempt to police them. Better to just let them explore. I’m sure if they manage to injure themselves they shall scream loudly enough for someone to hear.”

  Duncan laughed tiredly. “I expect you’re right.”