Seduced by an Earl

by Rachel E Rice

  Colum was a glorious specimen of a young man. His eyes a piercing sky blue, his face full and chiseled with high cheek bones. His lips had a natural blush, and he wore his hair long and sometimes he would hold it together with a ribbon when he rode his steed.

  The carriage slowed to the door and Edward jumped from the inside and walked in Elizabeth’s direction then taking her hand he said, “Elizabeth, I am in love with you and if you will consider me I will marry you when ever you wish.”

  “I do not have an answer for you at this time, but I will keep you in my thoughts, sir.”

  “Call me Edward. And do not let Colum sway you because he will never marry you.”

  “Elizabeth it is time for us to leave.” Colum took Elizabeth’s hand from Edward, and led her in the direction of the carriage, and helped her in, and stepped in behind her, leaving Edward standing between the large Roman columns of his mansion.

  Column starred at Elizabeth overcome by her beauty, “Do you believe what Edward has said?”

  “He said so much and it did not seem possible. No one knows what’s in another’s heart. He cannot speak for you.”

  “He did not speak for me, but he does know my heart. I do not want you to marry him, Elizabeth.”

  “Why sir?”

  “He is not the man for you. You are an innocent girl and he has ruined many a young woman.”

  “Then why does he want me if he can have any woman he desires?”

  “Because you are another feather in his cap, and there is none other as beautiful and chaste as you,” Column stated as he reached for her hand turned it over and kissed the insides. Then he did something that he could not explain to himself or Elizabeth. He gazed longer in her eyes, and he reached for her face, where he leaned into her and his tongue pierced her red lips opening her mouth. His tongue meeting her tongue with the heat of the kiss overtaking his body and he felt his manhood rise.

  His kisses were soft then strong and Elizabeth returned the kiss. She had never been kiss in that manner before. She had never felt a man’s tongue in her mouth and it felt wonderful to her. She felt her nipples rise and she knew that this was an experience that she would want again and only with Colum.

  They were both breathing hard as their young love rained down on both of them. Their feelings overcame them and Elizabeth gathered the courage to resist Colum and she pulled her body from his. It was hard but she managed to tear her lips from his. Colum was her dream, he was everything she wanted in life but she would only give herself to the man she would marry.

  Edward’s words coursed through her brains. He loves you, but he will never marry you.

  Chapter 4

  A long silence lay between Colum and Elizabeth because they knew that they had crossed a line that had been drawn by the nobility and never to be broken. Tradition dies hard with nobility and Colum would not be the one to destroy it even if it was 1785.

  In his concern for Elizabeth, Colum forgot that he had invited Mary Francis’s family for a visit. Her mother and father had accompanied her and they had retired early leaving Mary Francis to wait for Colum. When the carriage pulled up to the castle door, Colum stepped and gave Elizabeth his hand. She placed her hand in his and stared into his seductive blue eyes. He led her to the door where a servant greeted him informing him that Lady Mary Francis was waiting in the library.

  A flush of concern covered his face and he passed his hands over his tired unshaven chin.

  “See that Miss Elizabeth has a room on the second floor. The servant an older man who had been in the first Earl of Tyrone’s keep, raised a disapproving eyebrow, but he did not say a word. Colum handed him his cloak and Elizabeth’s cloak and continued walking to meet Mary Francis.

  Elizabeth felt abandoned after Colum had kissed her. That kiss meant the world to her. It was her first.

  Maybe Colum would keep her where he would have her as a consort after marrying Lady Mary when he became bored, she imagined. Maybe he would hide her away and keep her in a tower where no one but him would know she existed. She had heard stories from her mother of Noble gentry who kept women they could never hope to marry in towers. There they would wait for their masters to visit them and use them sexually until they became old and the lords had no more use for them.

  The thought of this frightened Elizabeth and she vowed that this would never happen to her. She made a rash decision; she would accept Edward’s hand in marriage. Although she was madly in love with Colum, she vowed never to be his concubine.

  Edward was as handsome as, and far richer than Colum, but he wasn’t Colum, she mused. It was something about Colum she loved that she could not explain. He was everything she could want in a man, and her father would have been proud to know that he was an honorable man that would give up his status in Ireland to marry his daughter. But she felt that no such thing would happen.

  The room she was given was one of the most elaborate in the castle. It had a large mahogany bed with a silk canopy. The French doors opened into a balcony where she could see the river. She fell into the bed without unbuttoning her dress. Two maids came in to undress her. The maids reached for her and began to slip the buttons out of their eye, when Elizabeth woke. “I can undress myself.”

  “Elizabeth we were directed to help you.”

  “I am a maid here not a guest,” Elizabeth stated wearily.

  “But your lordship directed us to treat you as a guest.” The first maid a young girl the age of Elizabeth said as she continued to take off Elizabeth’s bodice.

  “You are no longer a maid. Mi lord appears to have other ideas,” the older maid who knew ever inch of the castle and had seen all, said with a sly smile crossing from ear to ear.

  “It is not what you think,” Elizabeth pleaded.

  “Yes mi lady.”

  “I am not a lady; please do not refer to me in that manner. What will people think?”

  “They will think that Lord O’Neal has his eyes focused on you.” The older maid declared.

  Elizabeth finally relented and let the tenacious maids change her clothing and place a sleeping gown on her. An exhausted Elizabeth fell asleep as soon as she heard the door shut.

  * * *

  Colum strode into the library where Mary Francis sat reading. Entering the doors, he stood still and smiled at Mary Francis. He proceeded to sit across from her and leaned forward reaching for her hand. He placed a kiss on her hand. “Mary I apologize. I had forgotten our date.”

  Mary Francis glanced up from her volume of poems and spoke softly. “My parents accompanied me. We were sure that you were going to ask for my hand in marriage. That is why my father is here as well.” Her voice became harsh. “Then I find out from the servants that you rode out to find that servant girl. I hope for your sake and mine that you had nothing to do with her?”

  “I found her with Edward and you know what kind of reputation he has with women.”

  “What do you care about what happens to her. She is just a maid.” Mary Francis said looking around but not at Colum. She straightened her dress, raised a tea cup to her mouth, and drank a sip of English tea.

  “I asked her family to bring her here so she could have a better life and she was in my keep. I am responsible for that child.” Colum said lowering his eyes so as not to allow Mary to see in his true feelings. He did not know how to handle the situation that he had found himself immersed in.

  “She is not a child. She is a woman!” She stated with a tight smile.

  His first thoughts were to confess to Mary that he was in love with Elizabeth and that he would take her as his wife. But the idea appeared absurd and rash that he felt she would think him a fool and would tell every one of his intentions. Maybe Elizabeth would not have him and he would be the laughing stock of the local gentry.

  Colum thought better of it and stated that he would retire for the night. Before retiring to his room and escorting Mary to her room, he announced, “Elizabeth is my guest now and she is staying in one of the gu
est rooms.”

  Mary stood in disgust, and stamped her foot. “Do you mean to tell me that you have that maid sleeping on the same floor as me? She is not my equal Colum and nothing you can do will make her a lady.”

  “I am not saying that she is your equal. She may marry Edward and she will be his wife. He is the richest man in all of Ireland and what does that make her?” Colum words did not go down easy. His words choked him when he said marry Edward. That was the last thing he wanted was to see Elizabeth married to Edward.

  “Well if he marries her then that is different. Edward owns much of my family’s debt.” Mary Francis lopped her arm under Edwards, “I guess if she marries him, we can have them over for tea.” She strolled with Colum as he headed up the winding stairs to show her to her room.

  He met the maids and they followed Mary into her room to undress her. She was use to maids waiting on her. She held her hands over her head with bored eyes that was fixed on a table and chair. Since her father had problems with his finances, her maids were dismissed and sent to work for Edward. She had hoped to marry Colum and secure her future. She did not picture children in her future, but she knew that it was an obligation and there should be an heir to the Earl’s fortune and secure her place in society.

  Colum headed down the long winding stairs; his feet were heavy as he thought of Elizabeth and Edward. He had heard rumors of Edward, but could not imagine that Edward would keep a woman secretly in his castle and then move on to marry the innocent girl that he loved. Before the wars, it was whispered that he had married one of his servants after discovering that his father had died and his mother took refuge in England.

  The servants occasionally gossiped when ever Edward had visited Colum with a pretty lady on his arm. Edward had declared that he would marry one, only to show up with a different lady he was thought to have deflowered.

  Colum knew that Edward had a special affinity for virgins, and when they were no longer one he would disappear but the ladies would never declare that they had lost their maiden head. Had they revealed such occurrences, they would no longer be acceptable to the young high born men seeking brides to produce sons to pass down their titles and fortunes.

  All these thoughts bothered Colum and it became difficult for him to sleep, so he settled down in his library to read and have a smoke. After a few minutes, he fell asleep and was awakened by a servant.

  * * *

  “My Lord it is dawn and Lord Edward is waiting.”

  Colum sat up quickly and wiped his eyes, “Get me something to clean my face.” He looked up from his large velvet chair and stated, “What does he want this early? I can not see that what ever his problem, that it can not wait until the sun is high.”

  Colum stood and straightened his black velvet coat then buttoned his white shirt. He took a small warm towel from a silver tray that the servant brought in after it had been wrapped in hot coals. He passed the white towel quickly over his face and drank a glass of water.

  “Show him in,” he said standing still but his mind in motion. Colum managed a small smile. Edward marched in with his riding clothes and his riding whip firmly lodged in his hand. “Well Edward it must be extremely important to have you standing in my home at this hour.”

  “On the contrary, Colum, it is far more interesting at your castle. You have a girl under your roof that I intend to marry, and I cannot sleep until I ask her to marry me,” Edward stated with his nose tilted and a mischievous grin dashing across his handsome face.

  “This is outrageous,” Colum stated pacing up and down.

  “What? Have you never been in love?”

  “I mean that you disturbed my day because you are in love,” Colum said standing face to face with Edward. Edward bent over laughing, striking his brown riding boots with his riding crop.

  “You sound like a jealous man.”

  “I am not jealous, I am concerned for Elizabeth.” Then he turned his back on Edward and walked closer to the roaring fire that gave the room brightness and warmth. Colum was unusually cold to Edward. Normally he would welcome him at anytime of the hour.

  Edward and Colum were once as close as brothers because they were the few Earl’s left in Ireland after the war. They were able to maintain their positions with England and keep their fortunes. Because of their prestige and incomes they were the most eligible men in all of Ireland. Ladies would come from other lands to seek them out. They were two of the most handsome rich young men and many were jealous of their money and positions.

  Their fathers were friends and both held the title of The Earl Marshal of Ireland. But the war took Edwards’s father’s body and the war took Colum’s father’s mind and eventually he succumbed and could not go on. Colum’s father the first Earl of Tyrone walked into the country side, with its lakes and wooded glens, and disappeared.

  Both Earls left their son’s vast rich estates, but the monarchy was encroaching on their lands. Colum and Edward were finding it difficulty to take care of the many men and women who tended to their estates. Colum would add more impoverished individuals to work his lands and the deer used to feed many of his servants were becoming scarce.

  As with Elizabeth’s family, Colum had been paying their rent because of the seized sheep and crops. It was because of Colum that her family did not starve. It was becoming apparent that he could not sustain many more of the servants. He was forced to decide whether he would allow the girl he loves to marry Edward. Maybe Edward was not a scoundrel after all. The question in his mind was whether he could live with the idea of another man loving Elizabeth.

  Turning around and facing Edward, Colum looked intently at Edward. “I want you to know that I do love this girl. She is every thing to me. I would marry her if I did not have obligations.”

  “I will not dissuade you from your convictions and I welcome not having to compete with you,” Edward stated strolling in front of the roaring fire with his back to the fire and with his arms held behind his back. “You are a fool Colum O’Neal. But you are an honest self-sacrificing man,” he admitted.

  “And you are a selfish greedy man Edward McHugh. But you are a good man and if you do anything to hurt Elizabeth I will not be so gracious.” The men came together and shook hands.

  “What are you two conspiring?” They both turned and rocked backed.

  Chapter 5

  Elizabeth woke late and hurried down the stairs wearing her servant’s uniform to discover that Edward, Colum, and Mary Francis had been drinking tea after a breakfast of ham, eggs, biscuits and home made jam. “I’m sorry your lordship,” she said looking at Colum, “but I overslept and the servants did not wake me.” Elizabeth spoke with her head lowered and eyes to the floor. She did not see Edward wipe his mouth with the silk napkins stand and quietly approach her. He stood facing her and lifted her face to meet his.

  “You do not have to be a servant ever again. I have explained to Colum that I intend to marry you, and he agreed.”

  Elizabeth raised her eyes and glowered, “All due respect your lordship, but I am not chattel. My father should be asked for my hand not the Earl.” Then she curtsied, “Your lordship,” she said as she took a hard glance at Colum, “No man can buy me or give me to another man.” Elizabeth stomped out of the room.

  “These servants are becoming out of control. You would think that she is high-born the way she talked to you, Colum. When I am lady of this castle, I will put her in her place.”

  “Until then, Mary Francis you will have to be content just being my fiancé.” Colum said and reached for Mary’s hand and kissed her palm.

  “I intend to marry that young woman. She has fire and that is what I have been missing,” Edward said with a smirk and he bowed as he left the room and headed in the direction that Elizabeth took.

  Edward found Elizabeth sitting in the kitchen with the servants and eating a small piece of bread. He sat down beside her, and fixed his gaze, and then he went to his knees, “Will you marry me?” She continued eating. After
swallowing her last piece of bread, she took a sip of goat’s milk, put the glass down, and surveyed his face.

  “I think you are a good man and sure you are one of the handsomest men I have laid eyes on, but I am not in love with you,” she explained.

  The old cook gaped at Elizabeth and said, “Mind your manners child. Do you know whom you are speaking to?” Edward and Elizabeth turned and glanced up at the old woman who had seen too many days of servitude and no remembrance of being courted by a young man. Edward ignored her and she went about her business of preparing the evening meal.

  “I know that you do not love me, but I am rich and I don’t care what anyone thinks and I will make you a lady.” He paused as Elizabeth placed a tea cup to her mouth before placing it on the table. “You will have everything you can imagine,” he said taking her hand and kissing her palm, and then peering into her eyes. “I will take care of your parents and your brothers. You will never have to want for anything.” And then Edward said the one thing that Elizabeth knew to be true, but could not bring herself to say. “Colum will never take you for his wife.”

  She put the tea cup down and looked evenly at Edward. Her face did not move and her stare was long and fixed. Then she excused herself and moved to exit the kitchen. She strode into the garden to which a stream could be seen at a distance.

  When she reached the garden she began to run. Breathless and crying, she sat near a large oak tree and placed her hands in front of her face. She turned and through the gaps in her fingers she saw a shadow of a man standing behind her. Waving her palm over her face, wiping her eyes, she saw Edward.

  “I did not mean to cause you grief. That is the last thing I would want to do. Please do not cry. A girl as beautiful as you should never have to cry. If you marry me, I would never allow anyone to hurt you, and I promise I will never say an unkind word to you.”