Intentions of the Earl (Scandalous Sisters, Book 1)

by Rose Gordon

  Mr. Cook leaned over and whispered, “They are terribly informal here. Nobody has assigned seats, nor do they arrange anyone by rank.”

  Brooke nodded to confirm she understood before moving her eyes back to the doorway. That’s when she saw them. Lady Olivia came in with a self-satisfied smile as big as the Thames on her face, and when Andrew looked at Brooke, he smiled, too.

  A quick, sharp snapping noise rent the air. Looking down into her lap only confirmed Brooke's suspicion that she had indeed just broken her only fan. Not wanting to draw any attention or questions, she quickly tucked her broken fan into her reticule.

  Mr. Cook, the duke, and Mr. Grimes, who were all in hearing distance, clearly had not heard anything. Lady Burbank looked around as if to figure out what she’d heard. But when Brooke turned her eyes in Liberty’s direction, a look of sympathy was plainly stamped on her sister’s face.

  Even with her unseemly obsession with manners and etiquette, Liberty was sympathetic and would do anything for her sisters and seeing Liberty’s sympathetic face, warmed her heart.

  Brook tried to put on a brave face. She didn’t want her sister, or anyone, to know how much it hurt to see Andrew with another woman on his sleeve. She inclined her chin an inch or two, as she had often seen the ladies in London do, and turned to Mr. Cook. “Do you frequently attend parties here, sir?”

  “I do.” Mr. Cook said jovially.

  Brooke hadn’t noticed it before, but now she was well aware that Mr. Cook had already started to imbibe on the spirits. Both his language and his breath were giving him away.

  She turned to look straight across from her where Mr. Grimes was sitting. “My father is very excited to have made your acquaintance this afternoon. He is looking forward to working with you.” She gave him a small, grateful smile. It was good for Papa to have something to do to occupy himself, and ministerial matters were his favorite hobby.

  “I am very fortunate your father has agreed to pass on his knowledge to me,” Mr. Grimes said with a hint of stress in voice.

  Brooke took his words as a subtle hint that he didn’t want to talk about his situation just now. “Well, even if you made up a need for him, it will do him some good. He has been trying to find things to occupy his time ever since we arrived.”

  “I assure you, I have a need for him,” Mr. Grimes said stiffly, and then he relaxed a bit. “But it’s an honor to meet him either way. I do look forward to getting to know him and your family better over the next few months.”

  Brooke caught sight of Liberty stiffening at the statement. Had Liberty already taken a dislike to this man? He acted as straight and proper as a pin. What was there for Liberty not to like? Or did she dislike him at all? Something was off between these two, she just knew it.

  “Miss Banks,” Mr. Cook said, catching Brooke’s attention. He waited until the footman had refilled his wineglass before he spoke. “Pardon me for mentioning this, but I have taken notice that you and your sisters have some very unusual names. Do all the colonists give their children such bizarre names?”

  Brooke tried not to grind her teeth. They were Americans, not colonists. She was born an American. By her guess, he couldn’t be so old that he could have known of the United States as the Colonies, unless of course he was a wee lad in leading strings at the time.

  “Actually, I have no real knowledge of what the colonists named their children. During my lifetime, I've only known my home country to be termed the United States of America.” Her voice was sweet, but her meaning was not.

  Mr. Cook was further into his cups than she originally thought. He just sat there and blinked at her as if he had something in his eye he was trying to flush out.

  He may not understand what she was saying, but Gateway, who was sitting on her right, did because he was openly laughing at Mr. Cook and his stupidity. “The colonists won their war for independence in 1783, and England formally granted their independence and acknowledged them as the United States of America shortly thereafter. Thus, Miss Banks was not even alive when they were still a bunch of colonies,” Gateway said, then cocked his head in mock contemplation. “Come to think of it, Cook, neither were you. It would appear that you missed that particular lecture by Mr. Rawlings at Eton.”

  Brooke fought to keep a smile off her lips.

  Mr. Cook’s face colored slightly. “I beg your pardon, Miss Banks. As Gateway so bluntly pointed out, history was not an interest to me in school.”

  Brooke was still in shock that Gateway had taken up in her defense and set Mr. Cook in his place without making her look bad. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad person after all. She looked his way and started. He was staring at her. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she murmured.

  The duke immediately shifted his eyes and developed a sharp interest in his soup.

  Liberty tried to salvage the conversation from across the table. “We do have highly irregular names. Brooke’s real name is Brooklyn, which is the name of a county in New York that Mama and Papa had just moved to before Brooke was born. In fact, we still live there.”

  “Are there any other counties that are close to Brooklyn in New York?” Mr. Cook asked, feigning interest.

  “Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx,” Liberty recited promptly. “It’s a joke between Madison and I that we’re just glad our parents weren’t living in Queens when Brooke entered the world.”

  Everyone in the group gave a little laugh. Brooke personally wouldn’t have minded being called Queenie by her sisters. She rather liked the idea.

  “What about your name?” Mr. Cook asked politely. “I have never heard the name Liberty before.”

  “And you likely will not hear it again. It means freedom from external rule. There was a quotation in the Declaration of Independence that begins with ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. Anyway, that particular line was very popular among the colonists during the time of the Revolutionary War.

  “Mama’s family can trace its way back to some of the first settlers in the colony of Virginia in the sixteen hundreds. Some of them later spread to the Carolinas, hence her name. Anyway, they have always been a very patriotic family and fought fiercely for independence. Her family still says that quote frequently. Mama has a plaque on her bedchamber wall with it engraved on it, and when I was born they couldn’t think of a name for me. When Mama looked across the room and saw the plaque, she decided on Liberty right then and there.”

  This time it was the duke who asked a question. “What of Miss Madison’s name? It isn’t a place or a definition. I am aware that the current President of the United States is named James Madison, but he has not been in office Madison’s whole life.”

  Brooke decided to answer him before Liberty would ramble on again about a bunch of information that no one, save her family, cared about. “Actually, she is named for the current President. As you pointed out, he was not the president all her life, but he did help to write the United States Constitution. Papa and Mama picked her name because his last name sounded as if it would make a good first name for a girl.”

  “What I fail to understand is why your English-bred father would allow his daughters to have such American names. It’s as if he’s not being true to his homeland,” Lady Burbank said with disgust and disapproval evident in her voice.

  Nobody responded. There wasn’t anything to say to that.

  It was true Papa was English, and nothing could ever change that. Yet, he had allowed his daughters to take on names from symbols of where they were from and what the United States stood for. It would seem a disgrace to English loyalists.

  The rest of the meal was spent trying to avoid the topic of their names or any mention of the United States in general. For her part, Brooke just kept silent. She was too busy trying to make quick glances down the table to where Andrew was sitting with Lady Olivia.

  Lady Olivia had worn a smug smile when she entered the room perched on Andrew’s arm. Maybe Lady Olivia was right—maybe she would win Andre
w after all, if she hadn’t already, that is. She had surely started to dig her claws in, and made quite a show doing it.

  Brooke remembered how Andrew immediately dumped her off with her parents to go back to Lady Olivia. Just remembering it made Brooke’s skin grow warm with anger. He probably decided Lady Olivia was a better long-term match and needed to put on his best front with her, which would mean not associating with Brooke any longer.

  Brooke wasn’t going to dwell on this. If that’s the choice he made, that was fine with her. She’d just form a new connection and flaunt her happiness in his face, if there was any, that is. If there wasn’t, she’d pretend there was.

  She turned to survey her options. To her left, Mr. Cook was drinking his wine as rapidly as the footman was refilling his glass. That wouldn’t do. She looked across the table to Mr. Grimes. He appeared decent enough, but a little rigid. Something about him struck her as cold and not very malleable. He wouldn’t do for her purposes, either.

  That only left Gateway, who probably hated her, and for good reason, too. But that couldn’t be helped—he was the only one left. She turned her head to look at him. He wasn’t looking at her, but he acted like he was clearly aware of her stare.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it. “Don’t even think about it, Miss Banks.”

  She flushed. “Think about what, Your Grace?”

  “I know what you’re about. You haven’t tried very diligently to be discreet about your thoughts or future intentions.” His voice was low and hard.

  “What would those be?” she asked innocently, but her voice was unusually high-pitched.

  “I have been told about a little connection that you and Townson have formed. However, now you’ve spotted him with that vulture they call Lady Olivia, and you’ve decided that since he has so easily found another lady to woo, you shall find another beau to flaunt before his eyes.” He smiled at her slight half-nod. “What I cannot figure out is whether you mean to flaunt that beau, or should I say me, in front of him to make him see reason and come running back to you, or if you want to make him jealous for not making the correct decision to begin with.”

  “You have taken the thoughts straight from my mind, Your Grace.” Brooke said humbly. She bit her lip in aggravation and sighed. “Although, it's not as though I ever really had him to begin with,” she finished dully.

  “If you want my advice, Miss Banks,” the duke said gently, “I believe you are more important to him than Lady Olivia ever could be. I do believe in no time he will return to stick to your side like a bur, just as before.”

  Brooke hoped he was right. She tried to convince herself she shouldn’t feel jealous at seeing Lady Olivia with Andrew, but she did anyway. It wasn’t as if he had declared himself to her, but she thought he might, and that would cause anyone to be jealous.

  Until now, she hadn’t realized just how much she had been counting on Andrew declaring himself to her and eventually asking for her hand in marriage. Flaunting another in his face wasn’t going to help the situation, nor was it going to make her feel any better. She’d just have to fight for what she wanted, Lady Olivia be damned.

  As was the custom, the ladies congregated in the drawing room following dinner while the gentlemen enjoyed their own company for a bit before rejoining the ladies.

  “Did either of you have a more pleasant dinner than I did?” Brooke asked her sisters when they were comfortably seated on a secluded settee.

  “No,” Liberty answered without a bit of hesitation. “As you know, I had to sit next to Mr. Grimes. He has the personality of a brick.”

  “Then you two are well suited, indeed,” Brooke quipped. Was it possible Liberty was just pretending not to like Mr. Grimes? The pink tinge staining her cheeks suggested there was more to this than Liberty was sharing.

  Liberty rolled her eyes. “I’m being serious. The man is as stiff as a fire poker. He doesn’t smile or laugh at anything, nor does he seem to speak unless absolutely necessary. Having a conversation with a person like that is painful.”

  “I agree with Brooke, you two are a perfect match, indeed,” Madison said with a little laugh.

  Liberty rolled her eyes again. “That man is not the one for me. Now, tell us what Mr. Thomas was like, Madison.”

  “He was very nice. More interesting than either of your companions it seems,” Madison said with a slight laugh.

  “That’s not saying much,” Liberty mumbled.

  “Who knew that the one of us that is not interested in making a match was matched up with the best gentleman,” Brooke said, pretending to pout.

  Brooke was surprised when Liberty didn’t reprove her comment or gesture, but laughed right along with her and Madison. Maybe there was hope for her after all.

  At Brooke’s urging, Madison told them about Mr. Thomas and his excellent company. “We talked about many fascinating subjects, or should I say people. Mr. Thomas has an interest in gossip and he knows all the most amusing tidbits about all the members of the ton. He felt compelled to share all his knowledge with me, which I listened to only out of politeness of course.”

  “I’ll just bet you did,” Brooke said with an unfeminine laugh. Madison had always had a little trouble with listening to and enjoying gossip. Papa had tried to discourage her from this, saying it was sinful, but Madison struggled with it just the same. It was a point in her favor that she didn’t further spread the gossip and for that alone, their Papa had sung songs of rejoicing.

  “Well, it would have been impolite not to listen, and I would not like to disappoint Miss Propriety over here,” she said with a pointed look at Liberty.

  “You did well,” Liberty assured her, her approval evident.

  Brooke was about to ask if Mr. Thomas had mentioned anything about Andrew when Lady Olivia strolled over.

  “How nice to see you tonight, ladies,” Lady Olivia said in a superior voice.

  “Yes, it’s nice to see you, too,” Madison replied first. “I suspect your presence here indicates that your complaint was successfully healed during your recent visit to Bath.”

  “Of course, the baths there are so wonderful. There's nothing they cannot heal.”

  Except a personality defect, Brooke thought.

  “I am glad you are doing better then,” Liberty said, shooting a quick glance to where Broke was sitting quietly.

  “I am much better thank you—quite revived in fact. I do believe my energy has been restored and I can now set my sights on loftier things than enjoying the countryside while I’m here.” Her words were a bit of a puzzle, but it didn’t take a genius to get her meaning. She was declaring loud and clear to Brooke and her sisters that her sights were set on Andrew and she wouldn’t be going anywhere until things were settled where he was concerned.

  Lady Olivia had said as much to Brooke at the bathhouse, but now seeing her here and declaring it again made it more permanent. If Lady Olivia were to be believed, Brooke’s time with Andrew would soon be ending. She would have to do something, but what? Hearing Lady Olivia’s public declaration was swiftly killing the bravado she had built up after her talk with Gateway.

  “I do hope you enjoy yourself,” Brooke said stiffly as she stood up, clutching her skirts. She had tolerated Lady Olivia enough for one evening, thank you. She walked over to where Mama was holding court in the opposite corner.

  When she reached Mama’s side and sat down, she learned this conversation wasn’t much better. Lady Burbank was scolding Mama about the names she and Papa had selected for their daughters. Calling it a disgrace and saying it should be considered treasonous toward England. Brooke got the feeling that Lady Burbank thought that she should have been consulted when Papa and Mama had named their children.

  Even though this conversation was equally uncomfortable, it didn’t feel like her heart was breaking just by listening to it. Why was that? How could her chest hurt so badly? She couldn’t recognize the emotion attached to the pain. She was very familiar with
jealousy, rage, and anger, but this time it was different. It felt like she had lost something, but she couldn’t put her finger on what she’d lost. Nor could she name the emotion that was causing her to feel this loss.

  After ten more minutes of hearing Lady Burbank’s useless and screeching chatter, Brooke couldn’t take any more and decided to retire for the evening. She made her farewells and was walking down the hall, looking at her feet as she went when two strong hands grabbed her shoulders.

  Her heart skipped a beat, whether out of shock or excitement, she wasn’t sure.

  When she looked up, she was a bit disappointed to see that the stranger who had stopped her from running him over was none other than her own cousin. “Good evening, Alex,” she said.

  “What has you escaping so soon?” Alex asked kindly.

  “A headache.” It was partially true. She didn’t have a real headache, not yet anyway, but if she were to listen to anymore from Lady Olivia or Lady Burbank she just might have one very soon.

  “There has to be a reason for your headache.” His eyes were full of concern. “Is one of the guests causing problems already?” he asked, his voice ringing with sincerity.

  She could trust Alex with her secrets. He was a quiet type. He wouldn’t tell anyone about their conversation. “There are three reasons that contribute to my headache. They come in the form of Lady Burbank, Lady Olivia, and the Earl of Townson.”

  Alex’s expression didn’t change at her words. Brooke thought that maybe he had expected to hear those names.

  “Would you care to accompany me to the library so we can talk about what’s bothering you?” he offered with a warm smile.

  “I’m not sure I should,” she said hesitantly. He might be her cousin, but surely she shouldn’t be going off alone with him.

  “If you’re worried about propriety, then don’t. Nothing is going to happen. You’re my cousin. I have no interest in ravishing you.” He offered her his arm and waited for her to take it. “Nobody will think anything of it if they did find out, Brooke. It is perfectly acceptable,” he added with an encouraging smile.