Enticing the Earl

by Christie Kelley

  “I suppose you are right.” He supposed having a frugal wife might be a good thing for a man in his position. “Shall we marry in a week?”

  She looked away from him with a slight smile. “As you wish.”

  “Do you not wish it too?”

  “Yes,” she whispered shyly. “But I must return to my room now.”

  “Very well, then.” He waited for her to dress and then opened the door for her. “I shall see you at breakfast.”

  She nodded and left the room.

  With Mia departed, he stripped off the coverlet and performed his morning ablutions before calling for his valet. Mr. Tanner would arrive at some point today so he might need to wait until tomorrow before speaking with the bishop about a common license. He quickly dressed and wasted no time getting to the morning room.

  After far too long a time, Mia entered the room in her gray muslin dress. He hadn’t thought about it until now but she would need a wardrobe fitting a countess. Her homespun clothing would never do.

  “Is there a dressmaker in Cheadle you would like to make your wedding dress?” he asked as she sipped her tea.

  “My what?” she sputtered.

  “Your wedding dress. You certainly can’t be married in that dress. You will be a countess. As such, you will wear a gown fitting your new station. After the wedding, we shall travel to London and have a proper wardrobe arranged for you.”

  She placed her teacup down forcefully and then leaned in closer so the servants wouldn’t overhear their discussion. “You cannot afford such a luxury and I don’t need it.”

  Simon waved to the footmen to leave them alone. “First, if you want a private conversation with me, just tell the footmen to depart. Secondly, I can afford to buy my betrothed the clothing she needs to comport herself without embarrassment.”

  “I have never been discomfited with the clothing I own.”

  He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable but he had to make her see that she needed new clothing. “Darling, you will be a countess in a week. We must travel at times to London and my other estate.”

  “I understand,” she said, staring at her plate. “You do not wish me to embarrass you.”

  “You could never do that,” he commented. “You will need a few dresses. Who knows, we might even attend the Season next spring.”

  Mia stared at Simon in confusion. There had been a rumor at the estate that part of the reason he didn’t go to London was he hated the crowds. So why would he want to attend the Season and go to the overcrowded balls? “Simon, I have no need to attend the Season.”

  He shrugged. “But I might.”

  “Why? You didn’t go to London this past spring.”

  “I’d just discovered that my steward had stolen a fortune from me.”

  “True,” she said softly. “But you didn’t attend last year either.”

  His cheeks reddened as he scraped back his chair. “Mr. Tanner will be arriving soon and I must get ready. Please excuse me.”

  “Of course.” Why did the man get so bristly just then? Surely his finances hadn’t kept him from London last year. His mother had been well by that time. It made no sense. She finished breakfast alone and then decided to walk to her mother’s house.

  “Robert, will you accompany me to my mother’s?” she asked as she passed the footman in the hall. Simon had given all the footmen orders to escort her whenever she left the house.

  “Of course, miss.”

  They walked together in silence until they came to her mother’s small home. A wave of homesickness enveloped Mia as she stared at the cottage. Memories of her father taking her outside to talk about everything from the types of trees on the estate to the stars in the sky. She missed her father terribly. She could always talk to him.

  “Well, this is a fine surprise,” her mother said, opening the door. “I was just putting on some tea.”

  “Good morning, Mama.”

  “Robert, go on up to the house. I shall make sure she returns safely.”

  Robert frowned and looked between the two of them before nodding in agreement. “Thank you, ma’am. Mr. Harris asked me to polish the silver today. He’ll be angry if I don’t get it done.”

  “Go on, then,” her mother encouraged.

  With Robert departed, her mother readied the tea while Mia took a seat at the old oak table. She had no idea why she had such a sense of melancholy today.

  “What is wrong, Mia?” Her mother handed her the teacup.

  “I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “I should be ecstatic today.”

  “Oh? Am I not going to be a grandmother yet?”

  “Not yet. I found out this morning.” Mia blew on her tea to cool it. Tentatively, she took a small sip.

  “Well, that is good news.” Her mother stared at her. “So why the long face?”

  “He is getting the license,” she mumbled. “Shouldn’t I be happy about that?”

  “He is a good man, Mia. Handsome, wealthy, and titled. And he will keep you safe.”

  Not quite wealthy but that did not bother her. So what was bothering her? “Mother, do you know why Hartsfield hasn’t been to a Season in over five years?”

  Her mother scrunched up her face in thought. “I hadn’t considered it. His mother was sick for two of those years.”

  “True. But she’s been well for the last two years.”

  “I honestly don’t know, then.”

  Mia looked into her mother’s blue eyes and saw nothing but the truth. “Do you think there was a woman who hurt him?”

  “No,” she replied quickly and then looked away.

  “Could he be afraid of crowds?”

  Her mother looked over at her and shrugged. “It would make sense. Although he did go to that ball last month with his mother. Mrs. Littleton’s if I remember correctly.”

  She could ask him about that at dinner tonight. Another topic came to her mind. “Mother, is my wardrobe truly not suitable for a countess?”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked with a laugh. “I thought we were talking about the earl.”

  “Hart wants to buy me new clothing.”

  “Of course he does, Mia. You will now represent him and his family when you go out. You must dress the part of the countess.”

  “I don’t feel like a countess,” she muttered.

  “You aren’t one yet,” her mother reminded her. “Besides, until you start wearing the clothes and attending the parties, you won’t feel like a countess. Look at Selina. When she goes out in public with the duke, she dresses like a duchess. When she is helping her tenants with their ills, she looks no different than she ever did.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Mia still didn’t like the idea of Simon spending money on her when he had so little. Perhaps she still might find another gem behind Mrs. Perkins’s cottage.

  “Mr. Tanner, my lord,” Harris said before opening the door enough for the Bow Street runner to enter.

  “Good afternoon, Tanner,” Simon said, glancing up from the papers on his desk.

  “My lord,” Tanner replied with a quick bow.

  “Harris, bring in tea for us.”

  “Of course, my lord.” Harris left quietly.

  “So what news do you have?” Simon leaned back against the chair. He attempted to look relaxed but inside his nerves were drawn taut.

  “You might be correct about Andrew Lambert.”

  “How so?”

  Tanner opened a journal. “I spoke with Lambert’s brother, the current Viscount Ridgley. Apparently, he has not seen his brother in almost a year. The last time they spoke, Lambert was bemoaning his lack of funds. Ridgley seemed to have no concern that his brother was gambling away his allowance.”

  “But that means nothing, Tanner. There are many younger sons with little to no money and gambling issues.” Simon’s brother Charlie was proof of that. “That doesn’t mean they are out to destroy me.”

  Tanner smirked. “True, my lord. But do you reme
mber that woman you fought over?”

  Simon hated to admit that he didn’t. “Go on.”

  “Miss Daphne Caruthers became his wife several years ago.”

  Daphne. Now he remembered her. “I’m not sure what his marriage has to do with this.”

  “I’m not certain it does. Except when I spoke with her friends, Mrs. Lambert had told them that you had seduced her and she’d been forced to marry Lambert to save her reputation.”

  Simon banged his fist on the desk. “That is an absolute lie. I never seduced that woman. She threw herself at me and I understood exactly what she was up to.”

  “So she wanted you,” Tanner said quietly.

  “No, Tanner.” Simon waited until Tanner looked him in the eyes before continuing, “She wanted any man of rank who would up her station in life. I wasn’t the only man she attempted this with. You can check with the duke if you don’t believe me.”

  “She tried to seduce the duke?”

  “Yes. But he was in love with his first wife and everyone knew it.”

  “True, but the duke didn’t get into a duel over her as you did.”

  “That was years ago. We were barely men at the time.”

  Tanner leaned back and nodded. “I’ve seen men hold grudges like this that last lifetimes, my lord. Lambert believes you are the reason his wife is not happy with him.”

  Daphne would never have been happy with the second son of a viscount. She’d thought she deserved a title, and her beauty and vanity could buy one for her. Simon frowned. None of this made any sense. “I still don’t understand why Lambert would involve himself with Miss Featherstone then.”

  “Perhaps he discovered what I uncovered.”

  “What?”

  “That you have been in love with her for years.”

  Simon frowned. “How did you discover such a thing?”

  “It is my job, my lord.”

  He must have spoken with Middleton. He was the only one who knew of his feelings for Mia. Damn him. “So this was just vengeance?”

  “I honestly don’t know. No one has seen him in over three months. His lovely wife is calling herself a widow already.” Tanner stopped talking as a footman entered with tea.

  Once tea was served and the footman gone, Simon spoke. “But Lambert’s description doesn’t exactly match Davies. Lambert’s hair was blond, not brown.”

  “It is not that hard to dye hair brown with henna and indigo,” Tanner retorted. “I’ve seen it in my business many times.”

  Guilt sliced into him. It was his fault that Mia had been hurt. All over a woman he hadn’t even wanted. “I want him found and questioned.”

  “I have men scouring London.”

  “I need people here. Miss Featherstone saw him two days ago behind a cottage on my property.”

  “Why would he have been there?”

  Simon told him of the few items Mia had found behind Mrs. Perkins’s cottage. And of Davies’s reaction when she refused to tell him where she’d found the treasure.

  Tanner’s face hardened. “Are you certain she is not involved in this, my lord?”

  “Absolutely.” Wasn’t he? “He must have followed her. She ran back to the house and told me what had happened.” Only after she lied about where she’d been. And she had been staying with Simon for over a week so how did Davies follow her?

  “Did he hurt her again?”

  “No. In fact, he let her escape as if he wanted her to tell me.”

  Tanner drank his tea slowly. “Perhaps he did.”

  “To draw me out,” Simon replied. If this truly was Lambert and he wanted retaliation for the debacle with Daphne perhaps it all made sense. But why was Davies, Lambert, or whoever it was, so infuriated over the small items Mia had found?

  Tanner nodded. “I know of your physical abilities, but can you shoot?”

  Simon related his shooting and ability with knives.

  “I know you don’t want to be a prisoner in your own home but if he brazenly entered your lands, there is no telling what he might do to get back at you.” Tanner cleared his throat. “And if he knows how you feel about Miss Featherstone, she is also at risk. It is imperative that she not leave this house without you escorting her, my lord. Not even a footman. At this point, I only trust you to protect her.”

  “Very well. I shall also make sure I am armed if I leave the house.”

  Tanner departed, leaving Simon alone with his thoughts. Lambert just didn’t seem the type to hold a grudge for so long. Besides, he got what he wanted—Daphne. The only part of this that made sense was Lambert needed money and somehow he’d discovered what Mia had found. Simon rubbed his eyes. Even that was bordering on the absurd. Why would the son of a viscount be looking for buried treasure?

  Simon swore softly. If he hadn’t seen Davies that day, he might wonder if this story was just Mia’s imagination. The more he thought about things, the more his frustration grew. Mia had agreed to marry him before she’d seen the books and realized just how little money he had. Today when he mentioned getting the license, her response had been lukewarm. He could tell Tanner still didn’t believe Mia wasn’t involved in some manner.

  And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Simon had a tingling of doubt too.

  Chapter 15

  Mia and her mother walked back to the house after a long afternoon chat. While she had never felt particularly close to her mother, she did give sound counsel. She had told Mia to speak with Simon about her concerns. Unfortunately, she had many.

  She and Simon had not been honest with each other about many things. That was no way to start a marriage. They needed to talk about what they had been keeping from each other. Mia had no idea what secrets he held, but she was certain he did. She had told him everything but he held back his thoughts.

  The gravel crunched under their feet as they walked up the drive. Mia looked up at the cloudy sky. “It looks like rain. Would you like a carriage to take you back? I’m sure Hart wouldn’t mind.”

  “No, Mia. I don’t believe it will rain but even if it does, I can manage. Now remember what I said,” her mother commented as they reached the door of the house.

  “I will.”

  “I meant about the bedroom.”

  Mia felt heat cross her cheeks as she nodded. Her mother’s conversation regarding the marriage bed had been blunt. Mia supposed twenty-five years of marriage gave her a bit more knowledge than Mia had. And her parents’ marriage had always seemed quite happy.

  “And about your ribs. You may have the earl teach you some basic safety measures but nothing too extreme.”

  “Yes, Mother.” She would not be up to that for a few days. Mia kissed her mother’s cheek. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you to Mrs. Lanston’s cottage? I haven’t visited with any of the tenants in nearly a fortnight.”

  “I want you to stay here and be safe.”

  “Of course.” Mia nodded but her frustration was growing. The lack of freedom and inability to speak with anyone but her mother, Simon, and the servants frustrated her. She missed her conversations with the tenants when she visited them.

  She entered the house and Harris breathed a sigh of relief. “What is wrong?”

  “I thought the earl was going to let Robert go for allowing you to stay with your mother unguarded.”

  “I will speak with him. Is he in his study?”

  Harris nodded. “He was just getting ready to go out and look for you. And he is in a foul mood.”

  “Thank you for the warning,” she said as she walked down the marble hall. The heels of her boots echoed through the corridor.

  Heavy footsteps sounded from the room ahead of her. Simon strode into the hall and stared at her. Mia stopped and stared at him. His short brown hair appeared disheveled as if he’d been raking his hands through it. The worried look in his eyes said it all. “Where have you been?”

  “I was with my mother.”

  He clasped her arm and forcibly led her into
the study before slamming the door. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?” he all but shouted at her.

  “You were waiting for Mr. Tanner. I saw no need. Robert accompanied me and then my mother told him to go back to Hartsfield Park. I was perfectly safe with my mother. She accompanied me back to the house.”

  “You are not safe anywhere, except in the house.” He paced the room with heavy footfalls.

  “Simon, sit down and talk to me,” she demanded.

  He paced the room. “I cannot sit. This situation is driving me mad.”

  “What did Mr. Tanner say?”

  After a few more paces, he stopped and sank into a chair across from her. He told her about Lambert possibly being involved for vengeance.

  Mia shook her head. “Do you think his wife is involved in this?”

  “I doubt it. Tanner said she is already calling herself a widow.”

  “How horrible!” But none of this explained his frustration. Once again, he was keeping things from her. “What else did Tanner say?”

  “Nothing of importance.”

  “Simon, if we are to marry, you must tell me everything. We cannot keep secrets from each other.”

  Simon closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. “Mr. Tanner impressed upon me that until this man is caught, it is not safe for you or I to leave this house. If you need to leave the house, it is only to be with me. I am to have a pistol with me.”

  Mia’s shoulders sagged. “I am so dreadfully tired of feeling like a prisoner,” she admitted softly. “You have a beautiful house but...”

  “A prison is a prison no matter how lovely.”

  “Yes.”

  “I understand.”

  Mia stared at him for a long moment. There was more than understanding in his words. He felt the same way, which made no sense. He had never been a prisoner here as she had for the past fortnight.

  A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Harris entered the room and looked at Mia. “The duchess is here to see you.”

  “I will be there presently.” She rose and straightened out her skirts. “I am sorry but I must speak with Selina.”

  “Of course. I will be home before dinner.” He rose and bowed to her.

  “You just told me it’s not safe for either of us to leave. Where are you going?”