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CHAPTER TWELVE
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Lady Jeanshire followed Aaron down the corridor, and he turned once he met its end. “How did you hear of the party?” he asked in cool disdain.
She straightened a little and blinked. “I still receive letters from Mrs. Selby, who keeps me informed on what you’re doing. I admit that when I heard you still have possession of Mary and Lily I was surprised. I’d heard about their father’s passing and that they’d both become your wards, but I thought surely that you would have simply sent them to school—”
“Because that’s what you did to me?” he asked. “Send me away and never look back?”
She frowned. “That’s not true. I did come for you.” She reached for him.
He gave her a look that had her reconsider her movement. “You came when it was too late.” His words seemed to shatter her, and she shrank once more.
She knew it was true. She’d abandoned him and then tried to come and see him once he’d finished at Oxford, but by then, he’d been a grown man and had held no more use for a mother. By then, he’d found more comfort in the arms of courtesans than he had his own mother, received more smiles from women than she’d ever given him.
And he’d been loved.
Lorena and Genie loved him. They, along with the brothers, had given him the only family he’d ever known and now, with Mary and Lily—and hopefully Christin and Tina—he’d have all the family he’d ever need.
His mother—if the word even applied at all—was only making his life more complicated.
Her presence infuriated him when he needed to be most calm.
How hilarious that she’d think now the time to come. He already had other things to deal with.
He wondered why she’d truly come. What did she need? Was it money? He gave her endless access to his funds. She had no limits. No allowance. He knew her every move, knew which exotic country she’d trotted to next. The continent, Egypt, China. He knew on whose arm she’d went, in a way acknowledging her more than she’d ever acknowledge him.
It was more than she deserved and in return, he’d hoped to never see her again. Was he asking for too much? Hoping for too much?
“I want you gone,” he told her plainly.
“Aaron,” she whispered. “You must understand. I was young. I didn’t know what to do—”
A storm brewed in him, and he had to gather an amount of strength that would hold back winds in an effort to suppress words he wanted to say, some that would have given her apoplexy for sure.
If only she wasn’t his mother. If only she’d been a man. There were things he wanted to do at the moment.
She cringed from him and placed her hands over her heart. Her eyes gathered tears. “You hate me.”
“Did you believe anything else?” he asked her sincerely. “I wish I didn’t. I wish I felt nothing for you, able to return your sentiments from so long ago.”
“That’s not true.” Tears slid down her eyes. “Aaron, I’ve always loved you.”
“Sard your love,” he whispered, the offensive word slipping from his lips before he could stop it.
A sob broke from his mother before she covered her mouth. She stared at him as though she’d never laid eyes on him before.
Aaron smiled and then chuckled, believing the look to be positively appropriate since she’d not laid eyes on him in years.
That she’d kept in contact with Mrs. Selby, when he’d never responded to any of her letters, meant nothing to him.
Though looking at his mother, he did admit to feeling some sharp pain in his chest.
Which only angered him more.
His mother bent her head and wiped at her tears with her thin hands. When she looked up, it was not at him, but at someone behind him. She seemed surprised and then embarrassed.
He turned and saw that Christin stood a few feet from him with a young girl he presumed to be Tina. Bathed and dressed in a white dress with lace and frills with a ribbon holding her hair back, she looked like a different girl.
She was still far too thin, but the improvements were momentous.
He returned his gaze to Christin and saw her expression was wary. Had she heard anything he’d said? She held Tina by the shoulders, keeping her back as though she wished to retreat with the child.
“Hello.”
He was stunned to find his mother speaking and surprised to find that she spoke to Tina.
He turned and caught his mother’s trembling smile. Her eyes came up to his but quickly glanced away before turning back to Christin. Then she moved.
Aaron had to still himself from blocking her move. He didn’t want his mother interfering further in his life than she had that very afternoon, but he couldn’t afford to make more of a scene than he already had. Lord knows what Christin thought of him to see his mother in tears.
“I’m Lady Jeanshire, and you are?” his mother asked, addressing Christin, not waiting for Aaron to give the introduction, knowing that he wouldn’t.
“Mrs. Christin Potter.” Her courtesy was elegant, as was everything else about her. “And this is my niece, Tina Peck.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Tina,” his mother said as she smiled down at the child.
It had been years since she’d smiled at him. He remembered what it had been like to have the countess grace him with it.
“Are you also part of the Spinster Society?” his mother asked her.
Aaron had heard enough. “Christin, allow me to lead you to the sitting room with the others.”
“Christin?” his mother asked with a lifted brow. Then she turned to Christin and said, “So, you’re an acquaintance of my son’s as well?”
“Mother,” Aaron warned.
“I do not know him well,” Christin said before he could complete his thought. “But he has been most gracious to Tina and me, showing us the utmost kindness. Indeed, we’d not have made it through the day were it not for him. He has my eternal gratitude.” The last was said with her eyes fixed on him, and Aaron was bound by that gaze, unable to move or speak. He knew why she’d said what she’d said. She obviously believed that it was he who’d done some wrong, forcing his beloved mother to weep and thus was trying to help him make amends.
The thought was touching even if she’d judged the situation wrong.
Had he not been in so much turmoil internally, he’d have smiled knowing Christin had come to his rescue and that even in the midst of her own circumstances, she still moved to help him.
He’d chosen his countess well.
“Well, I don’t know what your plight may be, but you are more than welcome to stay,” his mother said swiftly.
Aaron cut his eyes to her, wondering what in the world she thought gave her the right to invite guests into his home.
Christin looked hesitant and then said, “Actually, we’re planning on staying at the Spinster Society home.”
“Oh, but you can’t!” the countess said. “The house is at full capacity. The Spinsters just told me so less than an hour ago. So come now, you must stay. Truly, I insist, and you’ve no need to worry about your reputation. You’ll be my guest. With me here, no one would dare question your presence as anything else. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Aaron was still staring at his mother, though she’d not glanced at him once since she’d begun her speech. He’d listened as her words became more confident and some of her classic genteel skills of persuasion were used.
At first, he'd almost believed she was doing it for him, that perhaps she’d sensed some invisible link between him and Christin and wished for her son’s happiness.
But then she’d made her true mission known, even if Christin didn’t know it. If Christin agreed to stay, he could not dismiss his mother as he had planned to. Saying that Christin and Tina were guests
of the Countess of Jeanshire would stop any wagging tongues before they could begin.
His mother had never been known to cause scandal. By all accounts, she’d been faithful to his father until the day he died. Any companion she’d had since then had been affairs in other countries where the ton would be none the wiser.
In the past, before death had divided his home, his parents had been known to entertain. That the countess would wish to house anyone would not seem odd in the least.
Damn her!
He turned to Christin and found her looking at him as though waiting for his thoughts.
Was she serious?
“Please stay,” he said. Or, I’ll go mad.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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Christin bit her lip. She was unsure what to do. If the Spinster’s Society house was actually full then the next best place to be would be at Aaron’s house. At least, it would be safe for Tina, but as for herself?
She still didn’t understand what power drove her to him. Why did she find him so irresistible?
Maybe it was just his way. Perhaps he had a knack for luring helpless women. Betty’s words still irritated her, but seeing his own anger, it vanished.
When she’d walked into the hall, she could tell by his manner that he was upset. His shoulders had been bunched and his fists clenched at his side.
How often was he upset?
She would be wondering if he was dangerous and if those fists were ever used on women, but then all she had to recall was that it was Alice who’d seen to their meeting and Alice would never place her in harm’s way.
At least, not physically. She couldn’t say the same for her heart.
She looked between mother and son and noticed just how much he favored his mother. They had the same broad nose, which at first Christin thought distracted an observer from the countess’ other comely features, but then with a turn of the head, Christin had thought the nose was what set the rest of her face off. It made her stand out, made her unique in her beauty, and made one curious about her life.
Other similarities they shared were their wheat hair color, bronzed skin tone, and blue eyes. The rest of Aaron, his build, height, and square jaw had definitely come from his father.
And then there was the way the countess had admitted she’d not accept the word ‘no’. How very much like her son that was.
She went back over her options.
She could not return home, not after what Tina had told her about the man who’d tried to watch her bathe. It was out of the question. She didn’t want Bancroft to have easy access to her.
The other options were Sophia, Lorena, or Alice’s home, but if their husbands were gone…
She could ask either Taygete or Florence, and would have, if the countess had not offered, but now that the woman had indeed offered, it would be rude for Christin to turn her down and then go ask someone else.
It was yet another way she’d be using this family. The thought more than bothered her, but she had no other choice, did she?
She let out a breath and did her best to smile. “Thank you, my lady. Your offer is most generous, and we accept.” She didn’t bother to look at Aaron, almost sure she’d see gloating in his eyes.
But then she did look and found his face just as pleasant as it had been moments ago.
Something was wrong, and a large part of her wanted to make it right. She wanted to soothe this beastly earl and calm his temper, using her words, her lips, or perhaps other parts of herself.
She wanted to make him smile and laugh, to bring him peace.
It was the least she could do.
He seemed to lack peace, and she wondered at the root of it.
She knew absolutely nothing about him, while she wished to know everything.
An alarming thought, that.
And then, as their gazes remained fixed on one another, she watched his eyes soften, if only slightly.
Had she put that softness in his eyes?
She was pleased.
And that was yet another alarming thought.
“Excellent,” the countess said. “Now, has Miss Tina met my grandchildren?” She smiled at Tina. “Mary and Lily are lovely girls. You simply must meet them.”
Tina looked up at Christin as if to ask permission. She was slightly anxious but not entirely with worry. There was a light in her eyes at the prospect of meeting the girls.
It seemed the countess’ persuasion worked on children as well.
Christin nodded and smiled.
“Come, darling.” The countess held out her hand to Tina. “I’m sure we can find some tea and cakes and then we’ll see what Cook is making for dinner. Perhaps we can even get her to make your favorite meal. What do you love to eat most in the world?”
“Chicken in cream,” the girl said as she took Lady Jeanshire’s hand with wide hopeful eyes. Chicken in cream was one the meals Christin always had made during the few times Tina had visited. With the lure of cakes and her favorite meal, Tina followed Lady Jeanshire down the hall, disappearing into a room.
And then Christin and Aaron were alone.
When she glanced his way, she wasn’t sure if he’d ever stopped looking at her for the last few minutes. The thought wrecked her nerves. She’d never been watched that way. “It seems I am to stay here,” she said in order to get him to do something besides simply stare. A conversation would be well accepted.
He moved closer to her. “I’m glad. I’ll not let anything happen to you or Tina while you are in my care.”
She’d known that. In the depths of her heart, she knew it, but it made her sad that she would not be special in that regard. Did he even care or was this all a game? A means to an end?
She took a step back and nearly hit the wall, but her retreat did nothing to stop Aaron’s pursuit. He was in her space within seconds.
She looked away from his eyes, believing them to be the source of his power over her and tried to think of something else to say. “Well, I won’t be imposing on you for long. A week at most.”
“You’re not imposing,” he whispered. “Stay as long as you wish.”
She looked at him again and stared in his eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him just how many other women he’d said those same words to. And where were they? Had they left of their own volition or had he grown tired of them and kicked them out?
“What?” he asked.
She blinked and thought of something else to say. “I’ll… probably need to use some space to conduct interviews over the next few days.”
“You can use my study.” He stood less than a foot away and still she was overwhelmed with his scent. It wasn’t that it was heavy. Rather it was subtle enough to make her want to lean forward and inhale more. “Now, what are you not saying?”
Her eyes widened, surprised he could read her so well. “Nothing.”
He touched her cheek. “Tell me.”
Her heart raced, and she was sure color bloomed under his touch. Did she dare share what the maid had said? “I would simply like to… thank you for everything you’re doing and will find a way to repay you.”
“I won’t take money from you,” he informed her.
“I won’t be paying with my body,” she replied. “So money will have to do.”
He released her suddenly and took a step back. His eyes narrowed. “What?”
She started for the sitting room. “I’ve no clue how this game usually goes for you, but I’ll hold no part of it.”
He grabbed her arm before she could get far and turned her back to face him. She gasped as she held his eyes. They were as cold as blue ice. “What madness do you speak of? I am playing no game where you are concerned, and I would never ask for your body as repayment, especially since I plan to have it either way.”
Her mouth parted as she was unsure of what part of his ludicrous statement to address first. “You’ll never have me,” she decided readily. “Though I’m sure your strategies have worked well with every other woman you’ve brought here.” She jerked at her arm, but he didn’t let go.
Instead, his hold turned to iron, tightening without being painful. “What are you talking about?”
She glared right back at him but simply shook her head. “Never mind.” It didn’t matter. She needed to focus her thoughts on what she would do once she left Jeanshire’s house, as well as protecting Tina. Nothing was more important. “I thank you for allowing me to use your study. I will make sure that I leave it as I find it.” She tried turning away, but he didn’t let her.
Instead, he turned her in the other direction and started down the hall.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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“Where are you taking me?” Christin asked.
He stopped at a pair of doors and then ushered her inside before stepping thought himself and releasing her.
She glanced around the long room but wasn’t sure what it was for. From the wooden flooring and the emptiness of the space in the center, she would have thought it was a fencing room, but there were no foils or the equipment one would need for such an activity.
She did notice a trunk in the corner with a few plain chairs spread around the room.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“My boxing room,” he said from behind her.
Christin's Splendid Spinster's Society Page 9
