In the Arms of an Earl

by Rose Pearson

  “That is exactly my point!” Phillip exclaimed, wishing he was able to explain himself a little better. “They are not interested in me but in my title and fortune, that is all. The only reason I am seen as a good match is precisely because of how much I can give them in terms of wealth and status. Hardly an alluring prospect.”

  Lord Marshall considered this for a moment, his jaw set. “I suppose you have a point,” he muttered, with a slight shrug. “Luckily for me, I cannot say that of Lady Marshall.”

  “No, of course not,” Phillip replied, hastily. “You are one of the lucky ones there, Marshall. She is a wonderful lady and I could not be happier for you.”

  Lord Marshall smiled as he turned to look at his wife who was deep in conversation with her younger sister. “You know, she does have a sister, Newford,” he commented, dryly. “She is a little young for you, but –”

  “Do not so much as think it,” Phillip grated, with a rueful smile. “I would not be set up by anyone, not even you. But now, as I have promised to go and fetch refreshments for the ladies, I suppose I must do just that.”

  “Ah,” Lord Marshall said, his eyes alight with understanding. “Now I understand your groaning – the ladies of the ton will waylay you the moment you set foot out of our box, is that it?”

  “That is it precisely,” Phillip replied, with a roll of his eyes. “The grasping mamas, the milk water misses, the eager widows….” He drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. “The truth is, I do not know why I ever came to London.”

  “You came to see me,” Lord Marshall reminded him, with a shake of his head. “And you have only been here a fortnight. Give it a month and I am sure things will improve. You might even find a lady who is not as grasping as the rest of them.”

  “I highly doubt it,” Phillip muttered, only to be caught by the memory of Lady Harmonia. She had appeared rather sweet and very quiet, as though not quite sure whether the London society was truly for her. When they had met in the park only a few days earlier, he had been surprised at how quickly his heart had jumped in his chest when she’d taken his hand, even more astonished to discover the quickening of his blood when he’d put his arm around her waist in order to steady her. It had been a little inappropriate but absolutely required, given that she had hurt her ankle – and it would be an untruth to say he had not enjoyed holding her so closely. It was the very briefest of acquaintances thus far, and yet Phillip had found himself thinking of her now and again. He had even sent some flowers and a note to her home, having found the address from one of his many acquaintances, to ensure that her ankle was better. Of course, he had toyed with the idea of calling on her but had chosen not to, thinking it best to wait until he was a little better acquainted with her before considering doing such a thing.

  “Have you thought of someone?”

  Lord Marshall’s playful tone brought him back to himself and, with a hasty shrug, Phillip excused himself and went in search of refreshments.

  “Oh, Lord Newford, how good to see you!”

  It was just as he had expected. The moment he left the box, at least five different ladies came towards him, some batting their eyelashes, some thrusting out their bosoms so that he might be drawn to them. Some wanted his hand in marriage, some wanted his protection only – but Phillip was not interested in acquiring a mistress.

  He managed to speak to each of them in turn, conversing briefly about inane topics such as the weather and who else he had spotted from his box but, eventually, he managed to excuse himself and go in search of his required refreshments.

  Having found them, he ordered four glasses of champagne to be taken to his box and, dreading the return back through the crowd of theatre-goers, chose to remain in the shadowy corner for a few minutes. Backing away from the crowd, he bumped into something rather soft, instead of the solid wall he had been expecting.

  “Oh, do excuse me,” he muttered, as a small cry of pain came from behind him. “I did not see you there.” Turning, Phillip was astonished to see none other than Lady Harmonia standing there, a somewhat pained expression on her face. Embarrassment shot through him as he realized he had trodden on her foot, his eyes growing wide with apology.

  “Oh, my dear Lady Harmonia, I am so terribly sorry!” he exclaimed, backing a little away from her. “I did not see you there.”

  “That is quite all right, Lord Newford,” she murmured, with a small wince. “It will pass in a moment.”

  He shook his head, not knowing what else he could do.

  “Are you enjoying the production?”

  Her question took him by surprise, having expected her to berate him about his lack of carefulness or to exclaim about her foot a little more. “Yes, for the most part,” he said, looking at her with concern. “Are you sure you are all right?”

  She smiled then, her eyes lighting with good humor. “It has gone entirely, I assure you. What were you doing backing away like that? Are you hiding from someone?” A slightly mischievous look came over her expression and Phillip found himself smiling back at her.

  “No, not from someone – but from a great many someone’s,” he explained, with a wry smile. “Without being discourteous, I find the ladies of the ton can sometimes be quite overwhelming.”

  Her expression grew a little sympathetic as she recognized the forwardness that some of her counterparts, and even her sisters, could be known for.

  “Although I would not count your company as overwhelming,” he said, quickly, wanting to assure her that he did not think of her in the same way as the others. “In truth, I am very glad to see you again, Lady Harmonia.”

  Lady Harmonia looked back at him for a moment without saying a word. Her lips curved into a gentle smile, her cheeks brushed with pink. “That is very kind of you to say, Lord Newford.”

  “It is the truth,” he said honestly, aware that he was being more than a little frank with her.

  She made to answer but someone called her name and he saw her frown.

  “Is your cousin looking for you?” he asked, remembering the rude gentleman from before that she had referred to as ‘cousin Luke’.

  Lady Harmonia gave him a tight smile. “Yes, it is Lord Darnsley,” she said, the happiness gone from her eyes. “Do excuse me, Lord Newford. It was very nice to see you again.”

  He bowed and smiled, and, in a moment, she was gone.

  His heart lifted, although he was not all that pleased that this cousin of hers could bring her such disfavor. The man had been very rude to him twice, ignoring his very presence on the two occasions he had been with Lady Harmonia. It was quite clear that Lady Harmonia herself did not care much for the gentleman either – not that he could blame her.

  As he made his way back through the crowd as hastily as he could, he found his arm suddenly caught and, surprised, he turned around to see a voluptuous lady standing to the side, pulling him towards her.

  “Do unhand me, my dear lady,” he muttered, as she smiled coyly at him. “I do not wish to wrinkle my coat.”

  “Dear Lord Newford,” came the silky reply. “I have been waiting for you to approach me.”

  Phillip wanted to say that he had not approached her but that she had caught him but, wisely, chose to remain silent.

  “I know you are growing tired of the great attentions of the ton,” the lady continued, with a lift of her brows. “Were you to take someone under your protection, then that attention would cease almost overnight.”

  Hotly aware of what she was proposing, Phillip gave her a tight smile and tugged his arm out of her grip. “I am well aware of that, Lady…...?”

  “Milliers,” came the soft reply. “My husband has been gone these three years, my lord.”

  “I am sorry for your loss,” he replied, woodenly. “Do excuse me, Lady Milliers.”

  She frowned, catching his hand in hers. “Will you not take my offer seriously? I know I could make you a very happy man.”

  He shook his head, his throat closing up in revulsion. �
��No, I thank you. Good evening.”

  Turning away from her, he caught sight of none other than Lady Harmonia looking over at him, her face a little astonished. He froze in place, horrified that she might have seen the exchange and come to the worst of conclusions but, before he could start towards her to explain, her cousin caught her arm and half pulled her along the hallway back towards her box.

  Wishing he could call after her, Phillip contented himself with a loud groan as he hurried back to his own box, frustrated with Lady Milliers and her bold eagerness to have him in her bed. It was the same with the mamas who presented their daughters, with the young ladies who batted their eyelashes at him. They all wanted him for no other reason than to satisfy their own desires.

  All except Lady Harmonia. She had not flirted with him, nor attempted to cajole him into anything. She was sweet and gracious, quite out of the ordinary compared to the rest of the ladies he had encountered. She was, in short, quite intriguing.

  “You have made it at last,” Lord Marshall crowed, as Phillip re-entered the box. “And just in time. The second half is to start any moment.”

  “I was distracted,” Philip muttered, taking his seat. “I do apologize.”

  Lord Marshall shrugged, handing him his glass. “It is no matter. Who distracted you?”

  “No-one of importance, although I did stand on Lady Harmonia’s foot,” Philip replied, with a shake of his head. “The daughter of the Duke of Westbrook?”

  “Ah, yes. I had heard that she was here this Season,” Lord Marshall replied, with a knowing look in his eye. “Is she not spoken for?”

  “I hope not,” Phillip said, before he could stop himself.

  Lord Marshall chuckled, shaking his head. “You see? You have found a lady you might yet come to care for, Newford! She is not like the others in society, then? She is good enough for you?”

  “Lady Harmonia is nothing like the other ladies who accost me, no,” Phillip said, firmly, not wanting to give away anything more to Lord Marshall, “and, for that, I am glad to have been introduced to her. She is a welcome relief from all the others, that is for certain!”

  “Indeed,” Lord Marshall murmured, looking over at Phillip with a scrutinizing eye. He made to say more, only for the curtain to go up and the orchestra to begin to play, rendering him silent – for which Phillip was very grateful. He did not need to talk about the situation any longer. It was already too complicated in his mind.

  Chapter Five

  Harmonia let out a long breath and sat back in her chair, stretching languidly. The afternoon was pleasant, with the sunshine streaming through the window and bringing a smile to her face.

  She had been enjoying the quiet of the day, given that both her father and Amelia had chosen to rest for most of the morning, and so had been quietly reading to herself as she drank her tea.

  Glancing at her book, Harmonia chose not to pick it up again, deciding instead to allow her thoughts to drift towards Lord Newford. She had been both pleased and a little disconcerted on seeing him yesterday, especially when another lady had made a rather overt attempt to capture his attention. She had seen the way his face had masked with thinly veiled frustration as he had turned towards the lady, shaking off her grasp on his arm. That had brought Harmonia a little relief, as she realized that Lord Newford was not a flirt or anything like that, for otherwise he would have been quite delighted at the lady’s attention towards him. However, that also made her question as to whether or not she could ever really gain any kind of attention from him, since he was clearly so hotly pursued by so many others.

  “You look as though you have something on your mind.”

  Harmonia glanced up as Amelia entered the room, an inquisitive look on her face.

  “Did you not enjoy the theatre last evening?” she asked, as the maid came just after her carrying another tea tray. “I thought you had quite a marvelous time.”

  Harmonia waited until the maid left the room before replying. “I did, very much, aside from Luke’s constant attentions.”

  Amelia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I know. I am sorry for that. I tried my best to keep him away from you, but he would not have it.” She eyed her sister suspiciously. “So, you were thinking of another gentleman? Is that what gave you such a confused countenance?”

  Aware that she would not be able to hide the truth from her sister, Harmonia rolled her eyes and laughed. “You are very good, Amelia. Yes, I was thinking of Lord Newford. We met last evening.”

  “I have had a few quiet conversations with a few intimate friends about him,” Amelia replied, leaning forward to pour herself a cup of tea. “I will, first of all, remind you that some of their responses are nothing more than gossip and should be taken as such.”

  Something dropped into the pit of Harmonia’s stomach. “What did they say?”

  Amelia looked a little uncomfortable. “They say that Lord Newford never lacks female company and that he is rather sought after. However, they did not ever suggest that he was a rake or anything of the like, so you need have no concerns in that regard.”

  Her stomach swirled with confusion for a moment as Harmonia recalled what had gone on when she had been on her way back to her seat at the theatre. “Yes, I have seen him caught by a lady or two,” she murmured, turning her face towards the window as she thought carefully about what had been revealed.

  “He is not known as a rogue or anything of the like,” her sister repeated, with a slight warning in her voice. “Do not consider him too badly, Harmonia.”

  Harmonia nodded slowly, a small smile on her face as she turned back towards Amelia. “No, of course I shall not. I will need to simply converse with him a little more and consider his behavior before I make any decision on whether to continue our association.”

  Amelia’s smile broadened. “I am glad that your interest has been fixed, Harmonia, although I applaud your wise attitude. Anyone is better than Luke as far as I am concerned.”

  A small laugh escaped her as Harmonia poured herself some more tea, her confusion and upset leaving her. She would progress slowly through the Season and her acquaintance with Lord Newford, given that it was still so new to them both. She could not help but feel that there was something growing between them, as though they had been two strangers searching for one another without knowing. Her heart quickened at just the thought of him, her cheeks burning with heat. He was handsome and kind and, even if the ladies of the ton did seek him out, she knew he did not have a reputation as a rake. That in itself said a great deal about his character.

  “We shall have to think about what to do with Luke,” Amelia continued, her countenance growing grave as she spoke. “He is constantly by your side and I find him much too possessive when there is simply nothing between you.”

  Harmonia sighed heavily, sitting back in her chair and studying her sister with thoughtful eyes. “Do you think he will simply give up if I continue to ignore him?”

  “Doubtful,” Amelia said at once, shaking her head. “I think father might need to speak to him, to make things clear.”

  “Did I hear my name?”

  Harmonia laughed as her father came into the room, looking happier and healthier than he had for a long time.

  “You look well, papa,” she said, getting to her feet to kiss his cheek. “And yes, we were speaking of you but only in the very best terms.”

  Amelia greeted him and smiled. “We were talking of Luke, papa.”

  “Luke!” he exclaimed, with a bright smile. “Well I never. I have just had him visit me.”

  The happiness in Harmonia’s heart died at once. “He was here?” she asked, looking over at Amelia who was looking over at her father in confusion. “When? Why?”

  Her father smiled, looking quite delighted. “He has asked to pay you court, Harmonia.”

  Harmonia’s mouth fell open, her eyes wide.

  “You do not look particularly pleased,” her father said, with a confused expression on his face. “I
thought you would be delighted about such news.”

  Her chest was so tight that Harmonia found herself struggling to breathe, her throat squeezing with pain.

  “Luke has not been given any kind of welcome from Harmonia, papa,” Amelia said slowly, clearly trying to be as clear and yet as careful as possible. “I do not think that he is a good choice for her.”

  Harmonia watched her father’s gaze lift from Amelia and return to her, lines creasing in his forehead.

  “But I thought you had been considering him for some time, Harmonia,” he said, frowning hard. “You are telling me now that you do not wish to court him?”

  Harmonia shook her head fervently, her heart still thundering wildly. “No, papa. I do not. I have said as much to him also.”

  “I see,” her father replied, slowly. “You will be relieved to know, then, that I told him that his suit would only be welcomed if you agreed to it.”

  “Indeed,” Harmonia breathed, one hand pressed against her heart. “I am very relieved, papa.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “I am glad, my dear. I must admit to being very puzzled about this entire matter, for I thought you were quite open to him.”

  “I was,” Harmonia admitted, settling back into her chair as the tension drained from her. “But I have seen the truth in what my sisters have expressed, in terms of how different the two of us are. I do not think that he would do well as a husband, papa. I think we are much too dissimilar. In addition, I have found him possessive, aggressive and unpardonably rude these last few weeks and he is quite determined to ignore everything I have to say about the association between us.”

  Her father frowned, his expression growing grim. “Rude? Aggressive?”

  “I have been mitigating it as best as I can,” Amelia said quickly, “but Harmonia is right. Luke is ignoring Harmonia’s thoughts on the matter and is very insistent.”

  “And you have tried to speak to him about this?”

  Harmonia nodded in answer to her father’s question. “But I intend to do so again, to make things perfectly clear.”