The Danger in Tempting an Earl

by Sophie Barnes

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Katherine hedged, hoping to avoid the subject she knew Patricia was eager to broach.

  “Is that so? Then perhaps you’d care to explain why you currently share the same hue as those roses over there and why you scarcely dared look at him the entire time he was here.”

  Blast Patricia for being so astute. Well then, no point in beating about the bush so to speak, no matter how loathe Katherine was to be candid. Bracing herself, she said, “He kissed me yesterday—­once in the carriage, and once at the inn at which we were forced to stay on behalf of the weather.”

  Clapping her hands together with obvious delight, Patricia squealed. “Finally! Have you any idea how long I’ve been hoping for this?”

  Katherine shook her head, dumbfounded by Patricia’s joy.

  “Years, Katherine. Why, the two of you are obviously perfect for each other.”

  “We are?”

  “Of course! But then Lucien went to war, you married Lord Crossby, and well . . . I doubted it would ever work out. I’m so pleased to know that it finally has.”

  Katherine frowned. “Actually, it hasn’t really.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Patricia’s face fell, leaving Katherine with the unexpected urge to tell her that she and Lucien were practically on the way to the altar. She couldn’t be dishonest, though, and found herself saying, “Well, I’m not so sure it’s what I want.” She sighed. “No, that’s not entirely true. Since seeing Lucien a few days ago for the first time in four years, I’ve started to think of him in a new light. It’s very peculiar and rather uncomfortable really. In fact, as reluctant as I am to admit it, I began hoping that he would kiss me—­strange as that was—­but then he did, and now . . . oh, I no longer know my own mind.”

  “You’re clearly conflicted,” Patricia mused. “Is it because you’re afraid that if you don’t suit—­though I’m positive you will—­things will be awkward between you? That you can no longer be friends?”

  “That’s part of it, I suppose.”

  “And the other part?”

  Meeting Patricia’s gaze, Katherine took a shuddering breath. She’d never told anyone of the pain that splintered her heart, yet sitting there in Patricia’s parlor with a cup of tea, she felt an overwhelming urge to confide the truth to her old friend. “If you must know, I’m afraid he’ll find me wanting, and I daresay I would not be able to bear it.”

  There was a brief silence, then the rustle of fabric as Patricia rose from her seat and came to sit next to Katherine on the sofa. She took Katherine’s hand in her own and said, ever so gently and with the utmost kindness, “My dear, it’s no secret that Lucien is exceedingly fond of you. He always has been, even though I’m not so sure he realizes how aware everyone in his family is of his feelings.” She chuckled, gave Katherine’s hand a gentle squeeze and said, “What reason would you possibly have to believe that he would think you anything less than perfect?”

  Katherine felt her lower lip begin to wobble as her eyes began to burn. She would not make a spectacle of herself by crying, yet it was becoming awfully hard to stop the tears that threatened as her throat began to ache. “Crossby didn’t approve of me,” she whispered.

  “But he was so eager to marry you . . . he seemed so smitten.”

  “Everything changed on our wedding night,” Katherine confessed as she wiped away a tear with the back of her hand. “He changed. However attentive he’d been before, he grew suddenly cold toward me, and when we . . .” She drew a ragged breath. “He told me I repelled him, that . . . that looking at me made him feel ill. Of course the drinking didn’t help, and neither did the opium. In fact, he was generally in a foul mood, and for whatever reason, he seemed to enjoy taking it out on me.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Patricia whispered as she drew Katherine into her arms, “so very sorry indeed. I had no idea.”

  “I did my best to hide it,” Katherine said, accepting the handkerchief that Patricia offered, “though I’m not sure I would have been able to continue doing so forever.”

  Shaking her head, Patricia rose and walked across to the sideboard, where she proceeded to pour a brandy. “I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for you,” she said as she handed the tumbler to Katherine. “You should drink this—­it will help soothe you.”

  Katherine gave her a feeble smile. “Thank you.”

  Resuming her seat, Patricia waited while Katherine took a sip of her drink. Then Patricia said, “It’s not my place to tell Lucien what you’ve just confided, but I do think that you ought to. You know what you want in your heart, but as long as you allow your past to fuel your fears, you’ll never be truly happy.”

  “What if—­”

  “You can build your whole life on ‘what if’s’ and grow old with regret in the process. You have a chance to make things work between you, Katherine,” Patricia said as she smiled with devilish cheekiness. “More so now that you’ll be sleeping scandalously close to each other.”

  “Patricia!”

  Lucien’s sister chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’re not secretly looking forward to living beneath the same roof as him.”

  The room felt overwhelmingly warm all of a sudden. “I must admit that I find it both terrifying and thrilling.”

  Patricia nodded knowingly. “Consider this—­Lucien kissed you because he has every intention of marrying you. If there’s one thing I know about my brother, it’s that he would never jeopardize his relationship with you for anything less.”

  “Did you find Donovan?” Katherine asked Lucien as they headed over to Roxberry House later that day. After saying good-bye to Patricia and thanking her for her hospitality, Lucien had led Katherine out through the back of the house and helped her into a waiting hackney.

  “Not yet,” he told her grimly. “I inquired after him at Riley’s—­said I needed help with a debt. The consensus among the employees and the patrons was unanimous however. Nobody knew of a man by that name.”

  “And do you believe them?” Katherine asked.

  “I confess I’m not sure what to believe anymore, but I did tell them that I intend to return tomorrow in case someone would like to convey a message to him. If Lady Trapleigh has been honest with us, Donovan ought to thrill at the opportunity of getting another aristocrat under his thumb.”

  When they arrived at Roxberry House, Katherine gave Lucien a determined look before pulling the hood of her cloak over her head. “I’ll see you inside,” she said as she alighted from the carriage. She then stepped brusquely forward and gave the wooden door leading into the mews a loud rap. A moment passed before one of the grooms appeared. “Yes?” he inquired.

  “I’m the new housemaid,” she said.

  With a curt nod, he opened the door just enough to grant her entry, then slipped the bolt back into place the moment she was through. Hooves clattered along the cobbles on the opposite side as the hackney continued on its way. It would make its way through a few more streets before returning to the front door, where Lucien would enter, unaccompanied.

  “You must be the lady we were told to expect,” an elderly woman said as Katherine stepped inside the lobby and pulled the door shut behind her. “I’m Mrs. Ellis, the housekeeper.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Katherine said, smiling politely.

  “Oh, I can assure you that the pleasure is entirely mine. Now, if you will please follow me, my lady, I’ll take you upstairs to the parlor. According to the missive I received from his lordship, I do believe he’ll be arriving at any moment and will wish to see you.” Leading the way down a long corridor while Katherine followed, Mrs. Ellis spoke over her shoulder. “There are also a few details that must be addressed, as I’m sure you are aware. Mr. Parker, the butler, will be joining us, since he has a few concerns of his own that he’d like to bring to his lordship’s attention.”

>   Katherine could only imagine. Lucien might have been the master of the house, but that didn’t mean the staff would have been pleased with the idea of an unmarried lady moving in. Her suspicion was quickly confirmed when Parker met her in the foyer. He nodded stiffly but didn’t smile—­not that butlers were particularly prone to smiling, but still. . . . He looked positively acerbic. “The curtains have been drawn in the parlor, Mrs. Ellis. You may show her ladyship in,” he said.

  No other words were exchanged as Katherine quietly followed the housekeeper into an elegant room set in beige and burgundy tones. She’d been here before, accompanied by her parents years ago, when Lucien’s father had still been alive. It was not very different from what it had looked like back then, with Gauss’s Disquisitiones Arithmeticae still visible on the bookstand.

  Crossing the floor to a chair upholstered in a beautiful striped silk, Katherine took a seat while Mrs. Ellis remained standing by the door. The clock ticked away on the mantelpiece. Reaching for the teapot that sat on a tray before her, Katherine poured herself a cup, not because she particularly felt like having tea but because she longed for something to busy herself with until Lucien arrived.

  The sound of a door opening and closing, followed by voices in the hallway beyond, had her straightening. She set down her cup just as Lucien strolled into the room looking every bit the charming gentleman and with the hint of a smile about his lips. Katherine sighed with relief, thankful that he was finally there to help her through the awkward business of dealing with his servants.

  “You look as lovely as ever,” he said with a wink in Katherine’s direction—­a gesture that made her insides squirm. “Lady Crossby will be staying here at Roxberry House as our guest,” he continued, addressing Mrs. Ellis and Parker. “She is to be treated in the manner her station requires, and if she gives you an order, you are to follow it without complaint.” Parker was looking increasingly green about the gills, but he said nothing. “Furthermore, nobody outside this house is allowed to know of her presence. There will be a twenty-pound bonus for each member of staff capable of keeping her visit here a secret, but, should anyone happen to let it slip that Lady Crossby is here, they will be sacked without notice or reference. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, my lord,” Mrs. Ellis and Parker spoke in unison.

  Lucien studied his employees in turn and with a good deal of gravity before leaning back on his heels and saying, “Very well, then. Do you have any questions?”

  “If I may,” Mrs. Ellis began, “I was wondering which bedchamber I should direct her ladyship to.”

  “You may put her in the one adjoining my own,” Lucien said without preamble.

  Katherine squeezed her eyes shut. She’d never been quite so humiliated before in her life. Though she would not argue in front of the servants, she had every intention of berating Lucien for his thoughtlessness. She opened her eyes, surprised by the bland expressions on the butler’s and housekeeper’s faces. If they objected to the idea of an unmarried woman sleeping in the bedroom that would one day belong to their master’s wife, it did not show.

  “And regarding her ladyship’s clothing?” Mrs. Ellis asked. “Will she continue to dress like a servant, or do you have something more appropriate in mind?”

  “At present, the less attention we draw to her presence here, the better. Just so you understand the severity of the situation, you ought to know that Lady Crossby’s life is at risk. Two attempts have already been made, and I’ll be damned if there’s to be a third. For now, I have hired a new housemaid. That is all anyone outside this house needs to know.”

  “You have our full support in the matter, my lord,” Parker said. “We’ll do everything in our power to keep her ladyship safe from harm, isn’t that so, Mrs. Ellis?”

  “Absolutely,” Mrs. Ellis concurred.

  “And in the event that I am not at home, Lady Crossby will remain upstairs and out of sight,” Lucien said as he looked at Katherine. “Agreed?”

  Deciding that arguing would serve no purpose, Katherine nodded. No matter how much she dreaded being confined to her bedroom, she knew that Lucien was only trying to protect her.

  “If that is all, I should like to go and talk to the rest of the staff,” the butler said as he turned to Mrs. Ellis. “Shall I ask Edith to go upstairs and ready her ladyship’s room?”

  “That would be most helpful, Mr. Parker. Thank you,” Mrs. Ellis replied.

  The servants exited the parlor, and Lucien approached Katherine, claiming the seat next to her. “I do believe I’ve ruffled their feathers,” he said, meeting her gaze.

  “What did you expect? That they would nod their heads demurely as if you’re not courting vast amounts of scandal by bringing me here? Speaking of which, was it really necessary of you to insist I sleep in the room adjoining your own? Surely there must be other rooms available.”

  “Of course there are.” His voice was completely serious. “There are three reasons why I want you to stay in that room, Kate. First, it faces away from the street, which makes it more difficult for someone to discover that I have a secret houseguest. Second, if a potential assassin were to make it all the way upstairs, which is of course unlikely, then I’ll be close at hand.”

  “And the third reason?” Katherine asked when Lucien failed to continue.

  His eyes swept over her, brightening as a smile captured his lips. “I do believe you can figure that out on your own.”

  “Good heavens!” She sounded breathless—­like a ninny fresh out of the schoolroom. Swallowing her embarrassment, she squared her shoulders and stared right back at him. Whatever game he was playing at, she wasn’t having much fun with it. “Is this an elaborate scheme of yours, Lucien? Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you concocted the whole thing so you could lure me into your bed—­‘Hurry, Kate, you’d best get under the covers so I can protect you.’ ” She rolled her eyes while Lucien barked with laughter. “Honestly, do you think me a fool? Whatever thoughts of seduction you have, I suggest you keep them to yourself, and if you do make any attempt at climbing into my bed, I’ll scream—­make no mistake about it.”

  Stifling his laughter, Lucien nodded. “Very well. Although . . .”

  “Yes?” she asked hesitantly.

  “In case you change your mind, I’ll have no qualms about making you scream.”

  Flames burst to life within her. “What’s happened to you, Lucien? You were never so forward, yet in the course of two days you’ve not only kissed me but offered to take me to bed as well. It’s most unsettling, and frankly, I wish you would stop.”

  “Do you?” The words were but a murmur, yet they hummed through her, stirring her awareness. She nodded, for she’d lost the ability to speak. With slow deliberation, he reached out and placed his hand upon hers. A jolt of tingling warmth swept through her. “Because if you ask me, you wanted me to kiss you not only at the inn but in the carriage as well, and when I finally did, you welcomed it.” His words were soft and sensual, and no matter how much she longed to tell him it wasn’t true, she could not bring herself to lie to him—­not about something this important. Instead, she closed her eyes and prayed for him to distance himself from her. He raised her hand to his lips, kissing the surface before turning it over and scraping his teeth against the back of her wrist. She gasped quite helplessly as heat rushed between her thighs and her breasts began to swell against the tight muslin of her bodice. “All you have to do is ask, and the pleasure you seek can be yours.”

  “I don’t . . . ,” she rasped, tugging her hand away from his.

  Leaning back, he rose to his feet with a chuckle. “Oh, but I think you do. Now come along and I’ll show you to your room.”

  Chapter 12

  Stepping out into the street the following morning, Lucien cursed his forwardness. What the bloody hell had he been thinking last night, talking to Katherine as if she’
d been a common doxy? Certainly, she was a widow, but she was also a lady—­one who, if her constant blushes and moments of shyness were anything to go on, was also quite inexperienced when it came to being romanced. How the devil such a thing was possible, Lucien couldn’t fathom, yet he’d sensed that while he’d most assuredly affected her with his candor, he’d also succeeded in frightening her. Good heavens, but she’d barely stepped inside her bedroom before bidding him a hasty good night and shutting the door in his face.

  Lucien grinned at the memory, for she’d apparently forgotten about the connecting door between their rooms and had practically leapt one foot in the air when he’d popped his head through and told her to sleep well.

  “To White’s, if you please,” he told his driver as he climbed up into his landau. It was eleven o’clock and he was admittedly fleeing his own home, determined to be gone before Katherine emerged from the confines of her bedroom. Clearly, she was just as embarrassed as he after last night’s exchange.

  Settling back against the squabs, he stared out at the passing buildings. He had to get his head on straight and focus on the business regarding Donovan instead of chasing Katherine around like a lovesick pup. Christ, he was making a bumbling fool of himself and scaring her off in the process.

  “Roxberry! What a pleasant surprise,” the Earl of Laughton said, greeting Lucien upon his arrival. “It has been an age. My sincerest condolences on the loss of your brother and your father. They were good men, both of them.”

  “Thank you, Laughton. I appreciate you saying so. As you know, it takes a while to adjust,” Lucien said, referring to the loss of the earl’s own father many years ago.

  “Indeed it does,” Laughton replied.

  They shared a moment of silence before Laughton broke it by saying, “Care to share a drink? I’m actually sitting just over there with Barrymore and Carlyle. You’re welcome to join us if you’ll only allow me to fetch the betting book. I was on my way to get it just now when you arrived.”