The Earl's Winning Wager

by Jen Geigle Johnson

  She pressed her hands to her stomach as he walked away, knowing no matter how long the prince’s elaborate meals, it would seem too short.

  The evening progressed. Lord Smallwood claimed a set. He was polite. Lords Kenworthy and Tolleson both came to ask her to dance. Her sisters seemed equally engaged and happy, even Grace. The last June had looked in her direction, a number of the older women were laughing at something she’d said.

  At one point, June was without a partner and went in search of a drink. Her lips were parched, and she felt overly warm. Lord Morley had asked Lady Annabelle to dance, and it was the waltz.

  As she stood at the lemonade tables, dabbing her neck with a handkerchief, Lady Morley surprised her. “You’ve been enjoying yourself, I see.”

  “Oh, hello, Lady Morley. It’s good to see you.”

  She pressed her lips together. “Do you really feel yourself equal to my son?”

  June almost spit out her lemonade on the woman. A part of her wished she dared. “Pardon me?”

  “Will our estate have to bear the entrance and blood of one so unworthy?”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about.” June hoped most fervently she was not expressing such open dislike of the idea of a proposal from Morley.

  “Do you really think your wiles have so fully entrapped him his own mother won’t have sway? That someone as beautiful and worthy and titled as Lady Annabelle won’t have an influence?” She waved her hand at the smiling couple waltzing.

  “I don’t have any thoughts about any of those things. I’m sorry, if you’ll excuse me—”

  “You will not leave me. I am not finished. Lady Annabelle is meant to stand at Morley’s side. She is the one worthy of such a title. Do you think I could become dowager to the likes of you?” She scoffed. “Soon he will see. Very soon he will notice how unprepared you would be for such a task. Managing an estate such as the Morley earldom? Do you even know what that would entail?” She shook her head. “You don’t.”

  June swallowed, fighting tears. Why was this woman attacking her so? “I’m unsure what I’ve done to make you dislike me so—”

  “Done? You haven’t done anything. You aren’t anything. If my son were ever so fooled as to agree to a marriage, he would be immediately and sorely disappointed as soon as you attempted to do anything necessary to act in your station and purpose as his wife.”

  Her legs shaking, she placed an equally trembling hand on the table at her side. Then she turned from Lady Morley without another word. Rushing from the room, she almost ran into Lord Smallwood.

  “Oh, excuse me.”

  “Miss Standish? Are you ill?” His hands held her shoulders. “You’re trembling. What can I do to help?”

  “Nothing. I must leave this room.”

  “Certainly.” He kept an arm firmly across her shoulders, and she wrapped her arms around her own middle, holding herself up. How could someone be so cruel?

  He led her out to a verandah, and as soon as the cooler air washed over her in a gentle refreshment, she felt better. He handed her a handkerchief. She wiped her eyes, dabbed her neck again, and then attempted a smile.

  “Thank you. I am feeling better.”

  “Lady Morley is a force to take on all by oneself. I’m surprised Morley left you to her.”

  “He’s dancing. I don’t suppose he knew it was happening.”

  “I saw him leave the floor with Lady Annabelle on his arm.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t know what to say as her emotions took a turn for the worse. “Well, then, I don’t know.”

  ‘Don’t you?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “No, I really don’t.” Before she could stop herself, large tears fell from her eyes. “Oh, dear.” She turned from him.

  But he came to her, turned her back and pulled her close. His hug felt nice, undemanding—caring, even. “There. Don’t let anything that happens at a ball disturb you in such a strong fashion, especially not at one of the prince’s balls. All will be right tomorrow.”

  But she’d thought Morley cared. Of course, he cared! She was being silly. His mother had shaken her. But if his mother hated her so, would he ever really seek her hand? Yesterday she thought there might be a chance at winning her over, and now she knew it to be impossible. Would she marry a man and divide him from his mother?

  Perhaps he would never seek her hand. He’d said nothing about it yet, though he’d kissed her. Doubt crowded her mind, and her legs started shaking anew.

  “You’re trembling again.” Lord Smallwood ran his hands up her back. Then she stepped away, and he put his two hands at the side of her face. “Look at me.”

  She lifted her lashes. His eyes seemed sincere.

  “You are worth ten times Lady Annabelle. You would make any man happy. You—”

  Giggling interrupted as Lady Annabelle clung to Morley’s arms, draping herself across him, exiting out on the verandah near them. He laughed. “Lady Annabelle, you are a wonder. What can I do to thank you?”

  She tipped up on her toes, inches from his face. “Kiss me. Kiss me like you used to.”

  “What!” June couldn’t stop her outburst.

  Morley looked up. Annabelle turned. Lord Smallwood tightened his embrace, and Morley frowned.

  “What is going on here?” Morley’s tone was harsher than she ever remembered it being, and something about the injustice gave her courage.

  “I wondered the same thing,” she said.

  “If you’ll excuse us, Morley, this verandah is taken.” Lord Smallwood’s tone also bothered her.

  “Oh, stop,” June said. “You act as though we need a moment alone.” She pushed him away.

  “It looks to me like you do,” Lord Morley said.

  “And you as well.” She waved her hand at Annabelle, who still clung to him.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Annabelle giggled.

  “Don’t I?” June said.

  He gently unwrapped Annabelle’s arms from around his neck. “No.”

  “Well, it looked to me like I misunderstood your intentions.”

  “If anyone is misunderstanding things around here, it’s me,” Morley said.

  “Precisely.” She crossed her arms.

  “Wait. That’s not what I meant.”

  Lord Smallwood laughed. “Tell us. What did you mean?”

  “You’re not helping, Smallwood.”

  “Oh, believe me, my lord. His intention is not to help you.” Annabelle’s giggle raised the hairs on June’s arms.

  Then three of the Standish sisters rushed out onto the verandah, Charity in the lead, Kate and Lucy wringing their hands.

  “Grace is missing.”

  “What!” June and Morley shouted together.

  June ran to her sisters. “What has happened?”

  “No one knows. Her Grace said she was aching for a lemonade and a nice gentleman offered to get her one. She turned back to Grace after a moment, and our sister was gone.”

  “Who was the gentleman?”

  “We’re trying to determine that right now.”

  “What has been done?” Morley’s strained voice, the urgency in his questions, comforted June more than further worried her. She was not alone. Even if she was devastated he could not be hers, at least he was dutiful.

  He and June ran back to the entrance to the ballroom. June searched the faces, and Charity stood at her side. “She’s not here. We checked the women’s room, everywhere, the libraries. There are so many places she could have slipped off to with all manner of disrepute.”

  “I know.” June felt her panic rising. “I know all that. What do we do?” She hated that she did, but she turned to Morley. “What can be done?”

  His eyes had narrowed, he nodded to her, and then pushed through the room to a small corner of men. June followed, the sisters right after.

  “Where’s Weatherby?” Morley stood close to Lord Kenworthy. The man stepped
back, his gaze flicked to the sisters and then back to Morley. “At the stables, most likely.”

  Morley turned and ran.

  “Wait!” June called after, ignoring the few people nearby who were paying attention to their crisis.

  Smallwood followed as well. As soon as they’d left the ballroom, he called, “What are you doing, man? That’s what a magistrate is for. Don’t bother yourself with this.”

  June gasped, praying Morley would ignore him.

  “Are you daft? I go myself. She’s my sister.” He dipped his head once to June and then ran away from them all, down the hallway.

  Charity swung her reticule at Lord Smallwood’s shoulder. He rubbed his hand over the spot where she’d hit him and then turned away. “She’s ruined you all now.”

  “Wait.” June ran to him. “You will keep this quiet for now, won’t you?”

  He was about to shake his head, but after a moment, he sighed. “I’ll keep it quiet. No promises about Lady Annabelle, though.”

  June turned to her sisters, a great, sick worry building up inside. She held her arms out, and they rushed together in a great embrace. “I hope everything will be alright.”

  “Morley will take care of it. I know he will.” Kate nodded against them.

  June hoped she was right. “I don’t think I care to be here at this ball any longer.”

  The girls nodded. They made their way around the ballroom, back toward the front door, and called for their carriage.

  The line of carriages stretched a long way. The line of guests waiting was equally long. They were going to be standing there a long time. While they were waiting, Kate hugged June tightly. “I know he loves you, June. I’ve seen it in his face.”

  June wished her sweet sister was correct.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  June and the sisters arrived home to a quiet house. They said little. June’s heart broke with every quiet breath she took. They moved as one, their steps slow, toward their parlor sitting room. One of the maids approached and curtsied. “If it pleases you, miss, Lord Morley is in the parlor with the misses.”

  June’s heart jumped out of her throat. “What! With Grace?” She took off running, tearing down the corridor and through the door into their parlor.

  Grace lay on the couch. Morley pulled a blanket up to her chin, and his expression was soft. He placed a hand on her forehead. Grace’s eyes were closed. Then he wiped his eyes and stared at the ceiling. The pain etched in his face tore through her, and her love for him magnified. No matter how he felt or who he loved, she loved him. This pain he felt for June’s family, this love he showed them, was worth more to her than anything.

  She hurried to his side.

  He startled, wiped his eyes again, and then pulled her into his arms. “June, my June.”

  She rocked in his embrace.

  He kissed the top of her head. They stood thus while the sisters gathered round, each one seeing for themselves Grace was well and truly home again and on their couch. Then June became vaguely aware that Charity shooed the other sisters from the room.

  When they were alone again, except for a sleeping Grace, June stepped away and searched his face. “Tell me what happened.”

  He led her to the other side of the room, and they sat on a sofa together. “Nothing had come of it, though Lord Weatherby is a snake among men. I don’t trust his intentions at all.”

  “But where were they?”

  “He’d taken her to get a lemonade and then talked so much of Prinny’s horses he’d convinced her to go see them. When I got there, a horse was being saddled, but they were talking only with stable hands all around.”

  “Oh, thank the heavens.” Her hands shook in relief. “I was so worried.”

  “I as well.”

  “I saw your face.” June reached out and laid a hand on his cheek.

  “Were you standing long enough to witness my agony?”

  She nodded. “I can’t believe you love my sisters so much.”

  He shook his head. “I do love them, but that pain was for a different reason.”

  “Was it?”

  “Yes. That pain was all for you.”

  Their moments on the verandah rushed back to her, and she looked away. “Oh.”

  “And I cannot bear this misunderstanding between us, this distance. You in Smallwood’s arms. Tell me at once, and please, don’t toy with my heart. Are you in love with him?”

  She sucked in her breath and then shook her head. “No. I am not.” She studied his face.

  The great relief that smoothed all his lines and brought a light to his eyes told her much. But she had to know, to hear from his own mouth, a number of things.

  “I spoke with your mother at the ball tonight.”

  “Oh?” His face turned wary.

  “Yes, and she most thoroughly and completely disapproves of me in such strong terms I was certain you could never care.”

  He frowned. And then he stood and began pacing in front of her. “She has no business…”

  “And then I saw you dancing with Lady Annabelle, and she was in your arms. She is your mother’s first choice, would be a perfect Lady Morley, and so on. I cannot stomach repeating all her words.”

  He stopped.

  “I was in tears. What you witnessed was Lord Smallwood comforting me.”

  “What you witnessed was some form of subterfuge between Smallwood and Lady Annabelle.”

  She started to shake her head, then paused. “Was it?”

  “I can only guess. She literally dragged me out there and acted as though she’d had way too much to drink. She draped herself all over and suggested we kiss.”

  When June stiffened, he shook his head.

  “No,” he said. “She and I have never kissed. And that is how I know she knew you were there. She lied and put on a show for someone: you. And I suspect it was Smallwood who led you there. How was Smallwood so available to comfort you right when my mother was uncharacteristically harsh?”

  “Uncharacteristically?”

  “Well, certainly. She’s unkind. I know that. Most women keep their distance from her, but to approach you at a ball and say horrible things to your face, when she knows she would be taking a personal risk because of your friendship with the duchesses—when she knows she might be overheard? This was planned.”

  Her heart lightened just a little at his assumptions but then tightened again. “But if what you say is true, she well and truly does not want me in her family. And Morley, I don’t know if I can continue our relationship if your mother feels this way.”

  Morley held up his hands. “Please, say no more. For a moment let me say all the words which must be said. For there are many still begging to be released from my hesitant heart.”

  At the word “hesitant,” June worried. But she nodded. “I’m listening.” Her voice sounded small even to her ears. She held her hands in her lap and waited.

  Morley stopped pacing and came to sit beside her. Then he stood again. But he was soon at her side again, sitting. “I’m not very good at this.”

  She wanted to laugh, but he seemed tortured, so she said nothing.

  “I don’t know where to begin. So I’ll start backward, with my mother.” He lifted her hand and placed it in his own and then began toying with her fingers. “I do not wish for you to think me an uncaring son. But it is my plan to send my mother to the northern estate and ask that she tend to it—and only it—for the rest of her days.”

  “What!”

  He winced. “I do not want to sound uncaring. But she will not be needed. And she will cause more damage than good with whomever I marry. I am working very hard to find a woman nothing like my mother to spend my life with, and I would just as soon the woman’s influence had no sway on my life estate or future relationships.”

  Astounded, and perhaps a bit giddy, June just nodded and tried not to smile overly large.

  He chuckled. “So, mother out of the picture. Now, Lady Annabelle.” He sho
ok his head. “She has offered herself to me a number of times, and every time I have refused. I am simply not interested in Lady Annabelle.”

  His eyes were full of sincerity and honesty. June studied him for a moment. And she chose to believe him.

  “She doesn’t seem to make you happy in any way.”

  “No, she absolutely does not make me happy in any way.” He pulled at the tips of her glove. “And that brings me to the next thing I hope to express to you in just the right way, but I’m having the most difficult time of it. Perhaps if I just begin, it will help.”

  “Begin what?”

  “Begin telling you how I feel.” His face turned red, the deepest red, and June was astounded. Could Morley have a shy side? She would have never guessed. “When words matter the most, they fail me. But I shall press forward. June—my dearest June. Almost immediately upon seeing you in that little cottage, I…” He continued to tug at her glove, but it wasn’t coming off. “This confounded thing. Why won’t it leave your hand?”

  She laughed. “You just have to be patient with it. Tug gently, one finger at a time.” She pulled at her index finger, then her middle, until each finger was loose, and then he took over, pulling the glove and freeing her hand.

  “Much better.”

  As her bare hand was enveloped in his, every sensation in her body responded. Tingles ran up her arm. Her mouth went dry. Words escaped her. As her eyes widened, she couldn’t believe something so simple as Morley holding her bare hand could have such an effect.

  “I will continue. I have been completely lost to you from the moment of my arrival here in Brighton—happily so, I might add.”

  June smiled, feeling her courage rise. “Lost to my charms? My wiles? My entrapping you, as your mother would undoubtedly accuse?”

  “No, none of that. Lost to your beauty, your mind, your heart, your goodness to your sisters, your persistence in the face of everything against you, your loyalty, and…” His eyebrow rose, and the hint of daring made her grin. “And your lips.”

  “Ha!” She laughed. “My lips!” She looked over her shoulder. Grace’s eyes were still closed. “That is what your mother would call my feminine wiles.”