What a Wicked Earl Wants

by Vicky Dreiling

  “He has a bald spot,” Bell said.

  She patted his arm. “Don’t be jealous. You’ll probably acquire one someday.”

  Bell looked at his boots. “Will you attend the Bonhams’ ball?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “I would be honored to escort you and Lady Atherton if you will consent.”

  “I will ask her, but I’m sure she will accept,” Laura said. “I think she likes you.”

  “I think she has a strong opinion of me, not all of it favorable.”

  “Probably justified,” Laura said, “but you have a few good qualities.”

  He grinned. “Such as?”

  “I think you know.” She lifted up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

  “Your aim needs work,” he said, grinning.

  She wagged her finger. “You are not a real fiancé. No more kisses on the mouth.”

  He bowed and as he quit the drawing room, his chest no longer felt tight. Because she’d forgiven him.

  Chapter Ten

  The Bonhams’ ball

  Bellingham had insisted upon taking Laura and Lady Atherton in his carriage to the ball. He tried to offer his arm to Lady Atherton, but she insisted he escort Laura. As they climbed the stairs, Laura was all too aware of the bulging muscle in his arm. She was a bit afraid of her feelings for him, but her mother had long ago counseled her to be wary of having a long memory. He was her friend, and he’d admitted he’d been wrong. She would let go of any lingering doubts about him.

  Justin had attended Vauxhall tonight with Sarah, Paul, and some of his new friends. Lady Norcliffe and a few of her friends had agreed to chaperone the young people tonight. She was glad that Justin had remained friends with Paul. Obviously George had been the ringleader, probably because he owned that fancy curricle.

  Laura smiled at Bellingham as they entered the receiving line. Lady Atherton was ahead of them in the queue. After they finally emerged into the ballroom, she saw Lady Atherton waiting. When they reached her, she had a crafty smile on her face.

  “I am going to the chairs by the wall to gossip,” she said. “It is the best part of a ball. I will leave you in the care of Bellingham.”

  “But I should mingle,” Laura said.

  “You will mingle with me,” he said.

  Lady Atherton laughed and walked away.

  “Would you care for punch?” he asked.

  “Yes, that would be nice.”

  He led her along the perimeter of the room.

  “People are staring because I am walking with a notorious rake,” she said.

  “They are staring because I am with the most beautiful woman in the ballroom.”

  “There are many beautiful women here, I’m sure,” she said.

  “Every man in this ballroom envies me because you are mine.”

  “I am not a possession.”

  He gave her a sultry look. “You are mine tonight.”

  Was that her heart twirling in her chest? She told herself to be sensible. Honeyed compliments rolled off his tongue. They were friends, nothing more.

  When they reached the refreshment table, Laura looked about her. The cacophony of voices grew louder.

  Lady Bonham rushed over to the table. “Do not drink the punch,” she said. “I heard that Harry poured half a bottle of rum into it.”

  Bell tasted it. “No, it is tepid.”

  Lady Bonham clapped her hand to her chest. “Oh, thank goodness. If you see Harry, tell him I will take a switch to him if he pours spirits in the punch.”

  Bell raised his brows. “That would be akin to waving a red flag at a bull.” He handed a cup to Laura and she looked out at the crowd. “Harry and Colin are coming this way.

  “I will tell Harry you poured rum in the punch,” he said.

  She waved at Bell’s friends. “He will be so disappointed.”

  “Do not worry,” he said. “My friends will not ogle you.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I claimed you.”

  She turned on him. “What did you say?”

  “I beg your pardon. It is the blood of my marauding ancestors talking.”

  “Are you feverish or do you really hear voices?”

  He leaned closer to her. “I like to hear your voice.”

  She drew in her breath. He knew exactly what to say to make her a little breathless.

  “There you are,” Harry said. “How is the punch?”

  “Lady Chesfield poured rum in it,” Bell said.

  “Ah, she is a vixen,” Colin said.

  Laura let out an exasperated sigh. “I did not pour spirits in the punch.”

  Lady Atherton brought Lord Lindmoore to Laura. “Lord Lindmoore insists he will be up in the boughs if you do not dance with him.”

  His eyes kept dipping from Laura’s face to her bosom, making her skin crawl.

  “May I have the honor of the next dance?” Lord Lindmoore said.

  “No, I have already claimed it,” Bellingham said.

  Oh, dear, he was being possessive tonight.

  “Well, perhaps the next one,” Lindmoore said.

  Harry’s eyes gleamed. “I have claimed the second dance.”

  Lindmoore regarded Bell with suspicion. “Then I will wait for the third set.”

  “Sorry,” Colin said. “I have already spoken for that one.”

  “That is perfectly fine,” Lord Lindmoore said. “I will gladly waltz with Lady Chesfield.”

  Laura thought Lindmoore had a mean expression. She did not want to dance with him. “I am sorry to disappoint you, Lord Lindmoore, but I promised the waltz to Lord Bellingham.”

  “And the midnight supper,” Bell said.

  Lady Atherton addressed Lindmoore. “You cannot say I didn’t warn you.”

  Lindmoore sniffed. “Good evening, Lady Chesfield, Lady Atherton.”

  After he left, Laura turned to Lady Atherton. “What warning did you give him?”

  She unfurled her fan. “I told him Bellingham wouldn’t let him within a foot of you. Enjoy your dances,” she said, and walked away.

  “I think this is a conspiracy,” Laura said.

  The musicians struck up the opening bars of the first country dance.

  Colin’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve been dreading this.”

  “Why?” Laura asked. “Do you not like to dance?”

  “He doesn’t like to dance with Lady Angeline,” Harry said.

  “Then why ask her?” Laura said.

  “I have no choice,” Colin said. “Our mothers insisted we dance.”

  “They were promised to each other in the cradle,” Harry said. “Their families have been planning the wedding since their birth.”

  “Colin and Angeline hate each other,” Bell said.

  “Surely not,” Laura said.

  “She is evil,” Colin said. “The last time I was forced to dance with her, she kicked me in the shin.”

  Harry leaned closer to Laura. “Angeline has not forgiven Colin for kissing her under the mistletoe.”

  “She actually wiped her mouth,” Colin said. “She is a shrew.”

  Bell pointed at a beautiful, tall brunette who stood near the dance floor. “Look, her hands are fisted.”

  “She will probably plant you a facer, Colin,” Harry said.

  “I will trip her if she does.”

  “You will do no such thing,” Laura said in an outraged voice. “I’m sure she’s a perfectly amiable young lady.”

  “To everyone but Colin,” Harry said.

  Colin muttered under his breath and strode toward the brunette.

  Bellingham offered his arm, and as they walked toward the dance floor, Laura said, “What did Colin do to make her despise him so much?”

  “I don’t know. He won’t talk about it.”

  They reached the dance floor and stood across from each other. When the music started, they crossed each other to the other side. A few minutes later, they joined hands with anoth
er couple and turned in a circle and crossed back to their original places. Laura glanced at the bottom of the queue. Angeline glared at Colin as they met in the middle, turned, and started up toward the top of the queue. Bellingham winked at Laura.

  Colin and Angeline took their places at the top of the queue. Angeline bared her teeth. When Colin blew her a kiss, Angeline rolled her eyes. Laura looked at Bellingham and he held his palms up.

  Then it was their turn to meet in the middle. He met her gaze, and she felt breathless at the seductive expression in his eyes. He set his hand on her back as they walked up the line. She told herself not to fall under his spell, but when they turned in a circle, she could not look away. In that moment, she understood that the desire between them could flare out of control if she wasn’t careful. She had to be strong, because there was something powerful between them.

  At long last, the dance ended. She took his arm, but as they strolled away, she knew that others would talk if she continued to stay by his side. “I think we should mingle—separately.”

  He grinned at her. “I have never met a rule I didn’t wish to break.”

  “If we spend the entire evening together, it will cause talk.”

  He leaned down. “I wish we could spend the entire night together.”

  She met his gaze and everything inside of her yearned to throw caution to the wind. “We are taking a risk at this moment,” she said. “I must go before we stir up gossip.” She walked away before he could say another word, because she didn’t trust herself. He was too persuasive, and he wasn’t the only one who burned.

  Laura enjoyed speaking to her new friends from the charity organization. They were all friendly and genuinely concerned for the vast number of children languishing in orphanages. She was especially taken with Mrs. Faraday, who was expecting her first child in two months’ time. But she was also gratified to learn that Mrs. Whitmeyer also had an adolescent son whom she jokingly said regularly turned into a monster for no reason whatsoever. Now Laura didn’t feel quite so bad about failing her son, knowing that other mothers faced similar challenges.

  Afterward, she went to the ladies’ retiring room to get away from the roar of the crowd and rest a bit. She found a chair, and one of the maids brought her a glass of sherry. Laura sipped the sherry and felt a bit restored. Her dealings with Bellingham were often intense. She thought of his words: I wish we could spend the entire night together.

  Despite everything that she believed in, she couldn’t help longing for his kisses and touches again. Sometimes in bed, she imagined what it would be like to make love with him. She wanted him desperately, but she was also afraid that she could never measure up to all of the women who knew how to please a man like him.

  The door opened to the sound of feminine laughter. Lady Rentworth, George’s mother, entered along with two other women. Laura studiously avoided looking at the woman. In her previous encounter with Lady Rentworth, Laura had quickly surmised that the woman thought Laura unworthy of her regard.

  Lady Rentworth’s avid gaze lit on Laura. “Well, well, if it isn’t the sweet little widow. I heard you made a conquest of Bellingham.”

  “You heard incorrectly,” Laura said. “Lord Bellingham agreed to provide guidance for my son while his guardian had duties elsewhere.”

  “I bet he did,” Lady Rentworth said. Her two friends laughed.

  Laura set her sherry aside and rose. She started past when Lady Rentworth raised her voice. “Aren’t you the lucky one? Is it true he is a superb lover?”

  “You will have to ask someone who knows.” Laura held her head high as she walked out. She could not control what others said about her, and she would not let a spiteful woman like Lady Rentworth ruin her evening.

  By the time she returned to the ballroom, Laura realized she was walking against the throng of guests. She was supposed to meet Bellingham for the midnight supper, but finding him in this crowd would prove difficult, especially from her vantage point. Yet, she didn’t want to get swept along with the crowd. She pressed past the other guests. Once, someone stepped on her foot. While it smarted, she knew it was nothing serious. All she wanted was to find a chair and wait until the crowd thinned.

  She managed to inch along the perimeter of the room and saw Bellingham. He pressed through the crowd and reached her. “I looked for you.”

  “I went to the ladies’ retiring room to rest for a bit.”

  They waited in a corner until the crowd in the ballroom emptied, save for the footmen clearing the punch bowl and glasses on the refreshment table. “Do you wish to go to the dining room?” he asked.

  “No, I just want to relax and be away from all the noise,” she said.

  He led her to a chair and sat beside her. “Better?”

  “Yes, I’m glad I found you,” she said. Then she told him what had occurred in the retiring room.

  “People will always gossip,” he said. “But I should not have pressed you again. It was selfish of me, but I want you to know that I do respect you.” He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs. “I want you to know that it is not just desire on my part. I care about you and enjoy your friendship. Be assured that I will be available for you and Justin until the end of the season.”

  He made it sound so final. “Are we to part ways forever?” she said.

  He sat back. “I will return to Devonshire this summer, and you will go home to Hampshire.”

  Her heart seemed to fall to her feet.

  “I don’t wish to mislead you or your son.”

  You already have misled us.

  “Your son needs permanence. He needs to know that my involvement is only temporary.”

  She gripped her hands hard. He meant her as well. But she couldn’t deny the truth of what he’d said. He’d never promised beyond the season. She knew it was unreasonable of her to expect more, because he’d always been clear that their relationship was based on friendship only. She’d accepted that, but now it stung her, because she didn’t want to lose him.

  “I don’t mean to sound cold,” he said. “I’ve spent far too many seasons in London surrounded by sycophants. I’ve gotten cynical about all of it: the politics, the pretentions, and the hypocrites. You encountered it tonight.” He looked at her. “You are genuine. It’s rare in the world of the ton. I sincerely want to spend time with you and Justin. I only want to make sure that I don’t inadvertently set the wrong expectations.”

  “You’ve selflessly given of your time to Justin and me,” she said in a wooden voice.

  “It’s not enough, but it’s all I’m capable of giving,” he said.

  “I think you are capable of far more.” Her voice had cracked. He’d tired of her and was ready to move on to a woman who would do anything he wanted in bed.

  “You see only what you wish to see,” he said. “Some things are irreparable.”

  She wanted to encourage him to talk about the irreparable things, but a ballroom was a poor place for a discussion of what had happened to him all those years ago when he’d lost his family. And truthfully, she didn’t want to think about the ending when she must tell him good-bye forever. If this season was all that she would ever have of him, then she must not waste it on the time that remained.

  “Perhaps we should go downstairs,” he said.

  “Yes, we should see how Colin and Angeline are faring.” She’d tried to infuse gaiety in her voice, but it sounded forced.

  “She is probably kicking his shin under the table.”

  “We do not want to miss the fun.” She didn’t let on that she felt as if a candle had guttered inside her.

  He rose and held out his hand. “Let us join the party. If we’re lucky, Harry will have poured spirits in the punch bowl, and everyone will be foxed.”

  For a moment, she considered pleading a headache and requesting a hackney to take her home. But she would ruin the evening for Lady Atherton and Bellingham. “Lady Bonham will be delighted when her ball is the most talked-about event of
the season so far.”

  She took his arm, determined to pretend to enjoy the festivities, and no matter how much she wanted to make the most of her time with him, she couldn’t forget that it was nearing the end.

  As they approached the dining room, Bell frowned at the uproar inside. “Something is amiss.”

  “We will find out soon enough.” She released his arm. “We had better sit apart to avoid the gossips.”

  He nodded. “Yes, it’s probably a wise move.” He’d noticed her crestfallen expression when he’d made it clear that his involvement with her and Justin would last only until the end of the season. It was for the best, because he’d already gotten in deep with them. She needed a forever kind of man, and he never would be.

  When they walked inside, all the voices hushed. A fork clattered on a plate. The fine hairs on Bell’s neck stiffened. He searched the crowd and saw Lady Atherton lift her brows.

  Lady Bonham hurried forward. “There they are at last. We have a special announcement tonight. How remiss of both of you to keep such a secret.”

  His heart stampeded. He looked at Laura. Her face was pale. She looked as if she would swoon.

  How the devil had word gotten out about their engagement? Was Montclief here?

  Bell drew closer to Laura and took her arm. “Be calm,” he murmured. “I will explain.” He had no idea what he would say, but he couldn’t deny the engagement, even if it wasn’t real. To do so would ruin her reputation.

  Lady Bonham cleared her throat. “Lord Bellingham, you are known for your brilliant politics, but we had no idea of your generous philanthropic efforts.” Lady Bonham turned to Mrs. Faraday. “I will let you tell the particulars.”

  Bell blinked. Philanthropy? For the past few minutes his gut had twisted over…philanthropy?

  Laura’s breath whooshed out. “Dear God, my prayers are answered,” she whispered.

  Mrs. Faraday stepped forward. “On behalf of the Society Devoted to the Care and Feeding of the Orphans, I wish to thank Lord Bellingham for his substantial donation of one thousand pounds.”

  Applause rang out.

  The orphans, he thought. He was being lauded for his contribution to the orphans. Dizzying relief filled him.