What the Earl Needs Now (The Earls Next Door Book 2)

by Michelle Willingham

  Before she could take another step, one of the drunken men stumbled into her. The Irishman was a large bearded man, and he reached for Lily, leaning in. “Here, now. You’re a pretty thing. Come on and give us a kiss.”

  Without thinking, Matthew shoved the man away from her. The raw urge to protect Lily overshadowed all else. Leave her alone.

  The drunken man lunged at him, and Matthew dodged a blow to his stomach. In an instant, the world appeared to slow down, and his surroundings blurred. His hands curled into fists, and he struck the man hard, welcoming the crunch of bone and bruised skin.

  “Matthew!” Lily cried out.

  He was dimly aware of men cheering while someone cried out for him to stop. But truthfully, it felt good to defend her honor. He was fully in command of his senses, and within seconds, the drunkard was lying face down on the ground, unmoving.

  He hadn’t fought in months, but a surge of righteousness filled him. No one would harm Lily while she was under his protection.

  Yet somehow, she appeared terrified at his actions, frozen with fear.

  “Lily,” he said quietly. “It’s all right. He won’t harm you.”

  But when she took a step back, he realized that she had not been afraid of her attacker—she’d been afraid of him.

  “I should go,” she said. And before he could reassure her that he’d been fully in command of his senses, she had disappeared into the house. He could have pursued her, but he didn’t want her to feel threatened in any way.

  No, she hadn’t understood what had truly happened this night, but for him, it marked another step forward. He was not trapped within a world of harsh visions and torture—instead, he had begun to move on.

  And it felt good to be whole once again.

  London

  Lily sat by the fireplace in her bedroom, books scattered on the floor all around her. She had been reading about how to concoct an infusion of chamomile. A knock sounded at the door, but before she could rise from the hearth to answer it, the door swung open. Her grandmother never bothered to wait on a reply before she entered.

  “Lily, why are you on the floor? Ladies do not sit before the hearth unless they are scullery maids.”

  “Hello, Grandmother.” She stood and kissed Lady Wolcroft on the cheek. “I did not expect you to come calling.”

  “I live here from time to time, if you have forgotten.” The older matron chose a chair and sat down. “Now then. I have accepted an invitation for you to attend Lady Falsham’s supper party. It will be an intimate gathering, and she has promised to invite several eligible gentlemen.”

  Lily sighed. “Grandmother, I am not going to be married.” She had made up her mind not to wed again.

  “Nonsense. Of course you will. We simply have to find the right man for you to manage. Someone handsome, of course. And wealthy. A marquess or a duke, perhaps. I still believe Lord Davonshire would make an excellent match.”

  “After Father died and Mother was struggling to make ends meet, he wasn’t so eager to wed,” she pointed out.

  “Only because he was a young man who wasn’t ready yet. But he may have changed his mind.”

  She couldn’t quite bring herself to agree with her grandmother. The thought of being courted by any other man troubled her. Lily stood by the glowing coals of the hearth. “I need time to get over Matthew.”

  Mildred shrugged. “He’s no longer suitable for you, and you know it.”

  “I suppose you heard about the fight that broke out at Rose’s wedding.” Undoubtedly that was one of many reasons why her grandmother did not approve.

  But to her surprise, Mildred laughed. “It was indeed entertaining. I will grant Lord Arnsbury that—he did defend your honor from that drunken lout.”

  “I had never seen him fight like that before. I was afraid he would kill the man.”

  “Oh, fiddlesticks. He knew precisely what he was doing.” Her grandmother straightened in her chair. “No one else bothered you after that, did they?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I left the celebration and went back to my room.”

  “Oh, yes. You didn’t hear about all the Irish women swooning over Lord Arnsbury.” Was her grandmother actually. . .defending Matthew? She had no reason for it, especially given her desire to match Lily with someone else.

  “Half of the ladies were throwing themselves at him,” Mildred finished. “Offering to kiss his bruises and all that nonsense.”

  A strange ripple of jealousy took hold. “And what did he do about it?”

  “Why should you care? He’s not your concern anymore. You’re going to find a man who is dull and terribly wealthy. Who would want the excitement of a man brawling over you?”

  Was it her imagination or was her grandmother’s tone somewhat ironic? Lady Wolcroft smiled serenely. “Now then. You will attend the supper party and find someone else. Believe me when I say it is for the best.”

  “I intend to be a spinster, Grandmother. I will be perfectly content wedded to my books.”

  “Not if I have aught to do with it.” Lady Wolcroft stood and regarded her. “You have a romantic heart, Lily. You were never meant to be unmarried, and well you know it.”

  She could give no answer to that. But she sensed that her grandmother had set forth a strategy to do battle.

  Heaven help her.

  After he returned to England, Matthew began immersing himself in the estate ledgers, seeking ways to occupy his time. There was a mountain of correspondence he’d neglected since his return from India, which gave him a purpose.

  He noticed that they had received several letters from a woman named Sarah Carlisle. He had no notion of who she was, but there were at least six letters from her, all sent within the past year.

  He slit open the first letter and was about to read it when his mother interrupted with a knock upon the open door. She strode into the room in a swirl of blue skirts. “Matthew, you really ought to venture out of this study,” Charlotte bade him. “Your cousin Juliette is hosting a supper party this evening.”

  Matthew winced at the thought. “I hardly think it would be wise. I am not interested in anyone’s company just now.”

  “You have a seat in Parliament,” his mother pointed out. “And you must try to take your place in society. It is your responsibility as the earl.”

  Then she sent him a pointed look, adding, “It is also your duty to marry a young lady from a good family and sire an heir.”

  Matthew could not imagine how his mother could come up with such a suggestion. “I am hardly fit to marry any woman.”

  She moved closer and touched his arm. “But each day grows a little easier, does it not?”

  He didn’t know how to answer that. “I need time, Mother. Just leave me be.”

  Charlotte let out a quiet sigh. “Lily’s grandmother wants her to find a new suitor and marry. I understand your cousin Adrian intends to court her.”

  The idea of Lily dancing with Adrian made him tense. Or any other man, for that matter. He struggled to force back the possessive thoughts he had no right to. “My cousin would not be an appropriate match for her.”

  “Then you had best attend the gathering and stop him, hadn’t you?” With a smile, his mother departed the study.

  She had known precisely how to aim her arrow, and it had struck true. He had given Lily time and space, but he found that he missed her company. Was it worse to remain here in this house or to see her with another man? He had no answers to that.

  By way of a distraction, he picked up one of the letters from Sarah Carlisle and read it. Then he blinked and read it again. Five hundred pounds? This woman expected him to pay her such a vast amount? And what was she talking about, protecting his secrets?

  This was blackmail, pure and simple. His mood darkened when he opened the second letter and then the third. All of them repeated her demand for five hundred pounds.

  But there was one portion of her note that stopped him cold. Your father and I had an arrangeme
nt. See that you keep it.

  Had his father been paying this woman an ungodly sum over the years? For what purpose? His mood grew grim when he wondered if they had indulged in an affair. A rush of resentment filled him at the thought. He had always idolized his father, believing there was no better man.

  He tossed the letters onto the stack, promising himself he would think no more upon it. There was nothing this Sarah Carlisle could do, now that his father was dead.

  And he had no intention of discussing any of this with his mother.

  For nearly half an hour, Matthew stood on the outskirts of the room, wishing he hadn’t come. Although his mother had demanded that he attend Cousin Juliette’s gathering, he preferred to remain apart from the others.

  Yet, when Lily arrived with her mother and grandmother, she studied him with a strange expression before she crossed the room.

  Her brown hair was braided in a soft updo with a few flowers tucked in the strands. She wore a light-rose gown with two flounces trimmed with lace. But as she drew closer, he saw that her attention was caught by something on the floor behind him. He turned and saw Beast crouched upon the floor.

  “What on earth?” Matthew couldn’t imagine how the kitten had managed to stowaway and sneak into Lady Falsham’s ballroom.

  “Did you bring a guest?” Lily asked, reaching down to pick up the kitten.

  Beast purred, and Matthew ruffled the animal’s ears. Her expression held amusement, and he shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea how he got here.”

  She studied him, her hazel eyes softening. “Perhaps he crawled into your coat pocket and slipped out when the footman took it from you.”

  “I think I would have noticed if there was something moving in my pocket.” He plucked the animal from Lily’s hands and set it upon his shoulder. The kitten began nudging his face, and she laughed.

  It reminded Matthew of the first night he’d seen Lily, all grown up as a young lady. It had been years since then, but he was still fascinated by her, perhaps now even more so. And there had been a runaway cat, even then. He smiled at the memory.

  “Well, however he got here, we’ll have to make sure your Beast gets home safely.” As if in answer to Lily’s suggestion, the animal began crawling down his frock coat.

  He noticed that she had relaxed her demeanor around him, and he answered her smile with his own.

  “You’re in trouble now,” she warned.

  When the kitten hopped down, he saw Beast trotting toward the guests. His cousin Juliette was approaching, and Lily offered, “I’ll go and get him before he’s trampled.” She excused herself and hurried after the animal.

  His cousin met his gaze with a warm smile, oblivious to the kitten. “It was so good of you to come this evening, Matthew. We haven’t seen enough of you as of late.” He tried to manage a smile, and she teased, “I am certain Charlotte had to drag you here, didn’t she?”

  “Indeed.” He narrowed a glance at Lily, who was following the kitten as he moved toward the center of the ballroom. She looked ready to pick up her skirts and pursue the animal but was trying not to be too obvious. Instead, she walked slowly toward the kitten, as it disappeared behind the guests.

  “Well, I intend to steal you away for a moment.” Juliette linked her hand in his arm and brought him over toward the far side of the room. Matthew sent Lily a silent plea for help, and she nodded, her gaze turned downward to search the floor for the kitten.

  He could only imagine the horrified screams, if Beast happened to attack the skirts of any young ladies. Though the animal was quite a handsome feline, the element of surprise would make any woman screech.

  “Are you feeling better?” Lady Falsham asked, in all seriousness. Her green eyes held concern, and she added, “Your wounds seem to be healing.”

  “They are.” He glanced back toward Lily, who was standing still in the middle of the ballroom. From her posture, it appeared that she’d trapped the kitten beneath her skirts.

  “And what of Lady Lily?” his cousin prompted. “Have you renewed your friendship?”

  “We have,” he said, though he didn’t know if Lily was still frightened of him. At the moment, he was grateful that she was trying to prevent the Beast from being trod upon. When he glanced back at her, he saw that her face was flushed. People were beginning to stare, for she was standing in the middle of the room for no apparent reason.

  “That’s good,” Lady Falsham said. “Her grandmother hopes that she will marry. I know Lady Wolcroft has her heart set upon Lord Davonshire, but I think you might have a chance if you gave her a reason to hope.”

  An older gentleman had caught sight of Lily and was approaching now. Matthew saw no choice but to rescue her swiftly. “An excellent idea, Cousin. In fact, I believe Lady Lily promised me the next dance. If you will excuse me.” He bowed, not giving her the chance to stop him.

  The older man approaching Lily was portly, and he lifted his hand to her in a wave. It was Lord Tyson, a widower who had fourteen grandchildren at last count.

  Matthew saw the amused looks on the faces of the bystanders, and he crossed to Lily’s side quickly before Lord Tyson could reach her.

  “The Beast is under my skirts,” she said. “I can’t move or he’ll escape.”

  “What do you want to do?” Matthew couldn’t exactly kneel down and peer under her gown to find the creature.

  “Pretend as if we are in a conversation, and I’ll crouch a little lower to keep him from escaping. With any luck, he’ll stay imprisoned by my petticoats.”

  “Lady Lily!” Lord Tyson smiled broadly as he reached them. “You look simply beautiful this evening. I know you must be itching for a dance.”

  “Thank you, Lord Tyson, but I intend to sit out the next set.”

  His smile didn’t diminish at all, but he withdrew an ear trumpet from his coat pocket. “What was that?”

  She raised her voice slightly and answered, “I said I prefer not to dance.”

  His face furrowed, and he inquired again, “What did you say?”

  This was getting out of hand. Matthew took Lily’s arm, and said, “I am escorting the lady back to her mother, Lord Tyson.”

  “Whatever for?” He appeared genuinely puzzled.

  “Please excuse me, Lord Tyson.” Lily crouched down in a mock curtsy and kept her skirts trailing along the ballroom floor.

  “I am in need of a wife, you know!” he called out. But she pretended not to hear him, shuffling across the floor.

  Matthew led her away and inquired, “How long have you known this man?”

  “I met him two days ago.” She placed her hand in the crook of his arm, trying to hurry him along. “Let us go to the terrace, and then I’ll lift my skirts for you.”

  He couldn’t stop his smile at her remark. “That sounds scandalous, Lady Lily.”

  She blinked a moment and then laughed. “You know what I meant.” As they continued walking toward the doors leading outside, she continued dragging her skirts. Then abruptly, she stopped walking. Her face paled, and she pursed her lips together.

  “What is it?”

  “He’s crawling up my petticoats.” Lily winced, and he knew there was no choice but to get her outside quickly. Unfortunately, there were other guests milling about the gravel pathway.

  “I’ll help you.” He led her outside, and Lily hurried with him. There were lanterns hung around the small walled space, lighting the darkness.

  “Oh, heavens, his claws are like needles.” Her face wrinkled, but she reached toward her right hip and tried to grasp the fabric. “Help me, Matthew.”

  They moved toward the furthest corner, and he said, “Face the wall. I’ll try to find him.”

  “You cannot go rummaging through my skirts in front of everyone,” she hissed. “Ow, ow, ow. Let go, Beast.”

  He saw the bulge of silk and said, “Trap him there, against your hip. I’ll kneel down and try to get him out. If you keep your skirts wide, I should be able to reach underne
ath and seize him.”

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she protested. “Someone will see you.”

  “Would you rather I stand in front of you while you search?”

  She gave a slight shriek, clapping her hands over her mouth. Then she began shaking her skirts, hopping on one foot, then the other. A moment later, a ball of fur came bolting out from beneath her skirts. Matthew dove for the kitten and seized him. “Not so fast, Beast.” He managed to grasp the animal, and then sat up on the gravel path.

  Lily’s shoulders were shaking, and she was laughing so hard, tears came to her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I know I shouldn’t laugh, but he’s so mischievous. I still cannot believe he managed to follow you here.”

  The sound of her laughter was infectious, and he could not help but laugh as well. Never had he imagined he would be sitting on gravel at a social gathering, holding a runaway kitten. Lily’s laughter warmed him, and he stood, holding fast to Beast. “Perhaps he missed seeing you.”

  Her face softened, and he was caught by the flush upon her cheeks. In the lantern light, her eyes were bright, and he was transfixed by the beauty of her face. “I might have missed him, too,” she murmured. “It’s good to hear you laugh again, Matthew.”

  He held out the kitten to her, and she stroked his ears. Her fingertips brushed against his, and the slight touch sent a flare of interest through him.

  It was a new beginning, he decided. And one that held promise.

  When Lily arrived back at the carriage, she adjusted her wrap against the chill. The autumn air had turned bitter, and her mother was chattering endlessly about the supper party and the dancing. She stepped inside with the help of her footman and slid onto the leather seat, half-listening to Iris’s exclamations.

  They drove through the streets, and her mother asked, “How is Lord Arnsbury? I saw him walking with you in the garden.”

  “He is improving with each day.” And she admitted to herself that she had enjoyed seeing him again, in spite of the kitten’s mischief. Matthew had remained at the ball, after giving Beast into the care of his footman with instructions to take him home.