Tempting the Earl

by Wendy May Andrews

  "You express yourself very well. You must have been well tutored"

  "Yes, my lady, I was. There, you are all set," she said with obvious relief. "I do hope it meets with your approval. Will it do?" Emily asked a bit nervously.

  Lady Clara took pity on her. "As usual, Emily, you have worked wonders. Now, what shall I wear to charm the local gentry?" she asked with a laugh.

  The earl had invited some of the local families for a small soiree for the countess to greet all the neighbors at once. Emily helped the countess select a gown and the various accessories needed for the evening.

  Lady Clara was again impressed with Emily's eye for colors and fabrics. "You've been well trained, Emily. Your last mistress must have had a flair for fashion." She saw Emily flush, but the girl said nothing. The countess continued, "You are a gem. It was very fortunate for me that you were here. I am going to miss your services when Smitty finally arrives. She doesn't quite have your knack for things."

  Emily simply smiled and wished the countess a good evening.

  "You need not wait up for me tonight, Emily. It could be late. Just leave out my nightclothes, and you can deal with my gown in the morning"

  "Thank you, my lady," Emily replied as the countess swept from the room.

  A few days later the countess had just received news that her personal maid would be arriving the next day, having recovered from her indisposition, when Emily came to help her prepare for dinner.

  "Tell me, Emily, what else do you know how to do? Your good education must have prepared you for more than this. There isn't even a lady for you to attend to here at Yorkleigh most of the time."

  "That is true, my lady, but his lordship has assigned me to assist his secretary, Mr. Dale, and I also work with Henri, the gardener, whenever Mrs. Simms does not need me for something," replied Emily with quiet satisfaction.

  "You seem remarkably contented but somewhat out of place here, my dear, don't you think?" questioned the countess gently.

  "Whatever do you mean, my lady?" Emily questioned politely but guardedly.

  "Well, you are obviously well educated. Do you not want to make something more of yourself than being a housemaid for the rest of your life?" the countess questioned kindly.

  "There is nothing wrong with a life spent in service," Emily returned with dignity. Indeed, for the first time in her life she was truly proud of her accomplishments and of the hard work she was doing.

  "You are right, of course, but maybe you would rather have a bit higher position, such as a lady's companion. I could use a personal companion, now that I am aging, to help me with my various responsibilities. What do you think? Would you like to move to Rosemount with me?"

  "I don't know, my lady. I would have to think it over and ask his lordship's permission-he was so kind to give me a position when I so badly needed it. I would not want to leave him in the lurch" Emily tried to explain her hesitation while keeping her fear hidden. "I have not finished with the library either."

  "I am sure Philip won't mind, Emily, but you go ahead and think about it. I will be staying here at Yorkleigh for a while yet, so you have plenty of time to make up your mind"

  Their conversation was minimal after that as they prepared the countess for her evening; she and her son had been invited to a soiree at the squire's home.

  It was with a sense of relief that Emily saw Lady Clara off. All her duties were done until the countess returned. She could now give free rein to her thoughts about the countess' proposition. She was flattered that Lady Clara would make her such an offer and tempted by the better position.

  Companions probably do not have to wear scratchy uniforms, she thought with a bit of vanity. And in some ways she would be safer, free of improper advances from footmen and Lord Philip's friends. It was tiresome to be unprotected. As a companion she would be viewed as a higher class, protected from such advances. However, she'd be exposed to a different form of scrutiny. Her secrets might be more threatened should she accept such a position. As a maid she was nearly invisible to anyone of higher station. Oh, how she wished she could confide in someone and seek counsel on this matter.

  While she was at her wishful thinking, she thought wryly, she might as well wish time would move a bit faster. She would be so much safer once she reached one and twenty. But that was almost six months away. The pros and cons of the position with the countess chased themselves around in her mind for a long time, and finally she knew what she had to do. Lady Clara would be going to London when the Season arrived, no doubt. The king was in London. Emily knew that her sovereign could help her with her problems. She just had to stay safe for six more months. Her mind made up, Emily felt much better and briskly set to work, readying the room for the countess' return.

  "Excuse me, my lord, do you have a moment? I would like to discuss a matter with you," Emily requested meekly from the doorway of the earl's library.

  "Certainly, Emily. What can I help you with?" Philip asked calmly.

  "Well, my lord, Lady Clara has invited me to be her companion at her other home at Rosemount. I would like to accept her invitation, but I am so appreciative of the opportunity you have given me here that I do not want to accept without your permission"

  Philip felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. His first impulse was to vehemently insist that she not go; she had an obligation to him here at Yorkleigh. But he knew this was completely irrational. Have I not been spending the last few weeks trying to avoid the girl? he questioned himself in consternation.

  "It is a great opportunity for you, Emily. I am glad for you. I think it will suit you better than doing my dusting" He tried to make light of the situation, but he knew he would miss the bright young woman and the animated discussions they had occasionally enjoyed. But this was for the best for both of them. She would be in a position that suited her far more than housemaid, and he would be rid of her disquieting presence. "Thank you for your gracious consideration of my needs, Emily, but I am sure we will get along just fine if you accept my mother's offer. You may continue in your position here until she returns home, then you will accompany her," Philip concluded imperiously.

  "Thank you, my lord. I will tell her. Thank you for your time." With that Emily took herself off, berating herself for the deep well of sadness she felt at the thought of leaving the earl. You are his maid, Emily; you have no place being interested in a lord. If only we met a year from now... But, no, he would only hate me for my subterfuge. It is just silly to be sad to leave here. It will be better with her ladyship, she argued with herself as she went in search of her ladyship to accept her kind offer.

  She felt a curious mixture of nerves and excitement as she anticipated another new development in her life. She marveled that the first nineteen years of her life had been so uneventful, but the past year had been a never-ending tumult of change. She would never complain of boredom again, she thought wryly. If she came out of this safely, she would never again take anything in life for granted.

  "I am so pleased you decided to accept my offer, Emily. You will love Rosemount. If you enjoy working in the gardens here, you will be amazed when you see mine. As the name suggests, we specialize in roses. I am quite proud of them."

  "I look forward to seeing it very much, my lady," answered Emily. They were sitting together in Lady Clara's chamber discussing the duties Emily could expect to perform when they returned to the countess' main home.

  "I hesitate to ask this, not wanting to injure your feelings, but do you have any more suitable clothes, Emily? You will not have need of a uniform once you take up your new role." Being a softhearted woman, Lady Clara was sensitive to other's feelings but could not abide the thought of her companion wearing the drab uniform of a maidservant.

  "Well, actually, my lady, this is all I have. Mrs. Simms provided me with it when I arrived here," Emily replied with a shy smile. "Will this not suffice?"

  "No, Emily. As my companion you will receive guests and make visits with me. Don't fr
et," she continued after Emily's gasp of dismay. "A clothing allowance will be included with your wages. Oh, it will be such fun to dress you. My modiste will be delighted"

  Emily felt a surge of anticipation at the upcoming treat. It would be such a pleasure to have pretty clothes again. After the grime of the asylum, she did not think she would ever be vain again, but it would be nice to dress in something other than scratchy wool. Emily's daydreams of cotton, serge, and silk were interrupted by Lady Clara's gentle question.

  "Emily, I have been meaning to ask you, have you heard any of the staff speaking about Lady Maude?"

  "No, my lady. Who is Lady Maude?" Emily's curiosity was piqued by the unfamiliar name and the countess' uncharacteristic hesitance over the question.

  "She is the Viscount Sedgely's ill-bred daughter," was Lady Clara's cryptic response. "I will tell you more about her another day. I am just glad she has not been here. Things have not yet progressed to that point, thankfully." The countess was obviously troubled about the other woman, but Emily did not press her for details. They continued their discussion about life at Rosemount.

  Despite the original plan for Emily to remain a housemaid at Yorkleigh until the countess departed for Rosemount, Lady Clara enjoyed the younger woman's company so much that she cut back Emily's other duties and they spent more time together, getting Emily used to what her situation would be once they journeyed to the countess' primary residence. They developed an enjoyable routine of getting together late each morning when Emily was through with her other chores and Lady Clara was finished with her breakfast and correspondence. Emily would choose a book from the library and read to the countess while she did her stitching.

  Emily had a deep love of reading, and she immersed herself in whichever volume they had chosen, becoming completely involved with the characters, making up different voices for each one, and losing all track of time. Many in the household would stop by to enjoy the reading.

  Philip was amused to come upon a small group of servants in the hallway outside the salon where his mother was sewing. At the sight of him the assembled servants quickly dispersed sheepishly, and Philip stepped into the room to see what was going on.

  The countess smiled up at her son at his approach. "You have just missed the story, Philip," she informed him with regret.

  "So I see" He smiled pleasantly toward Emily.

  "Are you staying to visit with the countess, my lord?" questioned Emily, standing up and placing the volume on a shelf. "I could go get you some refreshments from the kitchen," she offered.

  "Thank you, that would be most pleasant," replied the earl, and Emily left them to some privacy.

  Lady Clara and Emily were in the salon doing needlepoint when the countess heaved a deep sigh.

  "What is it, Lady Clara? Something is obviously troubling you, and I would really like to help you"

  "Oh, Emily, I doubt there is anything you can do. I fear my stubborn son is going to make a terrible mistake with his life. I do not mean to sound melodramatic, but I really fear for him. Remember the other day, I asked you about Lady Maude? She is a cold, heartless shrew of a young woman. She is well born, and it is said her dowry is extensive, so you can imagine how sought after she might be on the marriage mart. But despite her popularity, I have seen how she treats the less fortunate. She can be outright cruel, especially to less assured young ladies. Lady Maude is not a diamond, but she is pretty enough, if you can look past her horrid personality. Philip is considering marriage with her. He does not need her dowry and does not even need special alliances; our estates are vast, and he is shrewd about handling his investments. The reason he is interested in her is her bloodline. It is a conceit he learned from his father: perfect bloodlines for his children. Philip's father was proud of how far back he could trace his ancestors and fostered that same pride in Philip. But Philip is taking it much further than his father ever intended."

  Lady Clara suspected that this snobbery was the reason her son reacted so strangely whenever he encountered Emily. Over the weeks of her stay at Yorkleigh she had witnessed Philip's obvious pleasure in Emily's company, then his sudden withdrawal from her whenever he realized he was enjoying her company. The countess suspected that Philip was attracted to her new companion but could not reconcile that attraction with his convictions.

  She broke from her thoughts and continued. "Philip's father and I were so happy in our marriage; I want the same thing for my son. I am convinced he will not find that with Lady Maude. But there is nothing I can do. He is a grown man who does not want to listen to his mama. The worst of it is, he wants me to throw a house party with her as the guest of honor so he can spend some time getting to know her and her family before he declares himself. I can barely tolerate the young woman, and her parents are little better. The thought of having her as guest of honor in my own home makes me feel slightly ill. The only good thing in the whole conundrum is the thought that maybe if he spends enough time with her, he will be able to see her for what she really is. I shall need to be shrewd in my selection of the other guests to show her to the least advantage, since I have already agreed to hostess the party"

  "That sounds like a wonderful idea, my lady. I can see you have given the matter a lot of thought. It is wise to go along as much as you can. I think men can sometimes do exactly what you don't want them to do just to spite you. You would certainly not want to cause a rift between you and your only son. I will help in any way I can. We shall be devious together" The two women had a chuckle as they put their heads together to plot.

  "I think it is high time we go home, Emily. I miss Rosemount, and we need to set our plans into motion. You need a new wardrobe, and we should get this house party planned and the invitations sent out. How long will you need to pack?"

  Emily laughed good-naturedly at the question. "Lady Clara, I do not own anything here at Yorkleigh, so it won't take me any time to pack. But I would be happy to help Smitty pack up your things."

  "You are such a dear. It shall be a delight to have you at my home" With that the two women set off in good humor to make the necessary arrangements for their removal to the countess' principal residence.

  "You're leaving?" Philip asked in surprise. "Well, Mother, perhaps it is just as well. I have just received a summons from His Majesty the king. He needs my help in some urgent matter. I am to report to the royal presence at the earliest opportunity. I plan to set out at first light. There are no details of what the matter is he needs me to attend to, so I have no idea how long I will be gone. I was going to suggest that you and Emily continue to make your home here, but if you are set to leave soon anyway, that is probably better."

  "Yes, my dear, I think we will try to set out tomorrow too. Not at first light, mind you," she added drolly with a slight shudder at the thought.

  `By the by, mother. I was thinking, if you are going to have Emily as your companion, we should know her surname and be calling her Miss whatever-her-name-is, shouldn't we? I never did learn her full name"

  "You are right, dear, as you so often are. I will find out from Emily on the way home. Maybe she will finally confide more of her history to me. It will help us while away the time as we journey. And by the by to you, I have decided to plan this house party you were asking of me quite soon. Where shall I send the details?" Lady Clara was of the mind that once you put your mind to something, you should just go ahead and get it done, particularly if it was going to be unpleasant.

  "Oh, thank you, Mother," he replied distractedly. "Send them to the London house. I will likely be there for a while, but if I have returned home, the staff will forward any letters here to Yorkleigh"

  "Excellent. Well, we both have preparations to make. Take care, my son. It has been lovely visiting with you. Thank you, too, for sparing Emily for me"

  "You are most welcome, Mother. My staff is your staff, as always," he replied in a tighter voice than before. "Safe travels, and I will see you at Rosemount soon"

  Emily was gazing with r
apt attention out the window, barely able to contain her excitement. Lady Clara was watching her in surprise. "Emily, why are you so intrigued with the passing scenery? Surely you must be becoming bored with the landscape; it has not changed much since we left Yorkleigh, and it is not apt to change much in the next few hours as we approach Rosemount. Tell me what you see to interest you so"

  "Oh, my lady, I am so sorry. No doubt as your companion I should be making an effort to entertain you." Emily apologized sheepishly and straightened in her seat. "I quite forgot that this would not be nearly as fascinating for you. It's just that I never did much traveling, so the sights intrigue me. You see, I arrived at Yorkleigh in the boot of the earl's carriage, so I didn't see the surrounding countryside," Emily said apologetically, blushing.

  "It's quite all right, my dear. I do not need entertainment. It was just surprising to see you so interested in what I consider so familiar. Carry on if you wish."

  "No, my lady. If you are sure the scenery shan't change too much, please tell me more about Rosemount."

  "Rosemount is a delight, Emily. I am always so happy to return after I have been away. Yorkleigh holds many precious memories for me, but Rosemount really is much more comfortable. The manor is much newer, so it is less drafty and disorganized," she explained with a chuckle. "Yorkleigh was added on to so many times that it occasionally reminds me of a rabbit warren. Rosemount is much better in that respect. You will see for yourself soon enough" The countess paused. "Before we arrive home, however, I was thinking we need to decide what to call you. Since you will officially be my companion, we need to call you something more than Emily in polite society. I will want to introduce you to the staff as well as soon as we arrive. What is your surname, my dear?"