Tempting the Earl

by Wendy May Andrews

  Unfortunately, the next day proved even more fruitless than the one before. The servants at Edenvale were wellmeaning but uninformative. The marquis and his family had not spent much time on that estate in the last few years, merely making brief visits to insure all was well there, as he had made Spence his principal residence in recent times. The servants had no idea where the young marchioness would have gone if she needed help, only pointing out what Philip already knew about-the close bond between the young woman and her old nurse.

  Again, though, they heard of a visit from the villainousseeming Lord Maximillian Woolfe. The servants of Edenvale had also put a run to him, not allowing him to poke about the estate, being highly suspicious of his intentions. Philip was growing in determination to question the man at the earliest opportunity as he wondered impotently what involvement he might have in the young lady's disappearance and why Ridley had him riding about the countryside checking on her properties.

  By that time, Philip was becoming somewhat dispirited by the endless traveling and fruitless search. The entire thing was beginning to feel like an exercise in futility, and he started to wonder if he should just give up and go home. But he was due at Rosemount in a couple of days, and the last place to look, the holding of the barony of Westland, was not too far out of the way, so he was determined to stop there on the way to the countess' house party.

  Since this route had poorer roads and fewer places to change the horses, the men were making much slower progress, and it was with heartfelt relief that they finally reached their destination late the next evening. They settled into the local inn to refresh themselves, with the intention of getting an early start the next morning to speak with the Westland servants and drive on to Rosemount.

  Their surprise knew no bounds when they drove up to the gates of Westland and were admitted by a nervouslooking butler who informed them that his lordship would be with them momentarily. Philip and his secretary waited impatiently to see which lordship would be coming to greet them.

  "Welcome to Westland, Lord Yorkleigh," rasped the voice of a man unfamiliar to Philip. He was darkly sallow with untrustworthy eyes and greasy hair and skin. He looked as if he had never worked a day in his life and was struggling to control his burgeoning waistline with a poorly concealed girdle. He emitted a slightly unpleasant odor, and Philip looked at him askance.

  Then it dawned on Philip quite suddenly who this unknown personage must be. "Lord Woolfe. What a surprise to find you here. Are you endeavoring to help us in our search for the missing Marchioness of Edenvale, Lady Emmaline?"

  Something darkly unpleasant shifted in Lord Woolfe's eyes at the mention of Lady Emmaline, but he managed to suppress it before answering Philip's question.

  "As her guardian, Lord Ridley has asked me to check on the young lady's properties to ensure that all will be well with them when she returns to her estates," he replied in an effort at reasonableness, which was belied by the evil glint in his eyes.

  Woolfe stood regarding his two unwelcome visitors, trying unsuccessfully to mask his malicious antipathy toward them. He had not met the young earl of Yorkleigh before, but he had heard of him by reputation. Despite his penchant for fast living, the young earl was known for his honesty and work ethic, both qualities Lord Woolfe regarded askance. Anyone who worked honestly was likely too slow mentally to do otherwise and was thus beneath his notice. Of course, the earl was acting as agent for the king and must therefore be shown a certain level of respect. With this in mind, Max thought hospitality would be in order.

  "Might I offer you gentlemen a light repast before you continue on your way?" His attempt at cordiality fell flat, but Philip remained polite nonetheless.

  "Thank you, Woolfe, we could use a drink. We have been on the road for quite a while. We have actually stopped by to speak with some of the servants. His Royal Highness, King George, has ordered that we speak to all the servants who may have been familiar with the marchioness or her parents," explained the earl calmly.

  At mention of the king, Woolfe's face paled even more, but he managed to hold his ground. "None of the servants here knows anything, unfortunately. I have already taken the liberty of speaking with them myself."

  "Well, that was most kind of you," replied Philip, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But we would still like to speak with the housekeeper and butler when they have a moment. And while we are waiting for the refreshments you so kindly offered us, perhaps we could ask you a few questions"

  Stymied, Max finally sat down, realizing he could not rid himself of the tenacious earl as easily as he had hoped. Philip and James also sat before beginning to probe.

  "How do you know the marchioness?"

  "I do not know the young woman very well at all. I am an old friend of her guardian, the viscount of Ridley. I had just met the ungrateful little cretin before she ran away," declared Woolfe, realizing he had an opportunity to redirect the search.

  "Why would you call her ladyship an `ungrateful cretin'? Had you performed some service for her for which she failed to show appreciation?" questioned Philip, vastly surprised by this attack on the otherwise well-spoken-of young noblewoman.

  "She had a dreadful attitude and gave my dear friend such a hard time" Realizing he could not go too far in this vein, he made another effort at reasonableness. "Of course, in her defense, she had just recently lost her parents and was perhaps misbehaving because of her grief; however, I have never seen the like of the tantrums she would throw when Edwin would not buy her all the things she demanded of him"

  "That is quite interesting, Woolfe," replied Philip. "And surprising too. All we have heard of the young woman is how well-liked she is and what a wonderful family the Marquis of Edenvale had"

  "Well, of course the servants would speak well of her. They aren't stupid. When she gets back, she could sack the lot of them if they were speaking ill of her in her absence," was Max's smooth answer to Philip's prodding.

  James, who had spent the better part of the last month researching the missing young lady and felt that he knew her better than this pompous, viperlike lord, stood up and declared, "You shut your trap! Lady Emmaline is not an ungrateful chit. Everyone from the butler down to the lowliest scullery servant has nothing but good to say. The pastor in every parish sponsored by the marchioness, as well as anyone we could find who ever knew the young woman, sings her praises. Except you. What are you hiding, my lord? If any foul deed has been happened upon her at your hand, we will ensure you get your just desserts"

  Philip wanted to applaud his usually even-tempered secretary's heated outburst and managed just barely to maintain his calm veneer as he and James walked from the room.

  Woolfe blustered but they paid him no heed. "Where are you going?" Max demanded as Philip headed out the front door. "You cannot just wander around this property!"

  "Why not? You do," was Philip's snide reply.

  Philip and James strode off in search of the housekeeper. They had a brief, equally fruitless conversation with her. The only new information they were able to glean from the woman was that Lord Woolfe had been in residence for three days and had terrorized the household. There was nothing Philip could do about that, so they had to leave the matter alone.

  After leaving Westland Manor they stopped by the manse and spoke with the local cleric. He knew little to add to what scant information they already had, aside from saying that the marquis' wife had been Baroness Westland before their marriage, and there might be a distant cousin on her side of the family who resided in London. Philip rolled his eyes in frustration that this one new possibility was back where they had started.

  Exasperated and tired, the two men set off in the direction of Rosemount and the Countess of Yorkleigh's house party.

  "How angry do you think my mother and Miss Spencer are going to be with me for being days late? They had wanted me there in advance of everyone, and now we will probably be the last to arrive. And I am the whole reason they are throwing the damn party" Desponde
nt and angry, Philip tightened his grip on the reins, and with an oath and a steady hand, he set off at a brisk pace, hoping to make it to Rosemount before nightfall.

  While the earl was busy investigating, the countess and Emily spent an enjoyable but busy few weeks tending to various responsibilities, overseeing the growth of Emily's wardrobe, and planning for the forthcoming house party. They amused themselves by devising plots to show Philip the foolishness of his pursuit of Lady Maude, congratulating themselves on the wisdom of joining forces.

  Emily had not even met the other young woman, but from the countess' description of her and for her own personal reasons, which she refused to fully acknowledge, she was more than happy to scheme with Lady Clara. The time flew by, and before they knew it, they were expecting their guests to begin arriving. Rosemount had been polished, shined, and buffed, and the air was abuzz with excitement. Rosemount hadn't been the site for an entertainment in quite some time, and all the inhabitants, from lowly scrub-boy to the gentry in the surrounding neighborhood, were thrilled at the prospects that lay before them.

  The first guests to arrive were the Waddell ladies. They were a pleasant trio, the widowed baroness and her two daughters, Jane and Ann. Lady Waddell was a plump woman with a rosy face that looked as though it would rather smile than frown. She was prepared to enjoy herself fully, and her young daughters took after her in that particular. While Jane and Ann were slightly taller and far slimmer than their mother, the family resemblance was unmistakable, and one only had to look at the mother to know how the daughters would age. Jane had darker curls than her younger sister, while Ann had the look of one who had not quite grown out of her pigtails and short dresses yet. On the whole the three ladies seemed likely to be enjoyable company, and Lady Clara was pleased to see her friend.

  The five women settled in the small salon after the Waddells had been shown to their rooms and had left the maids unpacking their trunks. Emily went to fetch the tea trolley. She didn't know any of the people being spoken about, so she found the conversation somewhat insipid.

  People should have other things to do than care about who said or did what to whom when, she thought as she was returning to the room. Although, she reasoned, the three ladies do seem pleasant enough, and nothing they said was malicious. So she determined to try to enjoy the visit.

  Emily was carefully guiding the trolley into the room when she almost tripped, shocked at the turn the conversation had taken.

  Lady Waddell was speaking. "The Regent is getting concerned-so the rumor goes-about this Lady Emmaline. Apparently she is quite an important personage," the women declared with a flourish. "She is the sole heiress to a vast fortune and multiple titles, which devolve upon the heirs general. Sadly, it seems both her parents recently died, and she was their only child. It was the dearest wish of Lord Hamptonbrook, the Marquis of Edenvale, that his daughter receive all the titles he and his wife possessed, aside from, of course, the more recent one, the Viscountcy of Ridley, which has to go to the nearest male relation. The king wants to officially confer the titles and so on upon her as the parents had wished, but she seems to be missing. Viscount Ridley claims to have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and he does not seem overly concerned, despite being her legal guardian. It is rumored that the viscountcy came with very little in terms of monetary gain, and he is holding the girl's purse strings while she is missing. He does not seem to be searching too hard for the poor girl, so the king has involved himself in the matter." She paused for a moment before turning her blue eyes, bright with excitement, upon Lady Clara.

  "Have you even heard of this Lady Emmaline? Did you know the Hamptonbrooks when they were more active in the ton, Lady Clara? It is said that the marquis and his wife had been living quite retired from society for the last many years, so no one even knows where to start looking for their poor, dear orphan. If the girl does not show up, her fortune will line the king's pockets, I'm sure. I do hope the poor girl turns up unharmed"

  During this monologue Emily had felt all the blood drain from her face. It was only the tea trolley that kept her from falling down. She felt separated from the events around her and observed distractedly that Lady Waddell was actually able to sound both concerned and thrilled at once. Emily heard Lady Clara making similarly concerned murmurs and managed to pull herself together. She was thankful all the ladies had been so engrossed with the tale that no one had witnessed her loss of composure. She dared not reveal what she knew!

  After making suitable comments about the tragic circumstances of the unknown orphan, the younger of Lady Waddell's daughters changed the subject yet again, and the chatter continued to flow. After a couple of pained moments Emily was able to compose herself enough to participate somewhat in the conversation and serve the tea without disgracing herself. Shortly after the tea was poured, the sound of carriage wheels was again heard in the driveway. Lady Clara got up to welcome the newest arrivals.

  Lord and Lady Sedgely swept into the drawing room with a distinct air of superiority and with their daughter, Lady Maude, in their wake. Their son, the Honorable Garfield, followed them slowly. He had a twinkle in his eye, as though amused by his family's attitude. Lord and Lady Sedgely oddly resembled each other in a tightlipped, narrow-eyed kind of way. Their whole family had chestnut brown hair and blue eyes and would have been most attractive if they didn't seem so unpleasant.

  Emily found herself scrutinizing Lady Maude, surprised to see that she was not even very pretty-certainly no "diamond of the first water," as the ladies Waddell would say. Emily wondered what Lord Philip was thinking to be interested in this cold-looking woman. As always, though, her sense of fairness came to the fore, and she decided the woman must have redeeming qualities. It was not right to judge by appearances, despite her predisposition to dislike the other woman. She would wait and see how Lady Maude turned out.

  While Emily looked on, Lady Clara started to make the introductions but was interrupted by Lady Sedgely, who said in a condescending voice, "Yes, we've met" Emily was shocked by the rudeness as Lord and Lady Sedgely barely greeted the Waddell ladies, and Lady Maude could only muster up an insincere "How do you do?" Only the son, Garfield, stepped forward and was warmly presented to Lady Waddell, Miss Waddell, and Miss Ann. It was obvious the "handsome" fairies were watching over him, as he was the best-looking of the entire family. Of course, his easy smile, particularly in contrast with the rigidity of the rest of his family, might have had something to do with the impression that he was so good-looking.

  Emily watched in amusement as the younger ladies blushed and twittered in greeting the young man who bowed gallantly over their hands. She was surprised when he then turned to her and greeted her in the same manner. Charming fellow, this one is, Emily thought as she allowed herself the pleasure of enjoying his company briefly. She was abruptly reminded of her place when Lady Maude shrilled, "Garfield, that's the companion, don't you know?"

  Garfield winked at Emily as he released her hand and turned to his sister and replied smoothly, "We all need companions, don't we, sister dearest?"

  Lady Maude attempted to freeze him with an icy glare, but he deflected her ire with another of his warm smiles before he turned to Lady Clara and complimented, "This is a grand, lovely estate you have here, Lady Clara. It is going to be a pleasure to spend some time enjoying your hospitality. Might I ask if there is any sport to be had in those woods yonder?"

  Lady Clara was clearly relieved that at least one member of the family was polite and easygoing. She replied, "Yes, there is game to be found there. My late husband and my son were quite fond of the hunting in these parts. There are a multitude of birds, as well as many stags to be found. You are quite welcome to venture forth and see for yourself while you are here. Lord Philip will be joining us this week, as well as some other young gentlemen who might wish to join you in the hunt"

  Then, turning to Lady Sedgely, Lady Clara continued, "Would you care to have a spot of tea to refresh you from your journey, or would y
ou rather be shown to your rooms and get settled first?"

  Lady Sedgely must have realized the terrible impression she was making on the mother of the groom she had picked out for her darling daughter, for she seemed to have a change of attitude. "Thank you so much for inviting us, Lady Clara. I do believe it would be best if we retire to our rooms first to freshen up from the travel. You know how it is when you are cooped up in the carriage for hours on end. It is enough to lay one up, isn't it?" she asked rather vaguely.

  Emily was relieved. Maybe the trio wasn't as dreadful as they seemed; they were just wearied from traveling. Lady Clara asked Emily to remain with the Waddells to see to their needs while she graciously escorted the Sedgelys to their rooms.

  Lady Waddell seemed a bit deflated from the coldness of the greeting she had received from Lady Sedgely and her family, but the girls were obviously excited about meeting the son. Their chatter soon drew Emily out, and she listened as the three ladies told her all they knew about the man.

  Jane, Miss Waddell, always the more talkative, revealed, "We had never actually met him before today. He rarely attends fashionable parties, preferring instead to be involved in all manner of sport. It is said he frequents all the gaming hells too," she said conspiratorially.

  Turning to her mother, she continued, "But he didn't really look like a rake, did he, Mama? He seemed so nice, and he is really terrible handsome, isn't he? It is so exciting that he is here. All the girls in town are going to be so jealous, aren't they, Ann?"

  Miss Ann, being very young and just free from the schoolroom, giggled. Emily shared an amused smile with Lady Waddell, who, despite her penchant for gossip, really did seem to have her head squarely on her shoulders.

  More tea was poured, and the women continued comfortably discussing who else would be arriving the next day and what activities the girls wished to enjoy during their stay at Rosemount. The majority of the guests would be arriving late that evening or the next day. After the tea was cleared away and Lady Clara had still not returned to the drawing room, the ladies decided to retire to their rooms to spend some quiet time before they had to dress for supper. They assured Emily they had all they needed and would be fine on their own until they assembled back in the drawing room before the meal.