Tempting the Earl

by Wendy May Andrews

  Ann looked as if she wanted to burst into tears, and Jane was blushing deep scarlet at the thought of disgracing herself in front of the company. Emily had been one of the few to witness the earlier exchange and knew what was going on. She took a hand, earning herself an icy glare from Lady Maude. "I have heard that the two of you sing a beautiful duet. Why don't I accompany you on the pianoforte while you sing for us? Maybe if you sing something familiar, we can all join in. That will be fun for everyone, don't you think?"

  The two young ladies agreed enthusiastically and smiled at Emily in gratitude as she took Maude's place. "Thank you for such a wonderful idea, Lady Maude" Emily couldn't keep herself from goading the girl, earning herself a fierce glare. It took all her control not to laugh with glee as she saw that Philip had noticed the exchange and was watching them with a puzzled look. She tossed him a smile before conferring with the two girls. They selected a lively tune, and the girls proved that the rumor was true. While they could barely play a note, they sang beautifully, almost like the angels Lady Maude had claimed to imitate.

  Soon others joined in, and all had a good time. Lady Arabella and Miss Thorpe also took turns practicing their skills at the keyboard, while Lady Thorpe sang a hauntingly beautiful aria, much to everyone's delight.

  After that one song Emily had played with Jane and Ann, she had not returned to the pianoforte. She had quietly mingled with the guests, ensuring everyone's comfort. Philip couldn't help but notice how indispensable Emily had become to his mother. He admired her gentle dignity as she made sure each guest had just what he or she needed.

  As the evening progressed, Emily could feel Lady Eastwick's gaze following her. Whenever their eyes met, Emily tried to smile at the woman, but it was becoming a strain on her nerves. Philip again noticed the stress she was under, and as everyone was saying their good nights and heading off to bed when the evening drew to a close, he asked Emily to meet him in the library if she had a moment.

  Emily waited until everyone had disappeared up the stairs before she knocked softly on the library door. Philip opened it himself and stepped back to allow her to enter. He stood very near after he closed the door, watching her closely. Emily became a little nervous from the scrutiny. "You wanted to see me, my lord?" she questioned.

  "Yes, Emily," he answered her softly. "I can see that the others are speculating about you, and it is obviously bothering you. Why do you keep your background such a mystery? It doesn't really matter where you come from. Whatever happened to you in the past is done and gone" As he spoke, he remained near her, and Emily could feel his warm breath on her cheek as he continued in a low tone. "You are safe now here with my mother and me. Do you need our help in some way? You know we would give it to you. My mother is ever so fond of you, as am I."

  Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes at his kindness. She could not answer his questions, but she was deeply touched by his concern. She was determined to be strong and look after herself, though his kindness tempted her to lay her burdens at his feet and accept some assistance for a while. She resisted, but she nonetheless felt herself fall a little bit more in love with him and was powerless to stop it.

  When he saw her tears, Philip was moved. He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Ah, Emily, don't cry, please. I hate tears. I will do anything, but please don't cry." He leaned over her upturned face and gently pressed his lips to hers. As kisses went it was almost chaste, but Philip was powerfully attracted to Emily, and she had never been kissed before. They both reacted strongly, pulling away from each other. Philip was at a loss for words, the act was so out of character for him. Emily blinked at him with wide eyes and then swept him a deep curtsy, distancing herself from him emotionally, reminding them both of the obvious gulf between them.

  "Thank you for wanting to help me, my lord. I realize you caused the distraction at dinner with your wine to get Lady Eastwick to stop questioning me. It was very gallant of you. But I will be fine. I have my own reasons to hold on to my secrets, and I appreciate your respecting that. Everyone will be leaving soon, and things will get back to normal. And thank you for trying to comfort me; I think I am just overwrought from being so busy and a lack of sleep. For that reason I ought to be in bed right now. Good night, my lord" Emily again swept a deep curtsy before stepping to the door.

  "Emily, wait" Philip wanted to detain her, but he didn't know what else they could say. Emily turned inquiring eyes upon him, but when he hesitated to say any more, she again said good night and quietly left the room.

  Philip remained behind as she closed the door with a quiet but final-sounding click. He stood staring at the thick door with his fists clenched as feelings of impotence flowed through him. Why can't I feel this attraction for Lady Maude? he questioned himself in bewilderment. She would clearly make a most acceptable countess. But the thought of her now turned him cold, while all that he felt for his mother's companion ranged from warm to white hot. He shook his head to rid himself of his conflicting emotions as he walked to the brandy decanter to wash them away.

  Emily was relieved to gain her chamber without encountering anyone along the way. She sat at the dressing table deep in thought as she took down and brushed out her hair. She knew now that she loved the earl deeply. Unfortunately, according to his mother, he still professed a desire to marry Lady Maude, while she herself was still living a servant's life. And, despite her growing feelings for him, she did not fully trust him. She knew she could not believe everything Edwin had told her, but he had struck fear deep into her heart, and she knew the only one you could truly rely on was yourself. Once she had a plan, maybe then she could turn to Philip. It pained her to know he could kiss her so sweetly without truly having any deep feelings for her.

  It was in a very troubled state of mind that Emily slipped into slumber. Her dreams were clouded by images of Lady Eastwick's piercing eyes following her while she watched Lord Philip kissing Lady Maude. Emily awoke the next morning feeling slightly subdued and not at all rested. She picked her most cheerful gown of buttercup yellow to brighten herself up before going to Lady Clara's chamber.

  "Good morning, Emily. You're up and about early and looking radiant in your lovely yellow gown. How are you this morning?"

  Emily was a firm believer that if you told yourself you were fine, yourself would have to believe it, so she put on a bravely cheerful face, and said, "I'm fine, thank you, Lady Clara. How did you sleep? Will you be going to break your fast downstairs this morning?"

  "Oh, Emily, I don't know if I can bear it. I think I will send Smitty down to the kitchen for a tray for me. Would you mind checking on things there for me?"

  "It would be my pleasure, my lady," Emily lied graciously. "Do you have a preference as to what activities we should do today?"

  "I have asked Cook to pack a picnic lunch for everyone. We could go to the old abbey ruins and see the sights. We older ones can drive over in the buggy with the baskets and footmen, while the younger set can ride. Everyone will be happy to get out of the house, and I know you are eager to be on that horse again"

  "Oh, my lady, that sounds like a wonderful scenario"

  "Run along and check on the breakfast room, and please pass the message that we will be leaving around the noon hour."

  "Yes, my lady. I shall see you then"

  By quarter to twelve o'clock all who would be joining in the fun that day had assembled in the front hall. The young ladies wore becoming riding habits with jaunty hats set at rakish angles upon their brows. The older set had caught the excitement as well and were prepared to enjoy themselves. Emily could barely contain her glee at the thought of riding again. It was one of the biggest joys in life in her opinion, and she could hardly wait to get started. In her excitement she again caught Lady Eastwick's sharp gaze trained upon her, but she merely smiled at her before turning her back, busying herself with preparations.

  Everyone went out front to wait for the mounts the grooms were leading forward. Emily was already in love with the gentle
horse provided for her by Lady Clara. She had not been riding much of late and was happy for the horse's calm nature.

  Lady Maude caught Lord Philip taking in the spectacle of a happy Emily in her element, and a green haze floated before her eyes. How dare that simpleton of an earl pay more attention to the hired help than to me? she thought contemptuously. I'll show them both, she continued viciously as she came up with a plan she thought would be effective.

  The group on horseback set out closely clumped at first. They had just begun to spread out when Emily found herself unexpectedly at the front of the pack. She had just turned in the saddle to make sure the younger girls were keeping up when Lady Maude brought her crop down on the rump of Emily's mount. The surprised animal took off like a shot, almost unseating Emily in its fright. Her grip on the reins had been loose, and they were pulled from her hands as the horse stretched out into a gallop. Emily grabbed the mane and regained her balance.

  Philip saw the entire byplay and felt his heart lodge in his throat at the danger Emily was in. His anger toward Lady Maude knew no bounds, and he felt an urge to take his crop to her in turn, but he caught himself just in time. The others were crying out in dismay as he urged his high-spirited horse into a gallop to chase after Emily.

  By the time he caught up with her, Emily had lost her hat and most of her hairpins, and her glorious blond curls were streaming out behind her. She had regained the reins by the time he pulled up beside her. He was amazed to hear her gleeful laughter ring out as she bent over her horse's neck and urged it to an even faster pace as tears streamed down her cheeks from the wind whipping across her face. They raced neck and neck across the open field, reveling in the joy of being alive. Emily could feel her poor horse tiring, so she pulled back on the reins slightly as they neared the edge of the field. They slowed down to a canter, and Emily's laughter rang out again.

  "That was the most exhilarating ride I have enjoyed in years!" she declared triumphantly.

  "Have you gone mad?" demanded an outraged Philip now that he realized she was safe. "I was terrified you were going to be injured! Where did you learn to ride like that? If you weren't such an excellent horsewoman, you could have been seriously hurt or even killed. I could ring that woman's neck!" he concluded angrily as he realized who should be the true target of his ire. It crystallized in his heated mind that he would never be able to make Maude his countess, and he was at a loss as to what to do about his tumultuous feelings.

  "Lord Philip, I'm all right. No harm done, see? Yes, it was a ridiculously stupid thing for Lady Maude to do, but no harm was done. As it turns out, I am an excellent rider," she concluded laughingly. "So she was foiled. Now let's go back and show the others I am fine. Poor Miss Ann is probably in hysterics by now," Emily surmised accurately.

  When she and Philip found the others, it was a scene of chaos as Lord Marsden and Jane were trying with little success to comfort Ann, and Garfield was chastising Lady Maude. The Thorpe family and the rest of the group on horseback had turned their backs on Maude, visibly shunning her for the dangerous thing she had done.

  Emily immediately dismounted and took Lady Ann in her arms. Lord Garfield met Lord Philip's eyes valiantly and took responsibility for his sister's vicious actions.

  "I sincerely apologize for Maude's stupidity. If you would like, I can escort her back to the house, and we can pack up and be gone from your premises once our parents return"

  Maude made a sound of distress but did not contradict her brother. She seemed to realize that this time she had gone too far. Lord Philip could see that even she was shocked by what she had done.

  "That will not be necessary, but please keep an eye on her. And keep her away from the other young ladies," was Philip's verdict, despite the disgust he now felt toward the woman.

  He turned to see Emily comforting the younger ladies and wiping Ann's cheeks with her own handkerchief. What an amazing woman, he thought. He heard her gathering the young women to continue their day as she twisted her hair back into place and returned her hat to its previously jaunty state.

  "Come along, ladies. I am perfectly fine. No need to worry. This little incident shall certainly not ruin our day. Lady Clara's feelings will be deeply hurt if she finds out we aren't enjoying ourselves. My lords, please assist the ladies to mount back up. Let's not waste any more of our precious time on such a beautiful day. If we do not hurry, your parents shall eat the entire picnic without us" At that droll comment, Jane, Ann, and Julia finally broke into laughter, and the crisis passed.

  Even Lady Maude was forced to admire Emily's fortitude and good nature. Lord Garfield had already lost his heart to Miss Spencer; he marveled at her strength of character and cheerful spirit. No woman in his life had ever had such a marvelous spirit. Lord Marsden told a witty joke, and the camaraderie returned to most of the little group. Most studiously ignored Lady Maude, and she held herself icily apart from everyone, not even deigning to speak to her brother. They all became determined to enjoy the day.

  The day concluded successfully. The picnic had been a delight, and everyone had enjoyed exploring the old ruins. After the picnic, the older guests and Lady Maude returned to the manor to rest before dinner, and the younger crowd rode down to the village to take refreshment at the inn. All returned Rosemount in high spirits.

  Over dinner Emily was discomfited by the scrutiny she was again subjected to by some of the guests. Everyone was still curious about the countess' companion, especially after hearing of what she had endured that afternoon.

  A subdued Lady Maude remained coldly silent. Her parents had seemed embarrassed when they met up with Emily in the drawing room before dinner, uncertain whether to apologize for or ignore what had happened. Emily graciously smoothed over the moment by taking Lady Sedgely's hand and asking if they had had a pleasant ride back to the estate. Lady Sedgely squeezed her fingers in reluctant gratitude, made some comment about the weather, and moved on to speak with someone else.

  The next day passed pleasantly and uneventfully. The ladies spent the morning in genteel activities such as needlework or letter writing, while the gentlemen returned to the hunt. In the afternoon everyone participated in lawn sports. Dinner went smoothly, and cards, games, and more music enlivened the evening.

  Emily was relieved that the end of the week was almost reached. As she sat in her room that night, she reflected on the various relationships that seemed to be developing among the guests. She had chosen to be a spectator as ten of the young guests engaged in a vigorous game of crocquet while the elders took a turn in the gardens. James had sacrificed himself to try to entertain the ignored Lady Maude while Lord Philip was busy with estate matters.

  Emily had found it fascinating to see the young men and women pairing up. Despite his difference from his haughty family and his respectful attention to her, Lord Garfield couldn't help but be discouraged by her lowly position. The quietly refined Lady Arabella, however, was also to his liking. He seemed to bask in her restful, cheerfully kind warmth. They joined in a friendly competition with Dolph and Jane, who had struck up a mild flirtation. Tony and Julia were on very friendly terms, which left the young Viscount Eastwick to team up with Ann, while Lord Brooke partnered his brother-in-law's sister and watched jealously as Lady Arabella enjoyed Garfield's company.

  Emily smiled as she thought of young Ann practicing her newly developed social skills on the easygoing lord. With a much quieter sister, he seemed to find her artless chatter vastly amusing and responded in kind to her.

  It seemed as if most of the young ladies were simply practicing for the upcoming Season, but it looked as though a serious relationship was budding between Jane and Lord Sutherland. Emily had been pleasantly surprised to see the quiet young man engaging in lengthy conversation with the bubbly Miss Waddell. As it turned out, the young baron was actually quite intelligent despite his penchant for sporting activities and his lack of conversational skills. Emily was surprised to find there was truth to the expression that still
waters ran deep. There might be a match in the future for the young couple.

  Emily reflected on the conversation she had overheard that afternoon. Jane was attempting to draw the young baron out with leading questions. "So what is Sutherland like, my lord? Is it very far from London?"

  "Sutherland is a beautiful estate about three hours' ride from London. It's not overly large, since it is not a terribly old title, but the house is really quite comfortable. I have a few excellent tenants that have been with my family for generations, and everything runs quite smoothly."

  "Oh, you must be kept so busy," was the admiring reply from Jane.

  "Wasn't your father a Baron? His workload would have been quite similar," Adolphus said gently.

  Jane had looked uncertain before replying. "My father died many years ago. When he was alive, he had a steward who did much of the work on our estate, and after he died, my mother kept the steward on, and he now does all the work. I am not actually even sure what goes into the running of an estate, so I am ever so impressed that you actually do it yourself."

  The baron appeared pleased by her praise but replied modestly. "My father and grandfather set up excellent routines, so Sutherland almost runs itself-unlike the estate I am expected to inherit from my uncle, the Earl of Vale. It is such a drafty old place, I shudder to think of the restorations I will have to make when it comes into my hands. I'm quite fond of my uncle, and he's got several good years left, so I shouldn't worry about it too much, should I?" He then looked seriously at Jane and continued proudly, "I think you would really like Sutherland, Miss Jane. I would like to show it to you someday."

  Jane had blushed prettily and murmured an unintelligible reply before the two moved out of Emily's earshot. Emily surmised that an offer for Jane's hand would not be too far in the future if things progressed along the same vein. That would be just as well. If Jane was promised to someone, it would make the upcoming Season easier for Ann.