Page 7 of A Suitable Countess (To All the Earls I’ve Loved Before #3)

Was she simply tired and overreacting? Or did her men’s clothing give her a sense of freedom to say anything that she wouldn’t when dressed as a woman? In truth, she had had enough of mysterious utterances.

She angled her body and moved her legs as far away as it was possible to go in a carriage until her knee banged against the door. “What do you mean, ‘the game’?”

“When one observes a man playing cards, he reveals more of himself than he knows. Your play was honest. You never attempted to drive the stakes so high as to inflict real losses, but you ferreted out each player’s weakness.”

“Not yours, George. I couldn’t get a read on you.”

He shrugged. “What you see is what you get.”

Viola’s annoyance, as well as her strange reaction to the intimacy of sharing the carriage with him, subsided, and her calm, rational mind reasserted itself.

“I believe you are a kind man who cares a great deal about those close to him. Your godson is fortunate to have you looking out for him. But I still do not understand why you trouble yourself with me.”

“Permit me to speak plainly then. You are not the only one who must marry. I have an aversion to being viewed as prime Sunday roast by menacing mamas. Acquiring a wife will free me from their sights, appease my mother, and fulfil my promise to her. It will also allow me to return to Africa sooner. I would call that a successful outcome, wouldn’t you? ”

“You will leave England as soon as you are married? What a joyful union that will be for your unfortunate wife.”

“I will naturally wait to secure an heir before I depart.”

“And then you will leave your wife and child?”

“That is my intention. It would be unimaginable to take them with me to the Dark Continent.”

“Why? My mother travelled with my father.”

“Leaving a grown-up family. A young child is an entirely different proposition. Dangerous animals, snakes, diseases— even native uprisings. There are numerous potentially fatal dangers there. I would not wish to expose my family to such a situation.”

“You believe my father was wrong to take my mother with him?” Viola couldn’t stop the hard edge in her voice.

“That sounded like you were condemning him for wanting to share the wonders of his exploration with his wife. There are two sides to that argument, you know. It was her choice to go or stay. She chose to go with him.”

There was a pause before George replied. “That was not my intention to condemn him. I meant only to explain my own reasons for choosing to travel alone. Perhaps if I were in your father’s shoes, I would choose differently.”

“My parents have shown me what a good and loving marriage looks like, and it is not one where my husband is not by my side. If I have the freedom to choose, mine will be similar to a man I love and who loves me enough to either stay with me or take me travelling with him. Anything less would be a disservice to myself.”

“And yet, until you won at the tables tonight, you were willing to work towards gaining a proposal from me to save your family from ruin. I do not know whether to applaud you for your sacrifice or deride your mercenary intent.”

“My lord! That was—”

“Harsh but true.” He heaved a sigh and turned his head away. “Marriage is the goal of most young people attending society balls. Why would you expect you and I to be different?”

When she married, Viola expected she would miss her loving, noisy family, but she had always imagined her husband would be there to assuage that hole in her heart. But George planned to leave on his adventures as soon as he had sired an heir.

If she were to marry George, his plan to leave his wife behind while he went off exploring meant there would be no smiling face across the breakfast table each morning, no interesting discussions, and, on top of that, she wouldn’t even have the comfort of her family around her.

Could she truly contemplate such a lonely existence?

Did she still have that choice?

Was it likely George would offer her even that shell of a marriage?

Viola was nothing if not strictly honest, even when the truth was, as George said, harsh. She had burned her bridges with him, and marriage to her would be the last thing on his mind.

Certain she had failed her family, she sighed. “You are correct. I was prepared to do what was necessary. I attended the ball hoping to catch the eye of a marriageable man.”

“And now?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like that choice is still open to me with you.”

Silence from the shadows.

Where was his vehement agreement? Surely it was impossible he would entertain offering for her now.

“Is it?”

“Are you asking if I am willing to propose, or if I can guess your state of mind?”

“The former. Clearly, the latter is impossible.”

“You are an unusual woman, Viola. And you are strong of mind, which may be a virtue in a countess. I wonder—if you were my wife, I might discover I could not bear to leave you behind.

“If I were your wife, I think you would find it difficult. I would not sit at home quietly sewing cushion covers. That is not me.”

“No, I don’t imagine it is. Do you believe you would persuade me to another course?”

“I can be very persuasive, so I am told.”

“And there are many ways one may be convinced of a course of action.”

He sounded thoughtful, and she settled back on her seat, unwilling to disturb his thinking. If she was lucky, if a miracle happened, maybe she hadn’t ruined everything.

The hoofbeats of the horses measured out the seconds of silence between them—seconds in which she scarcely dared to breathe, seconds in which they drew closer to her home and the end of their journey.

The end of every possibility with the earl.

And then he asked, “What do you say to the idea of us getting to know one another better?”

“I thought you already knew me so well.” Sarcasm laced her voice. It wasn’t wise, but for the moment, she wanted George to be on the receiving end.

Somehow, he took her snippy comment as humour, with a grace she hadn’t expected, for he laughed and leaned towards her.

“Now, now, Vi, you know what I mean. However, I think you need time to get to know whether I am truly that ‘pompous ass’ you mentioned—”

“That was a jest, George. I do not think you are one.”

“But you aren’t sure how well we will deal together, and while I am reasonably certain, I suggest we take some time to learn more about one another.”

“You aren’t cutting your losses with me?”

“No. You are unlike most women, and I would like to explore—possibilities. Explorers don’t just see something and accept it at face value. They look beneath the surface.”

Viola touched the cravat she had tied so carefully at the beginning of the evening. “Such as how a lady might dress as a man and enter an all-male establishment?”

His laugh was deep and came from his belly. “I am interested in the qualities that gave you the courage to do so. In addition, we converse easily, which I had hoped for but not expected to find, and I believe we will be compatible in other areas of day-to-day living.”

“What other areas?”

“Our desire to do well by those who depend upon us: your family, mine, and the lives of my tenants. We are both of a mind to improve their lot in life, and I believe together we can.

“Then there is the bedroom.”

Viola’s mind caught on the word and blanked out everything else.

The bedroom? Had he really mentioned—the bedroom?

Viola’s imagination latched onto the memory of his hand on her waist and the feel of his leg against hers. The heat burning through her clothing, the way their steps in the dances matched so well. And now he was talking about how well they might match in bed.

Polite society did not mention such things, nor condone discussion between unmarried couples, especially when one was an unmarried lady, and yet he had raised the subject.

While they were alone.

In a carriage.

At night.

Talking about intimate relations.

“You aren’t suggesting we—”

“No. I would not suggest such. But perhaps you are curious what it will be like to kiss me? I must confess, I would like to know just how compatible we are. A kiss would be a good way to start our investigation, don’t you agree?”

Suddenly, that was all Viola could think about. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart sped up until surely he could hear it thumping in her chest.

What would it feel like, kissing George, feeling his lips on hers, knowing that good kisses might be the prelude to more.

Whatever that more might be.

Honesty, Vi.

“I—would like to know.”

“I knew you were an explorer at heart. Come here.” He took hold of her hand and drew her across the carriage.

It rocked when she moved, and he shifted along the seat so she might sit beside him. Their thighs touched along their length.

She could feel his gaze on her, although only a faint gleam reflected in his eyes in the low light.

Dressed in men’s clothing and sitting in shadow, Viola had never felt more seen.

The moment felt ripe with possibility as George raised a hand and tipped her chin up.

Heat. Expectation. Touch.

They whirled around her as she waited for the touch of his lips on hers. And then—

Soft and enticing as sin, his lips brushed hers once, twice. Hers parted, and Viola was lost in his kiss.

Which continued until the carriage pulled up in front of her home.

He insisted on escorting her to her door but refrained from bowing and left her with a promise they would continue their exploration the following afternoon with a ride in the country.

Viola murmured, “I look forward to it, George,” before climbing the stairs to her bedroom.

If she was going to marry to save her family, George had much to recommend him.

He knew enough of her circumstances that the burden of hiding it was lifted from her shoulders, and she could be more herself.

He might still want to travel, but she would persuade him to take her with him, by whatever means necessary.

If that involved more kissing, she would be very happy.

Touching her lips, she decided she was going to enjoy getting to know him better.

Enjoy learning how to persuade him.

Enjoy exploring with him.

Exploring him.

Her lips tipped up in a broad grin.

Sin really shouldn’t feel so good.