Page 9 of An Earl Most Inconvenient (Regency Mishaps #2)

CHAPTER 9

D iana hurried through the familiar corridors of her family home. The sun hung low in the sky, the afternoon drawing to a close, and the orange light cast a warm hue over the estate. The air was thick with the scent of leather and aged wood, and it smelt like home. Her visit to Cecilia had been enjoyable, but as Diana settled down at her desk in the parlor, the weight of responsibility settled heavily upon her shoulders. Her father’s ledgers awaited her attention, and she knew that she had to make some progress today, before a meeting that was planned with the steward the following day. He would want to know their plans to improve the situation, and he was a man who was fond of detail. She tossed her bonnet onto a nearby chair and rolled up her sleeves, ready to dive into the figures that dictated their lives.

As she settled down and began to focus on the task in hand, she reflected on their dwindling finances. The situation seemed to be deteriorating, and she was not sure why. Her father was increasingly leaving the details up to her, and she felt that she had no choice but to try to manage everything as best as she could. But the estate had seen better days, and there was not much money left. She tried not to think about what they would do if it ran out completely.

As the time passed, the numbers blurred before her eyes as she tried to focus. She was lost in the labyrinth of columns and calculations when the unmistakable sound of the parlor door opening dragged her back into the present.

To her astonishment, she looked up and saw Tristan standing there, framed by the doorway like a figure out of a painting. His presence filled the space, commanding yet casual, as he leaned against the wall with an air of nonchalance. The sunlight streaming through the window caught in his hair, making it shine.

“What are you doing here?” Diana questioned, jumping up from her chair, a mixture of surprise and irritation taking her over. She felt her cheeks flush as she took in his appearance, and the confidence in his stance. Had he no shame whatsoever, to just barge into her room like this, without even knocking?

“I came to see Lady Grace,” he replied, his gaze unwavering as he assessed her from head to toe. “But your butler seems to have forgotten that I was there.”

“Bingham is getting on in years,” Diana defended, though she felt a surge of frustration as she remembered her father’s irritation only a few days ago when Bingham had forgotten to pass on his orders about the horses. “He has been…forgetful lately.”

“Forgetful? He was meant to bring me tea, and yet here I stand, parched as a desert,” he said, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “Perhaps he has taken a holiday without informing anyone.”

Diana felt a surge of irritation and rolled her eyes. “You should not criticize him. He has worked hard for us over the years. He is not walking away from his duties, he has simply…forgotten something today.” The thought popped into her mind that she might have to do something about this situation with Bingham, if it did not improve. But servants now were expensive, and a replacement butler would no doubt cost far more than they could afford in their current situation. Bingham had not asked for an increase in pay for years, but someone new would surely expect more money. She sighed, the sense of overwhelm that she had already been experiencing for the last couple of hours only increasing.

She paused and looked at the earl, realizing as she did so the situation that they were in. “You should not be here, anyway,” she said sternly. “It is not proper for us to be alone together.” She would have to send for Grace, she thought, although that was the last thing that she wanted to do, for multiple reasons.

The earl stepped closer. “And yet here I am,” he said, looking at her a little intently.

Diana looked down at herself, remembering suddenly her disheveled state. She smoothed her skirts, but realized almost immediately that the effort was futile. Her hair was slightly askew from hours of concentration, and ink stains dotted her fingers. She was in no fit state to be receiving visitors, and she could tell from the look on Tristan’s face that he saw it too.

“Please, do not trouble yourself,” he said, moving even closer, so that he was standing right next to her desk. “I cannot deny that it is refreshing to see you looking more like what I have always imagined to be your natural state, rather than the perfectly composed lady of society everyone expects.”

Diana felt a blush creep up her neck at his words. She had always been praised for her ability to maintain an impeccable appearance. Her parents had always expected her to be perfect, No one had ever complimented her for simply being herself, disheveled and surrounded by stacks of ledgers piled up precariously on her desk.

“You shouldn’t speak so carelessly,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. “You are simply being your usual improper self, Tristan.”

“Improper? Perhaps. But I would argue that it is a far more interesting way to live.” He took another step closer, and Diana felt her heart quicken. “You should present your disheveled self to the world more often. It suits you.”

“Suits me?” she echoed, incredulity lacing her voice. “You mean to say that I look presentable like this? Hardly.” She could not quite believe what he was saying. Surely he was toying with her? There was no way that she could ever be seen in public looking like this, and of course he must know it. But he would not stop staring at her, with that intensity in his eyes, and she could hardly tear her gaze away from his face.

“Presentable?” He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, I meant that you look…real. There’s a certain charm in your disarray, Lady Diana. It’s refreshing, a welcome departure from the air of studied perfection that so often surrounds you.”

Diana’s breath caught in her throat. She had never been one to entertain such compliments; in fact, she had very rarely received them, especially not from someone like Tristan. She could not take it seriously, what he was saying. He seemed to delight in teasing her at every turn. It could not be possible that he really meant what he was saying.

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and something else she couldn’t quite identify. “You are insufferable,” she said, trying to mask the fluttering in her chest by pretending to be feeling irritation, and irritation alone.

“Perhaps I am insufferable,” he said, stepping even closer. “But you cannot deny that there is something captivating about this moment. Just you, me, and the fading light of the day.”

Diana opened her mouth to retort, but no words came. Instead, she found herself caught in his gaze, an electric tension hanging in the air between them. She resisted the urge to step back, to escape the intensity of his stare.

“My Lord,” she finally managed, her voice steadier than she felt. “You shouldn’t be here. It is entirely inappropriate. Someone could come in at any moment and see us here alone, and then there would be a scandal, which I am sure that neither of us want.”

“Maybe so,” he replied, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “but I sense that you worry far too much about scandal, and far too much about what other people think.”

“You do not understand,” Diana bit back, feeling her frustration rising up again. “But then, I would not expect you to. A man like you does not have to worry about these things, in the same way as a young lady does. And I have to think about Grace, too, and her reputation. But you have shown already that you don’t care about these things.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “I have done nothing scandalous in my whole life.”

Diana almost laughed at that. “I do not believe you for a moment. In fact, I do not believe a single word you say, including the compliments that you pay me.”

He shrugged. “It is true. I find myself drawn to you, disheveled or not. I cannot help it.”

The boldness of his admission shocked Diana, and she struggled to maintain her composure. There was something different in his tone as he spoke now, standing close to her, but she could hardly believe that he meant it.

She blinked and tried to pull herself out of this intense moment. It was not right, and he was simply trying to make fun of her, she was convinced of it. “Will my sister not be expecting you?”

Tristan flashed her a wry smile. “I thought that you never wanted your sister to set eyes on me again?”

“And I do not! But yet you are here anyway, despite my wishes.”

“And what if it is your company that I choose to seek out today instead?”

Diana stared at him. “You say that you are here to pay court to my sister, and then you insist on persevering with this inappropriate conversation with me! I do not know what to think.”

“I think, Lady Diana, that you think too much,” Tristan said softly.

Diana felt her defenses waver. The walls she had built around her heart began to crack under the weight of his gaze and the sincerity she saw reflected in his eyes, even though she kept telling herself not to believe a word that fell from his lips. “My Lord, you must understand?—”

“You are blushing, Lady Diana, so I do not think that you can be entirely oblivious to my charms,” Tristan went on.

“You must stop this,” Diana insisted. The atmosphere between them crackled with energy. Diana felt as if she was losing control of the situation. The danger was real; if they were discovered, then she did not know what she would do. She knew she had to escape somehow, back into safety and away from this impossible man.

He moved even closer. His gaze was smoldering. “Are you quite finished with your protests?”

Diana found herself speechless, caught in the intensity of his gaze. The air between them thickened, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Her mind raced. She had to maintain her composure. But as he looked at her, she could sense his eyes on her lips. She was torn between the desire to maintain her composure and the undeniable pull of attraction that left her breathless.

“Do you know,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “how improper it is to look at a man with such intensity?” His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

Diana’s heart pounded in her chest, a wild rhythm that drowned out every other sound. She felt the world shrink to just the two of them, her breath hitching as she held his gaze. She thought, in that charged moment, that he might kiss her, even though it seemed the most impossible thing imaginable. Surely he would not? Even a rake such as he would not be so bold, so outrageous.

But just as the moment swelled with possibility, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall, shattering the fragile spell that held them captive. Panic surged within her. She instinctively pushed Tristan behind the door. Her heart raced as she leaned against it, her breath coming in quick gasps.

“Good evening, my lady,” Bingham greeted her as he entered. His demeanor seemed perfectly composed, but there was a trace of confusion in his eyes to see her standing by the door, no doubt looking flustered. “I am sorry to disturb you, but I was looking for the Earl of Silvermere. His Lordship arrived some time ago, wishing to visit Lady Grace, and I left him in the drawing room.” Bingham frowned for a moment, then returned his face to a neutral expression. “And now he has vanished.”

“Um, no,” Diana stammered, her mind racing to conjure an adequate excuse. “I—I haven’t seen him today. I did not even know that he was here.” The lie slipped from her lips easily; she was almost shocked at herself.

The butler nodded, a hint of curiosity in his expression, but he took his leave without further question. As the door clicked shut, Diana turned to find Tristan’s smirk victorious, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

“Quite the performance,” he teased, emerging from his hiding place. “You nearly had me convinced that you were entirely composed.”

Diana shot him a glare, though her heart raced at the sight of that infuriating yet charming smile. “You are utterly insufferable, My Lord. And you have put us both at risk of a scandal.”

“Ah, but we got away with it,” he replied, stepping closer once more. “I daresay you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

She felt her cheeks heat again, and she glanced away, unable to meet his gaze. His behavior was so outrageous, and the smirk on his face was so infuriating. She could not even look at him.

“My Lord, I think it is time that you left,” she declared.

“But I have not seen Lady Grace yet,” he protested, his eyes wide with mock innocence. “It will seem most strange if I take my leave without seeing her. And besides, I came to ensure that she is coming to my house party next week. And you too, of course.” He paused and grinned. “It would not be the same without you.”

“You must leave at once,” Diana said, forcing herself to be firm. He could not think that she wanted to spend another moment longer in his company, and alone. And she could not allow herself to blush again in his presence.

He raised an eyebrow. “You are very strict with me, Lady Diana.”

She felt her cheeks beginning to burn again. She could not bear it, for him to look at her when her embarrassment was so clear. And yet, she did not want to beg him either.

“Go, now.” She forced the words out through a lump in her throat.

“Not unless you are a little more polite to me,” he replied. There was that glimmer of mischief in his eyes as he spoke, and Diana found it simultaneously infuriating and charming.

She bit her lip. “Please,” she whispered. “Leave me be, and go to Grace.”

He smiled. “You see, if you had spoken to me like this form the moment we met, then I would never have been able to say no to you.”

Diana let out a huff. He really was impossible. “Now you have got what you want, I demand that you leave.”

He shrugged. “As you wish,” he murmured, then turned on his heel and left the room, the door swinging closed behind him.

Left alone in the room, Diana’s cheeks burned at the memory of her thoughts when he had stood so close to her. She could not allow him to fool her, she resolved. He was a rake, and he could not be trusted, not with her sister, and not even with her.