Page 5 of Dare to Tempt an Earl This Spring (Wedding Fever #1)

A shley slid back onto the sofa like a starfish, her limbs sprawling over the plush pink cushions, surrounded by the delicate green-and-pink bird-themed décor of the drawing room. The sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room, but it did little to lift the dark cloud hovering above her head. Luckily, her dearest friends were with her: Sera, Maddie, and Charlene.

“Why is life so hard?” Ashley groaned.

Maddie lifted a brow, the corners of her lips twitching in amusement. “Life is not that hard.”

Not. That. Hard.

Pah!

“Are you jesting?” Ashley leaned back and felt as though the air had been siphoned from her lungs.

Two days.

It had been a mere two days since the ball, and yet it felt like an eternity, a never-ending cycle of introspection that twisted her insides into knots. Two days since she last saw Linsey, that incorrigible rapscallion who had disrupted the calm waters of her existence. Two days of sitting around, draped in her own discontent, questioning every choice that had led her to this very moment.

Why hadn’t he called on her?

She turned her gaze to the ornate clock on the mantel, its ticking seeming to mock her. Dratted man. Hadn’t she been obvious enough? She thought she had. And his silence was driving her mad. Hadn’t she made herself clear? How could her blatant hints not have landed on his square, handsome head.

Charlene chuckled. “Certainly not life for the privileged.”

Ashley eyed her friends miserably but couldn’t help a laugh that escaped. Was her plan of revenge dead even before it had a chance to live? “I have no privilege when it comes to that man. He is doing this on purpose. Making me wait. Setting me on edge.”

“Perhaps I wasn’t obvious enough?” Ashley whispered more to herself than her friends. But when Sera spluttered a laugh and instantly covered her mouth with both hands, Ashley slumped.

“You should have kissed him,” Sera said. “That would have made it so clear that he couldn’t miss it even if a pile of horse manure hit his face.” She laughed.

Not funny.

“What a vivid image,” Charlene complained, pulling the corner of her lips upward.

Sera shrugged. “Isn’t he obsessed with horses?”

“Perhaps you should talk in horse references when you speak to him in the future,” Maddie suggested. “You know, mounting hints that stirrup his interest.”

Ashley groaned. “Slice my wrist now.”

“Well, you have chosen to saddle yourself on this path of vengeance,” Charlene said with a smile. “You can’t stop your canter now.”

“You are the worst,” Ashley muttered.

“Yes, perhaps the earl needs more grooming before he gallops over for a marriage proposal,” Maddie said.

“Agreed.” A twinkle sparked in Sera’s eyes. “You should start with a horse bit. Stuff him with the mouthpiece of the bridle used to control the horse, him .”

“Then strap him with the reins,” Charlene said. “Whichever comes first?”

“Dear me, have all of you gone mad?” Ashley asked. “All I need is a riding crop and then I’m ready to trot into the sunset, it seems.” And who had time for all of this? Time. It was both a blessing and a curse, and right now, it felt like an enemy.

Sera laughed. “A riding crop! Why didn’t I think of that? But yes, you are beginning to grasp the picture.”

Maddie chuckled. “Send him to the hayloft when he is not cooperating.”

“Well, I’m not going that far since I had no intention of wedding the man from the start. That would give him what he wants, wouldn’t it, and I have determined to take away all that he wants and desires.”

“Then you shall have to take away his horses,” Charlene said.

Ashley nodded. She hadn’t gotten all that far in her plan. She was taking it one step at a time, since there were many things for which she still didn’t have answers—answers she would get from the man no matter what. And if he didn’t come to her, she would just have to go to him. But hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.

“You do know you haven’t spoken one word about your Jordan today,” Maddie pointed out.

“True,” Charlene said, tilting her head to the side in thought. “All she goes on about is Linsey this, Linsey that.”

Ashley tossed a pillow at Charlene. “What are you talking about? Everything about Linsey is about my Jordan.”

“If you say so,” Sera murmured, pouring herself another cup of tea.

“I do say so.”

“Just don’t fall in love with your enemy,” Sera cautioned. “A woman can rarely compete against a man’s obsessions, and his obsession seems to be his horses.”

Maddie nodded. “We’d hate for you to be leg-shackled to a man you loathe. The path of revenge is never easy.”

Ashley nodded. “I know, when this is all over, I plan to find Jordan, so do not fret too much about me.”

“Oh!” Charlene said, a sparkle suddenly entering her gaze. “Does the book not have any advice on this particular predicament?”

“What is that?” Sera asked with curiosity.

Ashley scowled. “Oh, just a guide to win a gentleman’s heart. It has all sorts of chapters from winning a man’s heart to seducing your husband away from his mistress and what not. Even how to teach them a lesson. The book is rather tame for my taste. I’ve been updating it with notes.”

“Goodness, and they print these kinds of books?” Maddie said. “I’m surprised they are not banned.”

“Well, if it’s too tame for you,” Sera murmured, “you should lend it to me. I’ve been looking for interesting reading material.”

Ashley nodded. “After I’m done with adding my thoughts, I’ll be more than happy to pass it along.”

“Ashley.” Maddie suddenly grabbed her elbow. “A carriage just pulled up in front of your house.”

Ashley’s head whipped to the window, her pulse leaping. She craned her neck to stealthily peer through the glass. She sat up straighter on the sofa, every muscle tensing as her gaze fixed on the view outside. Without standing, she twisted in her seat, craning her neck to get a better angle. The drapes were parted just enough to offer a glimpse of the street below. Was it Linsey? She rose from her seat.

“Don’t look!” Sera admonished. “What if he sees you? You are aware there is a difference between obvious and desperate?”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Maddie said, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“Feign nonchalance and don’t look,” Sera suggested. “Charlene is the closest. She can sneak a peek.”

Yes, remain calm.

She could do that.

I can be calm. I can not look.

“What’s he doing?” Charlene asked, squinting.

Ashley stiffened. “What do you mean what is he doing? Is it Linsey?”

“Yes, it’s him all right, but he is just staring at the house,” Charlene said, her brows furrowing. “As if he’s deciding to come in or not.”

Don’t turn away, you coward.

I have plans for you.

Ashley swallowed hard when her heart fluttered. It had never quite leapt so with Jordan, so why did she react so to the golden-haired earl?

Was he still just staring at the house? Was he having second thoughts…right there on her doorstep? If he dared to turn around now, she would hunt him down and be done with him once and for all. Revenge completed. In fact, she didn’t have to go that far, but she wanted him to feel what it feels like when you lose what you adore most.

“He might be of two minds,” Maddie echoed her fear.

Ashley’s head whipped to the window again. To the devil with being calm and not looking. She wanted to witness his decision firsthand. And sure enough, the unwelcomely handsome man stood there, just staring at the house. “Two minds my derrière . He came all this way, didn’t he?”

This is no catch and release, Linsey. I’m reining you in no matter what.

“All the way? He doesn’t live that far from here,” Charlene pointed out.

“He still made the choice to come here today.”

“I suppose you are right,” Charlene said. “He did at that.”

Ashley shot a hot look at her friend.

“Oh!” Maddie exclaimed. “He’s coming up the steps now.”

Sera laughed and clapped. “The anticipation!”

Yes, the anticipation …

However, he was here. That head of his hadn’t been so square and dense as she first believed it to be. He had absorbed her hints, and he had made a choice.

Ashley grinned.

I did it.

The rest would be easy.

*

One minute earlier

Thomas paused, staring up at Lady Ashley’s townhouse, wondering what he was doing. This was harder than he’d imagined.

So much harder.

Should he have brought flowers?

Perhaps he ought to go to Regent Street and purchase red roses… No! That would be a lie. A declaration of love and promises of passion called for red roses.

Pink perhaps? For chaste affection.

Or white? A virginal bride.

He didn’t know what Lady Ashley’s preferred flowers were. His mares liked dandelions and daisies, but Lady Ashley wasn’t going to eat them.

No, better no flowers at all, lest he wish to go for white lilies and that could be misinterpreted. His intentions would be clear; words must suffice.

His heart and his mind fought a brutal war, as they had since the moment he set eyes on Lady Ashley. But there he stood, and he had no intention of turning back. He just needed to collect his breath. This was, after all, marriage, and no matter what reason for the proposal, it was no small thing. Even if it started as a dandelion, a seed of affection could grow into moments worthy of red roses. Perhaps he’d give Lady Ashley some in the future.

And that possibility strengthened his resolve. A secret hope that the brazen beauty could feel as strong as her word choice encouraged Thomas. It was a seed after all.

Time to go in.

Thomas straightened his back, tugged at his cravat, buttoned his coat, and faced Lady Ashley’s home. Inhaling deeply, he ascended the steps to the elegant Georgian masterpiece in the heart of London’s prestigious district. His heart pounded with a combination of apprehension and excitement. Hailed as one of the city’s architectural gems, the townhouse boasted four floors, each window reflecting the soft sunlight, imbuing the white stone with a warm glow. The iron railings and the stately front door painted in a deep, rich blue instantly announced the status and wealth of its inhabitants.

Get your head together, Thomas!

Architecture was not important right now. But then, he needed to recenter his mind away from Lady Ashley. Just for a moment. But it wasn’t enough for him to race over the perks of his decision again. She was pretty, young, intelligent enough to maintain a witty conversation, and wealthy. Suspicions aside, what more could he ask for in a bride?

Love?

Pah!

Passion?

He sucked in his cheeks. A future for his estate, an heir, and the dignity his station commanded. No flowers and kisses for a long time. Seeds needed time to grow—if they ever sprouted. And if he stayed on the doorstep much longer, he’d be noticed and ruin his chances for the most compatible match with the lovely daughter of a fellow earl.

Right.

That would do.

Compatibility as with the horses…to make for healthy offspring…

Then why didn’t he have a spring to his step on the path toward a proposal? He felt as though he’d walk toward a cliff and hand her the ring to push him over the edge.

Perks.

Just think about the perks.

Besides being an ideal wife under his current predicament, he did want to discover other qualities in her. Other reasons to marry her besides sufficiency and good timing. She was a stranger, and he was going to invite her into his family.

She would become his family.

Would she mind living in the country for the better part of each year? The thought nibbled at him as he imagined her in the quiet solitude of his estate, so far removed from the bustling life of London she likely preferred. If she accepted his offer, they’d have a lifetime to sort out the intricacies of married life. But it was a hollow consolation for losing the opportunity to wed for love.

Four-and-twenty was still young.

But then, given he was wedding to save his horses, he supposed he was marrying for love. Just love of a different sort. Perhaps they could become friends over the course of their engagement. That was also a form of love, was it not?

He lifted his hand to rap on the door, his heart pounding in his chest like a kettledrum, each beat echoing his mounting nervousness. He heard his own breathing, and his whole head felt as though it was galloping with his heart as if it tried to get away from what he was about to do.

Here we go.

With firm resolve, he rapped at the door.

The door swung open to reveal a tall, wiry butler, his face impassive and professional. With a quick, rehearsed nod, Thomas handed over his calling card, his name inscribed on the thick paper. He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of finality, as if he was about to embark on an irrevocable path. “I’m here for Chaswick.”

The butler glanced at the card, and then back at him. He gave a curt nod. “Please, follow me.”

Did they expect him?

He suddenly wanted to laugh. Given that brazen minx, they probably were.

The servant led Thomas to a richly decorated study where Ashley’s father, the Earl of Chaswick, a portly, stern-faced man, sat behind a mahogany desk stacked with documents and maps of his numerous estates.

“Linsey,” the earl said as he rose and motioned for Thomas to take a seat. “I’ve been expecting you. Tell me, are you the Thomas who studied moral philosophy under Professor Copperman at Oxford in 1814?”

Thomas couldn’t help but narrow his gaze. “How did you know?”

He’d been more than expected, they’d researched everything about him, hadn’t they?

“It’s not important.” Chaswick waved him off.

“Then why did you ask?”

“Just a shared connection, that’s all. Now to Ashley.”

As I thought. “I take it your daughter informed you that I would call on you.”

“Her exact words were: If the Earl of Linsey calls to offer for my hand in marriage, don’t stand in my way.”

Thomas blinked. Well…he couldn’t claim he was all that surprised. But then, how could she possibly have known? “Your daughter has a refreshing boldness about her.”

Chaswick scoffed, but his eyes had softened. “I was too lenient in raising her. I still dote on her too much.” The man lifted his chin to stare at Thomas with a hard look. “If you are here for my daughter’s hand in marriage—”

“I am.”

“—then you may have it. That being said, when I asked her if you were the man for her, she shrugged with a rather unsettling smile. But if you treat her wrong, you will be staring down at the barrel of my pist—”

“It won’t come to that,” Thomas assured him. He’d surely treat her right and never force her to do anything she didn’t want. A chill slithered down his spine. She might force him though, wouldn’t she? Call him to London for the season? That would be Lady Ashley, too. But first and foremost, he wanted to reassure the earl, “I have no ulterior intentions.”

Unless a marriage of convenience for the sake of keeping my family’s fortune and the pride of the House of Linsey is an ulterior motive, nah!

“Good.”

Thomas nodded his head absently. He had expected the subsequent discussion to be as transactional as a horse sale at the market. Yet, no talk of a transaction had taken place. The process had been too easy, lacking the emotional depth he had thought would accompany such a monumental decision—a father releasing his daughter to another man, and said man taking a wife. Well, such was the nature when marrying for a wager, he supposed. No use in being disappointed about it. It was how the world worked, the daughter of an earl for an earl. Love, romance, and passion were not required for people like them. They were cut from the same cloth, and that was all her father needed apparently.

“Ashley,” the Earl of Chaswick suddenly said, and Thomas started. His head whipped around to glimpse the door creaking open and Ashley stepping into view. “It would be prudent to practice some patience.”

She grinned. “I’m not so sure. Impatience has worked quite well for me up to this moment.”

Snickers sounded behind her, and Thomas leapt to his feet.

Chaswick scoffed, rising to his feet. “Since you are here, I’ll give you a moment to discuss your partnership.” He strode to the door, leaving him alone with Lady Ashley. “Ladies,” he murmured as he passed her friends.

One of them mumbled something to Ashley and Ashley gave her a mock pinch on the arm. Each of the ladies gave Thomas a once-over before they, too, gave them some privacy.

“I’d offer you tea,” Lady Ashley said, sauntering over to a nearby shelf. “But since it’s a study, cognac is all I have available.”

“No, thank you.” He would like a clear mind in dealing with this spitfire of a woman. “Do you usually drink cognac at this time of the day? Isn’t it more cordial…ahem…feminine for after-dinner?”

“You think I’m not feminine?”

Thomas shut his eyes for an instant.

You can do better!

She cocked her head at him. “So to what do I owe the pleasure of your call today?”

As if the minx hadn’t expected him. He studied her closely. “I wish to ask for your hand in marriage.”

“Oh? After only one dance?” She sounded almost intrigued. What she didn’t sound was surprised.

“This should be called a brief courtship,” Thomas announced as though he had every idea what he was talking about. “Spanning over a dance and a conversation.”

“ This one? Has it started yet?”

Thomas nodded, trying to decipher her smile. Was this the one her father had talked about? If so, he could understand Chaswick’s sentiment. Gooseflesh spread over his scalp.

“What about the length of our engagement?” she asked. “Shall that be fleeting as well?”

Very fleeting. “Yes, I’d like to marry by way of a special license.”

Her grin spread. “When?”

“As soon as possible.”

“You shall have to be more specific than that.”

“Then at the end of the week.” Thomas expected more of a shock but all he got from Lady Ashley was an amused expression that made his blood curdle. Was the chit enjoying this? He suddenly thought of that spider that ate their mates. What was it called again?

“Why so fast?”

Thomas cleared his throat. “I have my reasons.”

“As your wife, would I not be privy to those reasons?”

“As my wife , you would.” He cleared his throat. “But you’re not my wife yet.”

She suddenly laughed. “Well, I have my reasons for a longer engagement. We shall have to compromise. Is that possible?”

His brows furrowed. “That would depend on your definition of long.”

“A few weeks, not just one.”

Thomas nodded. He could do a few weeks. Just not a few months. “Very well, but I have one condition, then.”

“Oh?” She leaned against one of the shelves. “Do tell.”

“You shall accompany me to my country estate for the duration of our engagement.” He couldn’t afford to let her out of his sight. It would be a disaster if she changed her mind while he wasn’t paying attention.

“Why, I would love to join you,” Lady Ashley said, pushing away from the shelf and sauntering up to him, her eyes bright. “So, then, my lord, will you marry me? I would be honored if you became my husband.”

Thomas blinked. What…on… “Did you just ask me to marry you?”

Her smile remained in place, and the hairs on his skin prickled as the sweet scent of jasmine filled his lungs. So close . “I did.”

“Am I not the one who should ask?” Thomas asked gruffly.

Her smile turned mischievous. “Says who?”

Vexing minx.

“Before you give your answer, I do have a condition though.”

“Name it.”

“My dowry stays my own.”

That’s all?

“Of course,” she went on, “I am aware it doesn’t matter if you sign my dowry over to me or not, it’s still all yours by right, but I’d appreciate the gesture.”

“I see no reason why not.” Thomas didn’t understand why she’d ask this, but he supposed, like him wedding her, she had her reasons for wanting access to her dowry. And it was a small request. “It’s not as if I’m wedding you for your dowry.”

“Good, then what do you say, Linsey? Shall we marry or not?”

Thomas inhaled deeply. “Yes, I will marry you.”