Page 2 of The Taming of the Countess

CHAPTER TWO

J ames had seen Evangeline fleeing the ballroom, taking the plate of cake with her before she disappeared into the library. He felt badly for the young woman, especially after seeing the snide expression of Lord Dunwood. He fully believed the man had caused her to stumble, for Evangeline had always loved dancing.

James knew he shouldn’t follow her—but he’d seen the stricken look on her face as she’d fled the others and the laughter that had followed. No young lady deserved to have her debut ruined. He wasn’t about to stand by and allow it.

From behind the desk in the library, he could see the white fabric of her gown spread out on the floor. He wanted to help her, but he had no idea what to say. She was a brave young woman, and she was far too spirited to let her feelings be trampled.

‘Are you hurt, Miss Sinclair?’ he asked softly.

‘Yes,’ she sighed. ‘My pride is utterly ruined.’

He walked closer and saw her with her knees drawn up, an empty plate beside her. ‘Should I call him out on your behalf?’

‘I’m a better shot than you,’ she said, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. He hid a smile and leaned against the desk. She wasn’t wrong about that.

‘But sadly, it wouldn’t do any good,’ she continued. ‘I refused to dance with Lord Dunwood, and he got his revenge by pushing me.’

‘You’re not going to let him get away with it, are you? Surely, you’re planning your own vengeance.’ If he’d done something like that to her, she’d have taken him to task. Evangeline wasn’t the sort of woman to stand by and become a victim.

‘I need more time to think of something diabolical,’ she said. ‘So, I’ll just stay here. You can go back and join the rest of them.’ Her stubborn tone made her defiance quite clear.

He sighed and tried another tack. ‘If you stay, they’ll have won. I know you’re not afraid of them. You’re better than that.’

‘This has nothing to do with fear,’ she insisted. ‘I just…don’t want to be mocked because of my family’s past. I’m not a true lady, and there’s nothing I can do about it. It doesn’t matter how I dress or how I behave. Without a title, I’m nothing to them.’

For a moment, he thought about leaving her alone. When his sisters were in bad moods, there was little he could say to lift their spirits. But he sensed that there was something more behind her disappointment.

And so, he sat down on the floor beside her.

‘What are you doing, Lord Melville?’ Evangeline asked. ‘You should go back to the ballroom.’

‘As should you. But here we are.’ He glanced around. ‘I suppose, as hiding places go, it’s not bad.’ He leaned back against the wall, behaving as if it were an ordinary thing to escape society in such a way. ‘Have you heard any good gossip lately?’

Her discomfort seemed to grow. ‘Mother says it’s not ladylike to gossip.’

‘That wasn’t what I asked. If we’re to remain in hiding, surely you must have an entertaining story to share.’ He rested his wrists upon his knees and waited. ‘Well?’

She bit her lip, as if making a decision. ‘If I share the story I’ve heard, then you must tell me one in return.’

‘I don’t have any stories.’ It wasn’t at all true, but the gossip he’d heard among the men was nothing a lady needed to hear.

‘Then I’ll tell you one,’ she said. ‘And you can think of yours.’

He shrugged, and then she leaned closer. He caught the faint scent of rose water, and her blue eyes gleamed with wickedness.

Not for you , he warned himself.

Although she was a close friend of both his sisters, and he shouldn’t allow himself to be attracted, he couldn’t deny that Evangeline Sinclair had caught his interest.

Her dark hair framed a lovely face, and generous curves strained at the seams of her gown. He could imagine sliding his hand against the thin fabric, stroking her breast until her nipple hardened against his fingers. But it was her bright spirit that held his interest the most. He liked the fact that he could freely speak his mind without worrying about whether she would take offence.

She leaned in closer to whisper into his ear. Her warm breath against his skin only deepened an unexpected physical reaction of desire. ‘Do you know Miss Primrose?’

‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘What of it?’ He was rather distracted by the lock of hair that had fallen from her chignon and was resting against her throat.

‘Well, she intends to be married next month,’ she whispered. ‘To Lord Hafton.’

He waited to see if she would add anything else, but when she didn’t, he asked, ‘Are we supposed to offer felicitations?’

She shook her head. ‘The viscount has no desire to marry her, but he…um…that is, they have to wed.’

James fully understood what she’d implied. ‘He compromised her.’

‘Yes. And while he seems quite eager for the match, she has been weeping every day, according to her sister. She wants nothing to do with the man.’ Evangeline lowered her voice. ‘She thought becoming lovers would be terribly romantic, but it wasn’t at all what she’d expected.’

It took a great deal of control to say nothing. Likely the lady had been dreaming of passion and had experienced an ordinary coupling. ‘She doesn’t have a choice now,’ he pointed out. ‘If she’s carrying his child, then they have to wed.’

‘Oh, I know, but I do pity her. She should have known that it wouldn’t be very good.’

James blinked at that. Though he knew it wasn’t wise to say anything, he couldn’t help himself. ‘And what do you mean by that?’

‘Anyone could see that Lord Hafton has no imagination. He might have money, but he’s got the romantic sensibilities of a block of wood. He couldn’t seduce a lady if his life depended on it.’

‘And…you have knowledge of this how?’

Evangeline’s face did blush at that. ‘Well, my parents did build their fortune upon the sale of ladies’ undergarments. I’m not completely ignorant about lace and silk.’

This conversation had taken a turn he wasn’t certain he wanted to pursue.

Her expression turned thoughtful. ‘I believe that a man who is excellent at seduction has a certain way about him,’ she continued. ‘There’s an invisible power, a way that he looks at a woman. As if he would die if he couldn’t have her.’ She tucked the fallen lock into her hair, and she closed her eyes. ‘That’s the sort of man I want. Someone who looks at me as if I’m his reason for being alive.’

Her smile grew wistful, and he realised that, as fascinating as this conversation was, they were both in danger of gossip turning against them.

‘Eventually, you’ll find the right person, Miss Sinclair.’ James stood from the floor and helped her stand. ‘We should probably return to the ballroom. Otherwise, someone might believe that I compromised you.’

Evangeline gave a wry smile. ‘And that would be your worst nightmare.’

‘It would be, because I’m not going to be married,’ he repeated. ‘Not for a very long time.’

For the past year, he’d been trapped in a life he didn’t want. Each day, his father demanded that he spend hours learning about the estates and burying himself in ledgers from dawn until dusk. If he made a single mistake, George’s tone grew even sharper, demanding that he memorise every detail.

The very thought of inheriting the earldom was a nightmare. He wanted time to live, time to become the man he wanted to be…instead of the man everyone thought he should be. And marriage would bring another set of expectations and responsibilities that he simply didn’t want to face right now. He needed a chance to breathe before the suffocating responsibilities drowned him in misery.

He would face it eventually. Just not now.

When he glanced over at Evie, he saw the hopes and dreams of a young woman who wanted the same fairy tale as every marriageable miss in the ballroom. And while there was no doubt in his mind that Evangeline would indeed make some man a good wife, she deserved better than a man like him. He would only disappoint her, the way his father saw him as not quite good enough.

‘Is it because you want to travel or because you’re trying to escape your father?’ she asked.

The question pressed too close to the truth. ‘Perhaps both,’ he said. ‘I just need a chance to see distant shores. To look upon new faces and discover a different way of life. I want to feel the desert sand against my face. Perhaps sail to an island no one has glimpsed before.’

But the true reason was because James sensed, deep in his bones, that his time was running out. If he didn’t leave now, he might never have the chance to travel.

He suspected his father might be ill, though George scoffed at the idea. There were days when his father hardly left his chair, and when he did, his balance appeared unsteady. It made him question whether the earl was losing his ability to walk. He didn’t want to believe it, but his father’s mood had darkened as of late, holding the desperate air of a man who hated to admit any weakness.

Though it might be selfish, James hungered for another life so different from the one waiting for him. He wanted to escape—even if it was only for a year or two. Then he would return, take up the yoke of responsibility, and those memories would sustain him through an uncertain future.

‘It sounds like a wonderful journey,’ Evangeline said. ‘Though I—I mean your sisters—would miss you very much.’

‘They would understand.’ He could already feel the prison doors of responsibility closing all around him. He knew it was selfish—down deep, he knew it was wrong to leave. But there was still time. His father wasn’t dying—not yet. And if he left now, he had time to see the world before he had to face an uncertain future.

Perhaps then, he would be ready to look after his family and say farewell to his freedom.

* * *

Evangeline allowed the viscount to return to the ballroom first, and she waited a few moments in the corridor to avoid gossip. Though really, no one would believe that she had spent a quarter of an hour alone with him. Lord Melville had an air of unattainability, which made women only long for him more. A pang caught her stomach at the realisation that he had been telling the truth. He truly didn’t want to be married. Although she didn’t understand why he wanted to travel so far away, she fully understood his need to escape.

She remained with her back against the wall, trying to repair the broken pieces of her pride while watching her friends dance.

Her mother returned to her side and asked, ‘Are you feeling better, Evangeline?’

‘Yes,’ she lied. ‘But I wouldn’t be disappointed if we returned home early.’

Margaret paused a moment, as if she questioned the idea. Then she gave a nod and said, ‘I’ll speak to my sister.’

Evangeline continued watching the dancers, and across the room, she glimpsed Lord Melville with another young lady. The sight brought a pang to her heart. The more time she spent near him, the more her heart faltered. It made her want things she couldn’t have, dreaming of a man like James.

His green eyes held warmth, and as she watched him move, she remembered how he had sat beside her in the library. She’d wanted to rest her head against his shoulder. No, more than that. She wanted to be kissed, for she sensed that a man like Lord Melville knew exactly how to seduce a woman. He would know how to lean in and capture her lips, his hungry mouth tempting her towards ruin.

She blinked a moment, reminding her brain to stop its idle fantasies. The viscount didn’t want her, and he didn’t want to be married. The only way Lord Melville could be snared into a marital union was if he were trapped into it.

Her heartbeat quickened at the thought. No, she could never do such a thing. He would despise any woman who dared to try something so foolish. But the thought had taken root, making her wonder. There was a masculine power about him, a sense that he would take command. A man like Lord Melville would take her breath away if he were ever to become her lover.

Don’t , her brain warned.

It was a terrible idea, imagining a seduction. Though she had never been touched by any man, she’d overheard her mother and her aunts gossiping when they thought she wasn’t there. She wondered what it would be like to experience James’s strong hands unlacing her corset, his palms caressing her bare skin. Beneath her gown, she grew more flushed, and her breasts seemed to tighten with her own imagination. She knew it was wicked, but she didn’t care. Instead, she savoured the vision, simply dreaming of what would never be.

Three days later

‘Ah, there you are, James.’ His father, the Earl of Penford, entered the breakfast room with a ledger tucked beneath one arm. Despite the earl’s smile, shadows lined his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept well in days. His pallor was grey, and he continued, ‘Will you join me in my study? There are some matters we need to discuss.’

‘As soon as I’ve finished eating,’ James answered. ‘Won’t you join me for breakfast?’

‘No, thank you. I’m going to wait until luncheon. Food isn’t settling too well this morning, I’m afraid.’

Though his father smiled, James didn’t miss the under-lying air of illness. ‘I’m sorry to hear it.’

‘No matter. It will pass, as it always does.’ His father was about to leave when his wife entered the breakfast room.

Iris smiled warmly at her husband. ‘Are you feeling better, my love?’

‘How can I not, when you are here?’ He leaned in to kiss her, and James turned away to grant them privacy.

‘I shall have Cook prepare something special for this evening,’ Iris promised. ‘Perhaps she can tempt your appetite.’

‘Perhaps.’ His father touched her cheek and then said to him, ‘Come to the study when you’re ready, James.’

His mother joined him at the table, and only after his father was out of earshot did he ask, ‘How is he really?’

Iris’s smile grew strained. ‘Oh, he’ll be all right. Sometimes he doesn’t sleep well. It’s probably gout, I’m sure, but he never complains. If I give him laudanum in a cup of tea, that often helps. But…’ She shook her head and stared at her plate as if trying to maintain her composure.

‘What has the doctor said?’

‘Only that he needs to eat plain foods and rest. If he does that, he’ll be fine.’ She braved a smile, but her voice had gone brittle. He noticed that her fingers were shaking when she poured her tea.

‘It will be all right,’ he said gently.

‘I just—don’t know what I would do without him,’ she whispered, and she seemed to be holding back tears. ‘The very thought of losing him terrifies me.’

He reached over to embrace her, and she held on tightly. After a time, she seemed to grow calmer, and then she pulled back. ‘You’d better go and help him with the estate matters. I’ll be fine.’

James dropped a kiss on her cheek and then left the breakfast room. In all likelihood, he would be trapped in the study for the rest of the day. He suppressed a groan, knowing he had no choice.

He opened the door and found his father seated at the desk. Several books lay open, and the earl dipped his pen into an ink-well and was writing something in one of the ledgers.

James crossed the room, and his father brightened when he saw him. ‘Close the door. There’s something I want to show you.’ There was an air of excitement in his father’s voice. James hadn’t heard that in a long time, and he wondered what this was about.

‘I have something for you,’ the earl said. ‘Something that I think will bring you a great deal of joy.’ He beckoned for him to come closer.

There, on the desk, James saw a ticket for passage from London to India. He picked it up and stared at it in disbelief.

‘Your ship leaves in three days,’ his father said. ‘I’ve made all the arrangements. You’ll make some investments for me, travel, see everything you’ve always wanted, and then return to England by the end of next year.’

James couldn’t bring himself to speak. Finally, at long last, he could experience the searing heat of India, taste exotic spices, and see the world. He was torn by a wave of excitement, but now that he’d been handed such a gift, it made him question whether it was right to leave his father.

‘I don’t know if I should,’ he hedged. Not when he wasn’t certain how ill his father was.

‘Listen to me,’ his father said. He crossed from behind the desk and gripped James’s hands. ‘I know I’ve been hard on you, the past few years. Let me make it up to you in this way. This is your best chance to travel, the way I know you’ve always wanted to. And I want to give you that gift.’

His father drew him into a hard embrace, and James could hardly command the emotions that rose up from deep inside. He’d never imagined George would give him such a gift.

‘I want you to go,’ his father reassured him. ‘But don’t tell your mother I’ve done this. She will find every reason in the world to coerce you to stay, and I won’t have it. Instead, you’re going to pretend that you’ve purchased the ticket without my permission. We’re going to have a terrible argument, and you’re going to leave.’

‘But why?’ If he did such a thing, his mother and sisters would be appalled, believing him to be selfish.

‘It’s the only way they’ll let you go. And because I want their sympathy,’ his father admitted. ‘While you’re gone, I’ll find husbands for Rose and Lily. And I’ll hire a secretary to help me. If I told them the truth, they would only try to talk us both out of it.’ With a sigh, he added, ‘And you’d probably listen to them.’

He stared at his father, wondering if the earl understood how grateful he was. This was everything he’d ever wanted, and the gift overwhelmed him. ‘Thank you, Father. I cannot tell you how much it means to me.’

‘I look forward to hearing about your adventures after you return,’ George said. ‘And I’ll expect letters.’

‘Are you truly certain about this?’ James asked. ‘I could stay.’

His father gripped his shoulder. ‘Let me give you this journey, James. I know how much it means to you. And it will make me feel better if you accept it.’ He pressed the ticket into his hand, and James took it. ‘But promise me—we’ll have a terrible fight. Make it a good one.’

‘I promise.’ He smiled at his father, suddenly realising that he had to begin packing at once. ‘And thank you.’

After his son left, George sank down in his chair. Exhaustion flooded through him, mingled with satisfaction. James would be burdened with the earldom soon enough, but it gave him comfort to know that he could offer his son this dream.

Now all that was left was to see that his daughters married well and that Iris had everything she needed.

* * *

Today was the day they’d agreed to break the news. Last night, his father had guided him on what to say. Although James didn’t want to start a fight, he’d made a promise.

He entered the drawing room and saw his father seated with his bad leg propped up. George gave him a faint nod, and his sister Lily had a troubled expression on her face. It seemed as if they’d already been arguing.

James straightened and addressed them both. ‘I came to tell you that I am leaving in a few days.’

Lily stared at him in shock and discreetly shook her head in a silent plea. He could already read his sister’s thoughts. And she was going to be even more upset, soon enough.

His father’s expression turned stunned, and he shook his head. ‘You cannot leave, James. There is too much to be done here.’ Even his tone held pain, but James suspected he saw a twinkle in the man’s eyes.

‘I intend to sail to India,’ he informed them. ‘I expect to be gone for the next year, at the very least. Perhaps longer.’

The silence within the room was tempered only by his sister’s expression of horror. George gave quite a convincing performance of being torn between disbelief and fury, while Lily was in shock. ‘But why?’

His father struggled to rise from his chair, his complexion purple with feigned rage. ‘Absolutely not.’

That man was truly enjoying his play-acting, James realised. But he continued, ‘We have business dealings there. I believe now would be a good time to expand our interests.’

‘You have responsibilities here,’ George insisted. ‘You are my heir, and you cannot go traipsing off on a fool’s errand in India. I forbid it.’ There was a slight gleam in his eye, though the words should have been ruthless.

James gave a faint smile. ‘Of course, you do. But I intend to go, nonetheless. And you cannot stop me.’

His father’s face turned thunderous. ‘If you try, I will cut off your funds.’

Oh, George truly was enjoying this fight. It was difficult to hold back a smile and pretend to be defiant.

‘I have my own wealth, Father,’ James said quietly. ‘And I am quite certain that you can continue ruling Penford in my absence, just as you’ve done for the past twenty-five years.’

His sister’s expression begged him to stop. ‘James, please,’ Lily pleaded. ‘India is so far away. I don’t want to imagine you alone for an entire year. It may not be safe.’

Her concerns were valid, but he’d already confided his plans to his best friend Matthew, who had asked to join him. It was far safer if they travelled together, and Matthew was just as eager to see the world. But his sister would be devastated when she learned of it.

‘Oh, I’m not going alone,’ he said gently. ‘Arnsbury is accompanying me. It will be an adventure, and we will seek our fortunes before the chains of marriage are clapped upon us.’

He tried to keep his tone light, but he didn’t miss Lily’s dismay. ‘Lord Arnsbury is going with you?’ Her face had gone so pale, she looked as if she might faint.

‘Yes. Matthew is going to keep me out of trouble.’ James winked at her. ‘He can try anyway.’

And with one last conspiratorial look at his father, he turned and left.

* * *

‘He what?’ Evangeline stared at Lily in disbelief.

Her friend had arrived late in the afternoon, her eyes still red from crying. ‘James is leaving for India. He’s already booked his passage. Mother is beside herself with worry, and I don’t blame her,’ Lily said. ‘But worse than that, Matthew—I mean, Lord Arnsbury—has decided to go with him!’

Evangeline sank into a chair, barely aware of what was happening. If the men left now, it would be more than a year before they returned. Lord Melville would never know how she truly felt about him, and the thought brought a wave of melancholy. ‘So, he just…bought a ticket and he’s leaving? Why would he go?’

Lily clenched her hands together. ‘I don’t know. It might be something to do with his cousin Adrian. I know they’ve been fighting, but I’m not sure what it’s about.’

Evangeline let out a heavy sigh. Both men were distant cousins of hers—Matthew on her great-aunt’s side, whereas Adrian was a cousin on her great-uncle’s. She’d heard enough family gossip to have an idea of what this was about.

‘Adrian has a lot of debts,’ she told Lily. ‘I’ve heard Papa talking about him. He gambles a great deal.’ Wincing, she added, ‘He probably wishes he were the earl instead.’

‘Well, he’s not,’ Lily said. ‘If anyone should leave En-gland, Mr Monroe should.’

She agreed with that, but she guessed that her cousin Matthew had the same idea as Lord Melville—to travel the world and do as he pleased. Which made her wonder if he was trying to avoid his own responsibilities.

Lily’s face turned crestfallen. ‘I wish I could stop them, but I don’t think we can.’ She wrung her hands and said, ‘I need your help, Evie. I want you to tell my mother that I’m spending the night with you.’

‘I suppose you can, but aren’t you supposed to attend Lady Callista’s ball tonight?’ She kept her tone bright, even though she hadn’t been invited to the gathering. ‘You could come over afterwards, certainly. But don’t you want to say goodbye to Lord Arnsbury?’ She regarded her friend, and then with a jolt of realisation, she understood that this was exactly what Lily intended. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. ‘Forgive me, I wasn’t thinking. You weren’t planning to attend the ball, were you?’

Lily blushed. ‘I would attend for a short while. Then, I would make an excuse to leave and pretend I’m planning to spend the night at your home.’

Light dawned upon her when Evie understood her friend’s plan. Because she and her family hadn’t been invited to Lady Callista’s ball, no one would know any differently. ‘But you’re not actually coming to my house, are you? You’re going to see Matthew instead,’ she predicted, keeping her voice low.

Her friend blushed but nodded. ‘He’s asked me to come, and I’ve given my promise. It will be some time before he returns home to England.’

Evangeline wanted to caution her best friend not to do anything rash. Although it was terribly romantic, it was also dangerous to be alone with Matthew. ‘I worry about you, Lily. What if…there are consequences? If anyone finds out that you were alone with him…’

Lily shook her head, her blush deepening. ‘Please, Evie. I just want to see him before he leaves. I need to.’

Evangeline didn’t dare to ask what exactly Lily was plotting, for it would cause a scandal if anyone found out. She would never dream of betraying her friend. ‘All right. I will help you,’ she promised.

Yet, the thought turned over and over in her mind, like a spinning coin. If Lily spent the night with Lord Arns-bury, he would undoubtedly marry her. Although she knew Lily loved the earl, and he returned her feelings, this might force his hand.

It made her think of Lord Melville and whether there was even a shred of a chance for herself and James. Logically, there wasn’t. He didn’t want to wed, and even if he did, the man was so sinfully handsome, he could marry any heiress he wanted. He would never want someone like her.

He did sit with you in the library , her heart reminded her.

But he probably regarded her as an acquaintance, nothing more. He’d never made a single overture, nothing beyond friendship. And Evie was afraid to reach for more, for fear that she might shatter the tenuous acquaintance they had.

‘I will attend the ball with Mother and Rose this evening,’ Lily said. ‘Then, I will tell them I’m going to spend the night with you since you weren’t—’

‘—invited,’ Evie finished.

Lily appeared dismayed, but she continued, ‘The carriage will take me to meet Lord Arnsbury, and everyone will believe I’m with you. I’ll return early in the morning to your house, and no one will be the wiser.’

There were a hundred things that could go wrong. Matthew’s servants could easily learn the truth and spread gossip. Lily’s parents might discover their plans and intervene. But in her heart, Evie was a hopeless romantic and only wanted her friend’s happiness. ‘What about your brother? Won’t he be making plans with Arnsbury?’

‘No, James will be at home tonight. He’s still packing his belongings.’

Which meant the viscount would be alone. A reckless side of her rejoiced at the thought, even knowing that it was a terrible risk to pay a call on him tonight while his mother and sisters were at the ball. But that would give her the chance to say goodbye. If she felt particularly daring, she might even tell him the secret feelings hidden in her heart.

Was there any chance that Lord Melville did see something in her? Should she try to find out? Even if it was humiliating, perhaps she should simply bare her feelings and see what he said. If nothing else, at least he would know the truth.

‘Good luck, Lily,’ she said, embracing her friend. And inwardly, she wondered if she had the courage to reach for the man she wanted.