“I was headed to the music room. We can speak there.”
She didn’t wait to see if he would be allowed to follow. The voices of her family warred with Kerrick’s. Nicholas didn’t want to allow it, but Louisa urged him to allow them five minutes together. Catherine had just crossed the threshold into the music room when she heard her brother-in-law reluctantly agree.
She walked over to the windows, which overlooked their small back garden. The gardeners were just bringing in the orange tree, the two of them straining under the weight of the large pot holding it.
Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. The very last thing she wanted was to face Kerrick right now—her emotions were still too raw. She continued to watch the gardeners in silence as Kerrick entered the room and moved to stand beside her.
“I’m so sorry—”
“The orange tree was extravagant. You shouldn’t have gone to the trouble or the expense.”
“I have five minutes before Nicholas comes in here and beats me to a bloody pulp. I don’t intend to waste that time making small talk.”
She gave her head a small shake. “I can’t…” She had to take a deep breath before she could find the strength to turn and face him. “You should go. There’s nothing more to be said. Any fantasies I might have had about a future with you are now a thing of the past. And the very last thing I need to hear right now is your apology.”
She started for the door, but he reached out and gripped her arm, halting her progress. She tried to pull away but was no match for his strength. He pulled her toward him and grasped her other hand.
It hurt too much to look at him and so she gazed, instead, at their joined hands.
“I’m not marrying Rose.”
Her head snapped up at that softly spoken statement, and for a moment she feared her grief was causing her to lose track of her faculties. But the way his mouth lifted at the corners, the slight gleam in his eyes that hinted at anything but sorrow, led her to believe otherwise. She couldn’t keep the slight tremble from her voice as she asked, “What did you say?”
He lifted her hands to his mouth and dropped kisses on her fingers before replying. “I’m not marrying Rose. She’s already started to spread word that she’s broken our engagement.”
Emotion warred within her, but the one that stood at the forefront was joy. Kerrick wasn’t going to marry another woman… one whom she’d come to think of as a good friend. “You won’t be marrying Rose.” She repeated the words with wonder, allowing herself to actually believe they were true.
His smile broadened. “No. But that leads me to another subject. Since I’m in danger of being dragged out of here at any moment, I don’t have the luxury of time. I probably don’t deserve such happiness—not after the hurt I caused you—but I’m selfish enough to cling to the hope that you’ll consent to be my wife.”
Words escaped her. That he could even doubt she’d say yes… She could only nod, tears of happiness threatening to overwhelm her as he dragged her into his arms.
“Thank God,” he said, his arms tightening around her. “I was afraid you’d never forgive me. I’m not sure I would have were I in your shoes.”
She shook her head and looked up at him in wonder. “There could never be anyone else for me. That you could doubt me—”
“No, never that. I feared, though, that you would doubt the depth of my love for you. After what I put you through…” He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and she could see the self-recrimination etched on his face. “I can’t even begin to express how angry I am with myself for causing you such hurt. I never should have allowed myself to indulge my desire for you. Not until after my assignment was over.”
She caressed his cheek, unable to believe that he would take all the blame for their relationship onto himself. “I didn’t give you a choice.”
He laughed at that. “No, you didn’t. But to be honest, I’m not sure I would have been able to stop myself even without your encouragement. Still, despite the fact that I knew you cared for me, you had me worried.” He stopped and she could sense him warring with whether to continue.
“Why?”
“Thornton and all those others vying for your attention… I kept expecting you to decide I wasn’t worth the bother.”
“You would not be the man I loved if you had stood back and allowed Rose’s reputation to fall into ruin. While a part of me hated you for that, another part loved you all the more.”
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and the remaining tension in his body drained away.
“So it was Rose who broke the engagement?”
He nodded in reply. “In the end, she was the noblest of us all.”
Catherine shook her head. “She cares for another. She is a dear friend, but her willingness to suffer the gossip following a broken engagement was not just for the two of us. She never told me who it was she cares for, but I can only hope that whoever he is, he is worthy of her.”
His expression turned grave. “I’m not sure anyone would have her now.”
She sucked in her breath and let it out in a rush. “Her father…”
He nodded. “Worthington confessed to passing confidential information to the French.”
“So he was guilty after all. Poor Rose,” she said, a pang of regret for her friend going through her. “We must do everything we can for her. I will not abandon her.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to. I also happen to agree, especially since I’m not at all certain his involvement in the whole scheme was voluntary.”
Catherine pulled back at that. “So we can still help her? What can I do?”
“No,” Kerrick said, drawing her back into his arms. “I am out of it, as are you. You’ll have to settle for living the life of an ordinary countess.”
“But we must help Rose—”
“She has the best help available to her at the moment. And no,” he said, placing a finger over her lips to still the questions that sprang to mind, “I won’t tell you who that is.”
She drew his finger into her mouth and his gaze zeroed in on her lips, his eyes darkening. “I think I can guess,” she said after releasing him. “He has fair hair and also happens to be an earl—”
His mouth settled over hers and she leaned into him, taking comfort from the knowledge that there would now be many more kisses in her future. She made a soft sound of protest when he drew back.
He shook his head slightly as if to clear it. “Nicholas won’t stop to hear our news if he finds us in a passionate embrace.” He looked toward the door, a slight frown on his brow as she took a step back. “I’m surprised he hasn’t already barged in here.”
Catherine already missed Kerrick’s touch. “Louisa probably distracted him. She’s very good at that.”
A fond smile crossed his face. “The Evans sisters appear to have that in common.”
His obvious affection for her sister reminded her of how close the two had seemed when he’d stayed at Overlea Manor. She took a deep breath and asked the final question she needed answered. “You’ll tell me what happened between the two of you last year?” She hesitated before continuing. “At times I feared you and Louisa were more than friends.”
“No, never that,” he said, taking her hand and squeezing it in reassurance. “I know it appeared that way and I’ll tell you everything when we have more time. I think we’re going to need to share our news, though. Your sister won’t be able to hold Nicholas back for very long. He’s very protective of you.”
Catherine nodded, but her eyes were drawn to the window and the extravagant, yet impractical, gift he had sent. He must have seen her disappointment.
“You don’t like the orange tree?”
“It’s lovely and so rare in England. I can’t believe you managed to get Mr. Clifton to part with it.”
“It wasn’t faring well there. I assured him that you would be able to nurse it back to health.”
It was clear he didn’t realize she wouldn’t be able
to do that. “The light isn’t any stronger at Overlea Manor. The conservatory has the same large windows as those at the orangery. If we keep it there, the tree will eventually go into decline. We will have to find another home for it.”
“I never intended for the tree to go to your sister and brother-in-law.”
There was a gleam in his eye and her heart rate sped up. “But your estate—”
“Doesn’t have a conservatory, no. But I have made arrangements for an architect to visit within the week. I plan to put in a proper greenhouse. Of course, my future wife will have the last say about its design.”
She squealed and threw herself into his arms, no longer caring that her sister and brother-in-law might walk in at any moment. Kerrick clearly felt the same way because when she lifted her face, eager for his kiss, he accepted her invitation. And this time he didn’t hold back from showing her just how much he’d missed her.
THE END
Rose and Brantford's story continues in The Unaffected Earl, book 3 in the Landing a Lord series. To learn when the book is available, please take a moment to sign up for Suzanna's mailing list at http://eepurl.com/nmliD.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Beguiling the Earl. If you enjoyed reading this book, please consider sharing it with a friend. All honest reviews are welcome and appreciated.
The head gardener at Kew Gardens at the time this story takes place was William Townsend Aiton. I wasn’t sure how much of a day-to-day role he had at Kew Gardens—he was also in charge of the gardens at Kensington and Buckingham Palaces—so I decided to invent the character of George Clifton to act in the role of head gardener.
The history of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens is very rich, and I could only touch on it briefly. When one considers that history, it is not hard to understand why Catherine Evans was so eager to visit. Kew Gardens had already gained international recognition during the 1800s because of its large collection of exotic plants.
That was due in large part to botanist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), who was President of the Royal Society for over forty-one years. He made various overseas plant-hunting expeditions himself and financed other voyages. In fact, during the early 1800s, all ships that returned from British colonies brought with them plant specimens for Kew Gardens.
Also, yes, I included another waltz in this book even though such an intimate dance was not common in London in 1807. I hope you’ll forgive the creative liberty I took in including it here.
If you’d like to learn more about my books, please visit my website at http://www.suzannamedeiros.com or visit me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSuzannaMedeiros.
To learn when I have a new release available, you can sign up for my mailing list at http://eepurl.com/nmliD. I promise never to spam or to share your email address.
Thank you again for reading Catherine and Kerrick’s story. I hope you enjoyed their journey and I hope you join me for the next book!
Suzanna
Copyright
ISBN # 9780991823765
Copyright © 2014 Saozinha Medeiros
Cover design © Kim Killion
Edited by Victory Editing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Where such permission is sufficient, the author grants the right to strip any DRM which may be applied to this work
Other Books by Suzanna
Dear Stranger
Landing a Lord series
Dancing with the Duke
Loving the Marquess
Beguiling the Earl
The Unaffected Earl—coming soon
Hathaway Heirs
Lady Hathaway’s Indecent Proposal
Lord Hathaway’s New Bride—coming soon
About Suzanna
Suzanna Medeiros was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her love for the written word led her to pursue a degree in English Literature from the University of Toronto. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Education degree, but graduated at a time when no teaching jobs were available. After working at a number of interesting places, including a federal inquiry, a youth probation office, and the Office of the Fire Marshal of Ontario, she decided to pursue her first love—writing.
Suzanna is married to her own hero and is the proud mother of twin daughters. She is an avowed romantic who enjoys spending her days writing love stories.
She would like to thank her parents for showing her that love at first sight and happily ever after really do exist.
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