Intentions of the Earl (Scandalous Sisters, Book 1)

by Rose Gordon

  “All right,” she agreed. She followed him down the hall to the library. Once inside, she plopped down on a settee. “It goes like this…”

  ***

  Fifteen minutes later Brooke had shared her secrets about everything—well almost everything.

  Alex hadn’t said much. He just nodded and occasionally murmured monosyllabic answers as if to say he understood, though she doubted he really did. He was a man. How could he understand her feelings? Nonetheless, she rambled on.

  Finally, Alex put his hand up, signaling Brooke to stop. “Let’s make sure we understand each other. Andrew had been paying you unmarked attention in London. Not a lot, but enough to make you believe his intentions toward you were honorable. Then, Lady Olivia told you she intends to snag him herself. Finally, you arrived here and he's promising things to Lady Olivia while ignoring you, which makes you think that he has shifted his interest from you to her?”

  “Yes,” Brooke said sheepishly.

  Shaking his head in disbelief, Alex stated, “I’ve known Andrew for many years. Though some may not think so, he is an honorable man. I don’t believe he has any true interest in Lady Olivia. By her own admission she's out to ‘bag him’. She was probably just playing a part when she confronted him before dinner, and Andrew is too much of a gentleman, he wouldn’t embarrass her publicly by exposing her lie.”

  “Do you really think so?” Brooke asked hopefully.

  “Yes. If what you said before about him paying attention to you and making a cake of himself in front of your family is true, then I believe he has an interest in you, not her.” He stopped talking and laughed a little. “I’ll admit I wish I could have been there to witness him saying those things. I’ve never seen him embarrass himself. If I remember correctly, he reacts very strongly to being embarrassed or seeing others embarrassed.”

  Brooke believed that. She remembered the night her sisters had unintentionally embarrassed her. He sat next to her and tried to make her feel better about it, then when it was obvious her family intended to embarrass her more by telling more stories about her, he left. She had been too mortified at the time to realize what he was doing, but now that she could think about it more clearly she realized he was doing his best to protect her feelings.

  “What can I do about it then?” Brooke asked.

  “About what?” Alex’s brows came together and his face looked like he had no idea what Brooke was talking about.

  “What can I do about Lady Olivia? How can I compete with her?” she asked anxiously, trying to explain to an oblivious Alex that she did not think the problem had magically solved itself.

  Alex leaned back in his chair. “Hmm, I do believe we need to devise a plan of action. If you truly think he was going to ask you to marry him, you could try to get caught in a compromising situation with him.”

  “I don’t think that’s the answer,” Brooke said disapprovingly. Nor was she sure that Andrew was going to ask her to marry him in the first place.

  “Maybe not. But, if you don’t do something soon, Lady Olivia might think of the same plan, and she won’t be too meek to pull it off.”

  “She would not!” Brooke said vehemently.

  “She would,” Alex countered with a simple nod. “You may not know this about Lady Olivia, but as a bachelor, I've become well acquainted with her kind. She isn't attractive or even liked in most social circles, however, she still desires a husband, and I'm willing to bet she'll go about acquiring one any way she can.”

  “Would he do it?” Brooke’s voice cracked on the last word.

  “Do what? Marry a lady he was caught in a compromising situation with? Absolutely. He’s an honorable man and would do the right thing.”

  Brooke liked the idea of marrying the earl, but not the idea of a potential scandal. She didn’t want to send her family back to the United States in disgrace. Even if she married him, it would still bring disgrace on her family because of the surrounding scandal. Her family was too valuable to her for her to carelessly trample over them just to get what she wanted. “Do you think we could try something a little less drastic first?”

  “Yes. Lady Olivia is desperate, but I don’t think she will push things that far this soon. She’ll try to win him with her money, class, or connections before trying to throw her virtue at him. I’ll try to arrange a few activities for you and Andrew to do over the next few days. But you’ll have to do your part as well.”

  Brooke didn’t know what her part entailed, but she nodded her agreement. She would do her part and then some if it would help her win Andrew.

  “You may not like this, but when I arrange for you two to be alone you’ll have to tease him a little.”

  Brooke let out a nervous giggle. “Tease him? How so?”

  “Little things really,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “When you put your hand on his arm to be escorted, give him a little squeeze. When you’re alone with him act like you’re going to let him kiss you, then back away before he does. Do that a few times and he’ll follow you like a lost dog in no time.”

  Brooke giggled again at the idea of the earl following her around that way. “I can do those things. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’ve been doing those tricks for years.”

  “No, you shouldn’t say that to anyone else, but for our purposes it works to your advantage that you’ve already had plenty of practice,” he said dryly.

  “I just hope I can back away when he tries to kiss me,” Brooke said without thinking.

  “It will be easy, especially if you remember why you are doing it.”

  “Very true. I shall just have to block the memory of how good our last kiss was and focus on the future good.”

  “Your last kiss?” Alex asked, his voice taking on a sharp tone. “Just how many kisses have the two of you shared?”

  “Jus—just two. At the museum. But one was just merely a brush on the lips, so it doesn’t count.”

  Alex’s eyes looked deadly. “He had better not have been trifling with you.

  It was time to leave. She had possibly said too much as it was and didn’t want Alex to change his mind about helping her. “I think I had better retire now in case Mama checks in on me. Thank you for agreeing to help me. I shall follow all of your advice exact.” Then before he could say anything else, she fled the library and ran up the stairs, heedless to the body that was standing right outside the library door.

  Chapter 15

  Andrew’s fury was bubbling inside as he left Brooke with her parents and stalked across the drawing room to where Lady Olivia was waiting for him. He’d like to shake the silly chit until her yellow teeth rattled. Who did she think she was? And what did she want with him?

  “The Prodigal Earl hath returned,” Lady Olivia said, looking at him with that miserable, pouty face she always sported.

  “Yes, I have returned per your request,” he said with a clipped voice. What was she about? Why had she accused him publicly of trying to renege on a promise he had never even made? What was her game? Then he remembered she had gotten upset when he responded to her bold proposal and told her he wasn’t interested in marrying her. Her face had changed at his refusal, and then she had declared something about trying to win his hand. This was how she was going about it? Wonderful. Now during the whole party, she was going to plague him and try to put the other girls off, just as she had done with Brooke.

  Andrew knew it was wrong, but he wished she’d come down with a complaint tomorrow and return to London or Bath for the remainder of the party. Otherwise, he’d have to spend every last shilling he possessed bribing servants to keep him updated on her whereabouts so he could avoid her like the plague.

  “Don’t be silly,” she giggled. “You said you enjoyed my company and would be delighted to accompany me to dinner. If I were amendable, of course.”

  Her words were spoken light and airily, but her eyes told a different story. She truly expected that he would agree to her charges right here and mak
e it sound like a public declaration of his feelings toward her.

  Andrew’s jaw worked. This was a mess of the worst sort. There was only one way out: go along with what she wanted just now in order to keep gossip down, then hand her off on some other poor sod at the first opportunity. “You’re correct, Lady Olivia, I did want to accompany you to dinner tonight,” he said loud enough for the eavesdroppers close by to hear. “Perhaps we shall discuss the rules of chess again and talk more about strategy.”

  He bit back a smile when he watched her smile slip and disappointment twist her lips into a snarl. He hated being such a heel, but really she was not the least bit fascinating, and if he had to suffer through dinner with her, she would be doing some suffering, too. He was going to make sure of it.

  She recovered quickly though. “That would be delightful, my lord. Since you earlier expressed your understanding and penchant for rules, I am convinced you would be the best person to consult about rules and strategy.”

  Andrew nodded and resigned himself to a dinner companion that might drive him to commit suicide later.

  Just then the butler appeared and announced that dinner was served.

  Relieved that he wouldn’t have to make idle chitchat with just Lady Olivia much longer, Andrew offered her his arm and started walking briskly toward where the butler was leading the party down to dinner.

  “Could you slow down? My slippers do not allow me to walk as fast as you,” Lady Olivia said sharply.

  “Of course,” Andrew muttered.

  When Andrew and Lady Olivia entered the dining room, he immediately searched for Brooke. Unfortunately she was seated on the far end of the table by Mr. Cook, Liberty, and Mr. Grimes. Brooke’s face looked as hard as steel. He tried to give her an apologetic smile, but it did nothing to soften her face

  Dinner would have been excellent if not for such poor company. The whole meal, Lady Olivia cooed, simpered, batted her lashes, and made several other pathetic attempts at flirting. It was enough to make even the hungriest man lose his appetite.

  After dinner, the men stayed in the dining room while the ladies went to the drawing room. The separation only lasted an hour, but Andrew felt every one of those sixty minutes.

  Andrew walked down the hall with the gentlemen on their way to join the ladies in the drawing room. If not for the fact that he was going to see Brooke when he arrived there, he would have gone up to his room. Just the knowledge that she was in there, maybe even waiting for him, made him walk a little faster down the hall.

  He was disappointed when he stepped through the door and his eyes did a quick sweep of the room, revealing Brooke’s absence. He wandered around to make sure he hadn't just overlooked her, but that only confirmed that she wasn’t there.

  It would seem impolite if he were to leave right away, so he made his rounds and politely inquired to Mrs. Banks about Brooke’s whereabouts.

  “She complained of a headache a half hour ago,” Mrs. Banks told him stiffly, watching his face as he absorbed her words.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he murmured, and he was. He had wanted to talk to her and now it didn’t look like he’d get the chance. “If by chance you should see her tonight, please tell her I hope she feels better tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be sure to let her know, my lord,” Mrs. Banks replied coolly before turning back to the ladies she had been speaking to before he interrupted her.

  Her demeanor toward him had changed tonight, and he knew why. She probably assumed he was playing loose with her daughter’s affections. Any mother who was in her position would treat him the same. The truth was she had no reason to think otherwise.

  After making small talk with a few others, he decided he would also go to bed. But first he needed to seek Alex out to confirm he’d be able to join them on a tour of the grounds tomorrow. Thinking of the tour made him inwardly smile. He had made up his mind earlier tonight that he was going to steal another kiss from her on the tour. With Alex acting as the chaperone, stealing a dozen kisses would pose no problem.

  Alex had left the gentlemen before they had gone to the drawing room to meet up with the ladies. Andrew looked around. Alex wasn’t in the room, either. No matter. If Alex wasn’t here, he’d be in the library, most likely with his nose stuck in a book.

  Andrew slipped from the room just before Lady Olivia could sink her talons into him again. Walking down the hall, he threw glances over his shoulder to make sure she had not followed him. He wouldn’t put it past her at this point to attempt getting caught alone with him. The thought made him shudder.

  Andrew put his hand on the handle to the library door and was about to open it when a female giggle erupted from inside. Stunned, he took a step back. He had no idea why Alex would choose to entertain a female companion in the library of all places. Personally, he could think of many better places to enjoy their company, but Alex was Alex.

  Maybe it would be best to wait until breakfast to ask Alex. He turned to walk away when he suddenly heard a familiar voice and his body froze.

  Getting over his shock, he walked back to the door of the library with the intention of hearing the voice better. It had sounded light and musical, strangely like Brooke’s. He shook his head. Why would Brooke be in the library with Alex? And what on earth in that room would she possibly find humorous?

  He put his ear to the door so he could hear the voice again, to either confirm or disprove his thoughts. When he heard the voice again he knew instantly it was Brooke. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but he knew it was her in the library with Alex and she had giggled about something—no, two somethings. He had clearly heard her laugh twice. Now her voice had taken on a different tone and so had Alex’s. Alex almost sounded on edge now.

  Andrew fought the urge to swing open the door, barge in, and demand to know what was going on, but his feet were rooted to the floor. Did he really want to know what was going on in there? Some people married their cousins, he reminded himself. Was that what this was? Were these two planning to make a match of it? No, that was impossible. They hardly knew each other. Not to mention, their interests were so opposite of each other they both would struggle in a marriage to each other.

  A noise that sounded like a person walking toward the door came from in the library and he quickly stepped aside.

  The door flew open and through the shadows, Andrew watched Brooke dash out of the library and run toward the staircase.

  When she was out of sight, Andrew indulged his temper and barged in to the library. “What was that about?” Andrew demanded curtly. Tension took hold of his whole body.

  “I should ask you what you’re about,” Alex shot back angrily.

  “What I’m about? I’m not the one secretly meeting with a young lady in a library.” “Calm yourself, Andrew. I wasn’t doing anything I shouldn’t, unlike you.”

  “Unlike me? What exactly are you insinuating?” Andrew’s voice filled with disbelief.

  “You seem to be trifling with my cousin, and I won’t countenance it.” Alex looked as if waiting for Andrew to deny his charge.

  Andrew just stared at him. “What do you mean trifling with her?”

  “You were courting and kissing her in London, and now you’ve thrown her over for Lady Olivia.”

  “She told you that?” Andrew asked, his anger toward Alex dissolving. His anger in general hadn’t dissolved; it was now directed squarely at Lady Olivia for her role in the mess.

  “If you're referring to her telling me you kissed her? Then yes, she told me about the museum. If you are referring to you throwing her over for Lady Olivia? Then yes, she told me about that, too.” His eyes still held their sharp edge. “Andrew, you might be my closest friend, but that doesn’t mean you have free rein to run over Brooke’s feelings with no consequences.”

  Andrew didn’t want to know exactly what Alex meant by that comment, so he ignored it. “I didn’t throw Brooke over for Lady Olivia,” he said defensively. “This afternoon, Lady Olivia made
clear her intentions to woo me. She even had the nerve to propose to me. Which, much to her dismay, I refused. Tonight in the drawing room, she made up some outrageous story that I had asked to escort her to dinner and how I was backing out of it by escorting Brooke. I didn’t know what else to do. Several people overheard this exchange, including Lady Algen and Mr. Thomas who, as you know, are notorious gossips. I chose what I thought was the less damaging action: I took Brooke back to her parents and escorted Lady Olivia to dinner.”

  “And you didn’t think this would affect Brooke?” Alex asked earnestly.

  “It wasn’t until I saw Brooke’s face in the dining room that I realized how much I'd hurt her, but it was too late. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her during dinner. I had hoped to talk to her in the drawing room, but she'd already left by the time I got there. I decided it was best to talk to her tomorrow when I take her on a tour of the grounds.” Andrew sat down in a chair across from Alex. “That reminds me why I came to the library in the first place. I need you to accompany us tomorrow on a tour of the grounds. She won’t go without a chaperone, and she has no maid.”

  Alex’s eyes looked around the room for a few minutes before they settled back on Andrew’s. “Andrew, are your intentions toward Brooke honorable?” he asked quietly.

  Andrew stiffened at Alex’s question. He wasn't sure how to answer. If he were to say the truth, Alex would not only refuse to help him tomorrow, but would probably have him thrown out of the party as well. On the other hand, if he said his intentions were honorable, Alex would expect an engagement to be announced soon—especially if Brooke was caught in a compromising situation, which was his plan. What a tangle.

  Andrew stared at Alex’s imploring eyes and quietly asked, “What do you think?” It was the simple way to answer, it wasn’t a lie or the truth—he was just avoiding the question and relying on his gentleman’s honor to carry him through.

  “I believe you have a serious interest in her, and I believe that you will make the right decisions where she is concerned.” Alex’s tone was still hard, but his face had softened considerably.