Enticing the Earl

by Christie Kelley

  “Miss Featherstone, may I come in?”

  Hearing no reply, Simon took a deep breath and released it before cracking the door and peering inside. She lay on her side, facing the wall away from the door. He assumed she was asleep until a little sniffle gave her away. He didn’t think he had ever seen her cry. Worried that she might be in more pain than she’d let on, he quietly walked to the bed.

  “Please go away,” she implored him.

  “Why are you crying, Mia?”

  “I am not crying,” she said with a sniffle.

  Unable to bear the pain in her voice, he lay down on the bed and put his arm around her. She immediately stiffened.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just comforting a dear friend.” He gently rubbed her arm until her muscles relaxed. “We are friends, aren’t we? After all, we have known each other since we were children.”

  “I suppose we are friends.”

  “So why are you upset?”

  “I am just feeling sorry for myself.”

  “I suppose that is understandable in this situation. I’m just wondering why now. Did your mother say something that upset you?” Her mother was a hard woman. The tension grew thick whenever Mia and her mother were together.

  “Nothing more than usual.”

  He decided not to say anything for a moment to see if she would continue. Perhaps she would feel the need to fill the silence that quickly enveloped them.

  Finally, she whispered, “I just don’t understand why no man can ever love me.”

  Now, he was at the heart of the matter. “That’s not true, Mia. Davies was a monster. No real man hits a woman.”

  “It’s not just him. Paul Smyth was no different, well, except he never hit me. Instead, he lied to me and told me I was the only woman he loved all the while he was engaged to be married. He used me... just like Davies. I just don’t know why Davies used me.”

  “Why do you think he used you?”

  She laughed coarsely. “What else would you call it?”

  “How did you meet him?”

  “I was walking home from church. My mother hadn’t been able to attend so I was alone. He stopped and asked me for directions.”

  “Directions? To where?”

  “Cheadle. He said he wasn’t from around here. Then the next week, he was there again, waiting for me.” Mia looked down. “He said he hadn’t been able to put me out of his mind. We walked together for a while and talked. Before long he asked me to...”

  Her voice trailed off but Simon knew what she meant. “We shall figure all this out, Mia.” As much as he wanted to tell her how he felt about her, Simon knew this was not the time. She would need time to learn to trust him before he could tell her the truth. But he was determined to make her understand the danger she still faced. “You must believe me that not all men are like that, Mia.”

  “Perhaps not when you’re a member of Society and the men are all supposed to be gentlemen. But out in the country, the men can act as they like. Women are nothing but chattel to be used and discarded as desired.”

  Simon couldn’t help but chuckle. That laugh forced Mia to slowly turn and face him with a frown. He realized with a start just how close they were on the bed. And alone.

  “You think this is humorous?”

  “No,” he said softly. “I think your opinion of Society’s men is. I have met more men in London who believe woman are for nothing but their pleasure than I have out here.”

  Her shoulders dropped. “So all men are the same and I should just give up on ever finding a man who will love me for who I am.”

  “No, I just don’t think you should idolize any man who gives you attention.”

  “Perhaps not.”

  Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with how close he was with her, he moved off the bed. “I actually came to talk to you about something important.”

  “What is wrong?”

  He walked over to the window and drew back the velvet curtain. The expanse of his land always amazed him. He loved the rolling hills lined by trees and fertile fields. Hartsfield was his favorite estate.

  “Hart?”

  “I called a Bow Street runner in from London. I want him to find Allan Davies.”

  “You don’t need to do this. I’m sure he has left the neighborhood by now.”

  He turned back and stared at the beautiful woman on the bed. Her bruises were starting to turn a slight greenish tone now. In a few days, even her ribs would be feeling better. He had to make her understand the danger she faced. “Mr. Tanner believes Davies chose you on purpose.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He thinks Davies had an ulterior motive for choosing you.”

  “Why would he do that?” she asked in a shaky tone.

  “That’s what we need to determine.” Simon moved a chair closer to the bed and sat down. “North and I checked the house where you met him. There was absolutely nothing of a personal nature there.”

  “He hadn’t lived there long.”

  “Perhaps not, but there were only two plates and cups in the house. No letters were there, no paintings or miniatures of relatives, no journal, and almost no food. He didn’t live there, Mia. He used that place only to meet with you.”

  She remained silent, staring at her hands.

  “Did he ever say anything to make you think he was looking for information about something or someone?”

  She frowned in thought before slowly shaking her head. “I don’t remember him asking anything too personal.”

  “You said he wouldn’t step on my lands, as if he were frightened of me. Did he ever say why that was?”

  “No,” she answered. “He wouldn’t admit that you scared him, Hart.”

  “Mia,” he started softly. “Mr. Tanner still believes you are in danger. No one knows this man. North asked his tenants and I asked about him in Cheadle. Only a man hiding something or hiding from something does this.”

  Her brown eyes widened. “Are you trying to frighten me?”

  “I am trying to make you understand the dangers of this situation and why your mother insisted you stay here.” Damn, he didn’t mean to blurt that out.

  “You know about that?”

  He nodded sharply. “Your mother and I both agreed that you should stay here for your safety.”

  “I see.”

  Hearing the bitterness in her voice, he had to calm her down. “Mia, it is for your own good.”

  “For how long?”

  “At least until Davies is caught,” he said cautiously.

  “At least?” She glared at him. “What do you mean by at least?”

  “Mia, I would like to suggest something to you but you need to hear me out before answering. Is that all right?”

  She tilted her head in a questioning manner. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Very well, what are you suggesting?”

  He might not be so nervous if the tone of her voice had been a little warmer. “I need a wife.”

  “You are not—”

  “You said you would hear me out,” he interrupted. “I am almost thirty. I need a wife and I want children.” He watched her eyes grow wide as her head started shaking. “I can keep you safe. No one can touch you here.” He took a deep breath and said, “I would like to marry you.”

  “No.”

  “No? That’s all you can say? You haven’t even heard my reasons.”

  “Of course I did. You want a wife and children. That’s understandable; so go find a lady in London. I am not the type of woman a man like you marries.”

  He laughed. “You know that is not true. Look at your best friend. She married a duke.”

  “Selina was a proper lady until she met North. I am not. You know I have been with Davies and I was with Smyth before that.”

  Simon shook his head. Her virginity was the issue? “I have not been celibate, Mia. Does that bother you?”

  “No, but you are a man and it’s expected that you would be with women befo
re you married.” She struggled to sit up against the pillows. “My being with other men can only embarrass you if it gets out.”

  “I can handle the embarrassment. I rarely go to London, so who would know?”

  “Everyone here and at your other estates. Gossip spreads like fire, Hart. They all know that a man abused me. The servants will all assume what happened, and they would be right.”

  “Not one of the servants would dare to speak ill of you. They all love you.” He leaned in closer. “And fear your mother, I believe.”

  Defeated, she glanced down at her hands on her lap. “Why do you want to marry me, Hart?”

  “To protect you.”

  She blinked quickly as if trying to fight back more tears. “I see. With you, I would be safe. You would never hurt me physically.”

  Simon moved to the bed and held her hands. “I would never hurt you in any way.”

  She went silent in thought for what seemed like the longest minute Simon had ever waited to pass. As she mentally debated the merits of marriage, her head would shake and then nod. Finally, she looked back up at him and said, “I have several conditions that must be agreed upon before I give you an answer.”

  What was she up to? “Very well, tell me your conditions.”

  “You will teach me to shoot.”

  He smiled knowing how important it was now for her to be able to protect herself. “I will teach you to shoot and throw knives and most importantly, I will teach you the same things I taught my sister.”

  “What?”

  “How to take down a man trying to harm you.”

  “How can I bring a man down who is taller and stronger than I?”

  “It can be done in just a few easy steps. And it works. You may write my sister Caroline if you wish. She actually used it on her husband before they were married. It was not intentional; he thought she was someone else, and she thought he was a man trying to abduct her. It all worked out in the end, once his nose healed.”

  Mia giggled. “She hurt his nose?”

  “She broke his nose and hurt him in another very uncomfortable place. Fortunately, they were still able to have children after that.”

  Mia laughed aloud this time. “That story is not true.”

  Simon held his hand up as if taking an oath. “Every word. Now what are your other conditions?”

  “You will never hit me.”

  He waved a hand at her. “We have already been through that.”

  “Very well. We must wait until after I have my next monthlies. I will not let you raise another man’s child.”

  Simon glanced away. While he knew she was right, he also knew if she were with child she would need his protection even more. “How long should that be?”

  “Hopefully, no more than a fortnight.”

  “I agree, then. Are there any more conditions?”

  She nodded slowly. “Yes. Before I agree to marry you, you must do one more thing.”

  “What is it?” He wondered how hard this last condition could be. It seemed to be taking her forever to tell him.

  “You must kiss me.”

  Chapter 6

  Oh, dear Lord, had she really just asked him to kiss her? Mia Featherstone, the poor wise woman who worked the estate, just asked Lord Hartsfield for a kiss. And based on the length of time it was taking him to answer, he was just as shocked.

  “A kiss?” he finally asked.

  Mia bit down on her lower lip and nodded. “I would like to know if there is an attraction between us. I don’t believe it would be fair to either of us to marry solely for my protection. You need an heir. It would be much more pleasant if making this heir wasn’t a chore.”

  He pressed his lips together tightly as if holding back a grin. “Very well, this is your final condition, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you really believe you are up to a kiss today? Or would you rather wait until you are further healed?”

  She could see his reasoning on this. If she allowed him to kiss her today and she wasn’t affected by the kiss, it might be due to her bruises. But a part of her wanted this issue of marriage settled before she changed her mind. She knew marrying him purely for the protection his name could bring her was wrong. Yet, she felt she had no choice. No other man had ever tried to shield her from harm, save her father. Every other man had used her. She didn’t see how Hart could possibly be using her. Most people would believe she was using him.

  And perhaps she was.

  He was certainly a handsome man and she had never heard of him hurting another person. She might come to love him.

  But was might enough?

  “Hart,” she started slowly, “I don’t believe this question of marriage is fair to you.”

  “How so?”

  Mia stared at her hands. “I am not in love with you.”

  “I know that.”

  She glanced up at his smiling face and cocked her head. “But shouldn’t that be an important part of marriage?”

  He laughed and took her hand in his. “If I married a lady from London, do you think I would love her? It would be a marriage to make her parents and my mother happy. A chance for a woman to increase her parents’ position in Society. Or for another peer to boast that his daughter caught an earl. Nothing more. I wouldn’t love her.”

  “Do you believe in love?” She hadn’t thought it possible that Hart was a cynical man who didn’t believe in such a fanciful idea as love.

  “Yes,” he said, nodding. “I have been in love before.”

  “What happened?”

  “She...” his voice trailed off as he looked out toward the window. “She didn’t know I existed.”

  “That is dreadfully sad,” Mia whispered.

  “Yes.” He turned his head back to her with a smile that took her breath away. “Now, back to the question at hand, do we kiss today?”

  Her heart started to pound fiercely against her chest. She had nothing to fear from him. Nothing. He wasn’t the type of man who beat women. When his mother was ill, he’d done everything he could to help save her. He was a good man. “Yes,” she whispered. “Now.”

  “Very well.” He stood and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

  The scent of sandalwood wafted around her. How had she never noticed the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled or laughed? She had known him all her life. He rarely left the estate over the past few years. She should know everything about him... and yet, she didn’t.

  She watched as his face slowly came closer to her. Until she could feel the heat of his breath on her cheek. When lips finally touched hers, it was the barest of kisses, scarcely a touch at all. He was being deliberately gentle for her. And suddenly her heart skipped a beat with the thought that a man would take care of her for a change.

  Mia lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. Ignoring the ache in her side, she wanted only to have a proper kiss from him. To feel the spark of excitement as his tongue touched hers. To feel her breasts crushed against his hard chest.

  How could she want him after all she’d been through recently? But his gentle kiss proved he would protect her and keep her safe from all harm. He was a good man and that only made him more desirable. Still, she wanted mutual passion with him.

  She wanted a real kiss.

  Before she could open her mouth and kiss him fully, he pulled away slowly, purposefully. Damn him for sensing her response and leaving her wanting more. Staring up at him, she smiled shyly. He had agreed to all her conditions but had that kiss proved their marriage would not be in name only?

  “Have I met your conditions? Shall I obtain the special license?”

  “Were you deliberately being gentle, Hart?”

  He looked taken aback by her question. “What do you mean?”

  God, she couldn’t say this and look at him. “I just want to make sure we will suit in bed. That kiss was very... well... tame.”

  “Only days ago, you were beaten until you were bruised and batte
red both physically and mentally. Of course, I treated you gently.” He rose from the bed. “Good day, Mia. I will check on you later.” He started to walk toward the door.

  “Hart, wait.” Once he turned back to her, she said, “I apologize. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You are the kindest man I have ever known. But you have to understand I feel that I am cheating you out of a proper wife. I at least want to know you desire me and want to make love with me.”

  “There is no cause for concern on that part.” He retreated from the room before she could say another word.

  Simon walked outside before the desire consuming him forced him to storm into her room and show her just how much he wanted her. Foolish woman. She had no idea the restraint it took from him to not overwhelm her with his passion. Then she had the gall to question him on it.

  He needed a distraction, something to help him work off this frustration coursing through his body. He headed for the stables. Once there, he picked up a pitchfork and to the amazement of the stable boys, he started mucking out the stalls.

  “Sir, we done that already,” one of the lads said quietly.

  “Go take Bonnie outside to field, Samuel,” Mr. Thompson said to the lad. The head groomsman looked at Simon and then said, “In fact, all ye lads get out of the stables for a while.”

  The boys whooped as they ran out of the stables. Mr. Thompson put down the brush he’d been using on one of the mares and nodded to Simon. “If ye get to it, my lord, Tilly just came in from her exercise and could use a good rubdown.”

  Mr. Thompson departed the stables, leaving Simon exactly where he wanted to be: alone. He put the pitchfork down and walked to Tilly’s stall. The mare needed her brushing more than the clean stall needed mucking. Taking the brush in his hand, he smoothed it over the mare’s fine hair. He murmured softly to Tilly about the foolishness of women.

  “I should have known I’d find you out here.”

  Simon turned at the sound of North’s voice. “What are you doing here today?”

  “Selina’s delivering a baby so she’ll be gone most of the day. I thought I’d ride over and see what the Bow Street runner had to say.” North picked up a brush and started brushing his gelding.