Unexpected Earl (Hearts and Ever Afters)

by Joyce Alec

  “Apparently, wealth goes a long way to smooth a once rocky path,” Catherine muttered, rolling her eyes. “Linton has a great deal of wealth, and he likes to cling to it as best he can. I have heard rumors of his attempts to add to his funds through most undesirable means.” She sighed heavily. “I cannot think much of him now, even though we were dear friends back in our childhood.”

  “And even though you once thought yourself in love with him,” Alice commented with a smile.

  “Alice, please, do not remind me of my mistake anymore!” Catherine begged, her hand on her heart as her green eyes filled with dismay. “I promise you now, I shall never be as ridiculous again. No, I fully intend to find myself a nice, honest, decent man who will hold my heart both gently and tenderly.”

  Alice’s smile softened. “I am glad to hear it,” she said quietly. “I think matrimony will suit you very well, Catherine. Just ensure you are not hasty when it comes to such things as courting and declarations of love. Some men hide their true nature and intentions behind a wall of accolades and compliments.”

  “You have no need to worry on that account,” Catherine firmly declared. “I have been well aware of that kind of gentleman for some time, given my acquaintance with Lord Linton. I believe I can see through that kind of façade.”

  Alive, however, did not seem to agree, patting Catherine’s hand. “Just be on your guard, that is all I ask.”

  “Of course I will,” Catherine promised, surprised at her friend’s concern. “And I promise that if Lord Kerr does decide to court me, then you shall be among the first of my friends that I shall introduce him to.”

  “Very well!” Alice laughed, beginning to peruse the books in earnest. “Come now, let us find a new title or two.”

  Catherine set about looking for a new book, only for a flicker of movement to catch her eye. Glancing out of the window, she was astonished to see none other than Lord Linton hastening across the street, looking like he was being chased by a terrifying band of mercenaries—although, from what Catherine could see, there was no one in particular chasing him.

  “Good gracious,” she breathed as he began to hurry towards the bookshop. “I do believe he intends to come in here.”

  “Who?” Alice asked, putting her book down and joining Catherine at the window. She gasped as she caught sight of Lord Linton. “Good heavens! Is that not the very man we were just discussing?”

  “It is,” Catherine answered grimly. “And here I am trying my very best not to be in his company.”

  Alice tutted and took Catherine’s arm. “If we stay here at the back of the shop, there is a good chance he will not see us, and we will not even have to converse with him.”

  Catherine agreed and hurried away to the furthest recess of the room alongside Alice, but no sooner had they reached their hiding spot than Lord Linton appeared beside them, puffing and blowing for all he was worth. His eyes widened at the sight of them, his cheeks red with exertion as he placed his hands on his knees in an attempt to calm his breathing.

  “Lord Linton,” Alice murmured, still holding Catherine’s arm. “How nice to see you. Do excuse us, we were just looking at a few new titles.”

  Catherine gave him a tight smile and made to move away beside Alice—who walked back to the door of the bookshop—only for Lord Linton to reach out and catch her hand.

  “Can you see them?” he gasped, his voice harsh and rasping. “Are they there?”

  Frustrated, Catherine pulled her hand from his. “Whatever are you talking about, Lord Linton? Who is coming?”

  “Them!” he exclaimed, gesturing wildly to the window. “Do you see the gentlemen there? A lady with them, perhaps?”

  Catherine rolled her eyes and gave the window a cursory glance. “There is nothing as far as I can see,” she replied calmly. “Now, do excuse us, Lord Linton.”

  The bell at the door rang just as Catherine finished speaking, and Lord Linton quietened them both with a finger to his lips, once more clasping her hand with his. Catherine made to move away, but he still grasped her hand, crouching on his haunches as he peered around the bookshelves.

  “They are coming!” he squeaked, his eyes widening. “Catherine, you must forgive me!”

  Catherine blinked and opened her mouth to ask him what on earth he meant by such a thing, only for him to raise himself to his full height, catch her around the waist, and press his lips to hers.

  Horror filled her. Her reputation would be in pieces should she be identified, and she began to struggle against him. Lord Linton did not stop his attentions, but rather caught her hands, stepped backward, and pressed her back against one of the deeper filled bookcases.

  Thankfully, he released her mouth from his, though he kept his forehead against hers. “If you have ever thought of me as a friend, please stay here,” he whispered, sounding more desperate than she had ever heard him. “Please, I beg of you. You will be quite safe. They will not be able to see your face.”

  Catherine wanted nothing more than to kick him in the shins, hard, and push him away, but knew from the oncoming voices that she might very easily be caught in a compromising position should she do so. Therefore, she had very little alternative other than to remain where she was, her body going rigid with anger.

  The sound of footsteps caught her ears, followed by a few mutters and embarrassed exclamations on finding a couple so caught up with one another, and after a minute had passed, Catherine found herself released from Lord Linton’s grip. She glared up at him, wanting to slap him hard for putting her in such a position. She knew, however, that the sound would carry throughout the quiet bookshop.

  “How dare you!” she seethed, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “You are never to use me in such a way again!”

  “Did you not find even the smallest amount of enjoyment in it?” Lord Linton replied, immediately at ease as he threw her a wink. “Come now, Catherine! Twas not all bad. You did me a very great favor, you know. I appreciate it more than I can say.”

  Fury burst through Catherine’s veins, and she made to rage at him, only for Alice to reappear around the corner with a concerned look on her face.

  “What stopped you?” she asked, ignoring Lord Linton completely. “I could not return to you since there were three gentlemen approaching, but then they departed rather quickly.”

  Catherine, who did not want to explain even to Alice what had occurred, simply shook her head, mute with ire.

  “Come,” Alice continued, looping her hand through Catherine’s arm. “I think perhaps we should find another bookshop. This one has something of a stale odor, I think. Good day, Lord Linton.”

  Without bidding farewell to Lord Linton, Catherine strode from the shop, practically dragging Alice beside her. Her cheeks burned with fire, her face a mask of anger. She could not believe what he had done—using her in such an improper way! She was quite right to consider even his acquaintance a damaging connection. From now on, she would not even greet him unless absolutely necessary.

  “I can hardly believe you used to be friends with that man,” Alice whispered as they walked away from the bookshop. “He cannot always have been such a selfish, thoughtless creature, surely!”

  “No,” Catherine murmured, her face still red. “He was not. He used to be kind and gentle when we were children. Unfortunately, it seems he has strayed from the morals of his youth.”

  “It is an unfortunate connection,” Alice sighed, shaking her head.

  “You need have no concern in that regard!” Catherine firmly stated. “I intend to sever that connection here and now. I shall actively avoid him, for after such a display of behavior today, I cannot think of any good reason to maintain our friendship.”

  Alice nodded sagely. “Very wise, my dear Catherine. Very wise indeed.”

  Chapter Three

  Catherine found her resolution to avoid Lord Linton more than a little difficult, given that he appeared to be at almost every social event that she attended. She had no
other choice but to greet him on occasion, though she made sure to keep the conversation as short as she could manage. Alice, having been informed of what Lord Linton had done in the bookshop, was horrified at the situation and duly stuck by Catherine’s side whenever she could.

  However, Catherine was more than certain that Lord Linton was not about to do such a thing again, for he certainly did not have any true feelings for her—he had simply used her to get out of whatever situation he had managed to land himself in. Although, she did not have any inclination to know what that particular situation was either.

  Shuddering slightly, Catherine tried her best to push Lord Linton from her mind and, instead, concentrate on the ball going on around her. It was a wonderful evening thus far, even though she had been forced to greet Lord Linton a few hours earlier. Thankfully, she had managed to extricate herself before he had requested a dance from her.

  “Ah, my dear Miss Hewson!”

  Catherine turned at once, her cheeks warming immediately as she saw the handsome face of Lord Kerr smiling at her. She managed a brief curtsy, wishing she could fan her hot face as she lifted her head.

  “Lord Kerr,” she greeted him, smiling back at him. “How good it is to see you again.”

  “I do hope you have some spaces on your dance card for me,” he said at once, though his eyes were not on the card tied to her wrist. “I have not seen you in an age and would very much like to continue our acquaintance.”

  A tingling heat rippled up Catherine’s spine as she handed her dance card to him, finding that her mouth appeared to be refusing to work. He signed his name in not one, but two of her three remaining spaces, his eyes fixating on her once more.

  “I would sign my name to all three if I could, but I believe that would cause something of a scandal,” Lord Kerr murmured, catching her hand in his and bending to press a light kiss to the back of her glove. “I very much look forward to our dances together.”

  Finding that she still could not speak—such was the astonishment that filled her—Catherine could only smile and watch him walk away, hardly able to believe what he had just said. Her heart slammed into her chest as she tried to catch her breath, her entire body buzzing with excitement.

  I would sign my name to all three if I could.

  The words ran around her mind over and over until she was forced to believe them. Lord Kerr had just made his partiality for her more than obvious, even though she had never expected such a thing. Since the last time they had danced together, she had not seen him at all. But now, it seemed he had thought of her whilst he had been absent from society, to the point that he was willing to state the depth of his affections to her.

  Catherine danced the next few dances in something of a daze, her mind fixed only on Lord Kerr. When the time came for their dance, he found her immediately, as though he wished not to waste a single moment of their dance together.

  “I do hope you do not mind the waltz,” he murmured as Catherine took his arm and walked with him onto the dance floor. “I have heard that some ladies refuse to dance it.”

  “I am not one of those ladies,” Catherine replied, a little breathlessly. “In fact, I must admit I find the waltz quite enjoyable.”

  Lord Kerr chuckled, placing one hand on her waist and taking her hand with the other. “I am glad to hear it,” he murmured as the music began.

  Catherine did as she had been taught and gave him the lead, finding him, once again, to be a prolific dancer. Lord Kerr twirled her around the floor, never once interrupting another couple’s steps and always ensuring that he did not trod on her toes. They danced in silence, although Catherine braved a look into his eyes now and again, noticing he was always regarding her in an almost careful study. She could never look into his eyes for long, finding herself a little overcome by the intensity of his gaze.

  When the music began to slow, a wave of disappointment rushed over Catherine, as if she had been doused with icy water. She kept her smile fixed as Lord Kerr bowed, ready to lead her back to her seat.

  “Might you like to take some air?” he asked, abruptly taking her hand and placing it back on his arm. “It is a little stuffy in here, is it not?”

  Catherine was about to answer that she should not, given that she was next due to dance with Lord Gregory, but she simply could not form the correct words. She did not want to dance with Lord Gregory, for he did not incite these feelings deep within her soul.

  “Indeed, it is a little stuffy,” she managed to say, looking up at him. “A few minutes of fresh air would be most welcome.”

  Lord Kerr grinned, and Catherine felt her heart practically spin in her chest. He was devilishly handsome, and she could not help but be drawn to him.

  “Wonderful,” she heard him say under his breath, and they walked towards the open French doors at the back of the ballroom. “Quite wonderful.”

  ***

  The evening air was cool and damp, and Catherine’s skin prickled almost immediately.

  “You are cold,” Lord Kerr stated, shaking his head. “Perhaps I should not have brought you outside after all.”

  “No, please,” Catherine protested at once, growing even more chilled at the thought of him leaving her so abruptly. “I am quite at ease, I assure you.”

  He paused for a moment before smiling. “Very well, then. Just a few minutes, perhaps.”

  Catherine smiled back, relieved at his desire to stay with her. “It is very warm in there, is it not?”

  “It is.”

  The silence grew between them for a few minutes, and Catherine began to feel a little uncomfortable. Other couples were present in the gardens, of course, and as they walked, Catherine was delighted to see the small lanterns lighting their path. It gave the grounds an almost magical appearance to them.

  Lord Kerr cleared his throat.

  “Miss Hewson,” he began, “I confess that I have missed your company this last while.”

  “That is because you have been entirely absent from all the wonderful events,” Catherine said, laughing. “Wherever did you go, Lord Kerr?”

  In the lantern light, she could not quite make out his expression, but she saw that he looked away from her, a slight flicker of unease running through his features. He evidently did not want to answer her, and Catherine felt embarrassed for asking such a question, even though it was not meant to be impertinent.

  “What I mean to say,” she continued hastily, “is that I have also noticed your absence.”

  “Oh,” he replied, his breath coming out in a rush, as though he had been holding it. “I see. Well, that is… that is good.”

  Seeing how disconcerted Lord Kerr was, unease swept through Catherine. She had thought he meant to speak to her privately, but mayhap she had been mistaken. It was possible he had asked her to get some fresh air just to be polite, not because he wanted to spend more time with her. Embarrassed beyond words at how quickly she had come to that conclusion, Catherine hung her head and inwardly railed at herself for being so ridiculous.

  “And do you intend to be at any more balls?” Lord Kerr asked, hesitantly. Before Catherine could respond, he spoke again. “Forgive me, that came out quite incorrectly. What I meant to say was, your parents have no intention of leaving town soon, I hope?”

  “Leaving town?” Catherine replied, surprised. “No, indeed. Why should you think so?”

  “I had not thought that they would,” he answered, coming to a standstill and looking as though he wanted to just take back what he had said. “What I mean is—oh, dear, I am making something of a hash of this.”

  Was… was this Catherine’s doing? Did she make Lord Kerr nervous? A spark of excitement suddenly raced up Catherine’s spine, her skin tingling all over as she paused in her steps, looking up at him. How was it possible that a man could make her lose her ability to speak so frequently?

  “What I mean to say, in a very roundabout way, Miss Hewson,” Lord Kerr eventually said, is that I would very much like to see you again. I w
ould like to call on you, if I may?”

  The hopeful expression on his face made Catherine want to laugh aloud, but instead, she simply clasped her hands together and smiled up at him. “Oh, Lord Kerr, I cannot tell you how agreeable I would be to such a thing,” she answered, her heart almost skipping a beat as he stepped forward and caught her hand in his. “In fact, I would be delighted.”

  “Wonderful,” he said, pressing her hand between his two. “I am sorry I got my words so terribly confused; it is not like me.” His eyes warmed, his smile softening. “Perhaps it is your loveliness that has me struggling for air, my thoughts flung into such confusion that I know not what to say.”

  The air seemed to spark around her, and for a very brief moment, Catherine wondered if Lord Kerr might kiss her. He was so close, and his gaze was so soft yet so intense upon her. But then he dropped her hand, offered his arm, and walked back along the path in order to re-enter the ballroom.

  “Our second dance shall be along very soon,” he murmured as they entered the room once more. “I shall look forward to it now, with a much greater pleasure than before.”

  Catherine happily sighed to herself as Lord Kerr lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it before finally taking his farewell. Catherine could not help but allow her eyes to follow him as he walked towards another group of gentlemen, finding Alice at her side almost immediately.

  “Well?”

  “Well,” Catherine laughed, hearing the interest in Alice’s voice. “I think Lord Kerr has come up to scratch after all!”

  Alice drew in a sharp breath. “He intends to court you?”

  “He intends to call upon me,” Catherine answered, finally managing to drag her eyes away from him. “But yes, I have great hopes that we may show a particular partiality for one another, given time.”

  There was a short silence whilst Alice looked into Catherine’s face, her eyes studying her carefully. Catherine grew a little uncomfortable at this, wondering why Alice had not yet replied to her words.