Unexpected Earl (Hearts and Ever Afters)

by Joyce Alec

  “I am afraid this does cause some difficulties, however,” Lord Kerr continued, returning his steely gaze to Lord Linton. “And whilst I am afraid I must continue with my plans to return to my estate, I fully expect there to be a retraction in tomorrow’s paper.”

  Lord Linton snorted. “And what makes you think I would do such a thing? Simply because you ask it? You are not worthy of Kitty.”

  Lord Kerr paused, his eyes glinting. Catherine continued to hold onto his arm, feeling his muscles tense beneath his coat sleeves. “You are an arrogant man, to say the least. You will do as I ask, Linton, or I shall call you out. I shall have you know that I am a particularly good swordsman.”

  “No!” Catherine exclaimed, clasping Lord Kerr’s arm with both hands. “You cannot!”

  “I will, and I shall,” Lord Kerr replied firmly. “Linton, you shall ensure that the retraction is made and that there is no damage to Miss Hewson’s reputation. Do you understand me?”

  Lord Linton’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing.

  “I can stand to be in your presence no longer,” Lord Kerr spat, putting one arm around Catherine’s shoulders. “Do it, Linton, or it will be all the worse for you.”

  And with that, he swept from the room, taking a shaking Catherine with him.

  Chapter Seven

  “Are you all right, my dear?”

  Catherine leaned into Lord Kerr for a moment, drawing from his strength. “Yes,” she said. “I believe I am.” She looked up at him, grateful beyond words that he had not let himself be deceived. “I cannot thank you enough for believing my words.”

  His expression became grim. “The little I know of Linton told me that I could not trust him. Just as well you appeared when you did, my Catherine! I loathed the mere idea of returning to the country without speaking to you first.”

  “My relief is overwhelming,” Catherine admitted as he stepped back and took her hands in his. “Must you still go?”

  He nodded, crestfallen. “I am afraid so. As much as I would love to tarry with you, my business cannot be put off any longer. You will write to me, will you not?”

  Catherine’s face lit up. “Yes, of course! I was distressed when I realized I did not know where to send my letters.”

  Lord Kerr’s eyes widened. “Oh, how foolish of me!” he responded, sounding both horrified and frustrated. “My dearest Catherine, I shall write to you the very moment I reach my estate, so then you will know where to send your replies. I very much look forward to our correspondence.”

  Catherine blushed as he pressed his lips to the back of her hands, her heart soaring in her chest when, only minutes before, it had sunk lower than she had ever thought possible.

  “I must go,” Lord Kerr murmured. “Might I give you a ride home?”

  “No, I thank you,” Catherine replied, glancing about her. “I realize my maid must still be indoors, and I am quite able to hail a hackney. Do not let me keep you.”

  His warm smile delighted her. “You are very good, Catherine. I shall see you again anon.”

  Catherine waited until his carriage had turned down the street, waving one last time at him before stepping indoors once more, hating that she had to return to Lord Linton’s home in search of her maid. The butler appeared by her side the moment she came through the front door, looking most apologetic.

  “I have just now sent for your maid, Miss Hewson,” he said with a short bow. “Do forgive me for the oversight.”

  “There is no oversight,” Catherine reassured him. “I did not expect to be leaving in such a hurry.”

  She waited patiently, but just as her maid rushed towards her from the back stairs, Lord Linton appeared in the doorway of his study.

  “Kitty,” he said hurriedly. “Do not go. Please. I need to talk to you.”

  Catherine felt her anger begin to burn once more, and she turned her back and waited for her maid, refusing to answer him.

  “Please!” he begged, sounding more contrite than she had ever heard him. “I have done this for your own good, Kitty.”

  She rounded on him, burning with anger. “My good?” she shouted, her voice echoing down the hallway as her maid and the butler melted away almost at once. “There is nothing good about this, my lord! You tried to ruin things between Lord Kerr and myself, and I simply cannot understand why you would do such a thing! You are a wicked, cruel man, and I cannot believe that we were ever truly friends!”

  Much to her shame, Catherine felt tears spring to her eyes as she choked back a sob. His excuses would not do. Not this time.

  “Kitty,” Linton said softly, stepping a little closer to her. “I know I have not treated you well, and I cannot fault you for your anger, but I know that Lord Kerr is not who he claims to be.”

  “Nonsense!” Catherine spat, her eyes ablaze even as tears fell onto her cheeks. “He is honest and true and—”

  “He is almost bankrupt.”

  His words took her breath away. She stared at him, a twist of fear in her gut.

  “I had a word with some of my acquaintances after I saw you with him,” Linton continued. “They have told me that the man owes a great deal of money. His estate is in dire straits.”

  Catherine shook her head, a bubble of laughter rising up within her. “You spoke to some of your acquaintances?” she asked, mockery in her tone. “Come now, you shall have to do better than that.”

  “Please, Kitty!” he exclaimed, stepping closer and catching one of her hands in his. “I know I have not been a good friend to you, that I have not been a particularly good man, even, but I promise you this is true. I did what I had to so as to sever the connection between you and Lord Kerr because I care about you, truly.”

  Catherine was robbed of speech for some moments, going from anger to laughter to confusion in such rapidity that she was hardly able to think.

  “I am telling you the truth about Lord Kerr,” Linton insisted, his eyes looking into hers as his fingers gently rubbed the back of her hand. “Can you not trust me on this, even for old times’ sake?”

  Slowly, Catherine pulled her hand away from his, stepping back and shaking her head. “No. I cannot.”

  The desperation in his expression deepened.

  “I cannot believe a word you say, my lord,” she went on. “You are not a trustworthy man. You have not been a friend to me in a long time, and since your return to town, I have tried to distance myself from you—with good reason, I might add.” Tears began to pour down her face, unchecked. “Fix what you have done, as Lord Kerr directed.”

  Lord Linton made to move forward, but she stepped back from him, numbness spreading through her limbs. “No!” she cried through her sobs. “It is done. Fix this now. As much as you deserve it, I would not like to see you badly injured by Lord Kerr’s swordsmanship.”

  Turning her back on him, Catherine made her way to the front door and hurried down the steps, pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve. She wiped her eyes quickly, drawing in one sharp breath after another in an attempt to calm herself. Her maid seemed to materialize out of nowhere, falling into step behind her as Catherine quickened her steps away from Lord Linton’s home. She hailed the first hackney she saw, and once inside, she sank back onto the seat. Her maid sat opposite her, her gaze fixed on the window and not looking at Catherine at all. Catherine was grateful for the silence, her mind whirling with all the events that had taken place.

  ***

  Returning home was something of a relief, even though Catherine had to pour out the whole story to her mother and then her father, leaving her quite exhausted. Her father muttered darkly about calling Lord Linton out himself, which made Catherine smile in spite of her distress. He had never been a man of many words, but there were times when he proved that he cared about her in his own way—and this was one of those times.

  “But how shall he fix such a thing?” Lady Hewson queried, still looking dreadfully worried. “I mean, there shall be a scandal if it is not done properly.”

 
; Catherine lifted her shoulders. “I cannot say, Mama, but Lord Kerr put the fear of God in him, so I am quite sure Lord Linton will do what he must.”

  “I should hope he does,” her mother replied, her face a little paler than usual. “You shall have callers this afternoon, no doubt, but I do not know what we shall tell them.”

  “We shall go out then, Mama,” Catherine declared, not wanting to have any kind of visitors today. “A carriage ride, mayhap, or a visit to one of your trusted friends. Tomorrow, when the truth of the matter is known, then we might allow callers.”

  Her mother nodded slowly. “You must appear to be the distressed victim, who has been the plaything of Lord Linton and is most upset by it. That is the only way we can alleviate some of the rumors that will inevitably follow.”

  Catherine tried to smile, but found the growing ache in her throat made it almost impossible. “Yes, of course, Mama. I do not think that will be particularly hard to do.”

  Lady Hewson smiled sadly. “I am sorry for all this, Catherine. I am quite sure Lord Kerr will return to you as soon as he is able. I have the greatest of hopes for you both.”

  “As do I,” Catherine replied firmly, doing her best to push away the nagging question that dogged her mind.

  What if Lord Linton was right?

  She shook her head and excused herself, desperate for the quiet of her own room. Her mother watched her go with concern in her eyes, her shoulders slumping as Catherine left the room. This was not what either of them had expected.

  Chapter Eight

  The following morning, Catherine was awake early, having had something of a restless night. Her mind had been tormented with thoughts about what Lord Linton had meant when he had said Lord Kerr was up to his neck in debts.

  Lord Kerr had always seemed so true, so devoted to her. A man could not fake such a thing, could he? The depths in his eyes had to be real, surely?

  And so, troubled by her thoughts, Catherine had risen early and made her way down to the dining room to break her fast, but found she could barely eat. Nibbling on a piece of toast, which slowly grew cold and hard in her hands, she drank cups and cups of warm tea.

  The butler, who had been instructed to bring the papers to her the moment they arrived, soon appeared, and Catherine rose from her chair to take them from him immediately, her eyes filling with sudden tears as her anxiety rose. Leafing through the papers, she tried desperately to find her name amongst the many notices, but, as her vision blurred, she had to pause in her search to calm herself down.

  “Come now, Catherine,” she told herself, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. “This will never do. Get a hold of yourself!”

  A vision of Lord Kerr and Lord Linton dueling sprang to her mind, making her breath catch. Closing her eyes tightly, Catherine pushed down her nerves and drew in one long breath after the other, hoping her stomach would soon stop rolling.

  “Catherine?”

  Looking up, Catherine saw her mother framed in the doorway, still in her night things. Her face was filled with worry and anxious expectation, and Catherine felt her heart burst with warmth over her mother’s ongoing concern for her.

  “I am just looking now, Mama,” she managed to say, her throat constricting with apprehension at what she might find. “I am sure Lord Linton has done what Lord Kerr instructed.”

  This time, Catherine slowed down her pace. She still struggled to find her name anywhere in the pages of the paper, though, growing almost frantic as she neared the end.

  “It is not here!” she exclaimed, her heart thumping within her. “I cannot find it anywhere!” She turned to the very last page, scanning it quickly, only for her attention to catch on a small notice at the very bottom of the page.

  “Did you find it?” Lady Hewson breathed, coming to sit next to her. “Is it the retraction we hoped for?”

  “‘This newspaper is sorry to say that there has been some confusion over the previously printed engagement between Lord Linton and Miss Catherine Hewson,’” Catherine read aloud, her entire body growing cold. “‘At this present time, it is not known for certain what the current situation is, but readers will be informed in due course.’” She stared at the notice for a good few minutes, re-reading it over and over, as though she might find something different there.

  She could not believe that Lord Linton had done this. Instead of rescuing her from the scandal he had caused by his previous advertisement, all he had done was make things worse. Now she would have visitors demanding to know what had occurred, rumours flying around about her and her supposed betrothed. Closing her eyes, Catherine let her tears trickle down her cheeks unhindered, moisture landing on the paper in front of her. This was not what had been meant to happen.

  “Oh, my dear!” Lady Hewson exclaimed, pulling the paper away from Catherine. “This is not good at all. Whatever is Lord Linton thinking?”

  “He thinks he is doing this for my best,” Catherine answered through her tears. “I know it seems quite untoward, but he believes that he is somehow saving me from a most imprudent match.”

  “He has no right!” her mother cried indignantly. “He was your friend, of course, but you have not been close with him for some time. What makes him think he has any right to involve himself now?”

  Catherine could not answer, aware that if she said anything, her mother would find out that she had kissed Lord Kerr and been seen leaving by Lord Linton.

  “He wants you for himself,” her mother suddenly declared, as though that were the obvious reason for this scandal. “That is what all this is about! Lord Linton means to have you for his own, and this is the only way he can push you away from Lord Kerr.”

  “No, Mama,” Catherine replied, shaking her head. “That is nothing to do with it, I am quite sure. For whatever reason, he believes Lord Kerr is unworthy of me, and thinks it is his responsibility to prevent our connection. What he means by this,” she continued, gesturing at the paper, “I cannot say. Lord Kerr threatened to call him out if he did not remove the engagement entirely from my shoulders, and since he has not done it, I cannot help but think that it will be so.”

  Despair filled her as she thought of the inevitable duel, terrified that one or both men would be gravely hurt or even killed over her. It was not as though Lord Linton did not deserve such a consequence over what he had done, but she did not want to see blood spilled, much less because of her.

  “Your father may well do the same,” her mother added. “I should go and speak to him at once.” She rose and put a gentle hand on Catherine’s shoulder. “Take some time and compose yourself, my dear. Eat something. Drink some tea. I will return shortly. We must come up with a plan for what to do next.”

  Catherine barely heard her mother go, an inner trembling beginning to get a hold of her very soul. Her life had been so easy before, so simple. She had hopes and dreams for the future, believing that she would, one day, be the wife of Lord Kerr.

  Now, thanks to Lord Linton, she was going to be the talk of the town, her future with Lord Kerr marred and possibly gone forever. People would be wondering what the truth was, and she would undoubtedly have a great many visitors, desperate to find out what was going on between herself and Lord Linton.

  What could she say to them that would make the situation any easier? Could she really just tell them the truth—that Lord Linton had done this all of his own accord? No, for then the rumors would begin in earnest, and Catherine knew exactly what would be said. There would be talk of a liaison between them, mayhap when they were first friends. It would not matter whether or not she refuted him, whether or not there was any truth in the matter, her reputation would be tarnished. So what was she to say?

  Groaning softly, Catherine put her head in her hands and battled more tears. This was not what she had expected, and she certainly had no idea how to deal with such things. Lord Kerr had not yet written, thus leaving her unable to sit at her desk and scribe a letter to him, begging him for his help. Even worse, she was unsure whe
ther he intended to call Lord Linton out, as he had threatened to do. Whatever Lord Linton was doing, it could not be for her good, despite what he had promised. He had always been able to wangle his way out of any misdemeanor, using his silver tongue to the best of his ability.

  “Miss Hewson?”

  The door opened, and the butler walked in, a slightly puzzled look on his face. Catherine sniffed once and looked up at him, knowing she could trust him not to tell the rest of the staff that she had clearly been crying.

  “Forgive me for disturbing your breakfast, Miss Hewson,” he said, “but you have a visitor.”

  Catherine frowned. “A caller? At this hour?”

  “Indeed,” the butler replied, frowning. “He is most insistent; otherwise, I would not have interrupted you.”

  A cold hand gripped her heart. “It is Lord Linton, is it not?”

  The butler inclined his head. “It is, miss. What shall I do?”

  Catherine wanted to have him sent away at once, wanted to refuse to speak to him or even see him, but sense told her that it would be best they had a discussion. He was the only one who could bring a little clarity to this situation, the only one who could sort it out as best he could.

  “I suppose I should see him,” she sighed heavily, anger beginning to burn in the pit of her stomach. “You may send him in.”

  The butler nodded. “Very good, miss.” He opened the door, murmured something, and closed it behind him, leaving Lord Linton standing just inside the door.

  Catherine found she could not even look at him, her ire rolling like heavy waves over her.

  “Kitty,” he began. “I came to tell you—”

  “To tell me what?” she burst out, rising to her feet and glaring at him. “To tell me that you have made this even more serious than before? To tell me that I should expect a great number of busybodies enquiring about my health, under the pretense of discovering what there is between us?”

  “I came to tell you that I am sorry for what I have had to do,” Lord Linton replied, his voice quiet. There was a gravity in both his eyes and his expression that gave her pause, her mind clouding with worry.