What the Earl Needs Now (The Earls Next Door Book 2)

by Michelle Willingham

  After they departed, Juliette turned to him. “How badly are the guests treating you?”

  Matthew shrugged. “Apparently I do not exist, according to them.” He had passed by many so-called friends whose gazes had turned distant when he and Lily walked by.

  “I hope Miss Carlisle will keep her promise and begin spreading her own story that the rumors are not true.”

  “I would not rely on it,” Matthew said. “But if she found a husband, the blackmail would stop, and that would be a relief.” He hadn’t been certain Sarah Carlisle would even entertain the idea, but she had agreed to let the women dress her, and she was here.

  Still, he didn’t want Lily to feel the shame of his past. She had done nothing wrong and did not deserve their scorn.

  Juliette rested her hand upon his arm. “There is something else we could do. Toria could announce your engagement, which would force the others to acknowledge you.”

  He understood that no one would risk offending the Duchess of Worthingstone. But he shook his head. “Not yet. It would create a strained atmosphere. Perhaps later, when the talk has died down.”

  He studied the crowded ballroom, and for a sudden moment, he thought he spied Adrian. To Juliette, he asked, “Was my cousin invited this evening?”

  She shook her head. “No, of course not. His presence would only undermine what we are trying to accomplish.”

  And yet, he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of the man. He murmured his excuses, and departed Juliette’s side, wanting to ensure it was not Adrian.

  An unsettled suspicion took root within him that sooner or later, he and his cousin would have a confrontation that would not end well.

  “Psst—”

  James turned and saw Evangeline lurking against the far wall. He couldn’t quite understand why she was hissing at him, so he drew closer. She slipped through the doorway and beckoned for him to follow.

  It wasn’t at all a good idea to be alone with her, but he suspected this had something to do with Lily. If nothing else, he was confident that Evangeline would not attempt to trap him into marriage.

  When he reached the hallway, she picked up her skirts, tiptoeing toward another room. James stopped where he was and waited. What on earth was she wanting? She beckoned again, but this time, he rested his hands on his hips and stared at her. Until he knew what this was about, he intended to stay precisely where he was.

  Evangeline rolled her eyes and tiptoed back to him. “You need to hear this. It affects Lily.”

  “Are we eavesdropping, Miss Sinclair?”

  “Yes. Now are you coming, or are you intending to abandon your sister in her hour of need?”

  He smiled at her melodramatics. “Do you even know where you are going?”

  “They are inside the library. I thought we could go in the adjoining room.”

  “They?” He followed her this time, and she silenced him with a finger to his lips. She led him into the music room, closing the door behind them.

  Warnings flared within his mind, for despite his tentative truce with Evangeline, he knew how improper this was. But he followed her to the far end of the room. There was a door that was not properly set upon its hinges. It did indeed connect to the library, but from the crevices along the edge of the door, he could clearly hear the conversation of two men. He recognized Adrian Monroe’s voice, but not the other gentleman’s. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

  When he leaned in closer to catch what they were saying, he grew acutely aware of Evangeline’s presence. Her skin held the light aroma of gardenia, as if she had bathed with scented soap. James gritted his teeth and pushed the idle thoughts away.

  “I thought you said Miss Carlisle would help us,” the other gentleman was saying.

  “And so she has. She has sown the seeds of doubt, which was precisely what I wanted,” Adrian answered. “The stories I have spread will make her claims seem genuine. It matters not if she tries to deny what she said before. My evidence is far more damning.”

  James exchanged a glance with Evangeline, who had gone pale. She looked as if she were about to say something but stopped herself.

  “I have a surprise for my cousin this night,” Adrian said. “One that will drive him past the brink of sanity into madness. It has taken a great deal of time and effort, but I have no doubt it will work. Everyone will be shocked at his behavior, and it will lend credence to my claim that he is incapable of handling the estates due to his mental state. I will be permitted to govern Arnsbury on his behalf.”

  “Good,” the other man answered, his voice sounding more relaxed. “We can then repay our debtors.”

  “I can repay my debts,” Adrian corrected. He paused as if admiring his own efforts. “I have been waiting a long time to gain the property that should have been mine.”

  James had no idea what the pair intended, but it sounded as if Matthew ought to leave the ball immediately. Whatever Adrian planned sounded like a true threat.

  There came a slight cough from the other gentleman. “And what of my debts? I thought we were working together.”

  “You may pick up the pieces of Lady Lily’s broken heart,” Adrian said drily. “She has a good dowry, if you can win her hand. Let her pay your debts, for I don’t care what happens to her now.”

  James’s lips tightened into a line, his anger rising at the mention of his sister. He wanted to shove his way through the door, but Evangeline put herself in front of the entrance, shaking her head.

  There was no further conversation coming from the room, and James heard the faint click of the library door closing. He started to turn, but Evangeline caught his hand. “Wait a moment.”

  She paused, and then without warning, she drew his head down and crushed his mouth to hers. The kiss caught him completely unawares, and he was stunned enough not to protest. Evangeline’s warm mouth held a hint of citrus, like the lemonade she had drunk earlier. But the heat of her embrace left him reeling.

  “Forgive me,” he heard a male voice say, before the door closed again.

  Only then did Evangeline jerk away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But. . .I was afraid they would suspect we were eavesdropping. It was the only thing I could think to do that would explain why we were here alone.”

  He didn’t move, but when she tried to take a step back, he held her waist with one arm. “It has been a long time, Evangeline.”

  “I know it. And I shouldn’t have done that at all.”

  In all honesty, her quick thinking had likely deterred the intruder. But from the deep flush upon her cheeks, she looked as if she wanted to die. And he didn’t want to humiliate her.

  James took her hand and led her from the room, carefully looking around before he escorted her out. He needed to speak with Matthew to warn him about whatever Adrian was planning. There was no sign of the men, and he discreetly led her back to the ballroom.

  “I—I saw the other man,” Evangeline whispered. “It was Lord Davonshire.”

  Now it made sense what Adrian had proposed, about Davonshire picking up the pieces of Lily’s broken heart. But James didn’t intend to let either man near his sister. “I will protect Lily from them.”

  “Will you speak with Lord Arnsbury?”

  He nodded. “And I want you to come with me, Evangeline. You can warn Lily in case she won’t listen to me.” He was less concerned about his sister, since it did not seem that the men were threatening her overtly. Matthew was their true target.

  There was a waltz playing, and James led Evangeline into the steps, pressing his hand against her spine. Her face was still bright with color, and he couldn’t think of what he could say to ease her embarrassment.

  “The kiss wasn’t that bad, was it?” he teased.

  “No.” She closed her eyes for a moment and admitted, “It was that good.”

  Her confession took him by surprise, though he knew she was right. Her lips had been softly yielding, reminding him of the last stolen moment be
tween them.

  She had a good reason to despise him, for he had not wanted to marry her. It wasn’t Evangeline—it was any woman. He had felt the trappings of his father’s dictates closing around him like a cage. At the time, he had been only twenty-three years old, and yet, his father had treated him as if he were already the earl. Every day, he’d been forced to read ledgers and surround himself with duties he was unprepared to face.

  Now, he understood that his father’s desperation was born from a man who had known he was dying. There had been so little time, but James had cast off responsibility and sought adventure in India. He had wanted to escape the title he didn’t want.

  But time and hardship had filled him with regret. Evangeline hadn’t deserved to be cast off.

  “Why didn’t you marry someone else while I was away?” he asked. He guided her closer toward Matthew and Lily. The waltz would end soon, and he wanted to speak to both of them.

  “Not many men would have me,” she answered. “Because of my family’s. . .business. And others were only interested in my money.”

  Her parents had built their fortunes upon an empire of scandalous ladies’ undergarments, but it had never bothered James. “You are a beautiful woman with a good dowry,” he reminded her. “It’s what every gentleman wants.”

  Her expression cooled. “Not even you wanted me, Lord Penford.” The dance ended, but Matthew and Lily were still on the far side of the room. He was about to approach them when he caught sight of another woman. His blood turned to ice, and he let out a low curse. God above, what was she doing here?

  Evangeline frowned. “What is it?”

  “Go back to your parents,” he ordered. “I know exactly what Adrian is intending. And if Matthew sees that woman. . .”

  He didn’t bother finishing the sentence. Adrian wanted command of Arnsbury, above all else—and his ruthlessness would send Matthew over the edge.

  “What can I do to help?” Evangeline asked.

  God above, he didn’t even know. All he could do was try to get Matthew out of this ballroom before he saw the woman who had clearly not been invited by the duchess.

  “I have to stop him.” He glanced around and added, “Tell a footman to summon Lord Arnsbury’s carriage. I need to get Matthew out of here before he sees her.”

  “Before he sees who?”

  There was no time to explain. “Please go and summon the carriage. I will tell you everything later.”

  Evangeline squeezed his hand before she hurried toward her parents. And in the meantime, he crossed through the room of people, hoping to warn Matthew.

  Before he caught sight of the woman who had tortured him in India.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Lily left Matthew’s side after the waltz, feeling slightly out of breath. Matthew had promised to fetch her a glass of lemonade while she went to see about Sarah Carlisle. The older woman had chosen a chair on the far end of the room, and another gentleman with gray hair was standing near her, leaning on his cane. Sarah’s face was flushed, and Lily hid her smile, wondering if she had indeed found a suitor.

  Just as she was about to approach, she overheard two men arguing. “I don’t think it’s true,” the gentleman said. “We’ve known Arnsbury all his life. And Adrian Monroe is stirring up trouble for his own benefit.”

  Lily paused, her heartbeat quickening. She wanted to believe that Sarah Carlisle had done what she could to dispel the gossip—but no one could know for certain.

  She was about to approach the older woman, when she heard a female voice calling out to her. “Lady Lily?”

  Lily turned and saw a beautiful woman with dark hair and skin the color of rich caramel. Her features held an exotic cast, as if she had been born in India, and she wore a dove-colored ball gown with two flounces. A warm smile curved over the woman’s face.

  “I do not believe we have met,” Lily said. She felt a sudden uneasiness, though she masked her feelings.

  “No, I have not had the pleasure. I am Priya Shavanastu.” With a nod in the other direction, she added, “I am the guest of Mr. Monroe.”

  I am certain you are, Lily thought. She had no notion of what Adrian’s intentions were, but if he had brought this woman from India, it could not be good. Whether this woman had any connection to Matthew hardly mattered at all—Adrian was attempting to dredge up terrible memories. And Lily intended to shield the man she loved from his cousin’s animosity.

  “Forgive me for interrupting you,” Miss Shavanastu continued, “but I have been wanting to speak with Lord Arnsbury. Mr. Monroe thought he would not be far from your side.”

  “He may return shortly,” Lily answered. Although she gave the appearance of serenity, inside, her stomach was churning. If Matthew saw this woman, it might bring back all the torment of India. And she would never allow that.

  She took the woman’s arm with the pretense of walking with her. “Forgive me, but how do you know the earl? Did you meet him during his travels in India?” She kept her tone light, as if she were discussing the weather. But she wanted to read the woman’s response to determine her intentions.

  Miss Shavanastu gave a soft laugh. “We did, yes. In fact, he is the reason I traveled this far to London. I owe him a great deal and wanted to thank him in person.”

  Every hair upon Lily’s skin seemed to stand on end, but she forced herself to smile at the woman. “Then let me take you to him,” she lied. Her instincts warned that this woman was up to no good, so she guided her in the opposite direction. “He was speaking with a friend outside. Let us go and join him.”

  The woman had clearly not seen Matthew, for she followed Lily readily. “I should be glad to. My daughter would not be alive were it not for Lord Arnsbury’s assistance.”

  Lily did not believe any of her words but murmured, “You have traveled a great distance. It could not have been an easy journey.” She guided the woman toward the doors, letting the woman speak of her voyage onboard the ship.

  All the while, Lily was conscious of the deceit. She did not doubt for a moment that this foreigner had been brought to disturb Matthew. There was danger in her very presence, and Lily was determined to take her away from the duchess’s ball. A footman could help to discreetly escort Miss Shavanastu away, claiming she was an uninvited guest.

  When they reached the garden, the woman turned to study the men and women milling about, but as Lily had intended, there was no sign of Matthew. “We must have missed him,” she said apologetically. “But if you wish to wait here, Miss Shavanastu, I can fetch a footman to bring him to us.”

  The woman’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly, revealing a trace of annoyance. “Let us return to the ballroom, and I am certain we will find him there.”

  “Perhaps in a moment.” Lily walked across the stone terrace, pretending as if nothing were amiss. “Do let me show you the gardens.”

  The woman stared at her. “There are no flowers blooming in December, Lady Lily.”

  “No, but it will give us a chance to speak without anyone eavesdropping.” She intended to give this woman a warning of her own. As she’d hoped, Miss Shavanastu followed.

  During his revelation, Matthew had admitted that he believed someone had paid a sailor to kidnap him and James, bringing them at the mercy of their captors. But James had not been tormented in the same way, and when he’d escaped, no one had followed. Likely because he was of no consequence to the men.

  Adrian had known that Matthew was leaving for India with James. Would he not arrange for his cousin’s death, particularly since he was the immediate heir to the earldom? It was easy enough to hire an assassin, but for whatever reason, Matthew had been tortured instead.

  “Your English is flawless,” she said to Miss Shavanastu. “How did you learn to speak it so well?”

  The woman smiled. “We were servants in an English household. I learned to speak it as easily as my own language.” In spite of her friendly tone, Lily detected a hardness in her eyes, a flash of hatre
d toward those she had served.

  Now that they were alone, away from the other guests, Lily wanted to provoke a reaction from the woman to see if her premonition had any merit. She had her own theory of the woman’s true identity and decided to voice it.

  “I seem to recall that Lord Arnsbury did mention you to me.” Before the woman could speak, Lily added, “But I believe your true name is Nisha Amat, is it not?” She kept a smile fixed upon her face, but the woman’s expression faltered in a moment of shock.

  Miss Shavanastu shook her head. “No. You must be thinking of someone else.”

  How stupid do you believe I am? she wanted to retort. Had it truly been an error, the woman would not have reacted at all. And for that reason, Lily made no effort to conceal her hatred. “I don’t know why you’ve traveled all this way, nor do I care whether you were paid by Mr. Monroe or anyone else. Return to India, and leave Lord Arnsbury alone.”

  The woman finally dropped the façade of friendliness. “As you said before, it was a long journey from India. I was paid well for what I did there. But I will not be paid the rest until I have finished my task. Mr. Monroe was quite furious that Arnsbury survived and returned home.”

  A surge of fury rose up within her that this woman had ordered Matthew’s torture. Lily’s hands curled into fists, and she barely kept herself in control. “What you did to him was not human. I want you to leave immediately.”

  “I liked torturing him,” Nisha said smoothly. “I held power over him, the way your people held power over me. I enjoyed breaking his mind as well as his body. And I had to return, to finish what I’d started. I knew where he would go, and I followed him here.”

  The woman’s madness was a part of her, ensnared so deeply, it terrified Lily. Words would not convince her to stop, and she had no doubt Nisha meant to kill Matthew. The thought drew out her own protective instincts, lending her courage.

  “You will not lay a single finger upon him,” she warned. “Go now, or I will have you thrown out.”

  Nisha’s face curved in a dark smile. “I don’t think you will.” She reached out and caught Lily’s wrist, tightening her grip.