My Elusive Countess

by Carolynn Carey

  If only she knew how.

  Amanda awoke the following morning determined to make a better showing if Blackbourne should happen to visit her again today. She picked out one of her more daring gowns, one that was cut a little lower than most, and then rang for Janie to do her hair. She had it dressed in soft curls that brushed the tops of her shoulders. Finally, she pinched her cheeks to bring color to them and made her way to the drawing room where she seated herself at the writing desk to pen a missive to Becky and David.

  She’d barely finished the first paragraph when one of the footmen appeared in the doorway. “A gentleman to see you, my lady.”

  Amanda jumped to her feet and her heart started pounding. Obviously Blackbourne had arrived, along with the moment of truth for her. Could she possibly bring herself to attempt to seduce him? She swallowed, then took a deep breath. “Show him in, Graham.”

  She hurried over to the mirror situated near the settee and examined her reflection. Her cheeks had lost their color so she pinched them again, but her eyes appeared too wide and her lips too narrow. He would probably think she was ill.

  Not wanting to be seen frowning at herself in the mirror, she instead walked to the window where she could look out on the street. She was still looking out the window when Graham announced, “Your caller, my lady.”

  She forced a smile that she hoped didn’t wobble too much and turned to welcome Blackbourne. A second later her smile faded. “Lord Appelton.”

  The earl stepped into the room and flashed her an abashed grin. “Ah, my dear Lady Willowvale. I perceive by your obvious disappointment that I am not the gentleman you were expecting.”

  Amanda was almost relieved that he wasn’t Blackbourne. “Why Lord Appelton, how can you think I would be disappointed to see you? You have always been one of my dearest friends in London.” She hurried across the room and held out her hand to him.

  He raised her hand to his lips. “I’ve been despondent ever since you left town without saying goodbye. I’ve missed your lovely face and sweet disposition in the weeks you’ve been away.”

  Amanda reclaimed her hand. “Thank you, my lord. But I can’t help wondering how you knew I’d returned to town.”

  Appelton shrugged. “Servants talk and word gets around rather quickly.” He wandered over to the window and gazed out. “The sun has at last made an appearance and the day promises to warm up nicely. Could I persuade you to go riding in the park with me this afternoon?”

  “I’m afraid I’m not free this afternoon.” Amanda seated herself and motioned for Appelton to do the same. “Shall I order some refreshments?”

  He sighed before sitting down. “Thank you, no. I can’t stay long so I should probably state my business now.”

  “Business? What business could you have with me, my lord?”

  “Lady Cordelia asked me to call. She has a small problem that she would like me to bring to your attention.”

  “Oh?” Amanda frowned. “Why didn’t Lady Cordelia call on me herself?”

  Appelton lifted his right hand to his mouth and pinched his lower lip. Then he sighed. “She sometimes asks me to run errands that she finds distasteful.”

  “Distasteful?”

  “Yes. While not everyone knows this, Lady Cordelia has a certain weakness. The lady loves to gamble and sometimes she does not use the best judgment.”

  Amanda drew a deep breath, intending to tell Appelton that she would happily loan Lady Cordelia enough to cover her gambling debts, but he spoke first. “Lady Cordelia asked me to inform you that Lord Blackbourne paid her to introduce you to the ton, and that if you are not forthcoming with the funds she requires, she will tell everyone about their agreement. She said to remind you that you must think of your son’s future.”

  Amanda expelled her breath in a quick huff. “She said that?”

  “She did.”

  Amanda jumped to her feet. “You may tell Lady Cordelia that I had been inclined to offer her funds until this blatant attempt at blackmailing me. You may also tell her that I have always suspected her motive in sponsoring me was less than altruistic, which is certainly more a reflection on her than on her nephew. In addition, I’m not worried about my son’s future. As David’s guardian, Blackbourne will see that he is well received in polite society.”

  A slow smile lifted Appelton’s lips as he pushed himself to his feet. “Your implicit trust in Lord Blackbourne is touching, my lady. And I shall relay your message to Lady Cordelia word for word. I suspect she will keep her tongue between her teeth on this matter.”

  He bowed, then reached for Amanda’s hand. She hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand in his and returned his smile. “I don’t know why you put up with Lady Cordelia.”

  He shrugged. “The lady has her uses. There’s many a door open to me through her that would otherwise remain closed.”

  Amanda’s smile faded. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I have a feeling you’re painted blacker than you deserve.”

  He shrugged a second time. “Or perhaps not.” He lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm, then stared into her eyes for several seconds. “My dear Lady Willowvale. If I were a man who could be true to any woman, I think that woman would have been you.” He released her hand, then turned and strode out of the room.

  Amanda stood staring into space. She could not help feeling a degree of fondness for Appelton, but his continued association with Lady Cordelia meant Amanda must strike him from her list of friends. Obviously neither Appelton nor Cordelia possessed even a fraction of the honor that was inherent in Blackbourne’s character.

  Then her eyes widened. “My heavens,” she murmured to herself. “All of this time, almost from the first moment I met Lord Blackbourne, I’ve known deep down that I could trust him. More than likely, if I hadn’t panicked and run when he got so angry about my taking in his mother, he would have calmed down and listened to her reasons for leaving him.”

  She turned and walked to the windows, then back again, lecturing herself as she paced. How could she have been such a ninny? She’d known intuitively that she could trust Blackbourne but she’d allowed her silly vow to avoid all noblemen to blind her to his finer qualities. She’d even turned down a proposal of marriage when she knew she loved him and accepted that he loved her in return.

  So what was she to do? Even though he appeared to be avoiding her, she didn’t really believe his feelings toward her had changed. He was not that shallow. But perhaps he had decided that caution was called for. Caution and patience.

  Which was admirable but no longer what Amanda wanted. She wanted Blackbourne, and she wanted him soon.

  A tap on the door preceded Hammond’s stepping into the room. “Lord Blackbourne has called, my lady. Are you receiving guests?”

  Amanda’s heart leapt and she flashed her butler a smile. “Absolutely, Hammond. And please ask him to hurry.”

  Hammond’s eyebrows shot up, but he turned quickly and rushed back toward the entrance hall.

  Amanda stood near the door, gnawing on her lower lip. She was eager to see Blackbourne, but she was unsure what she would do if he seemed less than interested in pursuing a future with her.

  Then he appeared, striding down the hallway with long steps and sporting a frown. He carried a packet in his left hand. His gaze met hers and his frown deepened. “What’s wrong, Amanda? Hammond said I should hurry.”

  Amanda flashed him the brightest smile she could manage because she loved him so much and because he had hurried. Hammond had told him that Amanda needed him to hurry and so he had. She understood now that he would always be there for her when she needed him and she was sorry that she had ever doubted him.

  “Amanda? What is it? Why was I supposed to hurry?”

  Amanda took a deep breath. “So I could ask you to marry me.”

  “What did you say?”

  She forced a smile. “I want to marry you if you’ll still have me.”

  She had hoped he would be happy, tha
t he would be overjoyed even. Instead he merely stared at her for several seconds, then cocked his head to one side. “Why?”

  Amanda swallowed. Very well, this was going to be more difficult than she had hoped, but perhaps she deserved his distrust. After all, she had distrusted his motives for a very long time.

  She moistened her lips, then sighed. “I suppose I will have to tell you the truth.”

  “The truth about why you’ve changed your mind and now want to marry me?”

  “Yes.” Amanda reached for the packet of papers, took them from his hand and laid them on a nearby table. “But first I’m going to show you.” She stepped closer to him, put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. If he had resisted, she was not sure what she would have done, but fortunately he did not. He allowed her to pull him into an embrace, so she kissed him with all the passion and love she knew how to put into a kiss.

  And apparently it was enough, for a few seconds later, Blackbourne wrapped his arms around her, pulled her against him and deepened the kiss until Amanda knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his love for her was just as strong and unwavering as hers for him.

  When he finally ended the kiss, she pulled back and looked into his eyes. “May I take that for an affirmative answer?”

  He laughed, then released her and walked to the table where she’d placed the packet. “Perhaps this will provide the answer to your question.” He picked it up and held it out to her.

  Amanda frowned. “The guardianship papers?”

  “Something more than that. Open them please.”

  Still frowning, Amanda carried the packet over to the writing desk and picked up the letter opener lying there. After sliding it under the sealing wax, she carefully opened the packet.

  The language might have been confusing to someone less educated in the ways of the business world, but Amanda had been exposed to the language of solicitors for many years. Within a couple of minutes, she had grasped the main tenets of the enclosed papers.

  She turned to Blackbourne with widened eyes. “Should we become man and wife, you’re giving up all claims to any of my assets, leaving me still in charge of all my holdings? Can you do that?”

  “To be honest with you, my solicitor wasn’t sure and he certainly wasn’t enthusiastic about drawing up the papers, but we both feel they are worded in such a way that they would hold up in court. You will notice that the properties that came to you through your father will still be deeded to David.”

  Amanda nodded. “Yes, and there are several of those. But I’d already asked you to marry me. You didn’t have to do this after all.”

  “Ah, my dear, but I wanted you to understand that you have absolutely nothing to fear from me. I don’t need or want your material possessions. All I want, all I need, is you and your love.”

  Amanda placed the papers back on the writing desk and blinked rapidly for a few seconds. “You already have both, my dearest Blackbourne. You also have my complete trust.”

  He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. “That means I have everything in the world that I could possibly want, my dear. Absolutely everything.”

  Amanda smiled. “Then perhaps you’ll allow me to seduce you, my lord.”

  Blackbourne grinned. “I am not such a cad as to deny a simple request from my betrothed.”

  “In that case…” Amanda cradled his cheek in her hand. “In that case, prepare to be seduced.”

  And no woman, she reflected some two hours later, could ask for a more cooperative fiancé.

  Epilogue

  Bourne Hall, Six Years Later

  On the day Amanda gave birth to their second son, Blackbourne decided he was the luckiest man in the kingdom. Never mind that he had felt the same when their first child—a daughter named Emily—was born, and the same yet again on the day their second child—Abigail—had arrived.

  There had been much rejoicing two years ago when his heir, Simon, was born, and although Blackbourne had been delighted to have a son, he would have been equally happy with another girl.

  Because it didn’t matter whether Amanda gave him a son or a daughter, he always counted himself as the most fortunate man in the world because he possessed the love of the most wonderful woman in the world.

  Not that Amanda didn’t seem equally in love with him. She did. She proved that every day.

  Fortunately, she possessed enough love to also encompass their extended family. His mother—now the dowager Lady Blackbourne—lived with them, as did Rebecca Thornton, who had been invaluable in helping out with the children.

  And now today there was a second son for his mother and Miss Thornton to love and to spoil. But for the moment, the tiny black-haired baby lay nestled in his mother’s arms. Blackbourne pulled a chair close to Amanda’s bedside and smiled down at the two of them.

  “Thank you, my darling,” he murmured, reaching to cover one of her hands with his. “You’ve given me another wonderful babe. How are you feeling?”

  Her smile appeared a bit tired but also extremely happy. “I’m well, my lord. Is little Martin not a handsome young fellow?”

  “He certainly is. And I suspect your uncle Martie will be quite flattered to discover we’ve named our little boy after him.”

  “Is he coming down from London to see his namesake for himself?”

  “Of course. He sent word that he’ll pick David up from school and the two of them will be here later this evening.”

  Amanda’s smile broadened. “David will be so happy to have another brother. If he weren’t so content at school, he’d probably try to talk us into letting him stay home to help care for Martin.”

  “Fortunately, his holidays will be coming up soon and we’ll have the pleasure of his company here for a bit.”

  Amanda nodded. “I’m pleased that he’s adjusted so well to school. After all, he is an earl and will someday be required to live up to the responsibilities that come with his title.”

  Blackbourne bit back a smile. It hadn’t been easy convincing Amanda to send David away to school, but Blackbourne had known all along that it was the right thing to do. The boy needed to make friends among the young men who would someday be his peers and who would stand beside him when he went out into the world.

  “Rest easy, my dear,” Blackbourne murmured, smiling down at Amanda as her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off for a much-needed nap. “Together we’ll watch over all our children and make sure they understand that if they’re very fortunate, they will someday find someone to love as much as we love each other.

  “After all,” he continued, gazing down at his newborn son, “love is in a class all by itself.”

  About the Author

  Carolynn Carey has had a lifelong love affair with the written word. She started (and quickly abandoned) her first novel in elementary school. In high school she was editor of the school paper and worked after school for the newspaper published weekly in the rural county where she grew up. In college she majored in journalism and again worked on the school newspaper. Her career didn't deviate much from her earliest love: She has been an academic editor for her entire working life.

  Fiction writing had always been a dream for Carolynn, one that stayed a bit out of reach until she decided to become serious about learning the craft. She joined the Romance Writers of America and then a local chapter of RWA. It took a few years of writing and learning, but she is now an award-winning author.

  Carolynn is married and has one daughter, who also loves the written word. No telling where that might lead!

  Carolynn welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

  Tell Us What You Think

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  Also by Carolynn Carey

  A Cotillion Country Christmas anthology

  Compromising Situations

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