The Unwanted Earl (The Love Bird Series)

by Hartman, Ruth J.

  Now there was to be a third person in their little family. Miriam tried to imagine what things would be like once Miss Talbot took up residence. What if the soon-to-be Lady Lofton decided that she wanted to be the only woman of the house?

  Miriam tapped her finger to her chin. Why am I getting so worked up? This is a young girl. Stupid. Naïve. Weak-willed. Surely she would have no problem putting Miss Amelia Talbot in her place. Once the girl knew who really was in charge, she would run for cover and hide. Perhaps, she’d even shed a frightened tear or two. How amusing!

  A smile lifted the corners of her lips. That was just what would happen. She’d see to it in short order. As a matter of fact, may as well get it established before the wedding took place. No use letting the girl think she’d have the upper hand. Ever.

  A door opened and closed near the front of the house and the sound of two sets of boots echoed down the hall.

  They’re here. Why not take care of this little matter right now? She rubbed her hands together.

  Conrad stood in the doorway to the parlor and removed his hat. A butler appeared from the hall and took it. “Good day, Mother. I’d like you to meet Miss Amelia Talbot.”

  A beautiful girl stepped into view. Red hair. Green eyes. All soft curves enhanced by a small waist. And she wasn’t all that much shorter than Conrad. Her pale yellow dress was accented by a lovely white hat trimmed with yellow daisies that Miriam longed to own. Not only would the new Lady Lofton be uninvited, she’d also take away necessary funds that Miriam would normally have used for herself. And her hats.

  Miriam nodded her head. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Talbot.”

  Amelia curtseyed. “And you as well, Lady Lofton.”

  Miriam bit her tongue. Would that be one of the last times she would be addressed as such? “Won’t you come in and sit down?”

  Her future daughter-in-law glided across the room as if she rode on a cloud. She really was quite exquisite. Surely, though, she couldn’t hold her own with Miriam when they did more than exchange pleasantries. Miriam was certain that before the visit had concluded, both women would know where they stood.

  Conrad followed Amelia and assisted her to the settee. He sat down beside her, a little too close. Why was his face flushed? Was he nervous? No. More than likely he was angry at having to even bring her to his home. And why wouldn’t he be? Conrad wouldn’t be marrying her if it weren’t for her blackmail scheme.

  With a huff, Miriam sat across from the couple in her favorite high-backed chair. It made her feel regal, somehow, to be surrounded by the plush dark green fabric. It also bolstered her courage to say what she needed, to Amelia.

  She grasped the arms of the chair tightly. “Tell me, Amelia… May I call you Amelia?”

  “You may.”

  “Tell me, how does your family fare?”

  “Quite well. Thank you for asking.”

  “And you? Are you well?”

  Amelia nodded. “Yes. Quite.”

  “And what have you been doing for entertainment?”

  “The Bird Sanctuary. Conrad took me there recently.”

  “Pardon?”

  “It’s my favorite place.”

  “But…” The birds. The insects. Dirt and mud.

  “Have you ever been, Lady Lofton?”

  “Certainly not.”

  “Then you must accompany us sometime soon.”

  “I think not.” Miriam shuddered. Poor Conrad. To think that wanton girl dragged him there against his will. He must have been horrified.

  “I see.” Amelia clasped her hands together in her lap.

  “I cannot for the life of me imagine why you would have gone there.”

  “As I said, it’s my favorite venue. And Conrad was good enough to humor me.”

  Miriam eyed her son. “Is that so?”

  With a tug at his cravat, Conrad swallowed. “Yes. It was… yes.”

  “But you detest that place.”

  Amelia whipped her gaze to Conrad. “You do? I knew you seemed reluctant. At first.”

  At first? What had happened to change that? Miriam gripped the chair arms even tighter. This conversation wasn’t going well. Not well at all.

  “You see, Mother, when I was there with Amelia, things didn’t seem…”

  “Didn’t seem what? Speak up, son.”

  “I… It was different. That’s all.”

  What was going on? Had Amelia cast some spell over Conrad? Enough of that. Time to set some things straight before they got too out of hand. “Now that we’ve met, Amelia, perhaps it’s time we discussed some weightier matters.”

  Conrad tapped his finger on his knee. “Mother…”

  Amelia blinked. “And what might those be, Lady Lofton?”

  “I know the truth.”

  “The truth?”

  “About you. About how you’ve convinced my son to marry you.”

  Conrad tightened his hand into a fist. “Mother, this is neither the time nor—”

  Miriam glared at her son. “Conrad, if you’d been more of a man, we might not be in this situation in the first place.”

  Amelia sat forward. “I beg your pardon?”

  Looking back and forth between the two women, Conrad’s face paled.

  The girl has the gall to question me? “You heard me, young lady.”

  Amelia scooted closer to the edge of her seat. “Maybe you should be more specific, my lady.”

  “My pleasure.” Miriam edged forward as well, although it took her three tries to get there. Blast Amelia for being younger and more nimble. “Conrad has informed me that you blackmailed him into marrying you. Do you deny it?”

  “Of course not. What would be the use of that?”

  Miriam’s jaw dropped open. “Y-you admit it?”

  “I won’t say I’m proud of it, but I was given no choice.”

  Conrad stared at her. “Given no choice? To marry me?”

  “Yes, why in the world would you pick Conrad?” In unison, Conrad and Amelia stared at her. “I… that is…”

  “Mother, really… Can’t you keep your opinions to yourself? At least when we’re entertaining a guest.”

  “Guest?” The word emerged as a screech. I sound like an old crow. She slapped her hand over her mouth.

  Conrad reached over and patted Amelia’s hand.

  Miriam’s eyes bulged. “Why are you touching her?”

  He drew his hand back as if burned. Splotches of red colored his otherwise pale cheeks.

  “Amelia, you are not a guest. You’re an intruder. An unwelcome, interfering—”

  “Mother!” Conrad stood abruptly but reclaimed his seat when Amelia tugged on his sleeve.

  “Lady Lofton, I think there’s something you may not realize.”

  “And what might that be?”

  Amelia glanced at Conrad and back to Miriam. “You see, very soon I am to be Conrad’s wife. So frankly, whatever decisions are to be made, whatever conversations about how things have come to be between us, don’t involve you.”

  “Oh!” Miriam sucked in a huge gulp of air. And choked.

  Conrad sprang from the settee and rushed to her aid. He fanned her face with his hand. “Can you breathe?”

  I can breathe just fine. That’s not for you to know, though. Miriam blinked, coughed again for good measure and nodded. “Yes, angel, I’m fine.”

  “Angel?” Conrad pulled back as if slapped. “Did you just refer to me as—?”

  Miriam patted his cheek. “Now, now, don’t be shy in front of her. Or are you afraid it might make your betrothed jealous of how close you and I are?”

  Amelia quirked an eyebrow. “That’s not at all what I was led to believe about you, Lady Lofton. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

  “Is that so?” No use pretending to gasp for air when she needed her voice to be strong and clear to say what she needed to. “What gives you the right to speak to me thus?”

  “Nothing gives me the right. I’ve taken it upon myself t
o stand up for my future husband.”

  Conrad widened his eyes. “You have?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you, Amelia.”

  “You’re welcome, Conrad.”

  Miriam waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Oh pish. Enough of this. We’re getting away from the real problem here.”

  “And what might that be, Lady Lofton?”

  “That you’re a… a…”

  Amelia lowered her eyebrows. “Go on. Say what you’re obviously dying to.”

  “A trollop.”

  “Mother. That’s enough. Apologize this instant.”

  “I will not.”

  “Then our visit has concluded. Amelia, are you ready to depart?”

  “Whenever you wish.”

  Chapter Ten

  Conrad alighted from his carriage and gave instructions to the driver to wait. Hopefully, his visit to the surgeon-dentist wouldn’t take long. Shivers ran through him as he neared the door. At least he’d managed to escape without his mother coming along today. He’d been feeling so much better. Why did a new problem in his mouth have to arise?

  He’d woken that morning with a throb in his jaw. Not as wicked as before he’d had his tooth removed, but it was in the same spot. Could the surgeon-dentist have left a piece of it in there? Cold sweat broke out beneath his shirt. Not that I would know, since I fainted like a helpless female before the man even started the procedure.

  When he pressed on the outer door, he steeled himself for the nauseating smell that would meet him inside. He stepped over the threshold and pressed his handkerchief over his nose and mouth. How silly. Obviously, I can’t do that when my mouth is the very place Mr. Fletcher will need to look.

  “Oh, good day.”

  Conrad looked up to see the same young woman as before who had assisted the surgeon-dentist. Was her name Cecilia?

  “Lord Lofton? Is something amiss?” Her pale blue eyes were arresting, surrounded as they were by even paler skin and blonde hair. Quite a lovely girl.

  “Yes… that is to say, I hope there isn’t something amiss, but…”

  “Are you in pain?” She stepped forward, concern evident on her face.

  “Some, yes. Although, nothing like it was before.”

  Cecilia motioned him to follow. “Mr. Fletcher isn’t busy at the moment. Why don’t we have him take a look?”

  Conrad took a step back. “Now?”

  “Why not? Isn’t that why you’ve come?”

  “I don’t wish to… I’d rather not…”

  With a smile, she stepped toward him. “Come now. We won’t know what’s happened until he takes a look.”

  “I suppose.” He willed his feet to follow her into the back. And there he was, Mr. Fletcher.

  The big man turned. “Good day, Lord Lofton.” He wore a wide smile. And that horrid bloodstained apron. Didn’t the man ever change into a clean one?

  “Good day, Mr. Fletcher.”

  “Since I’m assuming this isn’t a social call…”

  “Ah, no.”

  “Then I’m guessing you’re having problems.”

  “I’m afraid… yes.”

  “Have a seat.” He motioned to the same chair Conrad had occupied not that long ago.

  Please, don’t let me have the same reaction. Please…

  A small, warm hand touched his shoulder. “It will be fine. I promise.” Cecilia smiled.

  He wanted to believe her. But after his last visit there…

  “Open wide.” Mr. Fletcher stood in front of him. Waiting.

  Mouth gone suddenly dry, Conrad swallowed and complied.

  “Ah, I see the problem.”

  “You do?”

  Mr. Fletcher laughed. “Kindly stay open, my lord. It’s much easier to see what I’m doing that way.”

  “I beg your pardon.” His face heated as he opened wide again. Don’t black out… don’t black out…

  “Yes, it’s just as I thought. Cecilia, hand me those forceps, will you?”

  Conrad sucked in a mouthful of air. No, not again!

  This time, it was Mr. Fletcher who patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s not like it was before. Just a tiny sliver of bone that came up after we took the tooth.”

  “Bone?” Was his jaw falling apart?

  “Don’t be alarmed. It’s quite common.”

  Conrad glanced at Cecilia. She nodded. Conrad opened his mouth again. He clenched his hands into fists so hard that his fingernails dug into his palms even through the fabric of his gloves. Hurry… hurry! He squeezed his eyes shut.

  “There now. All done.”

  Done? He opened his eyes cautiously, afraid of what he might see. Those instruments the surgeon-dentist used were positively ghastly. However, instead of the giant tool used previously to remove his sore tooth, Mr. Fletcher held a miniscule piece of hard, white material with very thin forceps. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  “That small bit of nothing caused my gums to hurt and my jaw to ache?”

  Mr. Fletcher laughed. “That’s right. Doesn’t look like much, does it?”

  Conrad squinted at it. “No, it really doesn’t at that.” Relief poured over him. “I was afraid when it hurt again that it was…”

  “No, no. Just a tiny bone splinter. Nothing to be concerned about. Although you did right by coming in. It might have come out on its own, but if not, you could have swallowed it.”

  “Good heavens.” The thought of a piece of bone floating around in his body was nearly as nauseating as the stench of Mr. Fletcher’s building.

  “Lord Lofton?” Cecilia asked, “Are you feeling well enough to stand?”

  That’s it? “I believe so.” Just to be sure, though, he used caution when rising from the chair. Once upright he waited another few seconds. He didn’t feel faint. His vision didn’t darken. In fact nothing bad happened at all. How fortunate. He gratefully reached into his pocket to retrieve money to pay Mr. Fletcher. Thanks to Oliver, he had some cash at the ready. When he’d paid before, it was at the expense of not paying his tailor. Again.

  The man waved it away.

  Conrad frowned. “But I owe you for your services.”

  “This little procedure is included with the first.”

  “I see. Thank you.”

  “You’re quite welcome, my lord.”

  Conrad tipped his hat and turned to leave.

  “If I may, Lord Lofton…”

  Conrad looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”

  “When you were in the other day… Your mother accompanied you.”

  “Yes, that’s correct.” Although I wish she hadn’t.

  “She seemed somewhat familiar to me. I’d wondered if perhaps we’d met in the past.”

  Highly doubtful. Conrad couldn’t imagine in what capacity his mother would have lowered herself to even speak to someone like the surgeon-dentist unless she had to. “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

  Mr. Fletcher rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s the strangest feeling I have. That I should know her.”

  “Her Christian name is Miriam, if that helps.”

  Face gone pale, Mr. Fletcher’s mouth gaped open.

  Cecilia grabbed his arm. “Papa, are you ill?”

  Papa? Conrad reached out as well and grasped Mr. Fletcher’s arm. It took all of his strength to help lower the large man into the chair that Conrad had just vacated.

  “I’m… fine. Just a bit of a shock is all.”

  “Shock? How so?” Did this man really know Mother?

  “I knew she looked familiar. She’s changed in appearance somewhat but that’s to be expected. It has been a very long time, after all.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

  “I knew Miriam, your mother, quite a long time ago. We were… At least I thought we were…” Moisture formed in his eyes. “And then one day, she was gone. I never saw her again.”

  What in blazes was the man going on about?

/>   Some color had returned to Mr. Fletcher’s face. “I looked for her for a while. Asked around about her whereabouts. But no one seemed to know where she’d gone.”

  That didn’t sound like his mother. Not at all. “I’m not sure what to say, Mr. Fletcher.” Surely the man had his mother confused with another woman of the same first name.

  “Oh…” He waved his hand. “Don’t concern yourself with me, Lord Lofton. Just an old man babbling about his past.” He glanced at Cecilia. “I’m fine now. Truly.”

  She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, daughter. Quite sure.” He stood on his own and did seem steady enough.

  More than I did at my first appointment, I’m sure.

  Mr. Fletcher tilted his head and looked at Conrad for a few moments. He shook his head briefly and then gave a little smile. “Well, good day to you, Lord Lofton.”

  What had just occurred? “And you as well.” He headed to the room nearest the front entrance. Perhaps his fear of having to revisit the frightening place again caused his thoughts to muddle. Surely, he hadn’t perceived things as they had appeared to be. He couldn’t for the life of him imagine what Mr. Fletcher had been speaking of about Mother.

  “Lord Lofton?” Cecilia hurried from the back room.

  “Yes?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  Conrad smiled. “Yes. I’m fine. But thank you for asking.”

  She didn’t return his smile.

  “Is there something else?”

  “It’s just… When I observed you talking to my father just now, the two of you… The similarities in your actions, the cadence of your voices as you spoke, gave me pause. It was almost as if…”

  “As if?”

  “As if you could be related.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Amelia smiled when she heard Lucy’s voice. How strange to think that only a few days before, they’d hardly shared a civil word. That the sight and sound of her had put Amelia’s teeth on edge. But now, she was delighted when Lucy was near. It was so nice to have a friend with whom to discuss anything and nothing.