“The day is rather pleasant, is it not?” He smiled as his eyes surveyed the clear day.
“Interesting. That’s such a personal observation, I’m thrilled you decided to move us away from eavesdroppers.”
A chuckle escaped his lips before his face turned serious again. “I wanted to apologize for my words last night. Not only was it improper, but I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Really?” She lifted a brow as she stopped walking, then turned to face him. “Then, why did you say such a thing? I’ve never known you to utter anything you didn’t mean.”
The smile tugging at the corner of his mouth did strange things to her stomach. The earl was different than she thought. She’d never seen any side of him that wasn’t saturated in disapproval. This new person intrigued her.
“I have been known to tell a falsehood from time to time.”
His admission brought her own smile. “Tell me another.”
A sparkle twinkled in his eyes. “I think. . .” His mirth died.
“Go on,” she urged.
“I think I should take you to see my mother now.” He slid his arm under hers again and they continued their walk.
“That’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard,” she confessed, hoping to coax the other side of him back out. “You even had a perfect opportunity to tell me how I am such a proper lady.”
He stiffened, but didn’t give any other indication that he had heard her.
Glancing at his handsome face, she realized her notions of him barely scratched the surface. Something lay hidden under all the disapproval and scowls. What was the truth behind the man? For the remainder of their short walk, she alternated between wanting to know more about him and wanting to run in the opposite direction, never to return to Avange Manor.
In the end, her curiosity won out.
Chapter 2
“She’s dining with us tomorrow night.”
The lackluster tone of his mother’s voice made Marcus force his gaze away from the fire blazing in the grate of the drawing room. He cleared his throat, uncomfortable to realize he had missed the entire conversation up to this point. As it had done over the last few days, his mind had been filled with thoughts of a certain dark-haired beauty.
“I’m sorry, Mother. Of whom are you speaking?”
She sighed, her exasperation apparent. “Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said? Lady Isabella. You know the girl came to visit today. Although I can’t stand the hoyden, I couldn’t exactly be unkind to her. Especially since her visit was brought about by a desire to offer me female companionship with Annalise gone.”
Shock widened his eyes. Not only did his mother and Lady Isabella dislike each other, but he couldn’t understand why the lady would accept his mother’s invitation and refuse his. “How did this offer to dine together come about?”
His mother waved an irritated hand. “Don’t you start. I regret this enough without having to add your disapproval as well.”
With a nod, Marcus tried to keep his reaction to himself. The last thing he wanted was to spend an evening with the confusing lady. He bit down on his tongue to quash the sudden stab of excitement. This strange obsession with her was becoming tiresome. It wasn’t as though he expected a repeat of their meeting by the lake. However, his ungentlemanly side argued that he wouldn’t mind that in the least.
“I’m merely curious. After all, the lady has no reason to wish to spend any time here since my sister has wed.”
She cleared her throat. “Well, it was the strangest thing. One topic led to the next and before long I was regaling her stories of our cook’s greatest achievements in the kitchen.”
“And, she invited herself to dinner?” Marcus pressed his lips closed. The girl was wild, but the idea still shocked him.
The blush moving up his mother’s face made him relax a fraction. “Not exactly. I seem to have forgotten myself and told her she should dine with us sometime.”
Stroking his fingers along the arm of the sofa, he tried to think of a scenario that would make his mother act so uncharacteristically. As a rule, she disliked Lady Isabella and made no secret of it. She even went as far as to try to break up her friendship with Annalise.
He clicked his tongue. “That’s not like you, Mother. Perhaps you share a liking for the girl that I’m not aware.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I don’t appreciate the accusation. Now, when I extended the invitation, I certainly didn’t expect the girl to accept. And for tomorrow evening of all times. How can one prepare in such a short time?”
Repressing his laughter wasn’t easy. Not only was Lady Isabella’s response unexpected of a typical girl, but it was a predictable response from her. The idea that he knew her well enough to expect such a reaction discomforted him. He shifted in his seat. He didn’t want to have any more reason to put the girl in his thoughts.
“Perhaps with Lady Isabella, it would be prudent of us to assume she will do the opposite of what we anticipate.”
With a roll of her eyes, his mother shook her head. “Tomorrow evening will test my patience. Hopefully, with her half-brother present as chaperone, she will be able to temper her behavior.”
The absurdity of the thought didn’t leave Marcus for the remainder of the day. Although he had no kind thoughts about the Earl of Midcliffe, he pitied the man for having such a sister. Judging by her past behavior, the earl held no authority over her. Perhaps the hard man softened when it came to his half-sister.
~ ~ ~
The next day as dinner approached, Marcus found himself anxious for time to pass. For some reason on which he didn’t want to dwell, the urge to spend extra time on his appearance tonight had beckoned him, but he had resisted the compulsion. It felt as though an eternity had come and gone before he and his mother waited in the drawing room for their guests.
“Two minutes until dinner.” His mother clicked her tongue. “Why am I not surprised the pair don’t have the good grace to arrive early?”
“Mother, you can’t exactly fault someone for not arriving at a time before you requested their presence.”
She huffed out a breath. “I can do as I please.”
Chuckling, he moved his gaze to the door again. He didn’t want to be anxious to see her. As a matter of fact, he wished he dreaded this evening as much as his mother. Unfortunately, he was having trouble telling himself that.
“My lord, my lady.” The butler bowed in the doorway. “A Lady Isabella Rossland has arrived.”
“I suppose her appearance is punctual,” his mother grumbled under her breath before addressing the butler. “Please, send her in.”
When Lady Isabella appeared, her hair a mass of delicate curls and a bright smile on her face, he lost every ounce of trepidation about this evening. His eyes traveled down her form. The light green material of her gown hugged her in all the right places. She was such a slight thing, and the feeling of rightness assaulted him. For once, he was the tallest at a gathering.
“Good evening, Lord Starsen, Lady Starsen.” Lady Isabella curtsied. “I thank you for inviting me to dine.”
“Well, we are quite pleased by your acceptance. When will your brother be joining us this evening?” His mother’s gaze traveled to the empty doorway.
The lady shook her head, a touch of pink staining her cheeks. “I’m sorry, but he was unable to accompany me.”
“Good Heavens, then you haven’t brought a chaperone? How could he—”
“Lady Isabella will be perfectly safe in our company,” Marcus interjected seeing his mother’s tolerance deteriorating, but luckily at that moment, a servant announced dinner. “Please allow me to escort you both.”
Although his mother sent a glare in his direction, she took his offered arm. But, it was Lady Isabella’s beaming smile he noticed. The look confused him, but also made him want to smile back. How was it that he never noticed her smile before? As he turned away, he realized she had never given him one so sincere.
“So,”
his mother began after the first course was set before them. “Does the earl know of your plans this evening?”
Marcus cringed. He should have known the woman wouldn’t leave the matter alone. Glancing at Lady Isabella he was pleased to see her unfazed. He always enjoyed guests who weren’t bothered by his mother’s blunt manner of speaking.
“In my experience, men don’t wish to know everything. At times, it is best to only offer the pertinent information.” Lady Isabella shrugged. “Besides, it gives a woman a little more mystery.”
The color in his mother’s cheeks was high. “The experience of the twenty-year-old lady is hardly worth mentioning. As your guardian, and your chaperone, Lord Midcliffe has every right to know of your whereabouts. I insist he be notified at once.”
Gripping his glass tightly, Marcus didn’t move. This wasn’t good. Why couldn’t his mother just allow them to have a pleasant dinner? He resisted the urge to check his watch fob, already anxious to see the end of the evening.
Lady Isabella dipped her spoon in her soup and slid it into her mouth. “Mmm, you were right. Your cook is quite talented. Please extend my compliments.”
“I will be happy to,” his mother said through clenched teeth as she glared at the lady. “Just as soon as you have done as requested.”
With his breath held, he watched as Lady Isabella took another spoonful of soup, then dabbed at her mouth. His mother’s face began to change to an unnatural shade of purple. This was much worse than he anticipated.
“Allow me to send word for you,” Marcus offered, anxious to diffuse the situation.
“That won’t be necessary.” Lady Isabella leaned back in her seat.
He’d never seen such a level of calm from anyone when faced with the purple harpy herself. Another unwanted feeling of admiration settled in his breast. There was so much more to the unruly girl than he’d expected.
“Why ever not?” His mother practically spat.
“He is aware that I accepted a dinner invitation tonight.”
For once, his mother was speechless. Her mouth hung open, and he had to squelch the urge to laugh. Although volatile, this evening was certainly entertaining. The more reckless side of him reveled in the sparring, where the other part of him wanted to end the disagreements.
“If he knew, why didn’t you say?” his mother asked once she recovered herself.
“Because you asked if he knew of my plans. That is something he will never know.” The lady resumed eating her soup, seemingly unaware of the shocked eyes watching her.
The remainder of the meal passed with tight conversation and thinly veiled remarks from his mother. Overall, Marcus was ready to end this charade. One thing was certain. Lady Isabella would never join them for dinner again.
~ ~ ~
Forcing a tolerant smile to her face, Isabella followed Lady Starsen to the drawing room. Dinner had lasted an eternity and she was no closer to learning anything about the Earl of Starsen. The man had sat quietly for the majority of the evening. Unfortunately, that left his mother to fill the air with her infuriating drivel.
Once seated, the woman huffed. “Can you believe the nerve of that boy? Why he can’t forgo his port to join us is beyond me.”
A smile teased Isabella’s lips. Considering how dinner went, she wasn’t surprised Lord Starsen didn’t want to be in their company any longer. This hadn’t exactly gone as planned. Now, she needed to come up with another way of satisfying her newfound fascination with the man. Previous to today, she’d written him off as an uninteresting character. But, something about him was different. She needed to discover why.
“Perhaps he tired of our company.” Isabella touched her hand to her chest, feigning offense. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being insulted. Not a very gentlemanly thing to do.”
The countess’s eyes widened. “How dare you accuse my son of acting in an ungentlemanly manner? He has every right to indulge in his port before joining us.”
“I don’t begrudge him that, my lady. I simply suggested that his motive was to enjoy a reprieve from our female conversations.”
Lady Starsen sniffed loudly. “The earl has no difficulties conversing with women. As you know, Annalise and I have been his companions.”
Not wishing to go through another argument, Isabella nodded. It was as if the lady intentionally took her every word as a slight. When Lord Starsen appeared in the doorway, Isabella’s sigh of relief matched that of the countess’s.
Lady Starsen stood and crossed the room to greet him. “Marcus, I am so pleased you can finally join us. Come and sit by our guest.”
As the earl moved toward her, he leaned heavily on his cane. She wondered why he used it now, as she hadn’t noticed it before dinner. The urge to ask him sat on the edge of her tongue, but she knew from Annalise that his handicap was a sensitive subject.
He lowered himself into the chair beside her before turning his gaze to his mother who still stood near the doorway. “Mother, won’t you join us?”
The countess’s attention darted toward the door, then back at them. “I would love to, my dear. However, I fear I have developed a headache. It might be best if I send in Margot to chaperone while I rest. Would you mind entertaining our guest in my absence?”
“I’d be happy to, Mother. I hope you feel better soon.”
“Lady Isabella,” the countess began. “I do apologize. Perhaps we can continue our visit another time.”
“Of course,” Lady Isabella promised, trying to ignore the wince she received in response.
After inclining her head, Lady Starsen left the room. Isabella let out a long breath, then held it as Lord Starsen’s sparkling eyes met hers. The amusement in his face only increased his handsomeness. A flutter moved through her stomach.
“Clearly the sparring has worn my poor mother out.” He chuckled. “I rarely see her so worked up.”
“I’m sorry if I caused any undue upset, but I’m accustomed to speaking my mind.” Isabella lifted her chin up, daring him to chastise her.
His crystal-clear, blue eyes studied her. She couldn’t look away. Again, intrigue gripped her. She craved knowledge of him. Surely it would put an end to her fascination.
“Don’t apologize. Not many people have the strength to stand up to her. It’s refreshing to see.”
A smile rushed to her lips. Interesting. Not a typical reaction from one in his position. It also went against what she knew of him.
“How is it that you have such a different outlook than other men? My brother is constantly lamenting over my inability to hold my tongue.”
“You accuse me of being unlike other men? What about you? I have never before encountered someone such as you.”
Deciding to take his words as a compliment, she beamed up at him. “I am very proud of that. Besides, if I had been a simpering, shy lady, I never would have accepted your mother’s invitation to dinner.”
His eyebrows drew together. “Yes. Why did you accept her invitation? I was surprised especially considering you recently rejected a similar offer from me.”
The direct question brought heat to her cheeks. Unfortunately, the unwelcome reaction assaulted her every time she was caught in a lie. Now however, she was faced with having to offer the truth. Not exactly an appealing idea.
She looked away, not sure how he would respond to her admission. “I’m not always at liberty to attend the appointments I accept, so when I do, I make sure the opportunity is worth fighting for.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Focusing on her intertwined hands in her lap, she tried again. “My brother is particular when it comes to which functions he deems fit for my presence. Once an invitation has been extended, I must decide if it is one that will prove to be worth my efforts of obtaining his approval.”
She peeked over at him and noticed his brows remained furrowed.
“But, both my mother and I were inviting you to the same event.”
“Yes, but
my desire to join you has increased.”
His head tilted to the side as he continued to study her. “Why is that?”
Deciding to put him out of his misery, she leaned toward him, wishing to swim in the depths of his eyes. “There is nothing I enjoy more than a puzzle, and you, my lord, provide an interesting one.”
“Is that so?” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “How do you intend to solve me?”
The low quality of his voice combined with his nearness brought a flush over her skin. Something about the moment had changed and she felt desperate to be closer to him. To breathe in his spicy scent, to bathe in his warmth, to taste his lips. Her heart pounded.
“I-I need to be close to you.” His eyes widened, breaking the spell weaving around her as she realized what she’d just admitted. “To be around you more, that is. Get to know you better.”
As she leaned back in her chair, her head began to clear, but the heat in the room didn’t lessen. What was wrong with her? Never before had she been overwhelmed by a man. In truth, she never wanted to. Before now.
The earl ran a hand along his jaw. “I suppose there would be no harm in indulging in an occasional ride or stroll with you. That is, if we are able to keep my mother out of it . . . and your brother.”
Isabella nodded. Henry certainly wouldn’t approve of her spending time with Lord Starsen. When it came to being protective, she didn’t think anyone could do it better than her half-brother.
“That will include keeping Raymond away as well. The man’s only loyalty is to my brother.”
Lord Starsen glanced at the door as if expecting the mention of his name would conjure the man. “Where is your shadow this evening? I would have thought Midcliffe wouldn’t have allowed your presence without him.”
Again, heat engulfed her cheeks. “I’m supposed to be the one getting to know you. So, I ask the questions, you only provide responses.”
Ensnaring Lord Starsen Page 3