He saw the hem of a skirt disappear behind a row of shelves. His heart stuttered as a strange and sudden hope surged through him. Without bothering to offer Habtage a warning, Edwin turned from his friend and hurried toward the aisle the lady had slipped into. There was no one in sight, but he heard the soft murmur of voices at the other end of the rows of books. He followed them, his heartbeat thudding with each step he took.
As he neared the end of the aisle, the voices suddenly quieted. Afraid he’d miss them again, he rounded the corner of a book shelf and came face-to-face with a pretty lady with golden blonde hair. Her eyes widened at the sight of him.
“Oh! Excuse me, My Lord. You startled me.”
Disappointment weighed on his chest until he feared he’d be crushed by it. This lady was clearly not his Lady Red. She was the complete opposite in appearance. Apart from her hair, she was shorter in stature, with a more delicate, willowy build. Her skin was tinged a light pink, but she was nowhere near as rosy in color as Lady Red. Her eyes, though, were rather similar. They were the same shade of emerald green as his mystery lady’s.
Is such a unique color common to this area?
“I beg your pardon, Miss,” he quickly said, flushing with embarrassment. “I…I thought you were someone else.”
“That is all right,” she said with a small smile. Her eyes twinkled with something he could not quite name.
It might be…mirth?
What was so funny to her?
He suddenly remembered that he had most assuredly heard two different voices speaking softly together, and realized this lady could not have been alone for very long.
“Forgive me, Miss, I thought I heard you speaking to someone?”
Her mouth fell open. “Oh! Well, that is…um, you see…I was speaking to…to the shopkeeper.”
Something in her tone made him suspicious, and he did not believe she was telling him the truth. Yet, that begged the question, why would this lady, who he had only just met, lie to him?
“The shopkeeper? Indeed?” He studied her through narrowed eyes. “Would you mind pointing me in the direction he left you? I have a question I would very much like his assistance with.”
The lady stared up at him as if he had said something stunning. She blinked several times, and took a much longer time to answer him than his benign question truly warranted.
When the silence between them became obvious and uncomfortable, he gently prodded, “Miss? The shopkeeper?”
Her eyes widened again and her mouth turned into a large O shape.
“Ah! Yes! Apologies, My Lord, I grew distracted, but, um, the shopkeeper went…” She gazed around a moment before pointing to her right. “That way.”
He looked in the direction she had pointed and frowned. She was directing him toward a solid wall with no doors. Turning his gaze back to her, he arched an incredulous brow.
“Are you sure, Miss? Are you sure the shopkeeper went that way?”
She nodded, her eyes turning to peek at where she was pointing, then her face blanched.
“Oh,” she murmured. “Well, clearly he did not go that way.”
“Clearly not,” he replied dryly.
“What I meant to say was…”
“Morrington? Where did you go?” Habtage’s voice cut off the lady’s next attempt at misdirecting Edwin. Footsteps sound down the aisle behind him as his friend neared.
Suddenly, however, Habtage declared, “Oh, beg pardon Miss. I did not see you there.”
The lady in front of Edwin gasped, and he whirled around, some part of him knowing who he would see. Lady Red stood next to Habtage, looking startled and ready to bolt from sight. Excitement flooded Edwin at having at last found her again.
He had not exaggerated her beauty in his mind. If anything, his image of her had dimmed and paled in comparison to her flesh and blood being. Her red hair was partially pulled back into a small braid around the crown of her head, and the rest had been left to fall in waves down her back. Her green eyes flashed when they met his, but he could not name the emotion he spied in their shimmering depths. It might have been frustration, but he thought there was also a little bit of delight mixed with it.
His body came to life in an instant; his manhood stirred as he took in her tall form and gentle curves. His instant and intense attraction to her startled him just as much as it had during their first meeting.
She is a fantasy come to life. A temptress unaware of her own wiles.
Habtage frowned as he stared at Edwin, then looked between him and the lady at his side. His eyes widened in realization.
“Is this her?” he asked, his voice overly eager. Edwin wanted to smack him across the back of his head for his lack of subtlety.
He ignored his friend’s question and turned his full attention to the lady that had been haunting his thoughts for the past week.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he said, tipping his hat to her. “It is lovely to see you again, Madam.”
Her long throat worked as she gulped.
After a long moment of hesitation, Lady Red opened her mouth and murmured, “Good to see you again as well, My Lord.”
The lady standing behind Edwin let out a little squeak that he thought could have been a giggle. He wondered who she was to Lady Red. They clearly knew each other, and she had been trying to distract him from his mystery lady.
They have the same eyes.
Habtage glanced past Edwin with a raised brow. Had he heard her little noise? The gentleman’s eyes widened a moment then narrowed with clear interest.
At least he is not looking at Lady Red with such blatant desire.
He was afraid he would have to come to blows with his friend should he turn his flirtations onto the lovely redhead. If his interest was in the pretty blonde, however, then all was well.
“Good day, Miss,” Habtage said with a smile toward the second lady.
“Good day, My Lord,” she said. Her voice was soft and breathless.
It seems the interest is mutual between the two. That is more than I can say for Lady Red and myself.
She was watching him with a wary eye, and she was visibly tense. Why did he make her so nervous? He could not help but stare at her. He had been growing certain he had made her up in his mind, but no. She was very real.
“I am sorry we interrupted your outing,” he said, hoping he sounded chivalrous enough that she would relax her guard.
“No apologies necessary, My Lord,” she replied, though her words sounded forced from her lips. “My sister and I were just browsing and were nearly done.”
Sister?
He turned his head to glance at the lady at his back. She smiled sheepishly at him.
That does explain their eyes.
“Oh, you must not leave on our account,” Habtage declared to Lady Red in a cheery tone. “We have not been introduced, Miss…?”
Her lips thinned and her eyes bounced between Edwin and his friend. However, she released a small sigh of defeat.
“Miss Walters, My Lord,” she murmured.
“Ah, excellent,” Habtage nodded, shooting a glance toward Edwin. “I am Jacob Denholm, the Earl of Habtage, and you have already met my dear friend, Edwin Bolton, the Earl of Morrington.”
“Indeed I have.” She narrowed accusatory eyes at Edwin, as if giving up her name was somehow his doing.
“We did not have the opportunity to exchange names then,” he said. Her eyes flickered with irritation, and he noticed the corner of one of her eyes begin to twitch. She was working very hard to keep her feelings in check. He wondered what it would be like to see her lose control of herself.
Likely frightening, but magnificent.
“It was a very brief meeting.” Her tone was as tight as her jaw.
The lady at his back suddenly stepped up to his side. She was eyeing Miss Walters expectantly.
Releasing a sigh, Miss Walters said, “Allow me to introduce my sister, Miss Unity.”
Edwin turned and
offered a shallow bow to the sister. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Unity.”
She dropped into a curtsy. “The pleasure is mine, Lord Morrington. Lord Habtage.” Her cheeks turned pink when her gaze returned to Habtage, who grinned in response.
“Well, I am afraid my sister and I must be off,” Miss Walters announced. “We apologize for the shortness of our meeting, but we must go meet our youngest sister.”
Edwin glanced at Miss Unity and caught her look of surprise before she masked it with a polite expression.
“Oh, yes, that is correct,” she hurriedly said.
“A pity,” Habtage sighed. “We were quite enjoying your company.”
Edwin arched a brow. It appeared Habtage was setting his sights on the pretty Miss Unity and laying on the charm rather thick.
“We should have you both for tea sometime.” Miss Unity’s voice was breathless, and she ignored her sister’s fiery glare and subtle shake of her head. “I am sure our father would be very glad to meet you both.”
“Who is your father? Perhaps we have made his acquaintance already.” Though Edwin did not know how that would have been possible without also hearing of the gentleman’s daughters. No highborn parent in Laurelborough seemed able to pass on the opportunity to inform Edwin and Habtage of the eligibility and accomplishments of their young ladies.
“Our father is the Baron of Narnwood,” Miss Unity explained. “I doubt you would have met him yet, however. He rarely attends social events without us with him, and we have been away from town this past week, you see.”
“Is that so?” That would explain why he had seen nothing of Miss Walters since their initial meeting. It was not a large town, and he had made a point to explore it nearly every day in hopes of spotting her. That she had been away for the week had never occurred to him as a possible explanation for her disappearance.
“Wait a moment, your father is the Baron of Narnwood?” Habtage’s eyes went wide. “We have heard of the gentleman, to be sure. He is a rather savvy businessman, as I understand it.”
Miss Walters nodded. “He is, indeed, though I am sorry to say neither my sister nor I are very knowledgeable of the actual business.”
“All the more reason for you to come and meet him,” Miss Unity grinned.
Edwin thought he might rather like the younger sister. He looked toward Miss Walters, who was staring at her sister with incredulous eyes. Edwin found the sight of her so off-kilter oddly satisfying. He watched her until her eyes were drawn back to him.
Holding her gaze, he let his lips curl into a victorious grin.
“Indeed, Miss Unity,” he said, though he kept his attention set solely on Miss Walters. “I believe a visit to call upon the Baron would prove most rewarding.”
The glare Miss Walters leveled him with could have sent another man cowering away, but he was enjoying this little tug of war between them. He smiled pleasantly at her, and he could see in her expression that only stoked the fires of her glorious fury.
Chapter 11
Tabitha could not get out of the bookstore fast enough. She practically dragged Unity with her. Her sister had a broad smile on her face and giggled as they hurried out onto the street together.
“Tabitha! Why are you hurrying so?” Unity laughed.
She did not answer her sister. Her mind was awhirl, and she did not even know exactly where she was going. Suddenly, she spotted Sophia stepping out of the dressmaker’s shop, a package clutched in her hands. When she met Tabitha’s gaze, her eyes went wide in surprise.
Tabitha pulled Unity toward their youngest sister and they came to a stop in front of her.
Sophia furrowed her brow. “Tabitha? Unity? I thought I was meeting you in the book shop? What is going on?”
“We were discovered spying,” Unity said, her tone laced with glee. “Lord Morrington found us out!”
Sophia gasped. “Really?”
Tabitha released a breath of frustration. “Would you two stop acting like children? I would like to get home before I am forced to endure further humiliation.”
“What happened?” Sophia asked, hurrying after her sisters as Tabitha hurried down the street, her fingers still wrapped around Unity’s wrist.
“Tabitha tried to sneak away when Lord Morrington was hunting us through the shelves,” Unity explained in a breathless voice. “But she ran into his handsome friend, Lord Habtage, and was caught.”
Sophia laughed. “Goodness gracious, I wish I had seen that! So, you were forced to interact with Lord Morrington after all, Tabitha?”
“All would have been well if Unity had not tried to get a better look at the gentlemen,” Tabitha growled. “He only discovered us because she refused to keep a safe distance.”
“I just wanted a better look at Lord Habtage,” Unity admitted with a shrug.
“Oh, Unity, did Lord Habtage catch your interest?” Sophia was nearly jogging in order to keep up with Tabitha’s pace, but she was grinning from ear-to-ear.
Tabitha glanced back at Unity to find her blushing.
Oh, sweet girl. I fear you give your heart too easily.
Lord Habtage had seemed pleasant enough, but she worried he was similar in character to Lord Morrington. He would likely break Unity’s heart if he proved as arrogant and generous with his attentions.
She could not stop herself from thinking of Lord Morrington. Her heart had thudded painfully when she and Unity had entered the book shop. She had been startled to realize she was nervous to see him again. It was not that she simply wanted to avoid him, but she worried what he might think or say to her should they come face to face.
It had been strange, as she rarely cared what others thought of her, and in particular what the gentlemen she interacted with thought of her. So why had she been struck with self-consciousness when it came to a gentleman she did not even like?
When they had entered the shop, the gentlemen had not been immediately in sight. Tabitha had felt a moments relief, and had tried to convince Unity to leave, but her sister had forced her among the bookshelves in search of Lord Morrington. She had wanted to keep her distance once they had discovered him, but Unity had insisted on following him throughout the shop.
The sight of him had made her stomach clench. She had remembered he was handsome, but she had apparently forgotten the full impact of his attractiveness. He held himself with such confidence, and the way he had smirked at her had made her cheeks heat. Other parts of her body grew warm and soft in reaction to him as well. The sensations had startled her. That secret place between her legs had begun to softly pulse, and she had clenched her thighs discreetly to try and ease the ache.
Even now, that pulsing persisted. She tried to ignore it, just as she tried to ignore how sensitive her skin had become. The breeze brushing over her arms sent shivers rushing through her. The feel of her clothes against her body, the swish of her skirts on her legs, the caress of her sleeves, was somehow intensified.
She did not understand what was happening to her, or why Lord Morrington was provoking such sensations within her.
“Lord Habtage is very dashing,” Unity said in response to Sophia’s question, momentarily pulling Tabitha from her tangled thoughts. “He seems a very courteous, chivalrous sort. I…I might enjoy getting to know him better.”
“Well, luckily you invited him to our home to meet Papa,” Tabitha groaned. They reached the edge of town, and she came to a stop to allow them all to catch their breaths before they continued on to the house. Turning on Unity, Tabitha put her hands on her hips and leveled her sister with a glare. “What were you thinking back there? Why would you think it a good idea to extend such an invitation to them?”
“Lord Morrington and Lord Habtage are going to come visit us?” Sophia cried in delight, clasping her hands together.
“No,” Tabitha snapped.
“Yes,” Unity declared at the same time.
Sophia arched a brow as her eyes bounced between her older sisters.
“I co
nfess, I am confused,” she said at length.
Tabitha waved her hand, as if she could wipe the conversation from where it hung in the air between them.
“It does not matter right now.” She released a huff of breath. “What matters is that Unity intentionally put me in an awkward position back there, and did nothing to help me.”
Unity rolled her eyes. “Tabitha, you are being dramatic. I did try to help you, if you recall. I was doing my very best to distract Lord Morrington. You are the one who ran into Lord Habtage.”
Improperly Enticed By The Rascal Earl (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 8