Improperly Enticed By The Rascal Earl (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Olivia Bennet

  Pimperton has been a gem through it all. He tells me many of his friends and colleagues have advised him to set me aside, but he is stalwart in his devotion. I know it is difficult for him, however. He does not receive as many invitations either, and he rarely goes to White’s anymore. He says he cannot stand the pitying, and in some cases even disgusted looks he receives from the other gentleman. They all think him a spineless cuckold, foolishly clinging to a wife who does not truly want him.

  The greatest guilt I feel in this is the burden this has placed on both you and Pimperton. You are the two men I care for most in this world, and I have caused you such suffering in my cowardice. Yet, I cannot bring myself to confess the truth to the world. As bad as things are now, I maintain the belief that they would only become worse if everyone knew the true parentage of my child. Pimperton would suffer the most. I fear he would not only be looked on as a cuckold, but a weakling who could not protect his wife.

  I am sorry to bare this all to you, and most especially in a letter, after you have already been forced to endure so much because of me. I have no other outlet to express my sorrow, though. No one else who knows the truth and knows the depth of my pain. Pimperton has suffered enough because of me, and I cannot burden him with any more guilt. You are my oldest and dearest friend, and currently, my sole confidante. I understand if you do not wish to send a reply, but know that the mere act of writing out all that I am struggling with offers some small relief.

  I pray your exile is proving more enjoyable than my imprisonment. It is my great hope that you find happiness while you are away, and that I am able to see you once more soon. Until then, know you have my love and gratitude for all you have done.

  Yours Sincerely,

  Emma Quarterbow, Countess of Pimperton

  Edwin sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh, letting the letter rest open in his lap. He had grown so distracted by Miss Walters, he had nearly forgotten his reason for being in Laurelborough in the first place. His heart ached for the Countess and what she was suffering through back in town. It was not fair to her, or to Pimperton, that they were being subjected to such harsh treatment by the ton.

  Turning his head, he stared out the study’s window onto the estate grounds. His mind turned once more to Miss Walters. What would she think should she discover the scandal he had left behind? He could not tell her the truth. He had sworn to the Countess to keep her secret, no matter the circumstances. Edwin would not betray her.

  Even if it meant confirming all of Miss Walter’s suspicions of his character.

  She would believe him to be the arrogant rake he pretended to be, and there would be no convincing her otherwise.

  Perhaps she would not find out, though.

  The scandal has not yet reached Laurelborough. Maybe it never will.

  Yet, even as he thought the hope, he was not so naïve as to believe he could escape the gossip forever. Eventually, more people would come to the country from town for their summer holidays, and they would bring news of the scandal with them.

  Miss Walters would surely hear about it, and he would never win her affections.

  So I must win them before the rumors can reach us.

  The idea struck him like a lightning bolt, and he sat up straight in his chair, clutching the Countess’s letter in his hand. That was it. That is what he had to do.

  He needed to convince Miss Walters that her first impressions of him were wrong, and win her favor before she even heard of the scandal. Then, if the gossip did breach the borders of Laurelborough, she would not believe them because she would already know him incapable of such an act as seducing a married woman.

  Shooting to his feet, he made his way toward the large desk to hide the letter away in a drawer along with the first one the Countess had sent him. He had come to Laurelborough to escape the consequences of the scandal, and he would not let it ruin his chances with Miss Walters.

  She would fall for him long before then.

  First, though, he needed to convince her to stop hating him.

  Chapter 13

  Tabitha stared out her bedroom window, dread making her stomach twist.

  I had hoped to avoid this day. Prayed it would never come…

  But it had, much to her disappointment. Lords Morrington, Habtage, and Burrows were all expected to arrive for tea at any moment. Tabitha had hoped her papa would dismiss the idea of inviting three bachelors to his home to interact with his daughters outright. When Unity had asked him to extend the invitations, Tabitha had expected him to balk and tell them no.

  She had not expected him to be delighted by the proposition.

  “What marvelous connections you girls have made,” he had declared after Unity informed him of their encounter with the three gentleman and the promises they had made to introduce them to the Baron. “Lord Morrington and Lord Habtage are said to be exceedingly wealthy and business minded. Convincing them to invest in my enterprise would prove quite the boon.”

  “But, Papa, surely it is not appropriate…” Tabitha had struggled to come up with an argument against the gathering.

  “Oh, nonsense,” he had interrupted her, waving his hand to dismiss the very notion. “You will all be present, and I will be there as well. It will be a friendly afternoon wherein I will be able to become acquainted with the gentlemen and potentially expand our business.”

  She had closed her eyes and groaned, recognizing the futility of convincing him otherwise.

  It was the next Saturday, and all three gentlemen had accepted their invitations. Unity and Sophia were a flurry of excitement, and had been overseeing preparations for the lords’ arrivals all morning. Tabitha had not offered her assistance. A part of her hoped that if she remained out of sight throughout the day, they may just forget she was in the house at all.

  She knew she would have no such luck when a knock sounded on her door.

  “Tabitha? Dear, are you in there?” Unity’s voice floated through the door and filled the room. “Our guests will be arriving any moment, and Papa wants us all ready to greet them.”

  Releasing a groan of annoyance, Tabitha called back, “I will be there momentarily.”

  She did not hear her sister’s footsteps carry her away. After a moment, Unity spoke again.

  “Do not think to hide away in there. You will not get out of this visit, no matter how badly you may want to.”

  There was amusement in her sister’s tone, which only increased Tabitha’s annoyance.

  “I told you I was coming in a moment,” she snapped. “Will you not allow me some peace before this farce begins?”

  She heard Unity chuckle. “You should at least attempt at being pleasant when the gentlemen arrive. We would not want you to embarrass Papa, now would we?”

  With that, Unity turned to leave, her footsteps echoing from the hall. Tabitha gripped the windowsill until her knuckles turned white, silently cursing her sister. Unity knew just how to force Tabitha into doing what she wanted. There was no way in the world she would risk upsetting their papa, especially not in front of the likes of Lord Morrington.

  Movement outside her window caught her eye. Her room overlooked the long drive to the house, and she spotted Lord Morrington and Lord Habtage riding up on horseback. She begrudgingly admitted to herself that the two appeared rather dashing, sitting so proud and confident on their mounts. Lord Morrington cut an especially impressive figure. She took a deep breath as her heart began to pound in anticipation.

  Lord Burrows appeared a moment later, lagging behind the other gentlemen. She was not affected by the sight of him as she was Lord Morrington, and in fact felt a stronger sting of frustration knowing he would likely prove insufferable during their interactions.

  With a sigh, she turned from the window to trudge across the room and out into the hall. Her steps were slow as she descended the stairs to the main floor of the house. Her sister and papa were already lined up by the front door, ready to go out to welcome their guests.

 
“Ah, there you are Tabitha!” her papa declared with a wide grin when she reached the last step. “I was ready to send your sister back up to fetch you.”

  She caught Unity’s bemused gaze, and spotted Sophia hiding a giggle behind her hand. It irritated her how much her sisters appeared to enjoy her discomfort. Their papa, completely unaware of the tension rolling off his eldest daughter, clapped his hands together in delight.

  “All right, my lovelies, now that we are all gathered, let us go and greet our esteemed guests.”

  The four of them made their way out the front door to the drive. Lords Morrington and Habtage were already dismounting from their horses. Grooms waited to receive their reins to take the beasts to the stables for the duration of their masters’ stay.

  Tabitha, Unity, and Sophia lined up, side by side, next to their papa, who spread his arms wide when their first guests turned to face them.

  “Welcome My Lords!” he declared in a loud, jovial voice. “It is a pleasure to have you to our home.”

  Lords Morrington and Habtage approached her papa with polite smiles. They each bowed to him, and he bowed in turn.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Lord Habtage said. “Thank you for your invitation.”

  “Yes, thank you, My Lord,” Lord Morrington said. His eyes slid toward Tabitha, and it was if the air was stolen from her lungs.

  Why is he looking at me? What is he thinking?

  He averted his gaze back to her papa the next moment, however, and she did not think either of her sisters had noticed. She peeked toward them, and found Unity’s eyes locked on Lord Habtage. Her sister appeared oblivious to anything but the dark-haired gentleman.

  Sophia appeared giddy with excitement as she gazed between the gentlemen, but if she had caught Lord Morrington’s secret look, she did not seem curious about it. That was a relief, at the very least. Tabitha did not want her sisters to have further reason to tease her.

  “I believe you gentleman are already acquainted with my two eldest daughters, Miss Tabitha Walters and Miss Unity Walters?” the Baron stepped aside to formally present the ladies. “May I also introduce my youngest, Miss Sophia?”

  Sophia dropped into a deep curtsy. “An honor, My Lords.”

  “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Sophia,” Lord Habtage said with a smile and a nod. Raising his gaze to Unity, he continued, “A pleasure to see you again, Miss Unity. Miss Walters.”

  He spared Tabitha a brief glance, but his eyes quickly returned to Unity. Tabitha pursed her lips as she observed the gentleman’s demeanor. He was tense, his hands balled into fists at his sides, and cheeks were tinged dark pink as he stared at her sister.

  It appears that he is truly interested in her, but that does not mean he will not hurt her.

  “It is very nice to meet you, Miss Sophia.” When Lord Morrington spoke, his deep voice washed over Tabitha like a warm wave. Tabitha shivered and took a deep breath through her nose as her heart drummed a wild beat that made her blood hum.

  The world seemed to narrow to a single point as she gazed at Lord Morrington. He was not looking at her, and appeared engrossed by whatever was being said between her papa and Lord Habtage. She began to feel flushed and her fingers itched as if she wanted to grasp onto something. She curled them into the skirt of her dress to keep herself from reaching out and…what? Touching him?

  His hair does look so soft…

  Lord Burrows reached the house as Tabitha’s family welcomed their other guests. He quickly dismounted and threw his reins to the waiting groom, then hurried over to join the group.

  “Good day, My Lord,” he loudly greeted the Baron, interrupting the conversation between her papa and Lord Habtage.

  “Good day, Lord Burrows,” her papa replied in a polite, but tight tone. The cheerfulness with which he had spoken to Lords Morrington and Habtage was gone from his voice.

  Lord Burrows turned toward Tabitha and her sisters. “So happy to see you again, Miss Walters. Miss Unity. Miss Sophia.”

  Tabitha had to fight not to grimace. “Yes, you as well, My Lord.”

  Lord Morrington narrowed his eyes and frowned as he studied Lord Burrows. His gaze bounced between her and the gentleman. She tried to ignore him, but she felt nervous as she wondered if Lord Burrows would do anything to embarrass himself in front of Lord Morrington.

  Wait, why should I care what Lord Morrington thinks?

  She released a breath, already wishing this visit was over.

  “Well, gentlemen, shall we go inside?” her papa asked, his voice taking on a lighter tone once more as he turned his gaze to Lord Morrington and Habtage.

  With the Baron leading them, the group walked into the house together. Tabitha and her sisters led them all into the parlor. The three ladies sat together on the couch in front of the fireplace, and the gentlemen seated themselves in the surrounding chairs. The next moment, Mr. Neil, their butler, walked into the room with the large tea service. Tabitha smiled and thanked him when he handed her a piping hot cup.

  Once the butler had served the family and their guests, he gave a deep bow and left the room.

  “Now, Lord Morrington, Lord Habtage, tell me, how are you enjoying Laurelborough thus far?” the Baron asked, settling deeper into his chair.

  Tabitha took a sip of her tea, but perked up at the question, curious herself as to the answer.

  “It is quite lovely here,” Lord Habtage answered. “Peaceful and quiet for the most part. Very different from London.”

  “Indeed, very different,” Lord Morrington agreed.

  “I would imagine the country could prove rather dull for anyone used to the pace and excitement of the city,” Tabitha said pointedly. Lord Morrington turned to her and met her gaze.

  He studied her for several moments with a small smile. “In truth, Madam, I have found myself very entertained during our stay here thus far. There is much about the country that is surprisingly engaging.”

  Her fingers tightened around her cup and she felt her cheeks heat, but she did not drop his gaze. She felt as though he was daring her to look away from him and his layered words first, but she refused to bend to him.

  “I also find the country very engaging,” Lord Burrows suddenly declared, snapping Tabitha’s attention away from Lord Morrington. She took a deep breath as though she had been submerged in water and finally broken the surface for air.

  Lord Morrington glanced toward Lord Burrows with a furrowed brow.

  “Do you come to the country often?” he asked the other gentleman. There was a cold note underlying his tone that made Tabitha frown.

  Lord Burrows did not seem to notice, however. “Oh, yes. Every summer for the past three years I have come to stay in Laurelborough. At first, I thought it a rather backwards county, but upon meeting the enchanting Miss Walters, I found I could not stay away.”

  “Indeed?” Lord Morrington said in a voice that was almost a growl.

  Lord Habtage raised his brows at his friend. “Ah, yes, well, we have all been enchanted by these lovely ladies, have we not, Lord Morrington?”

  Lord Morrington’s nostrils flared, but he nodded. “We have.”

  His gaze flickered back toward Tabitha, and she blinked, unsure what was happening. Why did he appear on the verge of anger? She could understand feeling annoyed with Lord Burrows, but the two gentlemen had barely had a full conversation yet. What could be upsetting Lord Morrington so?

  An odd tension was setting in among the group. Tabitha glanced toward Unity, and her sister appeared just as baffled as she felt.

  What is happening right now?

  Chapter 14

  Edwin did not think he cared for this Lord Burrows. Something about the gentleman put him on edge. He thought perhaps it had something to do with the way he looked at Miss Walters. His interest in her was clear, but there was a possessiveness in his gaze that Edwin found disturbing.

  He glared at the gentleman, unable to hide his distrust and dislike. Habtage was shooting
him warning glances, but he could not heed them. He had not anticipated competition for Miss Walters’s affections, and she had been friendlier toward Lord Burrows than she had yet to be to Edwin.

  Am I simply jealous? Is that why I feel this animosity toward him?

  “Where did you both meet Miss Walters and her sisters?” Lord Burrows asked. He met Edwin’s gaze and there was a clear challenge in his eyes.

  “I had the pleasure of happening upon Miss Walters while out for my ride one morning,” Edwin answered in a hard tone that was just polite enough that he could not be accused of impropriety. “Then again at the book shop in town the other day.”