Tempting the Earl

by Wendy May Andrews

  Emily began to despair of Lord Philip's ever realizing the truth about the lady, since she seemed to be such an excellent actress. She should take to the stage, thought Emily waspishly as she excused herself from the group and went to ensure that supper preparations were progressing well.

  Emily had just closed the doors to the drawing room when she saw Lord Philip and Mr. Dale entering the front door. "My Lord Yorkleigh! It is so good to see you, my lord!" Emily exclaimed, relief obvious in her tone and manner as she rushed over to greet them. She clasped his hand warmly in welcome, her eyes shining with tears of joy and relief, a wide smile stretching her face.

  Philip was surprised by the enthusiasm of her greeting. "Is everything all right here, Emily?" he inquired in concern. "I should say, Miss Spencer?" he corrected himself quickly.

  "Oh, yes, everything is fine, my lord" Emily recovered her presence of mind somewhat but could not repress the grin she was casting at the two men. Surely they would save the entire situation now that they'd arrived. "It is just a bit hectic, you know, with all the guests arriving and wanting to be entertained"

  "I've brought James with me; I hope that won't throw off your numbers too much. We tried to get here earlier than you demanded, but we were unfortunately detained. Now we quake in our shoes, awaiting the dire consequences of disobeying your edict," Philip teased her.

  "Oh, my lord, really," she replied coolly, fully recovering her composure. "Don't tease. We shall be absolutely delighted to have Mr. Dale join our festivities. And you are only a day late, so do not worry. Lady Clara and I hardly noticed and weren't worried at all"

  Emily told the barefaced lie with barely a flicker of an eyelash. But Philip caught the telltale flash of pink on her cheeks and merely chuckled at her audacity. "If you're out of rooms, James can share mine," he offered generously.

  "No, my lord, there should be a few to spare. We are still awaiting the arrival of the Viscountess Eastwick and her son and daughter as well as a few others, but we've plenty of room as long as George, your valet, can sleep on the cot in your dressing room. Otherwise he'll need to share the servants' quarters"

  "That shan't be a problem. Which room shall I put James in? We can show ourselves up. We'll freshen ourselves a bit, then join the company in the drawing roomif that's all right with you," he countered quizzingly, enjoying being able to fluster the normally composed maiden.

  Despite her blushing cheeks, Emily lifted her chin in a distinctively proud way. "Mr. Dale can have the green room at the end of the hall in your wing, if you would be so kind as to show him. I was just on my way to confer with the housekeeper. I will mention to her that we shall need an extra plate for dinner. Welcome to Rosemount, by the by. I'll have one of the maids bring you both some water. Adieu." With that Emily swept off to the kitchens.

  Both men watched her departure with appreciation. Then Lord Philip chuckled. "She's certainly adjusted well to having some authority in the household, hasn't she, James?"

  James agreed with a smile, then said, "She did seem a bit harried, though, do you not think, my lord? As if we were here to save her from something."

  "You're right, James. Maybe the adjustment is taking a bit of effort. Don't forget, as companion to my mother she is assisting as hostess to this event; no doubt it's a bit daunting to someone not high-born. We'll have to see what we can do to ease the burden. Let's go. You'll like the green room-the view is lovely. Miss Spencer must have a soft spot for you, James. Despite its being small, I think it's one of the nicest rooms here at Rosemount. After the week we've been having, spending some time relaxing here at my mother's estate should be just the thing."

  Everyone was delighted to welcome Lord Philip, Earl of Yorkleigh. He was respected by members of the ton, and the assembled guests were happy to get reacquainted with the young earl. He wasn't known for going about too much in society, preferring the darker side of life in London than the one frequented by the peers assembled for the countess' house party. Despite his penchant for fast living, though, he had managed to maintain a reputation as a decent fellow who lived up to his title as gentleman. He was known to put in an appearance during the Season, but most of the assembled guests hadn't gotten to know him very well, and all were happy for the opportunity. The young ladies were full of admiration for his handsome looks, vast fortune, and pleasant address, while the young lords admired his reputation at sports. The older lords and ladies had held a deep respect for his father and thus wanted to get to know the heir.

  The Sedgelys, of course, felt somewhat proprietary toward the earl, and the viscount was the first to greet him despite Lady Clara's obvious desire to embrace her son. "There you are, my boy," boomed Lord Sedgely overenthusiastically. "We were beginning to wonder if you were going to stand us up!"

  Philip was unsure how to politely respond to such a pronouncement, so he chose to ignore it as he turned to greet his mother. He bowed over her hand formally before receiving a warm hug from her. "I apologize for my tardiness, my lady Mother. I was necessarily detained while engaged in an errand for the king."

  Lady Clara was just happy to see her son. Much like Emily, she hadn't realized how worried she had been until she was saw him safe and sound. She simply welcomed him warmly, and together they turned to their guests.

  Lord Philip included everyone in his explanations for his tardiness and not being there to welcome them when they arrived. "As some of you may have heard, His Majesty has been concerned over the disappearance of the Lady Emmaline. She is a young lady whose parents recently died, and apparently she is quite a substantial heiress and is in the rare position of being able to inherit many old titles that are not entailed automatically on a male heir. With the monarch's permission she may claim several titles that were in both her parents' families for centuries, with the exception of the viscountcy. The new viscount is a distant cousin of the lady's father, and he claims to be unaware of her whereabouts despite being her new guardian"

  Many of the ladies in the room were making appropri ately shocked and concerned noises while looking at one another with glowing eyes, clearly thrilled to be privy to the latest juicy gossip. Meanwhile, Lady Maude was becoming restless, unhappy to see her supposed suitor so preoccupied with some other female. She suppressed a dainty yawn while looking pointedly at the earl, silently urging him to change the subject to one that she would find entertaining.

  Philip had seen the look Maude was sending his way but was unsure of its meaning, so he mentally shrugged and continued his explanation. "I know some of you ladies may find it distressing to think of the poor missing orphan, but the reason I bring this up is because I was wondering if any of you might have known the young lady's parents-the Marquis and Marchioness of Edenvale. They seem to have lived quite retired from society, and we are having trouble ascertaining with whom the young lady might have sought sanctuary. As well, does anyone here know aught about the new Viscount Ridley? He appears to be a shifty fellow and was involved in some shady dealings before he inherited. He's suspiciously unconcerned over his missing ward, but we have yet to prove that anything untoward has happened" Philip paused to let everyone consider it for a moment. Then he continued. "If any of you think of anything over the next few days, please let me know" He then smiled graciously and turned to change the subject and speak more privately with each of his mother's assembled guests.

  The room was buzzing with speculation about the whereabouts when Emily returned to the guests. She tried not to draw attention to herself as she busied herself ensuring that everyone was comfortable. She had begun to get used to the speculation and gossip about the missing peeress and the king's search for her, so she was not as flustered as when the subject first came up. However, she couldn't help being uncomfortable during the discussion. She was surprised to see how keenly interested Philip seemed to be in the various ideas put forward by the assembled guests. It would seem everyone had an opinion they were willing to share, and Philip was paying rapt attention as each guest expressed wh
at little information or speculation they had. It all seemed like mere conjecture to Emily.

  She had a puzzled frown creasing her brow and was deep in unquiet thoughts when Lady Clara stood up, signaling the time had arrived for everyone to get ready for supper. Adieus were said, and everyone dispersed to prepare. Emily and Philip were the last to leave the room, and Philip detained her quietly. "Might I have a word with you, Miss Spencer?" he queried with a hand on her arm.

  "What is it, my lord?" Emily asked.

  "I'm concerned about you, Emily; you seem preoccupied and a bit worried. Your welcome when we arrived was much more enthusiastic than one would expect. Is there anything I can do for you? You know it is but for you to command," he told her half-teasingly. Despite his best efforts, he found himself powerfully drawn to the mysterious young woman and really was willing to do much to help her.

  "My lord," she began in a lightly reproving tone, "I thank you for your concern, and I'm sorry to cause you any alarm. I am fine, truly"

  Philip was unconvinced but did not press the matter. "Please be assured, I will stand your friend, should you require any assistance"

  "I appreciate the offer, my lord. Now I must be off to prepare" She left the room hastily, almost running up the stairs, only stopping once the door to her room was firmly closed at her back. She placed a trembling hand to her brow and drew a deep sigh straight from her heart. That organ was in danger of melting from his lordship's kindness.

  Now is not the time for silly mooning, Emily reprimanded herself sternly. She gave her head a shake and forced her distracted mind to focus on practicalities, namely, which of her new gowns would be best for this evening's dinner. She made her selection and hurried through her preparations in order to go to Lady Clara before descending to supper.

  "Oh, Lady Clara, you look smashing!" Emily exclaimed, using a term gleaned from the young lordlings that afternoon.

  Clara laughed and bobbed a graceful curtsy. "I pass muster, Emily? I confess this is proving a bigger ordeal than I expected. But at least Philip has arrived. That will ease the burden, and with luck our purpose will be accomplished"

  "Do you think so, my lady? The Lady Maude seems to have two faces; one she presents to females, and a much nicer one that she shows to the gentlemen. I am beginning to understand how my lord Philip could have been taken in by the little shrew." Emily tried to relate the events of the afternoon, but it was hard to put into words how cutting the young woman could be.

  "Don't worry about it, Emily. Philip is an intelligent man; I am convinced he will not make it to the end of the week without a change of heart with regard to Lady Maude. We just have to keep everyone entertained. I think Maude will cause her own demise, given enough time. Now, let's review how we set the places for dinner. Everyone is here now. I have received word that others have arrived and are quickly preparing for supper, so we will have to shuffle a little to accommodate Mr. Dale" The two women spent a few minutes analyzing their handiwork and pronounced it good. As they descended to the drawing room with their arms linked, neither noticed Lady Maude watching them jealously from her slightly ajar door.

  Lady Maude closed the door softly and leaned against it. She could not understand how Lady Clara could be so friendly with the young woman who wasn't much more than a glorified servant. Nobody knew who this Miss Spencer was; why would the countess take such pleasure in the lowly woman? What could be gained from such a relationship? Lady Maude knew that relationships were a means to an end, not a source of pleasure, and it annoyed her to watch Miss Fitzgerald and Miss Waddell getting so chummy too. She took a couple of minutes to think of ways she could break up the girls' little friendship before she left her room to make her way down to the drawing room.

  She was most pleased to see she was the best-dressed lady present and threw a triumphant glance at herself in the mirror over the mantel. Lord Philip caught the look and wondered at it fleetingly as he stepped forward to bow gallantly over her gloved hand. Maude preened as he complimented her, and they stood in conversation for a moment.

  Lady Eastwick and her son and daughter had arrived late in the afternoon, and most of the assembled guests had not yet greeted them. Introductions were made all around. The young Lord Eastwick was another quiet, handsome young gentleman who seemed as if he would fit in well with the young men already gathered, while his sister seemed to be more serious than the Waddell ladies, despite being of an age with them. Lady Arabella was quietly pretty. Her brown hair, green eyes, and tidy figure were not enough to turn many heads until she really smiled and her whole appearance brightened. Their mother, Lady Eastwick, was an attractive, middle-aged widow with an approachable personality but a deplorably shrill voice. Fortunately, she didn't have too much to say.

  Also joining the company was a lively young couple, Lord and Lady Thorpe. They had been married only a few years and had two young children. This was Lady Thorpe's first time being away from her children, and she clearly had conflicted feelings about the matter. While she knew it was considered unfashionable to be so involved in her children's lives, she truly loved and missed them. On the other hand, it had been a couple of years since she had been involved in the social whirl, and she was excited that she and her husband had been included in the party invitations. The Thorpes had each brought a sibling. Lady Thorpe had brought her twin brother, Lord John Brooke; and Lord Thorpe had his younger sister, Miss Alicia Thorpe, accompanying him.

  Emily was pleased to make the acquaintance of all the new arrivals. They seemed to be a pleasant bunch who appeared easy to satisfy. Miss Thorpe had come out at the same time as Lady Maude and seemed immune to her tactics. She quickly made friends with the younger girls present and seemed able to deflect some of Maude's malicious darts. Emily realized that there already seemed to be an understanding between Lady Arabella and Lord Brooke, and she suspected it would be entertaining to watch the courtship progressing over the next few days.

  The noise level had greatly increased with the addition of so many members to the group, and it took some effort for Parks, the butler, to get everyone's attention before leading them the dining room for the start of the meal.

  As they sat down to another one of Cook's masterpieces, Emily could feel Lady Eastwick's sharpened gaze fixed upon her face. "Have we met before, my dear Miss Spencer?" she asked kindly in her rasping voice.

  "I do not think I have ever had the pleasure of making your acquaintance," answered Emily politely.

  "I am so sure I've seen your face before. You seem so familiar to me. Perhaps it is a family resemblance. Would we have met your parents or another relative?" Lady Eastwick persisted, drawing the attention of the nearby diners.

  Emily felt trapped and knew her cheeks were heating as the focus turned upon her. Lord Philip was seated diagonally across from her, and their eyes met as Emily glanced around, wondering urgently what to say to the inquisitive woman. He flicked one eyelid at her almost imperceptibly just before he knocked over his glass of wine. He grabbed the delicate goblet before too much was spilled and stood while one of the footmen quickly mopped up the mess. The incident was quickly over, but it had done the trick; the subject changed, and the focus was removed from Emily and the subject of her parentage.

  Lady Clara, at the head of the table, witnessed the entire scene and then saw Philip again meet Emily's eye as they shared a small private smile before turning to the guests at their sides to continue conversing. Lady Maude also saw the exchange and simmered.

  In the meantime Emily asked Mr. Dale how his visit in London had gone. He regaled her with some humorous tales from court, leaving out any mention of their fruitless travels in search of the marchioness, not wanting to place a damper on the evening. The rest of the evening progressed without incident.

  Farther down the table, Ann's artless chatter was entertaining Lord Eastwick, and Lord Sutherland was becoming more enthralled with Jane. Julia was enjoying the company of her new acquaintance, Lord Garfield. Lady Maude was not so satisfied w
ith her dinner companions. On one side of her was Lord Marsden, who was trying, to no avail, to interest her in a conversation about the morning's hunt, and on her other side was Lord Fitzgerald, who really only wanted to talk about various games of chance.

  Philip was disappointed to see that Lady Maude was so obviously bored; he had thought her an easygoing girl. He resolved to further his acquaintance with her before pursuing the courtship. Thus resolved, he continued his con versation with Miss Thorpe, who was on one side of him during the meal.

  When the ladies left the gentlemen to their port and collected in the drawing room to prepare a musical entertainment, Lady Maude's claws were again unsheathed. She was disgruntled about her boring supper conversations and felt a need to take it out on someone. It was an anecdotal fact that the Waddell ladies were not the most accomplished musicians in the bunch, and Lady Maude began her attack. "It is well known that you cannot be expected to find an appropriate husband if you can't play well. How can you be a good hostess if you cannot entertain your guests? I can play three different instruments perfectly and have been told that I sing like an angel. Miss Jane, why don't you and your sister play for us when the gentlemen join us?"

  Jane blushed scarlet. "Oh, no, Lady Maude, I have heard that you play beautifully. Would you please give us the pleasure of hearing for ourselves?"

  The rest of the ladies, most of whom had not heard the beginning of the exchange, added their voices to the request for Lady Maude to play. She accepted with seeming reluctance and riffled through the music sheets to select what she would play. She was just warming up when the gentlemen entered the room. As soon as they were settled, she launched into a beautiful rendition of Chopin's symphony. There was enthusiastic applause when she concluded. She stood, made a graceful curtsy, then turned to the Misses Jane and Ann. "Why don't one of you go next? We would love to hear you play something," she pronounced in cloyingly innocent tones.