Intentions of the Earl (14 page)

“Of course, who doesn’t?” Lady Olivia said
airily. “Besides, I think I might have the best chance. The earl is
impoverished, and I have a large dowry.”

“You don’t mind that he would marry you for
your dowry?” Madison asked, truly interested in the answer.

“I still get to be a countess, don’t I?
Besides, that’s the way of things here in England. I know that you
hail from the land where savages run wild—pardon me for being so
blunt—people don’t always marry for money. But over here it’s the
way of things. I’ve accepted it. I will find my happiness elsewhere
and I expect he will, too.”

Madison suppressed a shudder. She knew her
parents were dearly in love with they married, and still were. She
also knew Brooke wasn’t likely to accept less than a love match
when it was time to marry. How else could she have made it to
nearly three and twenty without a proposal if that wasn’t the case?
Was there a chance that Brooke would marry the earl? If they did
marry, would it only be for Brooke’s money? Surely not, there
wasn’t that much money in her dowry. Anyway, how could he know if
she had a dowry or not? Papa hadn’t told anyone. If they were to
marry, would it be like a business arrangement where he would go
find his pleasure elsewhere, leaving Brooke alone? Madison didn’t
want Brooke to be hurt, ever.

Madison’s brain was conjuring up many
unpleasant questions and possibilities. She finally decided she
would have to watch Brooke and the earl more carefully. She wasn’t
entirely certain if the earl had intentions of marriage with
Brooke; but it appeared that he was serious about courting her,
which could lead to marriage. Not that that was bad, she liked the
earl, she really did, but she loved her sister more and wanted her
to be happy. Brooke would not be happy if she had a husband that
neglected her, of that, she was certain.

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Lady Olivia said
when Madison didn’t respond.

“Pardon?” Madison asked, her eyebrows
furrowing in confusion. She’d been so lost in her scattered
thoughts she’d forgotten Lady Olivia was waiting for a
response.

“I didn’t mean to offend you by saying you
were from the land of savages. I mean, you are, but maybe I
shouldn’t have said so. Please do not hold it against me. You are
one of my dearest friends and I would hate to lose you…” Lady
Olivia’s voice started to trail off and a counterfeit expression of
sadness came over her face.

“It’s of no concern,” Madison quickly assured
her. Though, to be honest, she wondered how exactly she had become
one of Lady Olivia’s dearest friends. Liberty was a lot closer to
Lady Olivia—not that that said much. This was probably the most she
and Lady Olivia had ever spoken. “I was just thinking of something
else.”

“I see. You do that a lot.” Lady Olivia kept
speaking without noticing how Madison bristled next to her. “You
always seem to be staring at nothing. When I first met you, I
thought it was so strange how you were always looking across the
room at absolutely nothing. Most unnerving really. But I’ve gotten
used to it.”

Madison didn’t know what to say. She knew she
had this habit, but to have someone else mention it to her and in
such a callous and mortifying way made her feel uncomfortable. She
felt her face grow warm and willed herself not to say something
that might embarrass her family. She was about to excuse herself to
go sit next to Papa when she looked up to see that Lady Olivia was
no longer sitting in her chair.

“It appears as if my bath has finally been
made ready for me. I look forward to seeing you at the party,” Lady
Olivia threw over her shoulder as she walked toward her
attendant.

Chapter 11

Andrew was making preparations for tomorrow’s
journey to the Watson house party with Addams when Gateway’s coach
pulled up on the street in front of his house.

“Botheration,” Andrew muttered. Just what he
didn’t need: another impromptu visit with Gateway.

“I could tell him you’re not receiving,”
Addams suggested lamely.

“You and I both know he won’t believe that,”
Andrew replied, shaking his head. “Just show him into my study when
he finally descends that monstrosity he calls a carriage and
decides to grace us with his unpleasant presence.”

No more than three minutes later, Gateway
strode into Andrew’s study as if he owned Andrew’s townhouse and
not his estate in Essex.

“What do you want?” Andrew barked, clearly
surprising Gateway. It was uncharacteristic for Andrew to be short
or raise his voice. Normally, he was calm and able to keep control
of a situation because of it, but he was tired of dealing with
Gateway and his tendency to just show up whenever he wanted to.

“Why so hostile?” Gateway asked with a stiff
smile.

“Just say what you came to say, Gateway,”
Andrew said as he sank into the chair behind his desk and stared at
Gateway.

“I do believe at one time we were friends.”
Gateway put one hand up to his chin, and rubbed it with one of his
fingers as if he were lost in meditation. “I even remember us
calling each other by our first names, Andrew.”

Andrew’s eyes narrowed. He too remembered
those days, the days when they were “friends”. He even remembered
calling Gateway by his first name even though most of the others
called him Channing, his courtesy title at the time. But those were
not good memories for Andrew; and the less remembered, the better.
“All right, Benjamin. What brings you to call on this lovely day?”
Andrew asked with feigned happiness.

Gateway smiled a true and rare smile. The
only times Andrew had seen that smile was when Gateway was about to
do something unpleasant, or on the rare occasions when he spoke of
some woman he was close to. “I was just wondering about any
progress you have made with Brooke?” Gateway finally said.

“You mean Miss Banks?” Andrew snapped. When
he saw the look of interest on Gateway’s face, he realized his tone
was misinterpreted. Andrew unclamped his jaw and softened his tone.
“Things are going quite well. Her family seems to approve of
me.”

“Good,” Gateway said, plopping down in one of
Andrew’s wingback chairs. “I suspect you got yourself an invitation
to her uncle’s house party.”

“Yes,” Andrew answered.

“Shall I bring the deed to the party?”

Andrew thought about that. Was it possible to
bring about Brooke’s ruin at this house party? She had responded to
his kisses and that was a step in the right direction. He might be
able to persuade her to go off alone with him. The trick would be
getting caught in a way that ruin her, but not completely mortify
her at the same time. He had already determined he would have to be
careful with the getting caught part. He wanted to hurt her the
very least possible. He wanted her ruined and gone, but he didn’t
want her to be mortified for the rest of her life.

Andrew gave a slight nod. “I think it’s
possible, but I cannot be sure at this point. I only get one chance
at this and I don’t want to push her too quickly.”

“Are you concerned you'll be surrounded by
several of her male relatives?” Gateway inquired.

“The thought has crossed my mind,” Andrew
allowed. “I think I can persuade them not call me out when this is
all over.” Or so he hoped.

“Would it be so bad to be called out?”
Gateway asked with a wicked smile on his lips.

“While you may delight in seeing me cock up
my toes, I am not quite ready to do so. Nor do I wish to injure
anyone else,” Andrew countered stiffly.

“I see you still have not gotten past the
circumstances of your father’s death eight years ago.”

Gateway always knew just how best to get
under Andrew’s skin. Eight years earlier, Andrew’s father, Thomas
Black, had been caught cheating at a game of cards. When his
character was called into question, Thomas challenged the man,
Richard Olsen, to a duel. A few hours, later two drunken men, with
their equally drunken seconds, headed out to have a duel. Thomas
fired the first shot and hit Olsen in his shoulder. At that point
honor could have been considered satisfied, but they were all too
drunk to notice or care. The shoulder wound wasn’t enough to keep
Olsen from firing off his shot.

Later, Olsen’s state of inebriation was
brought into question because of his dead on aim right at Thomas’s
heart. Thomas died right there on an old abandoned field surrounded
by three drunken men, and not a doctor in sight—because not one of
the four drunken men had bothered to send for one before the
duel.

Just thinking about it got Andrew’s hackles
up. He hated to think of how stupid his own father could have been.
He’d been a spendthrift drunkard who cheated at cards, and to top
it off, he died in a pointless duel.

Andrew didn’t aspire to do such great things
with his life that would bore future generations of children in
history class, but if he could live and die with a little more
dignity than his own father, then he’d consider his life a
success.

“There will be no duel,” Andrew declared. A
slow smile spread across his lips, and his eyes brightened. “On
second thought, if there is to be a duel you can be my second,
since you have taken such a keen interest in my welfare.”

Gateway wasn’t amused. “No, I do believe my
dueling days are long gone. You’ll have to find someone else to act
as a second for you.”

“You’ve never fought a duel in your life,”
Andrew scoffed.

“Maybe so,” Gateway agreed.

“If that is all you came here to say, I need
to meet with my butler about making arrangements for my trip,”
Andrew said, getting up without waiting for a response from
Gateway.

“I’ll see myself out,” Gateway muttered to
himself.

“See that you do, and don’t take too long to
do it, either,” Andrew commented, walking out of the room.

Chapter 12

“It is such a pleasure to have you,” Regina
Banks said, hugging her brother-in-law, followed by each of the
other members of his family.

“The pleasure is entirely ours,” John told
his sister-in-law before giving his brother Edward a hug. “We
appreciate your hospitality in having us here to your house and
throwing this party. It’s quite an honor.”

“Think nothing of it,” the baron told his
younger brother. “We are happy to do it; and very happy to get
better acquainted with all of your daughters. They clearly get
their beauty from their mother,” Edward said with a quick smile
toward Carolina.

“This is Mrs. Morgan, she’s our housekeeper.
She will show you all to your rooms,” Regina said, directing them
toward the staircase where Mrs. Morgan stood on the bottom step
waiting to lead them up.

“I have set up your rooms in the east wing,
seeing as you’re family not just regular guests.” Mrs. Morgan was
clearly proud of her decision and held her head high as she led
them to the family wing.

The house was breathtaking. Everything from
the vaulted ceiling to the marble floor was beautiful. Round
support columns made of stone so thick she was sure even an adult
male could not wrap his arms around them were located throughout
the massive entry area of the house. The entryway to almost all the
rooms consisted of an arch that had a scrolling design.

The massive furnishings looked to be in
pristine condition and placed just so, making it look like a
picture from a decorating plate she’d seen once. There was nothing
out of place, and it all looked perfectly coordinated and inviting.
One thing Brooke was certain of was this place had certainly had
been decorated by a different person than the house in London. The
thought made her giggle a little, which she immediately tried to
smother.

“I know what you’re thinking, Brooke,”
Liberty whispered with a disapproving shake of her head. “But
please try to stay composed. There's nothing more impolite than to
laugh at our host and hostess in their own home.”

Brooke sobered. “I’m sorry.” The old Liberty
was back. Brooke sighed. As they say, all good things must come to
an end, and Liberty’s failure to point out everyone’s impropriety
in the past few days had met its end, too bad it didn’t last a
little longer.

“Girls.” Mama’s voice was velvet covered
steel, but they got the message.

They walked in silence for the rest of the
tour.

Mrs. Morgan showed Brooke to her room first.
“Ring if you need anything. Dinner is served promptly at seven. You
may meet in the drawing room as early as half six,” Mrs. Morgan
said right before she left.

Brooke checked the watch pinned on her bodice
and realized that gave her little more than an hour and a half
before going downstairs.

She closed the door to her room and wandered
over to her bed. She sat down on the edge and felt the mattress dip
under her weight. It was a nice feather mattress, an improvement
from the tic mattress she had slept on in the Dog and Fox.

Pulling off her slippers, she leaned against
the headboard and propped a pillow behind her back. She glanced out
the window and noticed there were several men down on the lawn
playing some sort of lawn game. Bowls perhaps?

Brooke had seen some of the neighbors in New
York play five stones. She had even played a few times when Mama
had been too busy at the church to know what she was up to. But the
game being played down there looked like an entirely different
game. Maybe tomorrow she could learn to play.

She squinted her eyes in the direction of the
lawn in hopes of being able to figure out who the players were.
Maybe they were her cousins, or perhaps they were some local
gentlemen, or even some from London.

She resigned herself to the fact she was too
far away to get a close enough view of any of them to figure out
who they were. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and laid her head
back on the pillows to take a nap, secretly hoping Andrew was one
of the men out on the lawn.