Losing the Earl: Regency Romance Clean Read (Yearnings for Love Book 2) (2 page)

Their gall could not go unchecked.

“Are all men from America as brutish in wit as you are sir?”

He placed his hand on heart, “Forgive my impertinence if I offended you, Lady Mary.”

Samuel cleared his throat, “We have a man who has lived amongst the savages in the wilderness of the America’s. He has brought with him a slave,” a slight raise of the eyebrows from the two men, “I’m sorry, a former slave, amongst polite society, they must be permitted grace. We should be glad they are not eating with their hands,” said Samuel, looking around. “What was it the great bard said in Othello? ‘Thick-lips sure is lucky if he can pull this off.’”

Mary ignored Lucy's tittering and focused on Mr. Caulfield, wondering how he’d react. After he finished chewing his food, he reached for his wine glass and sipped. Putting the glass back down, he picked up his napkin and wiped his lips. For a moment, she thought he was going to leave the table, and then she realized he was taking his time to reply.

“It is my observation that men of false culture quote Shakespeare but seldom know other poets or playwright. If they can quote anything from a book not by written by your bard, it is something they heard at mass or authored by a French Lord in a lunatic asylum.” 

“A French Lord in a lunatic asylum?” Mary asked.

“He’s referring to the horrid works of the Marquis De Sade,” said Samuel. “A vile lunatic, he wrote the most disgusting books known to man. Among his titles ‘Justine’ and the infamous ‘The One Hundred and Twenty Days of Sodom.’ The books are description after description of unspeakable carnal acts with no plot or characters.”

“I have not read them myself, but you seem to know how to describe them with accuracy. But to my point, when people quote Shakespeare using his words in lieu of wit, I find it fascinating he is the only poet chosen.” The conversation had moved further into personal territory now, with other guests leaning to hear. “Sonnets and plays aside, do you know any other work? Your own Ben Johnson perhaps?”

Samuel chortled, “Pray tell good sir, do you not come from a country filled only with barbarians? America will sooner turn out a great poet then repay its debts owed to France. Your country is too uncouth to speak of greater ideas like love."

“‘In vain the sages turn their volumes over, and on the musty page incessant pore. Still mighty Love triumphant rules the heart, baffles their labor and eludes their art. What is science, what is reason's force to stop the passions wild ungoverned course.’” William stopped, locking eyes with Mary.

“I think it is indecent,” said Lucy, and Victoria giggled.

“And you Lady Mary?” William asked.

“I concur, indent and vulgar. It speaks of things that should remain reserved.” 

“Then it seems myself and Thomas Godfrey defer to you, sir.” William said turning to Samuel, “My humble colonies as you call them might have no hope for culture.”

“And what is a young man such as yourself doing out in a blizzard,” said Mary’s father, projecting his voice to be hear. “We still have not gotten your story boy.” Mary knew from the way he enunciated there was more to it. His words had the “you better be good” tone to them she knew as a child.

“My father sir.” William took a big swallow of his wine.  

“You father? Was he born here and wanted burial on British soil?”

“Nothing so ghoulish. He is alive and well in Rhode Island. I am brought here by his belief that every man should have a year or so of wanderlust. He wanted me to see the art of the world, and more of the world itself. Acquire culture and knowledge if you will.”

“Traveling is a magnificent endeavor. Where have you been?”

Mary loved her father’s stories of his travels to the West Indies and of pirates. From investments in shipping and more, he’d seen his fair share himself. While she had no interest in swashbuckling, the idea of seeing more than English manners and countrysides stirred Mary’s imagination.

“On this trip, it has been limited because of the war. We landed in Lisbon and then headed to Morocco before passing Gibraltar. Then onto Sardinia, Sicily…”

 “Florence and Rome,” Thomas added. 

 “Then we had to retrace our course, not wanting to pass through territory occupied by Napoleon's armies. My father has a merchant business,” at this Mary noticed Samuel grimace, “so I spent a lot of time on his ships in the Mediterranean. Upon returning to Lisbon, we booked passage to Copenhagen and Stockholm. With Napoleon’s naval power on the rise we wanted to limit our time on the North Sea. The closest point we could book passage for was the port of Aberdeen in Scotland. From there we hired a coach and we’ve been on the road to London the last five, maybe six weeks.” William paused for more wine. “And now we have the good fortune to be in the company of such wonderful guests as yourselves.”

Mary watched William, his eyes trained on her father. He had high cheekbones and fine lip. She wondered how many woman he had kissed, he seemed the type to congregate with the common folk. With his attention focused on her father, his eyes twinkled with an intensity that betrayed his calm manner. Looking at his face, he was not only a handsome man, but his intense eyes covered his thinking of something important.

“We’re delighted to have your presence and be of service in such unfortunate weather. Welcome,” he said again, arms outstretched as the gentleman she knew her father to be, “please.”

And with that conversations returned to the people around them, with others giving occasional glances between Samuel and the newcomers.

The rest of the dinner went as smoothly as possible with Mary glancing up at Samuel who remained very silent, and William who would not stop engaging her father in conversation. They spoke of ship design and travel. Then her father began discussing the virtues of trading rum and sugar in the West Indies which he’d invested in heavily. Since a small child, William’s father had him on boats as soon as spring. He had even hunted whales aboard ships out of New Bedford, and more. He’d seen and experienced a lot.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about this man; fascination at his background and who he was, and disdain and reproach for calling her Samuel out like that.

It wasn’t until later that she’d be able to piece out her thoughts as she looked back over the evening. She needed time to drink it all in.

Chapter 4

Dahlia undid the back of Mary’s dress and guided it downward collecting the fabric as she lowered herself so it would not touch the floor. Mary paid attention to her maid lowering the delicate muslin, and when she had lowered it to her knees Mary stepped out the dress. Dahlia laid out the dress on Mary’s bed next to her bed shift and bed jacket. Her maid then turned her attention to the laces of Mary’s canvas corset. With the first knot undone, Mary inhaled, feeling all of her ribs expanding, held her breath for a few seconds and released it.

“The one relief we women have when it is all over. Men can put their foot in their mouth and be braggarts. For all the headache they cause, when that knot comes undone we get to be relieved, my lady.”

Dahlia slipped the corset off over Mary’s head placing it on top of her dress and helped Mary slip on her bed shift. “My lady, It will be a cold one tonight, do you want your bed jacket?”

“Oh yes, please.”

Dahlia held up the sleeves of the jacket for Mary to slide her arms in. After helping her into her bed, Dahlia hung her dress in the closet and placed her corset inside her dresser.

Mary remained standing. Dahlia looked at her with eyebrows raised and asked, “Tonight, which does my lady prefer I read to her? Jonathan Swift or Wordsworth?”

“Neither. You can take your leave of me, I need rest after such a long day.”

“Very well then, good night my lady.” Dahlia slid the brass bed warmer out from under the mattress so that Mary could get in. Once tucked in, Dahlia circled the room blowing out candles and getting to the last one, she took it with her and headed for the door.

Mary winked out for a second but then shook herself awake. She thought about getting a flint from her desk but reconsidered it when she heard footfalls outside. The soft tapping at her door announced who stood on the other side with a giggle.

“Come in,” Mary whispered and Lucy and Victoria entered candles in hand. They placed them on her dresser and got on top of her covers.

“So Mary, is he not everything I told you he would be?” Lucy said. Lucy and Victoria had seen Samuel twice at social engagements in London. When they first told Mary about her betrothed, they described him as having a dead eye and a limp. Mary saying she could overcome those things, Victoria continued, “I'm sure his fresh manure breath is something you can fix with mint or anise.”

“That wasn’t his breath; the smell was his natural body odor.” Lucy corrected.

Mary put her fingers over her eyes and breathed in deep trying to maintain composure.

“Mary we jest…”

Her two closest friends then described the tall handsome man. How he smelled of musk mixed with ambergris and possessed both wit and culture. A magnificent choice, her parents could have only done better if they had arranged for her to wed a prince.

“Of course I’d never thought I’d consider something as brutish and vulgar as an American, but he is worth crossing a sea for.”

 “Goodness Lucy,” replied Mary. “How could you be so…so…” Mary felt the heat of blood rushing to her face as she struggled to speak her thoughts. “The man is not only a scandal, but I can only hope that his barbs don’t ruin Samuel’s memory of the night. I want to send him on his way and never think of the man again.”

Victoria giggled, “You know, on the way here we passed Samuel’s room and we eavesdropped on him speaking with Samuel. He was apologizing to him for the sharpness of his wit and offered him an apple.” Her face was a controlled smile.

“An apple in winter, that makes no sense. Where would he get such a thing?” Mary realized too late.

“I don’t know where he got the apple from, but he said Samuel will need to keep it in his mouth when roasting.”

Lucy and Victoria laughed as Mary gasped. “That is terrible, he has ruined my night with his vulgar wit. I pray this storm passes quickly so we will never see either of them again.”

“Such venom for a poor and weary traveler, who is so handsome. Are you sure you’re not so angry at Samuel who was in temporary dereliction of his wits? That you are not angry at yourself and your secret desires for the poor son of a shipping magnate?” Lucy giggled.

“If you should imply that I think anything but venom for that disgusting man I will see it as only an insult. You go almost too far.”

“I am sorry, I jest.”

Mary sighed. “I feel I’ve heard that term to many times at my expense tonight.”

“Forgive me, I meant no offense. My sister and I, did we not give you a true and accurate description of the man you shall experience husbandry with?”

“At times you can be too lascivious for your own good.”

Lucy smiled, “So you like him not? With his dead eye, foul breath and limp?”

Victoria gave Mary a look of concern. “But he is handsome, and you do like him, he is good looking, cultured and well-mannered, are you not pleased?”

“He couldn’t be a better man if he were born of my wildest dreams.”

Lucy leaned in and giggled again. “So tonight you will dream of him?”

She hoped, but there were conflicting thoughts and the night had been mildly upsetting.

Once they left, Mary tried to calm herself and let the warmth of the bed take her.

Chapter 5

The eventful evening had left Mary exhausted. But her thoughts kept intruding upon her, keeping her from needed rest. It was a struggle, but eventually she drifted, mind relaxing more and more aimlessly about exiting things, her future, her family, until she finally let go. But not before thoughts invaded her mind of
him
. But which him? They were both there when sleep overtook her.

***

The boat was huge.

Sunlight blasted everything; cooling winds chilled Mary’s face in contrast. She could not move as dozens of shirtless, filthy men crossed the ship’s deck. Their body odor mixed with rum hit Mary’s nose, and she stopped herself from retching. Her eyes watered, and she breathed through her mouth, their body oder so bad she could taste it. These men had to be pirates. Mary looked down; ropes bound against her arms, stomach, and chest against the ship's mast. Between her corset and the ropes wrapped around her plumping breasts and hips, she struggled to breathe.

A dirty man stepped forward. Samuel? But it couldn’t be her Samuel. This one reeked and made her stomach queasy.

She struggled against the ropes while the pirate Samuel stepped to the rail, eyes on a ship fast approaching. He drew his sword, yelling for his shipmates to be ready for a fight, and maybe a boarding.

Mary worked her hands but nothing she did loosened her bonds. She felt terrified and didn’t know how she got there. She tried to remain calm as the filthy crew rallied and prepared defenses, their captain bracing for the fight.

Both ships opened fire, the exchange of volley reverberating the mast and shaking Mary violently. Shouts and cannon fire were deafening. She fought to block it out as she heard a man’s voice yell out, “Let hooks fly and prepare to board ship!”