The Lady and the Earl (Seabrook Family Saga) (8 page)

“I was…,” they began simultaneously, making them both stop and laugh.

***

“You first, Lady Amelia,” William said relieved to listen as he knew he
needed a second to control his lust and his thoughts. Amelia would be shocked
if she knew what he’d been thinking about doing to her. His dreams last evening
had been tormented with visions of Amelia, naked and pliant in his arms. Those
visions resumed when he saw her moments ago, sitting and laughing with her
sister and sister-in-law.

“I was going to say, did you enjoy yourself last evening?” Amelia said
with a smile on her luscious lips.

“Why, yes, surprisingly, I did. I believe if memory serves me, only two
older gentlemen gave me the cut. Not bad, considering…”

“How rude of them.” Amelia turned to look straight ahead. Immediately
he missed the warmth from her eyes and the glow from her cheeks.

“It did bother me at first, but no longer.” The cuts, strange looks,
and whispers had disturbed him early on in the evening, but after he waltzed
with Amelia, nothing else mattered but her. Having a reason to remain had made
the difference. What angered him was hearing gossip about her. But such was
Society in London. “I’m hoping you will give me permission to call on you this
afternoon.”

William fought not to show his disappointment when she hesitated before
answering.

“Yes, I’d enjoy that very much,” she finally said.

This new awkwardness between them, which hadn’t been present in the
country, troubled him. Had her brother, the duke, spoken to her about him? And
if so, what had he said? And as much as William told himself and others there
would never be anything but friendship between him and Amelia, his heart and
body longed for more. For a different truth.

William had been in love once with someone not his by law or church. If
he fell in love again, he vowed the woman would be his alone. And something
deep inside his chest warned him he was falling fast and hard for Amelia.

“If you think Wentworth will object, I’ll not come. I do not want to
put you in a precarious situation with your family.”

Amelia’s hand squeezing his arm reassured him. “Please come. However, I
have to warn you, the drawing room will be filled with callers. The flower
arrangements that came this morning numbered well into the twenties.”

“More than twenty…?” How utterly foolish of him not to have sent
flowers to Amelia. William needed to remember the art of courting. Were there
that many suitors hoping to pay homage to her? Of course there were. Young,
beautiful, and wealthy, every young buck, and even old bucks for that matter,
would be vying for her favors.

“Do not panic. They’re not all for me.” Amelia laughed, and his tense
muscles relaxed. “Bella received a fair amount. Truthfully, she received more
than me. There are several poor besotted gentlemen hoping for her favors. Myles
had better watch out.”

William could not help himself. He burst out laughing. “My cousin is
one of them. Spencer talked about no other at breakfast. It was Lady Isabella
this and Lady Isabella that.”

“Good luck to him. He shall need it. My sister has been in love with Myles
for her entire life. I just don’t know what’s stopping Myles from proposing. He
breaks her heart on a daily basis.”

“Oh, we’re back to the bench.” William relinquished his hold on Amelia
and bowed. “Your Grace. Ladies. Thank you for the delightful stroll. Cousin,
shall we continue on to our club?”

Spencer stood beside him but did not respond. William nudged his side.

“Oh, yes.” Spencer bowed. “Duchess, ladies, fare thee well.”

When they were out of earshot William began, “You would be wise to get
any ideas about you and Lady Isabella out of your mind. I have it on good
authority that she’s in love with Norwich.”

“Indeed. She told me.”

William cocked a brow. “She told you?”

“Do not sound so shocked. Yes, she told me.” Spencer paused and grinned
at him. “But I never back down from a challenge, and I won’t start now.”

“You’ll be wasting your time.”

Spencer shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it’s my time to waste now, isn’t
it?”

CHAPTER NINE

Amelia was shocked when they arrived back home from their walk in the park.
Had her feet even moved? It felt as though she floated through the air as she
thought about William the whole entire time. As she envisioned his handsome
face, kind eyes, and soothing voice. Her head tingled with his awareness still.

“Emma, Bella, please excuse me, I’m going to my room,” Amelia said as
she hurried inside the house, up the stairs and into her private bedchamber. Once
there, behind closed doors, she could daydream about William to her heart’s
content.

***

When William and Spencer were announced by the Wentworth’s doorman
later that afternoon, William wrinkled his nose at the overpowering stench of
scented toilette water worn by some of the occupants of the room. Damn, he
never used the stuff. If one bathed daily, one would have no need to hide the
smell of an unwashed body. Really, did these men believe that disguise worked?
If he had to guess the culprits, he would have to point out several of the men
in attendance. Amelia’s family, if his nose was not mistaken, appeared well
bathed.

As he surveyed the room he found the most obvious candidates. Lord
Eastham, the old goat, a
nd an
even more ancient gentleman who sat beside him. Oh, surely
Lord Rockport
died a few years back, did he not? They
could not seriously hope to court Amelia or Isabella. William’s hands clenched
into fists. He would have to speak with Wentworth. Luckily, the duke did not
appear to be the sort who would force his sisters into a marriage they did not
want. Good. He flexed his hands, loosening some of his tension.

“Lord Bridgeton, Mr. Spencer,” the dowager duchess said in greeting.
“How nice of you to pay us a visit this afternoon.” She motioned to two vacant
chairs, one on either side of the settee that Amelia and Isabella sat on with
their mother. “Please sit and have some tea and biscuits.”

***

Amelia’s heart paused right in the middle of a beat when she glimpsed
William saunter into the drawing room. He still wore his riding clothes. He
looked handsome––stunning, in fact––next to some of the dandies who had come to
call. She could not believe the nerve of the two elderly lords who came. Why,
Lords Eastham and Rockport were older than her mother. Really, what could they
be thinking? Not to mention her eyes burned from the perfume they wore to
disguise their body odor. It did not work.

Amelia pitied the girls who ended up married to them. Surely they would
cast up their accounts kissing and submitting their bodies to them. Men their
age should not be looking to procreate with young ladies even if they needed an
heir. Could men that age even…?

“Lady Amelia?” Her name, spoken by William, brought her out of her
indecent thoughts.

“Pardon me, Lord Bridgeton, where you speaking to me?”

When William’s full lips turned up into a wide smile, causing little
crinkle lines at the sides of his heavenly blue eyes, all air vacated her
lungs. Had he always been that handsome? Yes. She’d found him so, ever since
their first chance encounter at the stream, the day he had first stolen her
breath away. And now that he let his guard down, relaxed more and smiled, he
was even more breathtakingly handsome. And today, at ease and happy, William
looked ten years younger than when they first met.

His eyes less haunted.

His body more visibly relaxed.

Had she done all that? One could dream, couldn’t one?

When William leaned close to her and lowered his voice for her ears
alone, Amelia’s body tingled. “I cannot fathom why those two old lords came
here today. Do they think Wentworth would allow them to court you or Isabella?”

“I’d been thinking about the poor girl either of them marries and how
awful to have to submit to their …” She cleared her throat and frowned.
“Kisses.”

“Blushing becomes you.”

“Oh.” Amelia knew color infused her cheeks, probably all the way to the
tips of her ears.

“Do not be embarrassed. I’d been thinking the same when I first walked
in.” William reached out and placed his hand on hers, then gave it a little
squeeze. The spark sizzled up her arm and curled around her heart. From the
seat beside her, Amelia’s mother cleared her throat.

In response, William pulled his hand away, taking all the warmth from
the room along with it. Oh, how she wanted that contact, that heat, that
thrill.

“Lord Bridgeton, are you enjoying your stay in London?” Amelia mother’s
asked.

“Yes, Your Grace, I am.” William looked directly at her mother. “I must
say, I cannot get over how much has changed in the twelve years since I last
came to town. There are so many new buildings, businesses, and residences. I
hardly know my way around anymore.”

“Yes, I expect you notice the changes much more than those of us who
have seen it happen gradually,” the dowager said.

“Lord Norwich,” the doorman announced.

Amelia noticed Mr. Spencer throwing his shoulders back and sitting up
straighter in his seat. Did he really believe he had a chance with Bella? Poor
Mr. Spencer, had he not listened at all when she told him Bella loved
Myles? 

Then she noticed the old lords nodding off in their chairs. Really, why
didn’t Wentworth or Sebastian come in and escort them out?

“Timothy Crawford, the Duke of Yarmouth,” the doorman announced.

Would suitors ever stop coming? Amelia tried not to fidget. She hated
the feeling of being on the auction block. So here was the young duke her
brothers mentioned. At closer inspection she did remember him being present
during her first Season, although she did not recall seeing him last night at
the ball. Not terribly handsome, but not unattractive. Why, he could not be
older than five-and-twenty. Amelia wondered why he sought a bride so soon in his
young life.

Folding her hands primly on her lap, Amelia watched and listened to the
conversations flowing around her. She found it hard to make out the words, as
there were several people speaking at once. She focused her attentions across
the room at the old lords. Several times their bodies twitched, and once she
thought Eastham might twitch himself right out of his chair onto the rug.
Thankfully, he did not. He probably would have broken a hip and missed his
opportunity to snag himself a young bride. Mayhap that would not have been so
bad.

When did I become so callous? she wondered.

When, finally her brothers entered the room, they stood off in the
corner surveying the callers. The look that crossed Wentworth’s face when he
noticed the two old lords was comical. He also scowled at William––no surprise
there. He had told Amelia his feelings regarding Bridgeton. Wentworth’s brows
rose when he observed the Duke of Yarmouth, and his eyes sparkled with
amusement at Myles trying to keep Bella’s attentions on him and off Mr.
Spencer. As he caught Amelia’s eyes watching him, his brows narrowed.

Hello,
Amelia mouthed.

Hello, sister,
Wentworth mouthed back. He found his wife and
stood before her, holding out his hand. “My dear, might I possibly steal you
away?”

Emma jumped up so fast she almost knocked Wentworth over. “Why, yes,
Your Grace, you may.”

Finally the old lords begged their leave. Hopefully they got the hint
that neither she nor Bella had any interest in them. With luck, they would not
grace her family’s drawing room with their smelly presence again this Season,
or ever, for that matter. Once again she pitied whoever they married.

The Duke of Yarmouth brazenly moved a chair closer to the settee and
smiled at her. “Lady Amelia…” He paused. “I’m delighted to see you again.” His
over-bright green eyes darted from her to William and then back to her. “I was
hoping…that maybe tomorrow…if the weather permits…you would care to take a
carriage ride through Hyde Park?”

“Why, Your Grace, I would be delighted.”

He jumped up so quickly from his chair, causing it to fall back against
the rug with a soft thud. “Oh, forgive me.” Yarmouth righted the chair and
bowed before her, looking quite pained. “Until tomorrow, Lady Amelia.”

“How kind of you to accept his offer,” William said close to her ear,
causing gooseflesh to break out on her skin.

“I felt sorry for him.” For some reason Amelia thought William might be
upset with her, but he wasn’t. His expression was wistful. She felt a level of
disappointment.

“I envy him, being young, wealthy, and having his whole life ahead of
him. I wish him well, although I do not want to wish him too well. It would
pain me to see him and you—”

Reaching out, Amelia patted his arm briefly. “I’m going out for a ride
with him, not marrying him.”

“Hmm, I think the young duke might have other plans for you. Plans
which involve a church, marriage vows, and the titles of duke and duchess,”
William said thoughtfully.

Amelia’s stomach twisted painfully. “Oh, that’s impossible. I don’t
ever plan to marry.”

“Why?” William asked, now clearly puzzled.

His inquisitive stare had her shifting around on the settee. Amelia
could never tell him why. Oh, how terrible to have to keep secrets. “I loved
once. I could never marry someone I did not love.” Sighing, she looked down at
her lap, her hands twisting around each other, causing her fingers to cramp.

“You never plan to marry?” William asked quite casually. His eyes,
however, told a different story.

Amelia lowered her eyes and whispered, “No.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” William said quietly. “I believe any
gentleman here today, would be thrilled to marry you. I also think you would be
a loyal wife and a loving mother.” William stood and bowed causing her heart to
sink with his next words. “I bid you good day Lady Amelia.” Then he added, “Spencer,
I believe it’s time we said our good-byes.”

Eyes similar to William’s glared daggers at him. It was obvious to Amelia,
Spencer wished to stay longer.

As Amelia rested in her room a while later, William’s facial expressions
from their afternoon visit haunted her. One moment he had smiled and seemed to
enjoy her company. The next he had appeared angry with her and left abruptly.
She gave up trying to rest and paced the room instead wondering what she had
done to upset William. After she paced long and hard, causing her to gasp for
air, she tried once again to rest. This time she did fall asleep with visions
of Daniel and William. Daniel, falling off his horse after being shot dead, had
her crying out in her sleep. William, old, sick and alone living at his country
estate, had her body thrashing from side to side.

***

“Now why did you insist we leave?” Spencer grumbled as they entered
their carriage. “I had Norwich seeing red.”

When Amelia had said she never planned to marry, something inside
William’s chest squeezed his heart. He could not breathe and had needed air.
Now that he had fresh air, he realized how rudely he had left and would send a
note of apology to her. He would not, however, tell his cousin the true reason
for leaving.

“What are you up to?” William asked. Spencer’s innocent look,
projecting across the seat, was comical. “What game are you playing? Because
surely you’re up to something. I won’t stand by and watch Lady Isabella get
hurt.”

No comical expression this time, but rather back to daggers. “I would
never hurt her.” Spencer cleared his throat and leaned back against the
cushioned seat. “If you must know, she and I have an understanding.”

William’s right eye began to twitch, so he closed it, hoping to make it
stop. His eye had never done that before. Was he developing some hideous
nervous habit?
Just great, just great.
Eye twitching would not help his
cause with Amelia.

“An understanding?”

Spencer tugged on his neck cloth. “Yes, an understanding. Is that so
hard to believe?”

“When it has to do with you, yes.”

“Stop.” Spencer held up his hand. “We have not seen each other in a
long time. Do not assume you know me.”

“Terribly sorry. Now tell me about this thing between you and Lady
Isabella.”

Once again Spencer tugged on his cravat, letting William know this
meant a great deal to him no matter what he said. “I offered my services to
help her make Norwich jealous.” He crossed his arms on his chest and huffed.
“There, that’s all there is to it.”

William might not have seen Spencer in many years, but he sensed his
cousin had not changed. That he remained the same honorable man. True, he liked
to pretend to be a rakehell now and again, but deep inside he was nothing but
honorable. “What do
you
get out of it? This arrangement, I mean.”

Spencer inhaled deeply before exhaling, then said, “Nothing. Except I
hope during our time together, she’ll fall helplessly in love with me.”

“That’s what I thought. You do realize you’re setting yourself up for
disappointment? She loves Norwich.”

***

Spencer groaned, then looked William straight in the eye; his anguish
and frustration were clearly visible.

“Don’t you think I can see that every time she talks about him or,
better yet, sees him? I’m trying not to harbor any delusions that she’ll turn
that love toward me. But know this––I’m not stupid.” Spencer’s body shook with
emotion from the inside out, not missing any muscle or tendon. He would not be
surprised if William felt the vibration. It seemed to Spencer he shook the whole
carriage.

When had he fallen so deeply in love with Bella? And why had he allowed
himself that torture, knowing that his love would never be returned? He was a
thirty-six-year-old, in love with a duke’s sister, who fancied herself in love
with another. Could life be any more pathetic?

He looked at William across the seat from him. Yes, it could be more
pathetic; he could be his cousin. Poor William, first in love with his
brother’s wife, then keeper of his brother’s secrets, and now setting himself up
for heartache once again. Did a more miserable gentleman exist anywhere in this
vast world? And to top off William’s humiliation, he was being unfairly snubbed
by the
ton.