An Earl's Guide to Catch a Lady (13 page)

A foul curse escaped his lips.

She knew he hadn’t sent those flowers. He suspected the hounds would come sniffing, but he never expected this, not after he concluded no man would be fool enough to dare pursue his woman.

This fool had been smart enough to stay anonymous, so perhaps he needed closer consideration. The fool also possessed an opulence of wealth. What man wasted a fortune on flowers? It was unheard of. But this fool knew Evelyn very well, and gifted her with a garden.

She loved gardens, another bit of knowledge he got from her maid, and apparently knowledge only a few possessed, namely close friends and family. St. Aldwyn would be one of them. It was all Matthew could do not to march over to the bastard and take his limbs apart.

“Wilson!” he bellowed.

Wilson appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “You called, sir?”

Without looking his way Matthew ordered, “Cancel my plans for the rest of the week.”

“But my lord, you have—” his butler trailed off as he gave him a murderous glare. “Very well sir,” he squeaked and disappeared.

Damnation. Now he scared his servants. A shaky hand raked through his hair. He needed to calm these raging emotions. They were starting to overwhelm him. Never in his life had he felt this way about a woman and he would be damned if he let another man take her from him! She was aware of his intentions. He could not have made them any clearer. His return to society, his relentless pursuit and his declaration to her brother, yet still she acted as though he played some game. This was not a game. She had gifted him with her innocence and captured something inside of him he could not put a name to. And yes, they have known each other only a short while, but it felt as though their souls have spent lifetimes together. 

Matthew sank down into the chair behind the desk with a sigh. What had Evelyn done to him? Waxing drivel of souls and lifetimes? He was beginning to think he’d lost his mind. How else to explain his fascination with her? Her laughter carried whimsical magic that never failed to envelope him and keep him spellbound while her eyes, those beautiful mischiefs eyes, set his loins on fire. He loved the way she tasted, the way she responded to him even when she didn’t give him an inch.

It dawned on him, in light of this new found madness, that to win her he would need to withdraw. Evelyn needed time to come to terms with her fate. She fought the future that had been decided the moment she gave up her innocence. But she would never stop resisting if he kept pushing her to accept him. Stubborn chit.

Ha! She would probably invent some ridiculous notion to explain his withdrawal in hopes he’d given up. He would never give up. She would come to see that soon enough. He thought back to the morning he’d found her in St. Aldwyn’s arms. The thought of her in another man’s arms was unbearable, the sight of it devastating. He hadn’t understood how she invoked such powerful emotions within him, until now. Madness. It had overtaken him the moment she stumbled, pickled into his room.

His meeting with Westfield had opened a flood gate of other emotions as well. Regret of friendships lost, loneliness of being isolated for so long and guilt over past behaviors. He wanted to ex-plain, but what? What words healed gaping wounds of the past. Certainly not words he possessed. He’d burned those bridges a long time ago. Evelyn was light, and he would not let anyone take away his light. 

He stood in the corner of the ballroom, shadowed by a huge sculpture, a mysterious figure that watched as Lady Evelyn laughed at something Lady Josephine said. He wished he’d seen her face when she’d found the garden he’d sent her. She so loved spending early mornings in the garden.

A slow smile spread across his face as he thought of the Earl’s reaction. The man had thundered out of the house like he’d been possessed by the devil himself.

Lady Evelyn and Lady Josephine slowly made their way closer to where he stood, shadowed, oblivious to his observations.

“I say Evelyn, have you heard of Grey’s sudden departure, presumably to attend to an urgent matter at his estate?”

He saw Lady Evelyn go still. How interesting, the Earl of Grey had left London.

“He said nothing to me, no. Not that I mind, of course. He can do as he pleases.”

Was that disappointment he saw in her eyes?

Lady Josephine shrugged, “You have been avoiding him.”

“Who has been avoiding who?” Lady Belle joined the conversation.

“We are talking about Grey and his sudden departure.”

“Oh how boring!” Lady Belle said. “I already know, the entire world knows!”

Lady Josephine frowned. “It just seems odd he would leave now that you have a secret admirer, Evelyn.”

The mysterious man in the shadow’s straightened.

“You should have seen it Jo, it was like something from a magical world. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Why would he leave the note unsigned, it must have cost a fortune,” Lady Belle remarked.

The lady was correct, it had cost a fortune.

“There are only a handful of men that rich who could afford to waste a fortune on flowers.”

Lady Josephine was smart, but his fortune wasn’t well known.

They all nodded at her remark. The mysterious figure chuckled under his breath. They would never solve this puzzle.

“We can make a list and check off each gentleman one by one,” Lady Belle suggested.

Lady Evelyn shook her head. “I don’t care to know his identity yet, let’s first see if he sends anything else.”

They all agreed before they started to move away from the sculpture.

“Oh I almost forgot! I have just heard the most disturbing rumor,” Lady Belle said.

“What?” Lady Josephine and Lady Evelyn said in simultaneously.

“Lord Spencer has taken up with the widow whats-her-name, and it is rumored that she is quite scandalous…”

Their voices trailed off and he could no longer hear what they were saying. The figure emerged from behind the sculpture. So Grey had taken off to the country had he? He would give the man credit; it had been a calculated move on his part, one that may or may not pay off. He’d seen the disappointment in Lady Evelyn’s eyes when she’d heard of his departure, but no devastation. No matter, he still had some tricks up his sleeve.

Chapter 11

Seated on a bench in the garden Evelyn read a chapter of
Lady Sugar Finds Love
. Or at least she tried to. Her thoughts kept drifting to Matthew. A week had passed since Evelyn had last seen or heard from him. A week of tortured dreams with shockingly passionate embraces. Today, she had awakened early after yet another restless night plagued with dreams of Matthew.

But this dream had been different. She had awakened alone in his bed, cold and confused. Then laughter reached her ears. Evelyn had followed the laughter to the garden where she saw Matthew in a passionate embrace with a faceless Charlotte.

The dream however was nothing compared to what her imagination conjured up at his continued absence. Every morning after breakfast she would wander through the garden with no particular direction. Even Simon was beginning to give her curious glances. The previous evening they left the assembly early because she claimed a headache. It was as though with him, he had taken her purpose, which was ridiculous really. The fact that she felt she now had no one to spar with, no one to avoid, and no one to obsess over was utter rubbish. 

So Evelyn decided that she needed to focus on something other than his continued absence. Last week she thought to create a distraction, then Matthew left, and it had been unnecessary. Now it seemed more necessary than ever. Perhaps she would work on identifying her mystery admirer. At least he had not abandoned her.

Every day she received gifts. Nothing as extravagant as the flowers and tree, but nothing proper either. In fact, every gift had been rather improper. Perhaps the clue to his identity lay in the gifts and its meaning for her.

Absently Evelyn turned a page of the chapter. Two books had been left on the front porch, carefully bound. One was the type of book that turned Evelyn’s face red whenever she thought of it, the other a book detailed Colin Bradshaw’s exploration around the world, quite brilliant actually. The Ming vase presented some confusion however. Why would her mystery man send her such a priceless gift? The other gifts included a pocket watch, compass and a case of brandy. They all implied intimate knowledge of her dreams to travel the world. 

Just then, the clatter of hooves alerted Evelyn to a visitor. A large carriage stopped not so far away from where she sat. In a hypnotic state she watched as Matthew, looking as handsome as ever gracefully jumped down and looked up at the house. She drank in the sight of him as he hurried up the stairs before she rushed toward the back entrance of the house.

Ten minutes later Evelyn entered the morning room where Matthew awaited her. He stood with his back to her as he gazed out the window. He turned as he heard her enter, the light in his eyes causing her heart pound. He looked like some dark, seductive predator waiting to pounce on his prey. She stopped a few feet away from him, not bothering to take a seat.

“My lord,” she greeted, continuing to watch him carefully.

Crossing the distance between them, he stopped inches away from her, his nearness making her whole body turn warm and velvety. She couldn’t seem to find a single word to say. He seemed to want to say something too but thought better of it. Instead, he reached for her hands, leaving a small kiss on the inside of each wrist. All Evelyn’s senses leaped to life at his touch. The sensation of his warm lips upon her skin made her tremble with longing to be in his arms again, to be swept away by the desire his touch provoked.

He gazed into her eyes.

“I have missed you, Evelyn.” 

She shivered at the husky timbre of his voice, continuing to stare at him like a dimwitted idiot, but couldn’t seem to help herself. She wasn’t sure she could breathe, let alone speak.

“Did you miss me even a little?” he asked, lowering his head to her hands once more to leave small kisses on her wrist. 

Yes, she had missed him but wasn’t about to admit it. She was more than content to stand here and stare at him all day. Unfortunately, that would only encourage him.

“I wasn’t aware that you’d left town, my lord.” 

“Liar.”

Something about the way he whispered the accusation caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Did you leave with the hope that I would pine after you, my Lord Grey?” she asked, lifting a delicate brow in question.

He stared at her for a moment before cupping her chin in his hand. The intimacy of the gesture made her head spin with desire.

“So you did notice,” he murmured with a slight smile.

She shifted away from him. “You did not answer my question,” she murmured, determined not to be seduced by the soft timbre of his voice.

“Do you truly believe I am capable of such deviousness?”

She searched his eyes for a hint of truth. Had all this been planned? Had he intentionally left without a word? Of course he did. He couldn’t possible believe her to be so dimwitted.

“You left without a word after begging me to give you a chance.”

“Begging?”

She nodded. “Begging.”

He gave a short laugh. “Then you do believe me capable of such deceit,” he said, a glint entering his eyes.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

The next moment he took her by the shoulders and pulled her against his chest, his lips pressed against hers hard in a passionate kiss. Her lips parted, not in surprise, but pleasure and he took advantage of that, pulling her even closer to him. She did not attempt to turn her head away or push out from his embrace. Instead, she leaned into him, taking pleasure in what he offered.

Something deep and primal, that’d been lurking within him from the moment she walked into the room, now urged Matthew to press forward, demanding she surrender, and he would have nothing but her full surrender. She knew it, fought it even, but eventually she would come to understand that her fate had always been sealed.

It took a moment for him to realize she was not fighting him. He groaned against her lips in delight. Her arms moved around his neck and she responded with growing passion she usually hid very well. His tongue touched hers and his hand followed the curve of her spine, keeping her close to him.

She leaned into him even more and he in return pressed himself against her, wanting her to feel his desire for her. She caught her breath, making a small sound of surprise while he trailed kisses down the line of her neck. He knew how to make her knees weak, knew every weakness she had for him. Knew she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. Their bodies fit so well together.

She didn't protest when his hands roamed the length of her body, instead she moaned and held on to his neck for support.

He cupped her buttocks and lifted her to position himself closer to her. She was hot, ready. His fingers tugged at the skirt of her dress, wanting to remove barriers between them—

A knock on the door was the only warning that their privacy was about to be interrupted. They broke apart at once and managed to place a small sofa between them just as a footman brought in tea.

Evelyn released a ragged breath, glancing down at her hands. They were a shaking. What would the servants think of her if it were to become known she behaved like a trollop where the Earl was concerned?

That kiss...

Her lack of control with him, the way she abandoned her resolve, both frustrated and irritated her. Normally she wasn’t so out of control. She’d never been one to indulge in scandalous behavior, she only observed it. Yet a moment in his company seemingly robbed her of all common sense. Well, there would simply be no more kissing. She would not make the same mistake again.

You’ve already made that mistake again
... and again, her inner voice reminded her. Fine. She will not make the same mistake anymore. 

Matthew was at her side again the second the footman disappeared, clearly intending to finish what he’d started, and she forced her feet to move away, to put distance between them. She noted the footman had left the door slightly ajar. Good man.

Matthew regarded her for a brief second before nodding, a ragged breath escaping his lips.

“This isn’t the time or the place.”

“Actually,” Evelyn started to say slowly, so that there was no mistaking her words, “there will never be a proper time or place, my lord. This has to stop.” Even though it was... Delightful. Heavenly. Magical.

“Why?” he asked in a clipped tone, his eyes suddenly hard.

Because I’m only a pawn in your diabolical plan for revenge against the man who betrayed you and can be no future for us.

“Surely you do not need to ask.”

“Yes, I do,” he countered quietly. “You cannot deny this attraction between us, Evelyn. I won’t allow you to. The real question here is what are you going to do about it?”

“There is nothing to do,” she pressed quietly in return.

“I believe we are well past nothing, sweetheart.”

Evelyn stiffened. “Don’t call me that. I gave you a chance to persuade me to change my mind, not to seduce me.” She needed no persuading for that.

Matthew smiled at her indignation. “Seducing you has nothing to do with my persuading you to marry me.”

“No? Then why are you trying to seduce me?”

“I need to feel of your body against mine.”

The simple truth of his statement caused a pinching sensation in her heart. It would be so easy to fall into his web of seduction. If he continued to make statements like that and look at her with such longing in his gaze, he was going to reduce her to a puddle of mush.

Matthew gave her a knowing smile.

Oh yes she thought numbly, trouble was heading her way.

The next morning it came as no surprise that Evelyn awoke from a peaceful slumber. The big surprise came in the form of her maid, Megan, rushing into her room announcing excitedly that there had been a delivery of delicious treats, ranging from chocolate to marzipan to licorice to countless others.

Evelyn had trouble understanding what Megan was going on about when it dawned that this delivery of treats came from mystery man. By the looks of her maid it was extravagant. The coincidence of the delivery and Matthews’s arrival did not escape her notice.

“Come on Megan, help me dress,” Evelyn said hastily and Megan bounced up and down in excitement. While her maid helped her dress in a simple morning dress of sky blue, Evelyn considered her mystery man. The flowers and the tree seemed to suggest he knew her favorite place she spent most of her mornings. It wasn’t public knowledge, but it wasn’t a crown secret either.

The rest of the gifts suggested awareness of her dreams to travel the world, except the case of brandy. That gift alone spoke volumes. Evelyn would sometimes creep into her brother’s study and indulge in a glass of brandy. She told no one about it, finding an odd sense of satisfaction to keep that little secret to herself. Regardless of the gifts, it was becoming quite apparent that her mystery man went through a lot of trouble finding unique gifts that only she would understand the meaning of. It was alarmingly intimate.

Rushing down the stairs with Megan short on her heels, her eyes widened at the sight that yet again greeted her in the front parlor. Hundreds of boxes of sweets in all shapes and sizes crowded the front all, almost as colorful as the garden, only this time a garden of delicious treats. She could smell the sweetness radiating from their front parlor. What she did not however expect was Matthew, standing amidst the colorful sweets, his expression thunderous. His gaze darkened when he caught sight of her. Clearly this would not be a pleasant visit.

Walter suddenly appeared before her, blocking out Matthew’s wintry glare.

“Good morning, my lady,” he said as he handed her the card.

“Good morning Walter,” she murmured, sparing a brief glance in Matthew’s direction. His eyes were now narrowed on the note in her hands. She ignored his frosty glare and quickly read the card, mentally willing herself not to react.

I hang onto each word you speak. I look forward to this evening...

To Evelyn’s relief her composure never once slipped under his penetrating gaze and she congratulated herself for keeping her calm under those heated eyes. Under no circumstance may he see this note.

“What does it say?” Matthew asked in a clipped voice.

She spared him the slightest of glances and frowned at the sight of his clenched jaw and his fisted hands. He reminded her of a bull about to take charge.

“Not that it is any of your business,” Evelyn started annoyed, “but if you must know it’s some lame attempt at poetry,” she lied.

“Then you won’t mind my reading it.”

Well, of course she minded.

“There is no reason for you to read my note,” she trailed off when she saw the subtle change of his posture. Every instinct in her body screamed she should just hand him the note even if it proved her to be a liar. She shrieked when he gave a step forward and did the only thing she could think of, she turned and ran up the stairs. She barely cleared three steps before he yanked her back against his broad chest, his breathing heavy in her ear. Without a word he snatched the note out of her hand and read the content. And tensed.