Enticing the Earl (8 page)

If he had only known Mr. Featherstone had been a steward, Simon might not be in the predicament he currently stood. “Why didn’t your husband tell me he had been a steward?”

“You had Mr. Norris until he passed three years ago. At that point, Mr. Featherstone’s health was starting to decline and he didn’t think he could manage. Mia wanted to apply for the position but knew you would never hire a woman.”

Staring down at the perfectly calculated books, he might just consider hiring her. She could do a better job than he could. “Is that why you don’t trust her to take care of Middleton’s tenants on her own?”

She cocked a brow at him and laughed. “No, that has nothing to do with it. Good day, my lord.”

What an odd woman. She should have at least explained her comment before leaving. If it wasn’t a matter of trust, was it a matter of skill? He found that hard to believe since he’d seen Mia’s healing skills. She was a wonderful healer with a gentle touch.

He stared down at his books again and realized an opportunity for Mia to stay here even if she was with child. He leaned his head back and sighed. The idea of her with child, and not his child, was eating at him. He didn’t want it to be true but at some point, he might have to face the reality that she would never marry him. Feeling his anger stirring at the futile position he faced, he took refuge with his boxing gloves and bag.

M
ia awoke the next morning feeling better than she had in days. With one major exception. She counted the days on her fingers and wanted to cry. Eight days late. It wasn’t possible that she now carried his child but every day that passed with no sign of her monthlies only increased the chance that she was with child.

Being with child meant she would have to leave her sanctuary here. Her mother would take her in but would she be safe if Davies was still out there? Her mother’s cottage was near the edge of Hart’s lands. Davies might just try to hurt her again if he had the chance.

She couldn’t think about these things. After dining alone last night, she had made a decision. She would return to the spot where she found the gold and dig again. Only this time, if she found more items, she would give them to Simon to assist with his finances. The question still left was how to do it. The servants were always about, so trying to leave without their notice would be impossible. If she left, they would immediately tell Simon and he would follow her.

If he discovered what she’d found, he might realize that she had taken some of the gold before and had given it to the tenants. He would be furious with her for stealing what belonged to him even if she’d thought the tenants needed the money more than he did. She now knew that wasn’t true. The Earl of Hartsfield needed the funds far more than the tenants who lived off his lands and some off his charity.

Slowly, she stood up and walked to the mirror over the bureau. The bruises were fading quickly now and several had disappeared. She stretched her arms carefully over her head and noticed that her ribs didn’t ache. With slow movements, she brought her arms downward toward her toes until she reached her feet.

“Finally!” she exclaimed.

At least now, she could tie her boots so no servants would have to help her. She rang for a maid to assist her with her dress and thought more about how to get out of the house without anyone seeing her. If only she could talk to Selina about it. Her friend had sneaked around the duke’s house for nearly a month unnoticed by him. But there she had the duke’s servants to help her.

Mia had no one here. Everyone would believe it to be in the earl’s best interest to know what she was about. There had to be a way. Spying a lantern her mother had left, she had an idea. Once the house was quiet tonight, she would make her way to Mrs. Perkins’s cottage and start digging. The old woman was nearly blind and deaf so she would never know Mia was outside.

This would work.

Then she could repay her debt to Simon and help him with his money issues.

Once she was dressed, she walked to the morning room for breakfast. She had to admit, she was becoming increasingly spoiled by living here. At home, she would have been up two hours ago to start the fire and cook breakfast. Then it would have been a day of checking on the tenants until it was time to help her mother with dinner, assuming her mother wasn’t busy with a patient.

“Good morning, Miss Featherstone,” Simon said as she entered the sunlit breakfast room.

“Good morning, my lord.” While in the servants’ company, they always reverted to their formal manners. Mia did not want the servants to know about his proposal.

“Are you feeling well this morning?” he asked as she sat across from him at the table.

“Much better today, thank you.”

“Are you certain?”

Why was the man questioning her health so intently? “Yes, my bruises are fading and my ribs are starting to feel better too. I might even be able to touch my toes soon.”

“Excellent. No other complaints?”

Oh, something was definitely going on here. “No, why?”

He smiled at her. “I am only concerned about the welfare of my tenants.”

No, he was not. Could he be wondering if she’d had her monthlies yet but not be willing to ask outright? Well, if he did ask, she would have to tell him the truth. But until she knew for certain, she wouldn’t say a word to anyone.

“Will we be throwing today?” she asked, to get the conversation off her well-being.

“If you are up to it.”

“I am.” Robert placed a large plate of coddled eggs, ham, and toast in front of her. “Thank you, Robert.”

“Excellent. Now that my books are in order, we can start as soon as we finish breakfast.” Simon took a sip of his tea and then smiled at her.

She could have sworn the man was hiding something from her. But what? “Have you heard anything from Mr. Tanner yet?”

“I expect him back here on Friday. He sent a letter yesterday saying he had found something but would not go into details in case someone intercepted the letter.”

“I see.”

“Miss Featherstone, before we go outside for our throwing lesson, would you join me in my study?”

Mia eyed him suspiciously. “Of course, just let me finish.”

“Join me when you can.” He scraped back the chair and walked away without another word.

What had him acting so strangely this morning? Perhaps Mr. Tanner had sent some information in his letter and Simon didn’t want to discuss it in front of the servants. Oh, dear God, what if Tanner had found Davies and he had told the runner about the gold she’d found? That would explain his questions about her health. If Davies was caught, there was no need to marry her to protect her.

Her stomach roiled as the questions in her mind overwhelmed her. She pushed her plate away and reached for the comfort of her tea. As the footman removed the plate, she inhaled deeply to settle her nerves. After sipping the last of her tea, she pushed her chair back and squared her shoulders. It was time to hear what he had to say.

After making her way to the study, she stood at the threshold for a long moment and stared at the handsome man. He stared intently at some papers on his desk, oblivious to her presence. His square jaw tightened as he read something. She had such an urge to kiss the stress from his jaw away. To taste his lips, his cheeks, flick her tongue against his flat nipple.

“Mia, are you all right?”

She blinked quickly and then rushed into the room. “I apologize. I was...” What? She couldn’t tell him she was fantasizing about what it might feel like if they made love. “I was wondering if Selina would stop by. I haven’t seen her in several days.”

“Oh. You could send a note to her. One of the footmen could take it to her.”

“Thank you.” She took the seat across from him with a great deal of dread. When he rose to shut the door, the impending doom she felt only deepened. He knew something.

“I need to speak to you about something and don’t want the servants to overhear us,” he explained as he sat back down.

Oh, dear God, he knew. “What is it?” she squeaked.

“After seeing the amazing job you did with the estate books and speaking with your mother, I would like to offer you the position as estate steward.”

Mia released a relieved sigh. “What did my mother have to do with it?”

“She explained how your father had been a steward at an estate in Suffolk before they married and how he taught you everything you know. She is quite proud of your accomplishments with numbers.”

“You could have asked me instead of my mother.”

He acknowledged her remark with a brief nod. “It doesn’t matter how I discovered it; the fact is you are far better than I am with mathematics. I would pay you the same as I paid my last steward.”

“Well, hopefully, not as much as he paid himself,” she said with a smirk.

“I will determine if you receive a bonus. And I will ask you to review the books with me once a week. I will also have the right to examine the books any time I choose. Are you interested?”

Excitement coursed through her. She wanted to blurt out yes, but knew she shouldn’t. “Simon, I have made a few too many rash decisions lately that only placed me in a bad spot. I would like a day to think about the position.”

“Fair enough.”

“Was that all you wanted to speak to me about?” she asked hesitantly.

He shrugged. “Yes. I didn’t want the servants to overhear us in case we talked about my financial position. I don’t want to lose excellent servants on a rumor that I am nearly bankrupt.”

Relief relaxed her shoulders. “Of course. Although, you are not bankrupt just yet.”

“Do you think I should increase the tenants’ rents if we have a good crop?”

If she did take this generous position, she would be forced to make difficult decisions like this all the time. She knew the majority of the tenants were solvent and some even had a little extra money due to the gold she’d given them. But she also knew something Simon did not. “I would hesitate to do so, Simon.”

“Why? They haven’t had an increase in a few years.”

“Actually, they did.”

“I would have approved an increase and I did not.”

She bit down on her lower lip wondering how to tell him what Burton had done. “For the past two years, Burton has come to all the tenants with a letter from you stating a need to increase the rents.”

He pushed back his chair and stood. “I did no such thing. I thought the estate was doing very well. That’s what...” Slowly, he sat back down and he closed his eyes. “That’s what Burton told me.”

“He must have forged your signature, Simon. No one questioned your rights to raise the rents and thankfully it wasn’t an exorbitant amount. Most of the tenants could afford the increase and the ones that couldn’t were helped by the others.”

“I had no idea,” he admitted in a whispered tone. “I feel like such a fool.”

“I am sorry, Simon.”

“If I ever find that man, I will kill him with my own hands.” He shook his head. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that in front of you after what you’ve been through.”

“There is no excuse for what I went through. But I can understand your feelings regarding Burton. The man almost ruined you and your reputation.”

Simon almost laughed at that. He had no reputation left, at least not amongst the
ton
. He had made far too many enemies with his hot-tempered disposition. And right now, his blood was boiling. He wanted to track down Burton wherever he might be and kill the man. But he had no idea where the man had fled.

“Simon, are you all right?” Mia asked softly. “I am sorry if I upset you but I felt you needed to hear the truth.”

“I am not angry with you, only myself.” He leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. “I should never have hired the man.”

“You had no idea his references were forged.”

He could hear her footsteps approaching him so he kept his eyes closed and let her do whatever she wanted. “I should have written to the other estates to verify his employment.”

Delicate fingers rubbed the muscles of his shoulders. He let his head drop forward to give her better access. Just the thought of her hands on him made his cock thicken. The woman had no idea how much he wanted her.

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

Her fingers pressed deeply into the muscles of his shoulders, slowly easing the strain he felt there. He wanted her fingers all over his body. Caressing him. Kissing him. Stroking him. God, he was going mad with pent-up desire for the woman. He moaned as her fingers kneaded him.

“This would work better if you didn’t have your jacket on,” she said.

He tore at his jacket and waistcoat until he was just in his linen shirt. That only made the sensation of her fingers on him warmer, erotic. “Mia,” he groaned.

“Shh, just enjoy this and relax. You are far too tense most of the time.”

His cock swelled even more as her hands worked on his neck. How could something as simple and innocent as her hands on his shoulders and neck bring him this close to the edge? Twelve years of longing for her had taken its toll on him. There was no reason to wait. She was either with child or she wasn’t. Anything they did today couldn’t change that.

“Would you mind if I removed your cravat?”

She could remove every piece of clothing he had on and he would be fine with it. “Not at all,” he managed to say.

She stayed behind the leather chair and untied his white cravat. With his neck bared to her soft hands, he shivered as she rubbed him there. Instead of relaxing him, the movements of her hands only enflamed his desire. He wanted her to come around and sit on his lap.

“Does that feel good?”

Was she teasing him on purpose? “Yes,” he said with a groan.

She slid her hands down the length of his upper arms. “Now why are you so tight?”

“God, Mia,” he rasped. “You are not that innocent.”

“What?” she said with a gasp.

He reached around and pulled her down onto his lap. “You know what you are doing to me.”

She scrambled off his lap. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that would get you aroused.” Her gaze landed on the bulge in his trousers. Her cheeks reddened but her mouth gaped slightly, giving away her own desire.

He stood up slowly, all the while her stare remained locked on his cock. “I think you knew exactly what you were doing.”

Before she could reply, he pulled her against his body and kissed her still-gaped mouth. Her soft lips against his drove him mad. As her tongue responded to his call, he couldn’t help but press her tightly against him. She skimmed her hands up his chest until she wrapped them around his neck. Pert breasts pressed against him.

He moved his lips away to kiss a line up her jaw to her ear. She moaned as he kissed her outer lobe. “I want you,” he whispered. “Right now.”

“We can’t yet,” she moaned as he kissed down her neck until he reached the top of her bodice.

“Yes, we can.”

She skimmed her hands down his chest until she reached the buttons on his trousers. “No, we can’t do that.” Her hand cupped his erection while the other hand worked on the button. “But I can help you with this.”