The Earl's Desire (31 page)

Both girls looked down at Emma lying on the floor, her face very pale.

“
Poor Emma. She isn’t very well, is she?” Christine commented, kneeling down next to the girl. She tried to lift Emma up. Betty came to help. Both girls carried Emma and laid her on the bed.

Emma fluttered her eyes open. She turned her head and saw Tyson and Betty looking down at her with concern. She turned her face to the other side, and her eyes widened. She saw the beauty looking down at her. She opened her mouth.

“
Master Chr… Chris?”

“
Aye, Emma, ’tis Chris,” Christine said, coming closer.

Emma opened her mouth wider, she lifted her head up, and then she dropped it back onto the pillow and fainted dead away again.

The sun felt beautiful that day. With Merrick’s permission, Christine took Tyson out to the lake, and they played there for two hours. Then the overjoyed Tyson returned home in the curricle that he longed to ride in with Jacob.

Now Christine sat by the window in Merrick’s bedroom, staring out at the beautiful garden below. Merrick and his guests were picnicking outside. Now and again, she heard their laughter drifting toward her. She was smiling to herself like an idiot as she sat there admiring him. She shifted her eyes to look at the ring on her finger that she only wore when she was alone. She caressed the gem and smiled. How she loved him.

She sighed and turned when she heard the door open. She thought it was one of the maids, but there in the door way stood the beautiful redheaded woman, Lady Maria Ferguson.

Christine jumped up from her seat in surprise. The woman gave Christine a cold smile and came toward her.

“
Is… is there something you want, Lady Ferguson? Merrick is not here,” Christine stammered.

“
I know he is not here. But I am not here to see him. It is you that I am here to see,” Maria said softly. She walked around Christine, inspecting her, and snorted.

Christine frowned at the woman glaring at her. Suddenly, she felt a coldness settling in her stomach. “Why would you want to see me?”

Maria yanked Christine’s face around and gripped her chin until the skin went red.

“
Don’t play games with me, girl. I know your secret.” She laughed coldly and then said, “You are quite pretty. No wonder Merrick falls for you.”

Christine stiffened. Maria thrust her away with a sneer. “Do you think he will marry you, a mere peasant? When he could marry somebody like Anne, a Lord’s daughter and an heiress?”

“
But Merrick—”

“
Merrick?” Maria laughed harshly. “You call him Merrick now? How dare you?” She slapped Christine on the cheek.

Christine sucked in her breath. She was very surprised at the sudden attack.

“
Ah, you think I can’t do that to you, do you, girl?” The woman laughed.

“
What do you want?” Christine asked, her voice shaking.

“
What do I want?” Maria snorted softly. “Nay, girl, I am here to warn you.”

“
Warn me? About what?” Christine asked.

“
Ah, so young and naïve. About Merrick, that’s what.”

“
What? But, why?” Christine was confused.

“
Do you think—” Maria grabbed a bunch of Christine’s hair and yanked her forward, “that Merrick would marry a low-born girl like you? Nay, girl, he will not. Listen well and learn for I have good advice for you.” Maria rubbed her fingers over Christine’s hair. It was smooth and soft. She stared at the young woman, and her heart burnt. God, how beautiful this girl was. The light high behind her head made her look angelic indeed. And that made Maria’s heart twist with hatred. How dare this girl come and steal Merrick from her. He was hers. He was never anyone else’s.
She had vowed to get even, and even she would get.

“
He is only using you,” she said.

Christine shook her head, and her tears tumbled down her cheeks. “No, he’s not like that,” she cried quietly.

“
Ah, you know him so well then? Better than I who have known him for years?” Maria said. “Girl, he is using you. He likes to play with innocent girls like you. When he is satisfied and tired of you, he will indeed look for another. He will not marry you, and that is what you are looking for, is it not?”

“
But he asked me. He already asked me to—”

“
To what?” Maria shouted.

“
To marry him. To be his wife,” Christine said.

He had asked this girl to marry him? How could he?
She glanced down and saw the beautiful stone that she heard rumors about on Christine’s finger. She had heard that only the future Countess of Huntingdon was allowed to wear that particular ring.
Was Merrick serious about this chit?
How she wanted to yank that ring from the girl’s finger and place it on hers instead. How she craved it.

Maria took a deep breath and said, “And you believe him?” She sighed when she saw Christine nodding her head. She glared at the younger girl’s hair. She had the urge to yank that mop of golden curls and burn it.

“
Like I said, you are naïve,” she said instead.

Christine looked at the older woman and frowned. “Please go.”

“
I will go, girl, but hear me well. Merrick has asked me to marry him too,” she lied, eyeing the girl with hatred.

“
What?” Christine twisted around to look at Maria. “But he can’t. He—”

“
Can’t, my girl?” Maria laughed softly. “Do you believe what he said? Aye, he has asked me, and then without so much as how or why, he broke it off. And now he has asked you, too. He no doubt will ask Anne, too, then. But perhaps he will marry her for she is, after all, a lady and an heiress.” Maria saw Christine pale, and her heart glowed. She sighed yet again and turned to the door. Her work here was done. Her hand was on the door handle when she thought to add, “Oh, and by the way, did you know that he killed his wife? I suppose she was too much of a hindrance for him to enjoy life.” She laughed and then sailed out the door.

Those words were breaking Christine’s heart. But it couldn’t be true. What Maria had said was a lie. Aye, she had lied.
But had Merrick told her the truth?
That he loved her and wanted to marry her?

Oh Lord, everything was in chaos in her mind.

But she loved him.

Numb, she turned toward the window. She saw Merrick and Lady Anne standing in seclusion from the rest of the group. Anne was laughing at what Merrick was saying. From where she stood, Lord, how they looked right together. Could he have loved Anne and all the time he was playing with her? A mere common girl? Nay! Oh God, how she hurt.
Merrick, don’t lie to me.
Love me.
Her heart cried in anguish.

* * *

The day of the ball was getting near, and he had not uttered one word to her of marriage. She was getting panicky. Was he going to propose to her or was he not? But the servants had gossiped that he would. She was sure that he would, and everybody was sure that he would. But what if he did not? Only one week. The time was too short for her liking. She must act fast. If the earl did not act now, then as her mother had put it she would have to give him a push. And push him she would because the rest of her life depended on it.

“
The flowers are beautiful at this time of year, my lord,” Anne said.

“
Hmm, they are indeed,” Merrick responded without much interest.

Anne had led him, without him noticing, to a very secluded area where her playacting was to begin. Here no one could see them, though with a slight scream from the maid everyone could hear them.

“
Lovely, is it not, my lord?” She smiled at him and suddenly pretended to sprain her ankle. “Oh dear!” she gently sighed and fell to the ground.

Merrick leapt to catch her in time. He was supporting her in his arms when Anne wrapped her arms around his neck and roughly pulled him to her. They fell on the ground together.

“
Oh, my lord,” she pretended to sound very breathless.

“
Are you all right?” he asked as he pushed himself up.

Anne panicked; she didn’t want him to get up just yet.

“
I don’t know, my lord.” She breathed and closed her eyes, pretending to faint.

“
Anne?” Merrick asked. “Hold still,” he said and gently laid her head against the tree. “I’ll find a maid to help you.”

“
No!” Anne shouted as she tried to prevent him from leaving her. But it was too late. Merrick was already up and turning away. But he didn’t move; he just stood there and stared.

Christine was not ten feet away from them—
watching
them.

Merrick frowned when he saw her look of horror. He took a step toward her, but she shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks.

“
Chris!” Merrick said, alarmed.

“
So it’s true,” Christine cried.

“
What’s true?” Merrick asked, confused.

Christine turned, pushed away the maid who had just arrived on the scene, and ran back to the Hall.

“
Chris!” Merrick shouted. But Christine did not stop. He shook his head and was about to run after Christine when his arm was caught.

“
My lord,” Anne said. “My ankle, I think it is sprained.”

“
Anne,” Merrick said through gritted teeth in frustration. “You!” He turned to the maid on the ground. The maid paled when she thought the earl knew of their plan.

“
My lord, I didn’t. It wasn’t—”

“
Take care of Lady Anne,” he instructed and ran toward the Hall.

With tears in her eyes, Christine ran toward the Hall.

So it was true.
She couldn’t believe it.
How could he betray her? How could he make a fool out of her?
She shook her head and ran up the stairs. She collided with Mrs. Ross, who was coming down. The woman caught her by the arms and looked into her face with concern.

“
Master Chris? Is everything all right?” she asked.

Christine could only shake her head, push the housekeeper’s hands from her arms, and run.

She pushed the door open and was about to run into her room when between her tears she saw her grandmother about to open the door.

“
Grandmamma?” she cried.

Mrs. Smith turned and saw Christine running toward her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she opened her arms for her granddaughter. Christine ran into Mrs. Smith’s opened arms, and they hugged tightly.

“
Oh, my sweet.”

“
Grandmamma,” Christine sobbed and clung to the woman.

“
Hush now, love. Everything is going to be all right now.”

“
But, Grandmamma, ’tis the earl. He knew that I—oh, Grandmamma, I’m sorry,” Christine cried.

“
I know, love, I know. I won’t let him make a fool out of you. I won’t let you suffer, my sweet. I won’t.” Mrs. Smith cupped Christine’s face. “’Tis my fault, Christine. ’Tis my fault I did not teach you the ways of the world, of how a man can manipulate an innocent girl. ’Tis my fault. We cannot let this masquerade go on any longer, my sweet. We must leave now. He will marry that girl and leave you stranded like—darling, we must leave now.”

Christine was tormented at the thought of leaving Merrick. Should she stay and, as her grandmother put it, let Merrick make a fool out of her? But she loved him.

“
Grandmamma, I love him,” she cried, her body shaking uncontrollably.

“
My dear, would you stay and let him make a fool of you? Does he love you as you love him? Will he marry you?” Mrs. Smith said logically.

Christine sobbed. Was her grandmother right? Had Merrick meant what he said? That he loved her? Or had he only said that to woo her? So perhaps she had turned a blind eye and deaf ears to what everybody else was saying. Everybody knew that Merrick would ask Anne to marry him, and she so stupidly had believed the lies he had told her. That he loved her and wanted to marry her. Nay, she couldn’t stay and let him make a fool out of her.