The Earl's Desire (32 page)

“
Aye, Grandmamma, we shall leave,” she cried.

“
Leave now?” Merrick shouted. “Why? What is this about?” He was astounded and angry.

Christine turned away from him, refusing even to look at the man she loved but who had lied to her.

Mrs. Smith looked at Merrick. “You, my lord have the gall to even ask such a question?” she said coldly, her eyes narrowed. “You are no different from any of them. Just because you are of noble birth and are rich, it does not mean you should have the power to ruin a girl’s life. Do you hear me? You have no right at all.”

Merrick shook his head. “What’s this, Mrs. Smith? I don’t understand.” He raked his fingers through his hair. When Mrs. Smith just shook her head without replying to his question, he turned to Christine. “Come, Christine. Tell me, my sweet. What’s this about?”

She turned her teary eyes to him and shook her head. “How could you?” she cried.

Merrick came to her and pulled her into his arms. She pushed him back in disgust.

“
Christine,” he said weakly. “What is wrong, my sweet?” he asked as he pulled her back into his arms.

She shook her head and drummed at his chest with her fists to make him let her go.

“
Damn you, you betrayed me. You lied to me,” she cried. “I hate you. Let me go.” She tried to push him away. But the man was strong, and she couldn’t even budge his imprisoning arms.

“
I have never lied to you, Christine. Just listen, I—”

“
You have never? Then what did I just see? Merrick? My lord? Answer me that,” she shouted.

Merrick’s eyes widened as realization hit him. He let go of her arms and cupped her face. “My love, it is not what it seemed.”

“
Then what?” she asked, sobbing.

Merrick moved to kiss her forehead. “It’s not what you think. Anne sprained her ankle and she fell—”

She pushed him away and took three steps back. “Tell your lies to your other lovers. I don’t want to hear them,” she said quietly and stared hard at the ring on her finger. Slowly, she took it off and handed it to him.

“
What’s this?” he asked, incredulous.

“
It’s over, my lord,” she said quietly and placed the ring in his palm. Slowly, with her head bowed and tears blinding her eyes, she walked out the room.

Mrs. Smith shook her head, and with a heavy heart she left.

Merrick just stared at the ring in his hand, and he couldn’t seem to think.
What had happened?
Everything was going just fine until now.
Oh, God, was the torment in his life never to end? Must he lose all the people he loved? One by one, just like that? Would God ever relieve him from the torture in this life?
Merrick howled with anguish. The sound reflected his tormented heart.

TWENTY-ONE

Talk and laughter drifted pass Merrick’s deaf ears. The guests were gathering in the drawing room, and he was still hiding in his study, slumped in his armchair, not giving a damn about anything.

“
Come, Merrick, you have been holed up in here for seven days now,” Max said.

“
Shut up and leave me alone, Max,” Merrick snarled, his bloodshot eyes glaring at the other man. He finished the last of the whisky in one gulp. The fiery liquid burnt all the way down to his belly. The intense heat did not torment him enough. He wanted more. He wanted his mind to slide into oblivion. He poured himself more whisky.

Max caught his hand roughly. “Enough, Merrick. You want to kill yourself?” he asked in disgust.

Merrick looked up to his friend and raised his eyebrows mockingly. “I would welcome it, friend.” He shoved Max’s hand away and poured the rest into his glass. He was about to drain the lot into his mouth when Max yanked the glass away and downed it himself.

“
Enough is enough, Merrick. You have guests waiting. ’Tis your ball. You should be out there welcoming them.” He caught Merrick by the arm and helped him up from the chair.

“
Leave me alone, damn you, Max,” Merrick groaned. “Leave me to the devil.”

There were three knocks at the door, and then the butler walked in. He tried not to show how sad he felt about his master’s behavior of late. To be honest, he thought it was even worse than when the earl had lost his wife and son. His lordship was killing himself for sure. But what could he, a butler, do?

“
What is it, Ross?” Max frowned when the butler did not say a thing.

“
Oh, Your Grace, ’tis Peter. He is back and here to see his lordship,” Ross said.

“
Peter, good. Bring him in,” Max said and released Merrick, who slumped back into his seat.

Seconds later, Peter was shown into the study. The man took one look at his master and raised his eyebrows.

“
Your Grace.” Peter bowed to Max.

“
Glad that you are here, man. Good news, I hope?” Max asked.

“
Aye, Your Grace, good news indeed. And, err, his lordship?” He looked at Merrick. He almost had a heart attack when he saw the untidy cravat, the dark hair in disarray, the rough, unshaven chin, and the wrinkled shirt that he had no doubt would take at least three hours of hard labor to straighten. Though Peter was a private detective, he was a very grand one indeed. His breeches and coat were of the best quality and design, and his hair was always neat and stylish as the fashion went. He took pride in his clothing and was quite shocked to see the great earl in such a state of drunken mess.

“
Ah, my loyal agent. Good that you are back, eh?” Merrick said sarcastically.

“
My lord, is something the matter?” Peter asked.

“
Nothing is the matter. Just give the damn news,” Merrick shouted.

Peter’s heart almost jumped out of his chest. Never before had he seen his master this way. The Earl of Huntingdon that he knew before was always in control in very messy situations. He supposed there was a first time for everything.

“
Well, man, lost your tongue?” Merrick shouted again.

“
Don’t mind him, Peter. He is drunk and right now quite sulky,” Max said coolly.

“
I am not drunk, damn it!” Merrick growled, and then more quietly he said, “I am not sulky.”

“
The news, Peter,” Max intervened.

Peter looked from Max to Merrick.
What had gone on here?
He hesitated for only a second and then began. “My lord, the family that Lord Queensbury is looking for, I’ve found out where they are.”

“
Good. We will tell the earl tonight,” Merrick said.

“
Peter,” Max said, “help me take Merrick up so that Paris can swing his magic wand to make him presentable to society. The ball is tonight, and they are expecting him.” He hooked Merrick’s arm over his shoulder. Peter hurriedly took the other, and they dragged Merrick up to his room.

* * *

Mrs. Smith glanced at Christine sitting near the window, staring out into nothingness. Her heart ached for the girl
. Am I doing the right thing?
she asked herself again. She was scared that she might lose Christine. The girl had not eaten very much for days now. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes shadowed. She looked so frail.

“
Christine?” She touched the girl’s shoulder. “You should eat something, my love.”

Christine shook her head. “I’m not hungry, Grandmamma.”

“
But, Christine, if you don’t eat, you’ll get sick,” Tyson intervened. He brought her some broth in a small bowl and held it out to her. “You must eat,” he said. “Else Merrick won’t be happy with you,” the boy commented logically.

The name Merrick caused Christine’s tears to flow yet again and her heart to constrict painfully. She shook her head, got up, and pushed Tyson away from her. Both Tyson and the bowl of broth fell to the floor. The boy started to whimper.

Oh God, now what had she done?
Tyson was innocent in all this. Why did she act in such a way toward the boy she loved as her very own brother?

“
Oh, Tyson, I’m sorry,” she cried. She hugged him and sobbed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“
Christine? Why are you crying so much now? Did… did Merrick beat you?” the boy asked.

“
Nay, my love,” Christine shook her head.

“
I know he won’t. He’s too nice to beat you,” Tyson said, nodding his head.

Christine bit her lip. Aye, Merrick would never beat her, and she knew that. He was always so kind
. But then why did he betray her?
She shook her head and commanded herself to stop thinking about him. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts would always stray to him. She would see his handsome face smiling at her, his teal-blue eyes looking at her with love, with lust, with anger, and with… longing.

She got up abruptly. She couldn’t bear it, seeing Merrick’s face in her mind’s eye. She threw herself on her bed and cried.

“
My love,” Mrs. Smith stroked her hair. “I am sorry, my sweet. I know you love Merrick, but it is just that I have lost your mother, Sophia, that way, and I certainly don’t want to lose you the same way,” she said sadly.

“
Grandmamma, I know you care for and love me,” Christine whispered.

“
I don’t want you to be like this, my love,” Mrs. Smith said. “I don’t want you to suffer this way. You love him too much. I am sorry.”

“
I don’t know what to do. I love him, and he has proposed to me. He gave me his mother’s ring,” Christine said.

“
You did not tell me this. That ring that you gave back to him?” the woman asked, frowning.

Christine nodded.

“
But he must have loved you, too, if he proposed to you and gave you that ring.”

“
Indeed, that is right,” a male voice said from the door. They turned and saw in surprise the Duke of Lynwood standing there.

“
Err, I did tell them that Christine is not well, that she is crying, but they still want to see her,” Tyson put in, blushing.

“
Your Grace, what are you doing here?” Christine asked.

Max came toward her and smiled. “I don’t want Merrick to lose his trophy because of a mere misunderstanding.” He laughed.

“
What misunderstanding?” Christine frowned.

“
Merrick loves you, my dear. He is right this very moment killing himself because of you.” Max didn’t want his best friend to be like him. He wanted his friend to have happiness for once in his life. Merrick had suffered too much. He didn’t need any more torment.

“
He is?” Christine asked with a bit of hope in her heart.

“
Aye, my dear, he is.”

“
But, he… he lied. I saw him with Lady Anne, they were—”

“
An act, my dear, an act on Anne’s part,” Max said coldly. It disgusted him—
women and their bloody tricks.
He knew their jealous nature too well not to notice when a plan was laid.

“
That’s right, Christine.”

Christine turned to watch Mrs. Ross walking into the room.

“
A plan. I questioned the maid, and Lady Anne told her to scream when she presented herself to let the guests know that the earl and she… you know my meaning,” she finished off.

“
But Lady Ferguson said—”

“
Maria lied,” Max cut in. “Maria is a jealous mistress. I know her. Whatever tales she managed to tell you are all lies.”

Christine looked at Max and saw the sincerity there. She turned to look at Mrs. Ross, and the woman nodded. Then she looked at her grandmother.

“
Grandmamma, I—”

“
Go to him, my sweet, you have my blessing and your grandfather’s, too,” the woman said.