The Earl's Desire (34 page)

Christine was scared that she should receive so much attention. In truth, no one had ever looked at her before, and now it was too much. She was very frightened by these people’s interest, so she clung as close as possible to Merrick’s arm. Occasionally, she tried to smile at them, but they were just a sea of faces she did not recognize. At last, they were able to reach Mr. and Mrs. Smith. As they approached them, Merrick saw that both husband and wife were smiling proudly at Christine.

Merrick handed Christine to Mr. Smith with a smile.

“
Would you care for a drink?” he asked Christine. She smiled up at him and nodded gratefully. Merrick disappeared to get the drinks, and more people enveloped them.

“
Hello, may I ask what your name is?” Christine heard a familiar voice and froze. She turned and smiled at Jane.

“
It’s—” Christine tried to think of what to say.

She was panicking when Max arrived just in time. “Miss Smith,” he supplied.

Merrick came back with three glasses in his hands. He smiled at Christine and handed her a glass in which she guessed would be lemonade. He handed the other one to Mrs. Smith and the last one to Mr. Smith. They thanked him gratefully.

“
Well, Miss Smith, I’ve never seen you before, but then how could I when most of the time I am in the country with my family?” Jane laughed.

“
Indeed, my dear,” Mr. Wilson commented, coming around behind his daughter. He joined the group and moved toward the elderly gentleman. He put his hand out for Mr. Smith to take, and hesitantly Mr. Smith took it.

“
Nice to meet you, sir, I am Mr. Wilson,” he greeted. “Your granddaughter, sir, she is very lovely,” Mr. Wilson said, nodding toward Christine, who blushed beautifully. Merrick laughed at Christine’s shyness.

“
Yes, she is very lovely, and believe me when I say she is more than just lovely,” Merrick said, his eyes on Christine.

Christine saw him looking at her, his eyes shimmering with their secret love. Her heart fluttered at the way he was staring, and she tried not to think too much about how strongly he affected her.

“
Miss Smith, where did you get that gown from? I must say, it is very pretty, and I believe not as childish as mine.” Jane laughed.

“
Oh no, your gown is very fetching, not childish at all,” Christine commented.

“
Really, do you think so?” the other girl asked.

“
Yes, indeed,” Christine responded.

“
My, what a cozy little group this is.” Mrs. Wilson joined in, fluttering her fan about her face.

“
Oh, Mama, this is Miss Smith.” Jane introduced Christine to her mother enthusiastically.

“
Miss Smith, is your brother the earl’s ward?” Mrs. Wilson asked.

Christine bit her lip. She didn’t know what to say.

“
Yes, Chris is Miss Smith’s younger brother,” Merrick put in.

“
Over here, come, you must meet the new guests,” Mr. Wilson called out to Lord Queensbury from the other side of the room.

“
My lord,” Christine said to Merrick. “I have something to tell you. It’s very important.”

“
It’ll have to wait,” Merrick responded.

“
But, Merrick, this is very important, and I think you should know right now,” Christine whispered persistently.

“
Now, my sweet, behave yourself. It’ll have to wait,” he whispered back firmly, seeing Lord Queensbury approaching them.

“
Ha, brother, come.” Mr. Wilson waved his hands toward his brother. “Let me introduce you. Now, this is Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and that beautiful young lady over there is their granddaughter,” Mr. Wilson said whilst nodding his head.

Lord Queensbury’s face paled. He thought he had just seen a ghost. The Smiths stared at him in horror.

“
And this is Lord Richard Queensbury,” Mr. Wilson completed his introductions.

Lord Queensbury was at a loss for words, and he turned toward Christine. He said, “Sophia!”

Christine smiled at the earl. She wondered why he was looking at her in such a way and calling her mother’s name. He was looking very happy and sad at the same time.

“
She is not Sophia! She is Christine!” Mrs. Smith cried in anguish.

Christine came to the old woman’s side and put her arm around her shoulders. “Grandmamma?”

“
She is not Sophia!” Mrs. Smith cried again, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Sophia is gone,” she cried and hugged Christine.

Merrick bent down to murmur in Christine’s ear. He was very concerned about Mrs. Smith’s condition. “Perhaps it would be better for her to lie down,” he suggested.

Christine nodded and urged her grandmamma to move away from the group. They managed to get the woman out of the ballroom and into the hallway. Betty and Jane came rushing along to aid them.

“
Take her upstairs to the spare guest room,” Merrick told them. The two maids nodded, and they helped each other see the old woman to her room.

“
Merrick, she has never been like this before,” Christine told him.

“
I know, love. The situation will soon resolve itself,” he said. “Come, it is almost time.” He took her hand, and they both went back into the ballroom.

“
Time for what, Merrick?” she asked.

“
Have you forgotten, my love, the announcement of our engagement?”

Christine widened her eyes. So he did want to marry her after all. It wasn’t a lie. Her heart brimmed with happiness.

Once they were back with the group, Merrick offered an apology for Mrs. Smith’s fragile condition.

Anne approached Merrick, for she knew it was almost time for the announcement.

“
Well, Merrick, ’tis time, I think,” Allan said.

“
Yes, Merrick. Time to present your trophy,” Max said, laughing.

Merrick nodded and signaled to Ross. The butler in turn signaled to various footmen. The footmen began to hand out glasses of champagne to every guest in the ballroom. Everybody seemed to know what to expect, for they looked at each other and then toward Merrick.

“
Ladies and gentlemen, his lordship the Earl of Huntingdon wishes to make a very special announcement,” Ross proudly stated. “Would you please all raise your glasses and toast his lordship.”

Glasses were raised at that moment in preparation for the great announcement.

Anne felt her heart booming thunderously in her chest. She knew that the time had finally arrived.

Christine gripped her glass of lemonade; she was very nervous.

Jane smiled and hoped that the earl would not make a mistake, that he would not ask Anne.

Lady Queensbury gripped her wineglass, her eyes intense, her nerves tightening as she waited in anticipation.

Maria glared into nothingness. She felt as though she was a loser in this game.
Was her endeavor to be in vain?
Her beloved Merrick was to make his important announcement to all about his future bride. And she was sure it was going to be this beautiful chit name Christine Smith. She breathed deeply and bravely, accepting her loss.

Max was half smiling, waiting to see the women’s reactions. He knew what Merrick was going to announce. He was going to present his great prize to the world. His prize was this woman, his soon-to-be countess who had captured his heart and would nurture it. Max knew he would never find another woman like Christine. He knew she was the only woman in this world who would give her man such love so openly.

“
Thank you so much for the pleasure of your company this evening. I know it is very late and the season is over, but still it is my great pleasure to make an announcement. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to make an announcement about my future, my future that I admit previously I had come to dread. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce my—”

The door crashed opened with a loud bang. Merrick halted in midsentence at the horrendous noise. He turned toward the entrance, as did everyone else in the ballroom. The women gasped in surprise, some frowned, and others looked on with horrified expressions.

Mrs. Wilson gasped and then whimpered. For there at the door stood Robert, his clothing all in disarray, his blond hair wild and dirty with mud. His thin face looked hollow, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He stared straight at Merrick, his eyes sharp and intense as if he was planning murder. He strode toward the great earl.

Christine was scared. This man looked beyond angry, and he was capable of anything, she knew. She rushed to Merrick and placed her shaking hand on his arm. Merrick looked down at her and smiled. She stared at him in fear.

“
It’s all right, love.” His mouth formed the words, but there was no sound. She gripped his arm and nodded.

Robert halted right in front of Merrick, staring up at the taller man. They stared at each other for a long moment. The whole room was quiet, and not a sound was heard in the hollow silence.

Jacob rushed into the silent room, puffing with exertion.

Robert turned from Merrick and walked to Anne. He stood in front of her, staring at her for a long time.

“
What did you do to her?” he gritted out between his teeth.

Anne paled, but she still managed to glare at Robert, her mouth twitching. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she commented.

“
What did you do to her, bitch? Where the hell is she?” Robert shouted at Anne, his face inches from hers.

“
I said I don’t know what you are talking about,” Anne bit back coldly.

Robert was so frustrated he hastily brought his hand up, meaning to slap the girl. As his hand descended, Merrick caught it in time. He shoved Robert back. Robert threw a punch toward Merrick, trying to make the man release him.

“
Robert, stop it. Stop it this instant,” Merrick commanded, trying to control the younger man.

Max rushed in, caught Robert by the shoulders, and pulled him away from Merrick. After struggling for a while, Robert tired and stopped. Max was holding on to his arms, preventing him from attacking anyone.

“
I said what did you do to her, and where is she, you bitch,” Robert screamed at Anne as the guests whispered amongst themselves.

“
Who?” Merrick asked.

“
Claire, Claire. I want to know where Claire is,” he screamed.

“
Claire is upstairs. She is fine, Robert,” Christine said from behind Merrick.

Robert turned from Merrick to stare at Christine. He frowned at her. He stood there for a moment, and then hesitantly he pulled his arms free from Max’s grips and rushed out of the ballroom.

“
Where are you going?” Merrick shouted.

“
To see Claire,” Robert shouted back.

Christine tugged at Merrick’s arm. “Merrick, you must stop him,” she whispered, so afraid that he might hurt Claire even more.

Merrick stared at her and nodded. He turned to Max.

Max nodded that he understood what he should do. He was to take over as host while Merrick was gone.

Merrick and Christine ran out of the room and up the stairs after Robert.

“
Robert, wait,” Merrick shouted. But Robert did not stop nor did he turn. He kept running toward the third floor. Once there, he looked about hastily, crashing every door open. When he came to the last door, he kicked it open and then froze. He walked in slowly, with a murderous expression on his face.

Merrick and Christine were not far behind. They saw him entering Claire’s room. Merrick rushed in and stopped. Christine came up after him, and she, too, stopped at the sight that greeted her. There they saw Claire in Robert’s arms, and she was crying.

“
Hush, love, I’m here now. She won’t hurt you again,” he said, soothing her tangled hair. “Hush now, love,” Robert said.

Christine looked up at Merrick, and their eyes met. She threw herself into his arms and laid her head against his chest. Merrick lowered his head and kissed her forehead. They stood in that position for a long time, looking at the two people who uttered words of love to each other. Finally, Claire went back to sleep.