Beguiling the Earl Read online

  “I hope that Lady Worthington was feeling better this morning.”

  Worthington’s whole demeanor relaxed at the change in subject. “She was still abed when I left. Unfortunately, her headaches are a more common occurrence than she would like, but normally they pass after a night of rest. I thank you for your concern.”

  Kerrick gave the other man a smile aimed at putting him at ease. “I am very glad to hear that. Will she be well enough to attend the Hastings’ rout this evening?”

  Worthington shook his head. “She normally likes a quiet evening at home after one of her episodes, especially if they occur during an evening out.” His relief that the subject had returned to safer ground was almost palpable.

  “I can’t say that I blame her,” Kerrick said. “Since most of these evenings are interminable in the best of circumstances, I can’t imagine having to endure one while feeling unwell.”

  Worthington laughed, his normally effusive nature once more at the forefront. “That is where we men are very different from women. I fear very little keeps them from spending every evening out during the season. If she didn’t think tonight’s event would turn into a way to showcase the musical talents of Lady Hastings’ daughters, she would force herself to go no matter how badly she felt.”

  Kerrick didn’t have to feign his look of horror. He’d already had the misfortune of hearing the eldest daughter mangle her way through Bach. “They wouldn’t.”

  “Consider yourself warned. Of course, Lady Hastings already knows your attention lies elsewhere, so I’m sure you’ll be safe.”

  ooOoo

  The carriage stopped before the milliner’s shop on Bond Street at precisely ten in the morning, and Catherine stepped down, her maid following behind her. When she didn’t see Rose, Catherine wondered if the other woman had changed her mind about meeting her. The note she’d received a short time ago had said Rose was already on her way out of the house, so she should already have been there.

  Catherine was torn about whether to send the carriage away and wait on the street or climb back inside and return home. Rose’s note had seemed important, however, so she told the driver to return in half an hour. As the carriage started to move away, she was relieved to see Rose emerge from a nearby dress shop, her own maid in tow. That relief changed to worry when she took in the tightness of her friend’s features.

  “I’m so glad you were able to meet me on such short notice,” Rose said, grasping her hands quickly and giving them a slight squeeze before dropping them again. “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to come.”

  “My mornings are normally free,” Catherine said, thinking about how her sister was even now lying in bed, suffering from the unsettled stomach so often seen in newly pregnant women. “Your note seemed urgent. Is something the matter?”

  “Walk with me a bit,” Rose said, taking Catherine’s arm in hers and starting to stroll down the street at a leisurely pace.

  Their maids fell into step behind them. Rose must have already told hers that she wanted privacy because the two women stayed several steps back from them. Catherine wondered what could possibly have happened to warrant the concern on her friend’s face. After all, she’d seen her just the evening before and all had seemed well.

  “You are beginning to worry me,” Catherine said.

  Rose gave a humorless laugh. “I apologize. I can see how dramatic I’m being, but I was truly concerned and needed to speak with you right away.”

  “Has something happened?”

  Rose shook her head. “Not yet, but I fear it is about to.” She ignored those who looked their way and would have no doubt stopped to chat if Rose had shown the slightest inclination that she would welcome the intrusion. When she continued, her voice was barely audible. “When my maid woke me this morning, she told me that Father had gone riding with Lord Kerrick.”

  Catherine didn’t have to feign her surprise. Kerrick hadn’t mentioned anything to her about going riding with Lord Worthington, but they hadn’t had much time to converse in private. She also suspected he hadn’t mentioned the meeting to her because he was still quite adamant about not involving her in his investigations. She would just have to show him how much help she could be to him.

  “I am sure Lord Kerrick regularly goes riding.” As the words escaped her lips, her thoughts went back to the night they had spent together, and she had to turn away to hide the heat she could feel creeping into her cheeks. Fortunately, Rose was too preoccupied to notice.

  “Perhaps, but Father likes to ride alone in the morning. He enjoys the solitude and the exercise. If he planned to meet with Lord Kerrick, I know it is because Father hopes he will ask for permission to propose marriage.”

  Catherine knew that was unlikely to happen—or at least she hoped that was the case—but she couldn’t tell Rose that her worries were unfounded.

  “What will you do if Lord Kerrick proposes?”

  Rose gave her a look of disbelief. “I’ll reject him, of course. He seems very nice and he is very attractive…”

  “But you have feelings for your mysterious man.”

  A whisper of a smile touched Rose’s lips. “It is hopeless, I know. And I have mostly come to terms with that reality. But if I were to accept Lord Kerrick, I would make the lives of three people miserable. Aside from myself, I couldn’t do that to you or to him because it is obvious to me that he returns your affection.”

  There was nothing Catherine could say in reply. She only hoped it wasn’t as obvious to others, because Kerrick needed to remain on good terms with Lord Worthington.

  Rose’s thoughts must have gone back to the other man, because while she tried to hide it, Catherine could see her despair. Her heart went out to the other woman. If something happened to keep her and Kerrick apart, she didn’t know if she’d be able to bear it.

  “How would your father react if you turned down a marriage proposal from Lord Kerrick?”

  Rose waited to reply until they passed a young woman and what must have been her mother coming out of a dressmaker’s shop. When no one was near, she said, “He wouldn’t be happy, and I fear he would do what he could to change my mind.”

  The stark tone in her voice had Catherine frowning. “He would force you to accept?”

  “Until recently I never would have thought him the type of father to force me into a marriage I do not desire, but now…” She sighed. “Yes, I believe he would.”

  A shiver of unease went down Catherine’s spine at the thought. Her sister had been in a similar position the previous year—agreeing to marry the Marquess of Overlea to secure all their futures—but from the beginning it was clear she was attracted to Nicholas. Their marriage had been shaky at the start because of Nicholas’s illness, but in the end everything had worked out, and now they were the happiest married couple Catherine knew. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to marry one man while in love with a different one. And if she were being completely truthful, she did not want to even contemplate a future where Rose and Kerrick were married.

  “Why does he desire this match so much? It would not be exaggerating to say that you could have any man you want.” When Rose frowned, Catherine continued, “I don’t know who your mysterious man is, but I’m sure he wouldn’t be immune to your charms if you decided to set your cap for him.”

  Rose looked away. “Lord Kerrick is immune.”

  Catherine sincerely hoped that was true. “Fine, then. Almost any man. Is not one of the men in your group of admirers the heir to the Marquess of Cranley?”

  “Yes, but his family is not as wealthy as Lord Kerrick.”

  Given her own family’s recent poverty, Catherine could well understand the motives behind Lord Worthington’s desire to secure his daughter’s future.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize wealth was a consideration.”

  Rose pulled her into the small space between two shops and indicated to their maids that they should wait on the other side of the street before she turn
ed to face Catherine again.

  “That is what I least understand. A few years ago we were in a bad way. Two years ago, Mama talked to me about how I probably would not receive a season. But then things changed. Mama said something about certain improvements Father had made and that our income had increased as a result.”

  The hair at the back of Catherine’s neck rose. The Worthingtons had undergone a sudden increase in fortune. Until that moment, she’d been hoping to learn that Kerrick was wrong and that Lord Worthington was innocent of whatever he suspected he’d done. But if there was one thing Catherine had learned, it was to trust her instincts. And right now her instincts were telling her that there was more to this change in the Worthingtons’ fortunes than improvements being made to their estate.

  “That is most interesting,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. “Did you ever learn what was done?”

  The look Rose aimed at her told her that her friend thought she had lost her mind.

  “Father doesn’t discuss the running of the estate with me. In any case, that is beside the point. Two years ago I would have understood his desire to see me marry a man with a title and a wealthy estate behind him. But now?” She shook her head. “It makes no sense to me. We haven’t been lacking for anything, and while I know he wants to see me marry well, there are many other men who could provide for me in a more-than-adequate fashion. I don’t understand why he’s so insistent that I concentrate all my attention on securing Lord Kerrick’s interest.”

  “Was there not an understanding between your mother and Lord Kerrick’s? I overheard him say something about the two being very good friends.”

  Rose shrugged. “Yes, they imagined a future where the families would one day be united, but there was never a formal betrothal between us… Thank Heavens!”

  That would explain why Kerrick was so willing to pursue a future with her instead of Rose. But that still didn’t solve their current predicament. Catherine was at a complete loss as to how she could help turn the current situation to the advantage of all of them.

  “This man who has captured your interest… does he have no money?”

  Rose laughed, the sound filled with genuine amusement, but there was a hollowness behind it. “He puts even Lord Kerrick’s wealth to shame. But since he rarely so much as glances in my direction, I can hardly count on his interest putting my father off from trying to make sure Lord Kerrick and I are wed before the year is over.”

  That news startled Catherine. “This is your first season, surely there is no hurry.”

  Rose shook her head. “I don’t understand his urgency, but I fear he is quite determined to see us wed very soon.”

  Catherine wanted to assure her that would never happen, but she couldn’t stop a hint of doubt from creeping into her own mind. What if Kerrick tired of her as he had the many other women he’d been with? They’d made love, but that was no guarantee that he would stay with her. Especially since no one knew about their liaison. Of course, if she let it slip to Louisa, she had no doubt that Nicholas would make sure that his friend offered for her. But was that what she wanted? To force Kerrick’s hand? And would he come to hate her for if she did? The thought sat heavy in her belly, creating an almost fathomless pit of despair at the possibility.

  “Catherine, did you hear what I said?”

  Rose’s hand on her arm, shaking her gently, roused her from her thoughts.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, hoping her apologetic smile didn’t appear as empty as it felt.

  “I understand,” Rose said, squeezing her hand before releasing it. “I imagine the thought of Lord Kerrick and me marrying is quite as unpleasant to you as it is to me. That is why we must make sure it will never come to pass.”

  The look of determination on Rose’s face had Catherine afraid to ask what she meant. “And how will we do that?”

  “We must make sure that everyone realizes it is you Lord Kerrick cares for and not me. And if we’re lucky, perhaps we can get him to compromise you.”

  Her words, so close to the thoughts that had just been going through her own mind, had Catherine almost reeling in shock.

  “No, we can’t…”

  “Of course we can. In fact, we must. I’m sure that between the two of us we can manage it.”

  Now that she had decided on a plan of action, Rose was back to being her lighter, carefree self. It was a facade, of course, but it was clear that Rose’s resolution to see her and Kerrick together had filled her with new life. Catherine, on the other hand, was filled with dread at this new turn of events. Kerrick was not going to be happy when he learned of Rose’s plan.

  Chapter Ten

  When Brantford was in town, he made it a point to visit White’s daily to cement his reputation as an idle member of the aristocracy. It also allowed him the opportunity to meet with many of his connections without calling undue attention to himself. Many sought out his company just for the prestige of being seen with him, which meant no one thought it unusual for Kerrick to approach him there.

  Kerrick crossed the sumptuously decorated front room and stopped at the entrance to the salon where Brantford was sprawled in a winged armchair. The other man noticed him right away—there wasn’t much that escaped his attention. With only a casual glance from Brantford, the two men he’d been speaking to rose from their chairs and moved away, allowing Kerrick the privacy he needed for this meeting. He had no idea how Brantford did it, but he’d long since given up trying to guess who was on the payroll of the Home Office and who was merely trying to curry favor with the holder of one of the oldest and wealthiest titles in all of England.

  “Worthington is definitely hiding something,” Kerrick said after taking one of the vacated seats.

  “And good afternoon to you.”

  There was a sharpness to his tone that had Kerrick pausing to examine the other man. Brantford had assumed his usual pose, leaning back in his chair, a half-empty snifter of brandy dangling from his fingers—one that Kerrick knew wouldn’t be refilled—but something was wrong. He couldn’t say how he knew since the other man had always been impossible to read. Today was no different, but somehow he knew that Brantford was not happy to see him.

  “Did I interrupt something important?”

  Brantford raised a brow. “With Bryers and Carlson? Definitely not.”

  Well, this was an interesting occurrence. It wasn’t often that Kerrick was witness to Brantford’s feathers being ruffled. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he made no effort to hide his examination of the other man.

  “Is there something you’d like to share with me?”

  Brantford’s eyes narrowed. It was almost imperceptible, and Kerrick would have missed it if he hadn’t been watching him closely.

  “And here I thought you had information to share with me.”

  The corner of Kerrick’s mouth lifted. “Anything I could possibly have to share with you can wait. What I want to know is why the Unaffected Earl is showing himself to be less than aloof.”

  A hint of something that might have been amusement lit Brantford’s eyes. “Much as I am enjoying this conversation, I fear I have another appointment and must be leaving soon.”

  Kerrick released an exaggerated sigh. “And we were having so much fun bantering.”

  “You were bantering,” Brantford said, his neutral mask once again firmly in place. “I was enduring.”

  “You are, of course, completely correct. I fear I must be losing my touch. It might be best if you found someone else to replace me.”

  “Soon, Kerrick. After you complete this last mission.”

  He sobered at the reminder. That time could not come soon enough for him.

  “At the theater last night I happened to see Worthington returning to his theater box, but he wasn’t himself. He never loses an opportunity to stop and speak to me, but yesterday he brushed by me and was visibly shaken. I think he was returning from a meeting, but I couldn’t identify the person he wa
s speaking to. He was too far away and headed in the opposite direction before melding into the crowd. There were too many people around to attempt to give chase.”

  “Pity,” Brantford said.

  “Yes. I arranged to go riding with Worthington this morning, and when I mentioned it, he was visibly shaken. Tried to say he was speaking to a footman.”

  “So our suspicions about him appear to be correct.”

  “Yes.” He barely refrained from swearing.

  Brantford’s eyes narrowed. “You appear to be upset.”

  Kerrick shrugged. “This won’t end well. If we uncover that Worthington is involved with passing on secrets, his entire family will be ruined. His wife and daughter don’t deserve that.”

  Brantford was silent for an unusually long time. When he spoke, he said simply, “No, I don’t suppose that they do.”

  Kerrick straightened and rested his head against the back of the chair. “I can’t wait to be finished with this whole line of work. I can’t imagine why I ever enjoyed it.”

  “If memory serves, you were quite eager to help your country when I approached you.”

  “I was also young and stupid.”

  “You’ve been a great asset and will be missed.”

  The compliment took him aback. For Brantford, it was almost effusive. He inclined his head and waited, sensing that something of great importance was coming. His instincts were rarely wrong, and they did not fail him now.

  “How is your courtship of Miss Hardwick progressing?”