Enticing the Earl

“To give you the money. I felt dreadful when I saw your books. If I had given you the gold I found in the first place, you might be in a better position.”

He didn’t want Mia, or anyone else, pitying him. His trust of Burton had caused this problem and a few small pieces of gold wouldn’t have helped much. Had she come to him a year ago, he would have told her to keep it and do whatever she wanted with the money. All he’d ever wanted was for her to be happy. And yet, sitting across from him, she looked anything but happy.

“Is there more you need to tell me, Mia?”

She frowned as she stared at her empty snifter. “Davies let me go tonight without a fight. He knew I was staying here. I just don’t understand why he did that. Surely, he must have known I would tell you.”

“Perhaps he thought you wouldn’t because of what you’d just told me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did he know that you hadn’t told me about the gold?”

Realization dawned slowly on her face. “Of course. He thought you would be so consumed with anger directed at me, you wouldn’t think of going out there tonight.”

“Exactly.” He rose and held out his hand. “Do you feel like a ride tonight?”

Her mouth gaped. “You would let me go with you?”

“As long as you have a pistol and knife.” Simon savored the warmth of her hand in his as she rose out of her chair. “You are the only one who can identify the man.”

She kissed him softly. “Thank you.”

“And be careful,” he said with a pointed look at her stomach.

“I am not so far along that riding would be an issue.”

“I will have the horses saddled.” He walked away from her and wondered if taking her with him was the best option. He assumed Davies was alone... but what if he wasn’t? Perhaps he had several accomplices with him that Mia hadn’t seen. Taking her with him might be dangerous but she could recognize the man. And Simon wanted her to see Davies brought to justice. She deserved that.

Just to be safe, he asked a few of the footmen to follow at a distance. He’d be damned if he let anything happen to her now. Returning to the study, he told her about the footmen.

“That is a very good idea. I never thought there might be more people than Davies involved.”

“One last thing,” he said slowly. “If I tell you to return to the house, you will do it without question.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“Thank you.”

As they rode toward Mrs. Perkins’s house, Mia’s body quaked with fear. She hated feeling this way. Simon was with her and so were four footmen. There was no logical reason for her to feel frightened, except her rib ached from the ride, reminding her what Davies could do when provoked. She

couldn’t let anything happen to Simon.

With her guard up, she scanned the darkness for any sign of movement. Simon held up his hand as they drew closer to Mrs. Perkins’s cottage.

“We will leave the horses here and proceed on foot.”

She nodded and then climbed down. One of the stable boys took all the horses to a small copse of trees far enough away that Davies wouldn’t hear them. They walked slowly toward the house with only a sliver of moonlight guiding them tonight. Simon didn’t want to take torches so he could surprise Davies.

But as they drew closer, Mia realized that there was no light from the back garden. Davies would need some torch or even a candle to dig by at this hour. Disappointment sagged her shoulders. “He’s not here,” she whispered.

“I know.”

They walked to the garden where several holes had been dug and not even covered up again. Simon seemed to take everything in before saying, “Mia, I want you to return with Johnny. I will follow you presently. I want to take the boys a little farther into the woods and it’s not safe.”

“But I—” Mia stopped abruptly as Simon pulled her up against his chest.

“You said you would do exactly as I’d said. Now go.”