Enticing the Earl

Mia looked into her mother’s blue eyes and saw nothing but the truth. “Do you think there was a woman who hurt him?”

“No,” she replied quickly and then looked away.

“Could he be afraid of crowds?”

Her mother looked over at her and shrugged. “It would make sense. Although he did go to that ball last month with his mother. Mrs. Littleton’s if I remember correctly.”

She could ask him about that at dinner tonight. Another topic came to her mind. “Mother, is my wardrobe truly not suitable for a countess?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked with a laugh. “I thought we were talking about the earl.”

“Hart wants to buy me new clothing.”

“Of course he does, Mia. You will now represent him and his family when you go out. You must dress the part of the countess.”

“I don’t feel like a countess,” she muttered.

“You aren’t one yet,” her mother reminded her. “Besides, until you start wearing the clothes and attending the parties, you won’t feel like a countess. Look at Selina. When she goes out in public with the duke, she dresses like a duchess. When she is helping her tenants with their ills, she looks no different than she ever did.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Mia still didn’t like the idea of Simon spending money on her when he had so little. Perhaps she still might find another gem behind Mrs. Perkins’s cottage.

“Mr. Tanner, my lord,” Harris said before opening the door enough for the Bow Street runner to enter.

“Good afternoon, Tanner,” Simon said, glancing up from the papers on his desk.

“My lord,” Tanner replied with a quick bow.

“Harris, bring in tea for us.”

“Of course, my lord.” Harris left quietly.

“So what news do you have?” Simon leaned back against the chair. He attempted to look relaxed but inside his nerves were drawn taut.

“You might be correct about Andrew Lambert.”

“How so?”

Tanner opened a journal. “I spoke with Lambert’s brother, the current Viscount Ridgley. Apparently, he has not seen his brother in almost a year. The last time they spoke, Lambert was bemoaning his lack of funds. Ridgley seemed to have no concern that his brother was gambling away his allowance.”

“But that means nothing, Tanner. There are many younger sons with little to no money and gambling issues.” Simon’s brother Charlie was proof of that. “That doesn’t mean they are out to destroy me.”

Tanner smirked. “True, my lord. But do you reme

mber that woman you fought over?”

Simon hated to admit that he didn’t. “Go on.”

“Miss Daphne Caruthers became his wife several years ago.”

Daphne. Now he remembered her. “I’m not sure what his marriage has to do with this.”

“I’m not certain it does. Except when I spoke with her friends, Mrs. Lambert had told them that you had seduced her and she’d been forced to marry Lambert to save her reputation.”

Simon banged his fist on the desk. “That is an absolute lie. I never seduced that woman. She threw herself at me and I understood exactly what she was up to.”

“So she wanted you,” Tanner said quietly.

“No, Tanner.” Simon waited until Tanner looked him in the eyes before continuing, “She wanted any man of rank who would up her station in life. I wasn’t the only man she attempted this with. You can check with the duke if you don’t believe me.”