Enticing the Earl

“As you wish. I will notify Miss Featherstone that she will dine alone.”

Dammit, he couldn’t do that to her after being gone all day. “Never mind, Harris. I shall dine with her but I must bathe first.”

Simon could have sworn he saw Harris’s lips twitch.

“As you wish, my lord. I will speak to the footmen about the bath.” Harris walked down the corridor with Simon’s damp coat over his arm.

Simon walked up to his bedchamber and removed his wet clothes. After wrapping a dressing gown around him, he strolled to the brandy he kept in the salon of his bedchamber. The footmen brought in the tub and steaming water as he sipped his brandy. He’d thought about what Mia said all day. The house was feeling like a prison to both of them. Even just the few hours out of the house had felt wonderful. Tomorrow, weather permitting, they would get out of the house together.

Once the footmen left, he sank into the steaming tub and let the heated water warm his tired body. Not wanting to let Mia wait for too long for him, he quickly washed and dressed. He sipped the last of his brandy and headed for the library.

He could hear the infectious sound of Mia’s laughter as he walked down the hall. He’d not been informed of any visitors. What the devil was making her giggle like a schoolgirl? He stood at the threshold and took in the room.

Mia sat on the sofa, an open book on her lap, across from her Charlie lounged in the chair loo

king as if he’d been there for hours. Why was his rake of a brother in his library, flirting with his betrothed?

“Simon!” Charlie exclaimed. “About damn time you greeted me.”

“Charlie, what the—Why are you here?”

Charlie rose and greeted his brother with a hug. Simon felt his frustration growing. Charlie rarely visited Hartsfield Park, unless something was wrong. Usually, a great loss at the gaming hells.

“What is wrong?”

Charlie pulled away with a slight frown. “Why does something have to be wrong for me to visit my eldest brother?”

“Because you never come out here unless you need money or Mother insists.

Charlie turned away and grabbed his glass of sherry from the rosewood table. “Well, this time it’s not either of those that brought me here.”

“Miss Featherstone, would you give me and my brother a few moments alone?”

“She doesn’t need to leave,” Charlie said with a laugh. “Although, I would love to know why our wise woman is dining with you? And why there is no proper chaperone for her.”

Not that she needed a chaperone. Her position as a wise woman left her in a strange social status. She was well educated even if that schooling came from her father. Many people would consider her on par with a governess, while others would consider her nothing but a country peasant.

The word of their engagement would spread like a wildfire once Simon told Charlie, but there was nothing Simon could do about that. “Miss Featherstone and I are to marry on Wednesday.”

“Wednesday?” Both Charlie and Mia said together.

Charlie stared at him and then moved his gaze to Mia. “It’s about bloody well time.”

“What are you talking about, Charlie?” Mia asked.

“It’s common knowledge that Simon is—”

“That I need to marry and have an heir,” Simon interrupted. Was it possible that Charlie knew how he felt about Mia?

“Oh,” Mia said softly.

Charlie cleared his throat. “Well, congratulations to both of you. As long as I’m here, I shall stay for the wedding.”

Mia gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, she removed her hand and said, “I hadn’t thought about it until now but we can’t marry without your family being here.”

“Yes, we can,” Simon said harshly, knowing what his mother would say about the union. According to her, the only way out of his financial spot was to marry a wealthy bride. He doubted either Caroline or James would mind if he married Mia. In fact, Caroline always spoke well of her.

“Dinner is ready,” Harris announced from the threshold.