Enticing the Earl

“Mia, I’m exhausted. Can’t it wait until morning?” He covered a yawn.

“No.”

“Very well.” He walked into her bedroom and smiled. “I doubt you can be finished with your monthlies already so why am I here?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “This is far more important than sexual congress.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He eyed her dressing gown.

“Come over to the bed.”

“You call me into your room at one in the morning and ask me to come to your bed but this isn’t about making love?”

“No.” She pulled back the coverlet to expose the white cotton sheet. Then she grabbed the velvet pouch Selina had given her and dumped the coins onto the bed with a jangle. “Remember I told you about that emerald I had asked Selina to pawn?”

“You received that much money for an emerald?”

“According to Mr. Hertzog, a jeweler in London, that emerald was very rare. And very old. And he would be willing to look at anything else we might find buried near Mrs. Perkins’s cottage.”

Simon fell on to the bed and counted the coins. “When you said you found a small emerald, I never expected a fortune for it. This will pay for many of the upcoming expenses.”

Mia knelt on the bed next to him. “Simon, if we dig some more we might find a few more items. Mr. Hertzog believes it might have been a battle site or maybe a place where they camped. It was suggested that we check your family history to see when they were given the title and if there was a significant reason for the earldom.”

“It’s quite possible. My father never really spoke of our history but I’m sure it’s there in some of the books.”

“I found two that I was looking through when Charlie arrived. One was an ancient journal from the early thirteen hundreds and the other a family Bible that lists the lineage.”

“We should be able to find the original patent of nobility around here somewhere.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Mia suddenly felt completely awake and ready to search the library. “Do you think it would be in the library?”

“That’s the most likely spot,” he said with a yawn. He lay back down against the pillow. “We can search tomorrow.”

“But tomorrow we need to start digging.”

“Tomorrow the dressmaker is coming to size you. Then we shall figure out a plan.”

“But we must dig. Davies already knows the spot and we don’t want him taking what is rightfully yours.”

“Ours,” he said with his eyes closed. “I believe I should sleep here tonight. Your bed is more comfortable than mine.”

Mia shook her head. “No, we haven’t announced to the servants that we are engaged.”

“Trust me, they know everything.” He yawned again. “Good night.”

“No, you can’t sleep here.” Mia scrambled off the bed and attempted to pull him up.

“Take off my boots.”

“Simon, you must leave.”

“I will after you remove my boots. My feet hurt.”

“You are incorrigible.” But she moved to his feet and yanked his boots off. “Now, they’re off so come along.” She attempted to pull him off the bed again but the stubborn mule wouldn’t move. “Simon!”

“Now my jacket.”

“No.” He was only making himself more comfortable and she would have no part of that. “Simon, get out of my bed now.”