After The Storm (4 page)

“Oh, I think our country shops do very well.” Jenny
laughed and they both turned towards the newcomer who had just been
announced. Jenny gasped as her hand went to her heart!

The Earl of Danfield? What did Cully, their butler,
mean, the Earl of Danfield? And why was Father marching right up to
him and shaking the devil’s hand?

Horrified, she lost all ability to speak as her
father led the blue-eyed scoundrel right up to her and said,
“Darling, I am very pleased to present the earl to you.”

When he turned back to the blue-eyed blackguard and
joyfully introduced her, the earl dared to reply, “I believe,
Squire, that your daughter and I have already had the
pleasure
of a previous meeting.”

Jennifer Ashley’s outrage surged through her body,
and she felt the heat enter her cheeks. That she should have to
suffer an introduction to the rogue, by her own father no less, was
quite intolerable. That added to this horror was the fact that the
blackguard had ungallantly referred to his earlier behavior with a
chuckle was beyond …
just beyond
. She stifled the choke
that formed in her throat and with her father happily looking on,
could only direct a militant stare as she said, “Yes, we met quite
by … er …
accident
this afternoon.”

“Really?” her father replied in surprise. “Well,
well.”

Her father looked a bit taken aback but was then
doing the polite once more by introducing Lavina to the earl. This
done, her father continued to keep up a few more idle but pleasant
absurdities before Jenny was able to politely excuse herself, take
her friend’s hand, and lead her to the opposite side of the
room.

Lavvy then kept her busy with her tales of London
routs, men, fashion, and the Prince Regent.

“Dearest Lavvy,” Jenny said when Lavina paused for
breath, “you are such a breath of fresh air. How could you be
anything but a great success in your debutante season!”

They were soon led to the dining room for the
evening’s meal, and it was with some relief that Jenny saw the earl
seated at the far end. At least she had been spared the gruesome
necessity of making the ‘polite’ with him during dinner. However,
she realized with a grimace that his gaze found hers more than
once, and she wondered what had made her even look his way. Perhaps
she had felt him staring!

After dinner, she chatted with her father’s friends
and watched the earl flirt outrageously with Lavina.

How dare he! He was a cad, and what the deuce was he
doing here in the country at a mere squire’s dinner party? Kissing
strangers one moment, flirting with innocents the next—well, Lavvy
was not quite an innocent but an outrageous flirt herself; she
always had been, and this thought made Jenny smile to herself. She
had been so overset this past year, she had forgotten the fun she
and Lavvy had always had growing up.

Eventually, the ladies withdrew, leaving the men to
linger over their port, and Lavvy found her attention called around
by Aunt Beth.

Grateful for a moment alone, Jenny wandered off,
opening the great glass doors that led into the rose garden. She
stepped onto the stone walkway and smiled to breathe the delicious
but cool summer air. The strong scent of the roses brought to her
by the breeze made her close her eyes and breathe deeply.

A deep and husky male voice beside her caused her to
open her eyes with a start, and Jenny once again found herself
looking up and into a pair of twinkling blue eyes. Why did it seem
that he was always laughing, she wondered. No, not laughing;
mocking
was a better word.

One careless black lock fell across his forehead as
he bowed and insolently said, “Should I apologize to you, Miss
Ashley? For in truth, I had no idea you were the squire’s daughter
when I came across you this afternoon.”

“What difference does that make, my lord?” she
snapped at him.

He smirked. “A world of difference, my dear. I
thought you were, and perhaps I should apologize for that as well,
a serving girl, a mere country wench, though a very beautiful one.
Do you always run across fields and jump over fences
unaccompanied?” he said, his bright eyes glittering.

“Yes, yes, I do, because our country gentlemen are
just that, gentlemen, and would never stoop so low as to take
advantage of a girl simply because she was alone or because they
thought her a servant!”

“
Touché
,” he said with an inclination of his
head. He eyed her for a moment and added, “This grows
interesting.”

This incensed her. “You think it a jest? You think
just because someone is not of your own class, you have the right
to take what you want—be disrespectful? I find that way of thinking
insufferable, my lord. If you had ranted at me for causing your
horse to rear, it would have been well deserved, for I had no
business jumping into the road without paying attention … but
I had to get past my skirts, you see—well, never mind that. You had
no right to force a kiss on a defenseless female, regardless of her
status!”

The Earl of Danfield’s sensitive lips quivered. “Aah,
but you were not quite so defenseless—were you? In fact, I rather
think I am the injured party. You left me sporting a bruise I had
to explain away to my valet so that he would not think me both a
scoundrel and a weakling bested by a country maid.” The grave tone
of his voice did not tally with the merriment in his eyes, and
Jenny stomped her foot at him.

Even as she brought her finger up to wag in his face,
her sense of humor got the better of her. She had always been
willing to laugh, even when a joke had been poked at her expense.
It was as though a bubble had built up inside of her as she began
to appreciate the absurdity of their conversation, and although she
controlled the mirth demanding release, she couldn’t keep the smile
from her face. “Well, my lord, you certainly did deserve it, at
least admit that!”

“I will admit nothing of the sort, my beauty. Not if
you do not admit to having deserved that kiss,” he said on a low
note.

Once again indignation surged through her. “You are
flippant. Do you mean to tell me that anything, anything at all
that I did led you to believe I invited such action?” She hadn’t
realized she was capable of such strong emotion. She had thought
emotion had died with John.

The earl threw back his head with his rollicking
laugh. After he had collected himself he said lightly, “No, child,
it was that or a spanking, for I was in a fury at that moment. I do
most humbly beg your pardon for, shall we allow it to be
called …
taking advantage
of you.”

“Oh, yes, do let us avoid quibbling. Let us most
emphatically say, taking advantage, and be done,” said the lady
militantly, “for I tell you frankly, my lord, you do not at all
appear sorry!”

“I cannot in truth say I regret the action I took,”
answered the earl with a grin.

Jenny’s lips parted, but unable to find a suitable
retort, she settled the matter by glaring at him.

“Do you know that when you are angry, your very green
eyes take on a fire?” he said softly.

Jenny could not stop herself. It was unladylike. It
was poor manners at the very least. He was a guest in her father’s
home, her home, but she couldn’t stop herself as she stomped her
foot and put her hands to her hips. She then picked up the skirts
of her blue velvet and decided it was time to dismiss him. She did
this with a glare but discovered an odd reluctance to quit their
banter. She did, however, do just that.

* * *

The Earl of Danfield watched her turn on her elegant
heel, throw the folds of her gown behind her, and then, in a most
unladylike manner, stalk off.

A slow smile crept over his countenance, and he found
himself chuckling as he stood and watched her dive into
conversation with her friend.

He meandered about, conversing and enjoying himself
with the squire’s friends, but found himself glancing her way. When
their eyes met and locked, he was astonished to find his immediate
and physical reaction to her was a hard-on. She wasn’t behaving
flirtatiously. She wasn’t giving him a sensual look, and yet he was
hot as Hades for her.

He turned away and cursed himself as he tried to
control his thoughts, but his thoughts wandered, his glance shifted
over her body, and hunger infiltrated his blood.

He was nearly twenty-nine years old. He was
experienced, perhaps too experienced, and he certainly never
allowed his sexual desires to govern his actions. He decided not to
look her way again and instead took to flirting with the dowagers
and the married ladies. He totally avoided glancing at her for some
time.

* * *

Lavvy and Jenny finally found a quiet corner and fell
into a comfortable conversation.

Lavvy squeezed her hand and said, “You know, rather
than avoid talking about it and have it hang over us, let me just
say, Jenny how much I grieved for you. Johnny was my friend
too—indeed, we were all so close. I had no wish to intrude on you
when you first came home to Devon, as I knew nothing I could have
said would have helped.” She squeezed Jenny’s hand. “And, Jen, you
made it very clear that you had no wish for company, so I stayed
away and respected your need for solitude. However, I am no longer
willing to do that. I want you in Brighton with me. We leave next
week, and, oh, Jen, what a season we will have together.” She
clucked her tongue. “You became engaged and entered society as
Johnny’s fiancée, not a debutante. Now … oh, Jen, I shall risk
immodesty by saying, yes, I have made a hit, but you … you
will be declared ‘The Incomparable!’.”

“Nonsense, Lavvy,” Jenny scoffed. “What absurdity is
this?”

“You have never been aware of your looks. Why, your
hair—it quite puts my own yellow locks in the shade—”

“Gammon!” Jenny cut her off and laughed. “My hair is
brown, just dark brown.”

Her friend shook her head. “Jenny, every movement you
make captures the gold streaks in your hair. So very unique, and
then your eyes … oh, such green, and your lashes so dark.
Jenny you can have anyone you want,” Lavina said admiringly.

Jenny sighed. “Lavvy … I don’t want anyone.”

“Stop. You are just twenty years old. Don’t you dare
think you are not entitled to a life!” Lavvy shook her head.
“Indeed, my girl, even Danfield here, who could have anyone he
wants, seems enraptured with you. I have noted that he can scarcely
keep his eyes off you.” Lavvy smiled ruefully. “You would never
listen to anyone except Johnny, and all he would ever say was that
you were a
pretty enough pea goose.
”

Jenny smiled and tried to hear her Johnny’s voice
saying just that. She frowned, for although she heard the words,
his voice had somehow faded. “Lavvy, why is the earl here in our
little country village?”

“Ah,” Lavina said, looking around and then lowering
her voice. “’Tis the most amusing thing. My mother thinks he is
here for the express purpose of offering for me. Imagine that? We
have only just met this evening, you know. And I never thought to
marry a stranger, but he is every so handsome, and they say when he
inherits, he will be richer than Midas.”

This shocked Jenny into sitting straight up and
exclaiming, “What? Never say so! He is here to offer for your
hand?” She found this more disturbing than she should, and puzzled
over it for a fraction of a moment before dismissing it.

Lavina gave her an arched look. “Well, after all, I
am not such a bad catch, and in fact, Mama thinks me a wonderful
match for the earl.”

Jenny frowned. “No, Lavvy, you misunderstand. I don’t
think the earl good enough for
you!
”

Lavina shrugged. “Well, as to that, he is considered
by most to be the biggest marriage prize on the market that ever
was. Just look at him—handsome, sophisticated, an earl—and as I
said, he will be rich when he comes into his inheritance. He
wouldn’t be here but for the fact that he needs to be because of
the will his father left.”

“I don’t quite understand what you are saying. He is
here for his inheritance?”

Lavina laughed. “Not exactly, but in a way. You see,
the earl must marry if he is to inherit. Apparently there is this
thing called
entails
, and it means in his case that he
cannot get his hands on his fortune until he takes a wife, and he
must do so before he turns twenty-nine, which he is getting close
to doing.”

“Faith!” exclaimed Jenny, diverted by this into
glancing his way—and what must he do but look towards her just at
that moment. Their gazes locked, and he inclined his head, bold
blue eyes twinkling at her. She did not acknowledge him but
immediately turned away. Why did he affect her so
overwhelmingly?

“Shocking business, but there you are, and Mama says
marriages of convenience are arranged all the time.” She sighed. “I
know when we were younger you used to say you would never marry for
anything but love and to be forced into a marriage of convenience
must be horrid.” She put a finger to her lips. “But I have been
thinking that if one’s interests are not engaged elsewhere … a
girl could do worse than to marry the Earl of Danfield, even for
convenience.” She giggled, and Jenny gave her a small slap to her
lacey gloved hand.

“Lavvy—I know you jest!”

“Perhaps in part, perhaps not,” she said, frowning.
“The thing is Papa says that the earl is here looking for a bride,
and Mama says that she heard his sister advised him that she
thought I would be a perfect match for him. The odd thing is he has
made no push to engage my interest, in fact, quite the opposite. So
if that truly is his purpose, he is going about it in a very odd
manner.”

“But
you
, Lavvy—would you accept such an
arrangement?”

Again Lavvy shrugged. “If it meant that I would be
free to enjoy myself, discreetly of course, elsewhere and with
whomever I chose—why not?”