Intentions of the Earl (30 page)

His amusement ended instantly. He turned his
eyes back to Gateway. “As delightful as this conversation has been,
I think it’s time I return Miss Banks back to her parents.”

Neither Brooke nor Andrew made a move to
stand up, they both waited for Gateway to leave so they could
repair their clothing.

Gateway’s eyes met Brooke’s and said in an
earnest tone, “I will not mention this to anyone.”

Brooke gave a relieved sigh.

Andrew gave him a questioning look, which
Gateway didn’t respond to before he walked away.

They stood and were fixing their clothing
when Brooke whispered, “Do you believe he’ll hold his tongue?”

Andrew stopped buttoning her gown.
“Truthfully, I have no idea. He said he would, and for all his
faults, I’ve never known him to go back on his word.”

Brooke released another sigh of relief.
“Good, I have no idea how I could ever show my face around here
again if he were to tell about my disgrace.”

Andrew bristled next to her. “Would it be
that bad?” he asked bitterly. Not that he planned to marry her, but
once again she was pricking his pride by declaring she didn’t want
to marry him.

“Yes,” she exclaimed. “If it were known I was
found in the woods on a man’s lap with my hair all affright and my
gown in disarray, it would be dreadful. My reputation would be
ruined, my family would have to bear the shame, it would cause my
sisters’ marriage prospects to dwindle, and I cannot imagine what
would happen to Papa if people thought his daughter was a trollop!”
Her tone was laced in real horror.

He decided not to press her any further and
his fingers went back to work on the back of her gown. He was too
busy working up the buttons he didn’t hear anyone approach until he
heard Lady Algen’s voice say, “Good evening, Townson, to whom are
you playing lady’s maid?”

Andrew spun around as quickly as he could and
realized Lady Algen’s position allowed her to see his face and
hands, but blocked Brooke’s turned face. He gave Brooke a light
push and turned to step in between Brooke’s back and Lady Algen’s
view, doing his best to position himself so she couldn't see
Brooke’s face.

“Yes, it is a good evening, Lady Algen. What
brings you out?”

“I was told that there were some sights to
see up in the sky. I didn’t know there would also be some sights to
be seen on the path as well. Who is the young lady?” she inquired
again.

They had just made a narrow escape by getting
Gateway to agree not to say anything. But he knew if Lady Algen
knew Brooke was with him, there would be no chance to save her
reputation. Which is what he wanted wasn’t it? To ruin her
reputation? He glanced over his shoulder and saw she was dressed
for the most part, only a button or two undone on her gown, her
hair was still down with a few twigs in it. It would be easy to
move aside and let Lady Algen see her and get the gossip going. At
least he had saved Brooke the embarrassment of actually being
caught in the act.

No, he decided, he was not going to shame her
that way. He’d have to think of something else. Lady Algen was a
gossip hungry harpy and she’d be all too happy to spread this tale
and probably spice it up a little. There was no way he’d let Brooke
suffer that.

Reaching forward to grab Lady Algen’s arm and
escort her somewhere else, Alex came running up. “Andrew, have you
seen Brooke? We’ve been looking for her for over an hour and nobody
has been able to find her.” His voice filled with serious
concern.

Lady Algen’s eyes lit right up. “I think the
lost has been found,” she said smugly.

Alex looked around owlishly, but when he
looked past Andrew, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets
before he stepped forward and grabbed Brooke’s arm. “What is going
on?” he demanded.

Brooke slowly turned to face Alex, her face
was whiter than a cloud. Andrew could see she was panicking and his
heart dropped to his stomach. How could he have ever thought he
could pull this off?

“Nothing is going on,” Andrew answered
curtly.

Lady Algen snorted. “It doesn’t look like
nothing to me.”

“Madam, your opinion does not concern me,”
Alex snapped at Lady Algen. Turning back to face Andrew and Brooke,
Alex said, “I will have the meaning of this. Now!” His last word
came out as almost a roar.

Andrew didn’t know what to say. Nothing he
could say would resolve the situation, it would likely only make it
worse. He just stared back at Alex and adopted a defensive
stance.

“Brooke, I'll ask you once and only once, did
he force you into this?” Alex asked. His eyes shifted between
Andrew and Brooke as he waited for her answer.

Brooke looked like she was about to crumble
and all Andrew could think was that he wanted to wrap his arms
around her and protect her the way he should have from the
beginning. Now it was too late, and it was all his fault.

“You’re hurting me, Alex,” was all Brooke
said.

Alex let go of her arm and stepped away. “All
right, now that I’m not hurting you, please answer my question. Did
he force himself on you?”

Andrew thought she was going to say yes.
Considering what he'd put her through, he wouldn’t have blamed her
for doing so; but she just shook her head, and quietly said,
“No.”

“Alex, I think we should take this
conversation somewhere a bit more private,” Andrew said with a
glance at Lady Algen.

For the first time, Alex looked at exactly
who was outside with them. With a sharp inhale of breath, he nodded
tersely in agreement with Andrew. “Let’s go inside.”

The small group made their way to the
library. Alex positioned himself to walk between Andrew and Brooke,
Lady Algen followed with a bright and devious smile, probably
thinking of what she'd say when she went back inside and how she'd
write her article for her weekly newspaper column,
Tattle and
Prattle
.

When the library doors opened, Brooke marched
in and took a seat upon the closest settee. Alex went to a chair
and Andrew spun around to face Lady Algen. “Your presence here is
not needed,” he declared loudly.

“I think the young lady is in need of a
chaperone,” she retorted as she tried to hedge herself through the
library doorway.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Andrew said
in a steely tone. “Her cousin is here and he is able to act as her
chaperon.” Before letting her have another second to argue, he
slammed the door as hard as he could right in front of her squinty
face. Knowing Lady Algen wouldn’t let that deter her, he locked the
door and tossed the key on the floor across the room for good
measure.

“Nice display there,” Alex said with a sneer.
“Are you upset you’ve been caught by the biggest gossip or are you
genuinely concerned about how this will affect Brooke?”

Andrew swallowed. “I’m genuinely concerned
for Brooke’s welfare,” he conceded.

“Very well, you shall marry,” Alex stated
matter-of-factly.

“What?” Brooke cried.

“No,” Andrew said sternly.

“No?” Alex echoed. “How dare you say no? You
know as well as I do that in the next fifteen minutes the whole
house will have heard this tale, and her reputation will be
completely destroyed. If you're any type of a gentleman, you’ll do
right by her and marry her.”

“I cannot,” Andrew replied solemnly.

“And why not?” Alex burst out.

Andrew scanned Alex’s face. In all the years
they had known each other the only time he had seen Alex angry was
the other night, but that didn't hold a candle to how angry he was
now.

“I just cannot,” Andrew replied baldly.

Alex sprang out of his chair and stalked over
to where Andrew was, pulled his fist back and punched Andrew in the
right eye. Andrew briefly lost balance, but quickly regained it.
“I’m going to ask you again,” Alex’s voice a low angry hiss, “why
are you refusing to do right by Brooke?”

“I’m in no position to take a wife,” he
answered calmly, belying the storm raging in his eyes.

“If you refer to your lack of funds; that’s
of no account,” Alex replied with his normal nonchalant tone,
coupled with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m certain Brooke
comes with a sizable dowry.”

“I do not,” Brooke shrieked, as she came up
off her settee and joined the men in their argument. “Nor do I
appreciate you two fighting about him having to marry me. He
clearly has no desire to do so.” She shot an accusing look to
Andrew then shifted her gaze to Alex. “Furthermore, I'm not a
possession to be bartered or traded. You have no business trying to
marry me off. I’m not your daughter, you have no authority over
me,” she snapped.

Andrew had to admire her nerve. She had every
right to be angry with both of them; they were essentially planning
her life for her without considering her feelings.

“You’re correct,” Alex allowed. “I'm in no
position to tell you what to do. Perhaps we should wait for your
parents.”

Brooke’s face went pale as she resumed her
seat on the settee. It must have just occurred to her that Lady
Algen was running the rumor mill in the drawing room and her
parents would shortly join their small party in the library. She
sat back and stared straight ahead with a blank look on her
face.

Andrew felt lower than he ever remembered
feeling. How could he have let this go on so long? How was he ever
going to be able to finish it? The look of hurt on Brooke’s face
was enough to almost make him crack. But then he remembered how she
reacted when they were found by Gateway outside and her relief when
he said he wouldn’t tell anyone, thus eliminating Brooke’s ruined
reputation and hasty marriage to him.

Lost in his own thoughts, Andrew didn’t
register the shaking of the door handles. He didn’t snap out of it
until he heard Alex say, “And here is the moment you’ve both been
waiting for.”

Andrew watched Alex grab the key from the
floor and unlock the door.

In stormed Brooke’s parents, Lady Algen hot
on their heels. Nothing on earth would make Andrew allow that woman
in the library, and without preamble, he slammed the door in her
face again.

“You’re nothing but a no-good scoundrel!”
John blustered as soon as the library door was shut.

Carolina took a seat next to Brooke on the
settee and tried to comfort her, casting a scathing eye to Andrew.
“Are you all right, darling?” she cooed in Brooke’s ear.

“Yes, Mama,” Brooke said brokenly.

Andrew’s heart twisted yet again. Her eyes
were full of tears but she looked determined not to let them fall.
She was being so brave in the face of ruination. All of which had
come to her at his hands.

“When is the wedding?” Carolina demanded of
Andrew.

All eyes turned to him. Carolina’s full of
concern, John’s were angry, Alex’s taunting as if to say, “I told
you so”; he could handle all those, but the ones that tormented him
the most were Brooke’s. Her eyes that were normally full of
laughter and amusement looked shuttered and sad.

“There will not be a wedding,” Andrew
declared in his most superior voice.

There was a moment of silence before Brooke
said, “You see, Lord Townson has no desire to marry me, and I share
the feeling.” Her voice was steady and smooth and she lifted her
chin a notch, attempting to show everyone she was satisfied with
that conclusion.

“I will not accept that,” John burst out. He
marched right up to Andrew. “How dare you? Do you think she is not
good enough for you, is that it? She’s only good enough to provide
you with an evening’s entertainment in the bushes, but not to be
your wife?”

“Papa, please,” Brooke begged, her face
flaming red with embarrassment.

John whirled around. “Brooklyn, if you know
what’s best for you, you will not interfere in this. This man,” he
shouted, pointing an accusing finger toward Andrew, “has
singlehandedly ruined your reputation and you're asking me to just
let it all go. Think again, Brooklyn. I am not leaving this room
until there is a wedding date.”

“I cannot do that, sir,” Andrew said
politely.

“Why the blazes not?” John demanded.

“Currently, I cannot afford to give Brooke
the life she deserves,” Andrew admitted, though it killed his pride
to do so. What else could he say?
“I’m sorry, sir, I cannot
marry your daughter because I made an agreement with a duke that
I’d ruin her and drive your family away in order to get my estate
back”
That answer would not go over well.

“Pish posh,” Carolina said, her face had
taken on a more relaxed, almost excited look. “Brooke comes with a
five thousand pound dowry.”

Andrew ground his teeth. How could they
dismiss his lack of money so easily? Was this just their way of
keeping scandal at bay, or was it his title?

“Just think you will be a countess. My
daughter a countess,” Carolina exclaimed with a happy clap of her
hands.

Her words felt like another punch in the gut.
Earlier, Brooke seemed reluctant to marry him at all and now her
family was pressing her to do so for the title of countess. It
always seemed amazing to him what his title could gain him, and in
this case, an heiress was his prize for being born heir to an
earldom.

Fighting to keep the bile from rising up his
throat, he said, “Madam, my title is not for sale. A title neither
makes a man nor a husband.”

“You’ve already demonstrated that this
evening,” John growled. “You have no integrity or morals that a
gentleman of your rank should possess. If you had, you would not
resort to seducing innocent girls in the woodwork. Instead, you
would ask for their hand in marriage and keep your pants buttoned
up in the meantime.”

“John!” Carolina shrieked. “That is a vulgar
thing to say.”

Shame washed over Andrew. It was nothing less
than he deserved to be accused of being a blackguard and a cad; but
to embarrass Brooke that way was unfair to her, and he wasn’t going
to have it. “Sir, I demand you apologize to your daughter for that
unkind and unfair statement,” he demanded of John.