My Brown-Eyed Earl (21 page)

“The risk we could be discovered. It's very important,” she said slowly, “that no one knows about … us. I won't bring shame upon my sisters and uncle.”

“Of course you won't.”

“I'm quite serious. A mere whisper of scandal could spoil Beth's and Julie's chances to marry well.”

“I understand.” He pressed his lips to hers, pouring everything he couldn't say into the kiss.
I'm not going to hurt you. I want you for mine, always. Prove to me that this can work.

When he pulled away, she looked up at him, her eyes dazed and lips swollen. “You are a very shrewd negotiator, Lord Castleton, to convince me to attend a dinner party.”

“And you are a fine negotiator yourself, Miss Lacey.”

When she leaned in for another kiss, her blanket fell away, and their bodies came together. His hands found her breasts, then cupped the sweet curves of her bottom. Damn if he wasn't hard and ready to bury himself in her again.

“Oh,” she said, breaking off the kiss. “I almost forgot. I wanted to tell you something, too.”

“Can it wait?” God, she smelled good. He lowered his head, intent on kissing a trail down her belly, all the way to—

“No.” She raised his head by the chin. “It cannot.”

Damn
. “You sounded very much like a governess, just then,” he said sullenly.

“I've been practicing.” As if she realized she did not have his full attention, she pulled the blanket up to cover herself once more.

Reluctantly, he resigned himself to more conversation. But the sooner they finished, the sooner he could lay her back, spread her legs, and—

“It actually concerns the twins,” she said, effectively dousing him with cold water.

“The twins? They seemed well enough this evening. Diana's apology was charming.”

“She was very contrite about the tantrum. Afterward, I inquired whether there was any other reason for the outburst, beyond hunger.”

“Was there?” He scratched his head. “Let me guess. She and Valerie had a quarrel.”

“No.” Meg sighed. “I wish it were that simple. Diana confessed that she misses her mother. Valerie does, too.”

Will dragged his hands down his face. Of
course
six-year-old girls would miss their mother. “I should have known. In the space of a fortnight, their little lives have been turned upside down.”

“Don't blame yourself. The girls are fortunate to have a guardian like you,” she said. “But new dresses, trips to the park, and even ice cream can't heal the wounds of being abandoned by a parent.”

“No.” He knew the feeling. Not that his father had ever left him on a relative's doorstep, but there was more than one way to abandon a child.

“Two nights ago, when we couldn't find Diana, she wasn't only looking for rocks.”

His heart sank. “She was trying to find her way home?”

Meg nodded. “When she left the house, she meant to collect some pebbles, but once she began walking, she thought she would see if she could navigate her way back to her mother's.”

Will's chest squeezed. “The poor mite. Lila, my cousin's mistress, lives at least five miles away—in Hackney. Diana never would have made it.”

Meg bit her lip, hesitant. “I haven't mentioned anything to the girls, but I thought that perhaps … perhaps we could arrange for them to have a visit with their mother.” Meg nestled her hand in the crook of his arm. “What do you think?”

“A mother who can't be bothered to care for her children and who threatens to leave them in an orphanage doesn't deserve to see them. I doubt Lila has a single maternal bone in her body.”

Meg tilted her head, thoughtful. “That is possible, but it's more likely she simply isn't herself. She could still be grieving for Thomas.”

At the mention of Thomas, Will felt the familiar hollow ache in his chest. He let it fill with anger. “It's been six months since he died. And I don't think Lila ever grieved for him. He left her a generous yearly allowance—more than enough to care for her and the girls—but she didn't think she should be required to spend any part of that sum on her daughters.”

And that was not the whole of the story. On the day that Lila arrived on his doorstep with the girls, she'd demanded an exorbitant amount from him, saying that it was the least he could do for the girls, who were Thomas's own flesh and blood. Will had refused, for two reasons. First, he would wager his last shilling that she had no intention of using the money to care for the girls. Second, he assumed she was bluffing—that she would never actually leave behind her young twin daughters.

She had not been bluffing.

“That's awful.”

“Agreed.” As far as Will was concerned, she should be in prison. “Trust me—she doesn't deserve to see them.”

“I'm sure you're correct,” Meg said softly. “But maybe Valerie and Diana deserve to see
her
.”

Will stroked his jaw as he considered this—and the anger drained out of him. Meg was right.

Still, the idea didn't sit well. “A visit could be quite distressing for the twins. If they were to spend an afternoon with their mother, they'd be reminded of all the things they're missing. They'd want to go home.”

“I imagine they would. The question is, would Lila let them?”

He snorted. “She would, if it served her own selfish purposes.”

But Will did not feel nearly as cavalier as he sounded. The girls
should
be with their mother, but what if she wasn't fit to raise them? In the space of a few short weeks, he'd come to care for the girls—more than he'd ever admit.

“I know you want to protect the girls,” Meg said, smiling. “You might even like them a little bit.”

“Heathens.”

“Yes, well. They're adorable nonetheless. And they happen to like you, too. Diana was terrified that you'd never forgive her for her outburst.”

Will winced. “I don't want the girls to ever be terrified of me.” Like he'd been terrified of his father.

Meg squeezed his arm. “I only meant that your opinion matters greatly to her. You can be rather intimidating, but I think both she and Valerie know that your bark is worse than your bite.”

Attempting a scowl, he said, “Do I intimidate
you
, vixen?”

“Not at all,” she said, tossing her hair over her smooth, bare shoulder.

He grinned. “Damn.”

“Will you write to Lila, then? And invite her to visit?”

Something in his gut told him that a visit was ill-advised. But Meg's hazel eyes looked so eager and hopeful that it was impossible to deny her.

“I will contact her and extend an invitation,” he said. “But I don't think we should say anything to the girls about it just yet. If she declines, it could well devastate them.”

“Thank you.” She slipped her arms about his neck and nuzzled his cheek.

“You know, if Lila does deign to make an appearance, it will complicate everything. The girls could have some difficult decisions to make.”

“That is true. But at least the decision will be theirs. They are strong.”

“I confess I never really stopped to think how much they've been through in the past several months. They lost their father, were abandoned by their mother, and were uprooted from their home.” He kissed the top of Meg's head. “I guess you can empathize with them better than anyone.”

Meg nodded. “I was fortunate to have my sisters, and Diana and Valerie are lucky to have each other. They're going to be fine. We
all
are,” she said with a yawn.

As long as Meg's sweetly curved body was pressed against his side, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. But he supposed he could let her rest a little while before they enjoyed each other again.

He turned down the lamp and held her close, wishing he felt as optimistic as she. But he couldn't stop worrying about Lila, the twins, and the man who'd interrogated Marina … and about how they might all be connected.

 

Chapter
TWENTY-TWO

 

Meg sat on a blanket in the shade of a tree, across from Charlotte. They'd decided to meet at Hyde Park once more so that the twins could play with Abigail. Harry—the footman Will had designated as their bodyguard—played on the lawn with the three girls, showing them how to roll a hoop to each other. When Harry tossed the hoop into the air, spun on his boot heel, and caught the hoop in one hand, the girls squealed with delight.

It was good to hear them laugh. And after the momentous night she'd spent with Will, Meg had simply had to escape the house. It wasn't that she regretted her actions, but more that she required time and space to determine what it had all meant. She rather thought she knew what the night had meant to
her
, but what, precisely, had it meant to Will?

And while Meg had no intention of discussing last night's events with her friend, they had many other topics to cover—not the least of which was the impending dinner party.

“I wondered if I might borrow one of your gowns.”

Charlotte smiled at Meg's question, not bothering to hide her surprise. “Of course you may borrow a dress—any time you wish.” She leaned forward, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. “May I ask what the occasion is?”

“Will, er, Lord Castleton is hosting a dinner party on Thursday. He intends to invite you and Lord Torrington as well.”

Charlotte pressed a hand to her chest. “
Me
? How very odd.”

Meg shrugged innocently. “The earl and Lord Torrington are good friends, as you know. Perhaps Lord Torrington suggested it.”

“That is possible.” Charlotte cast a sideways glance at her. “Were
you
surprised to receive an invitation?”

“I was,” Meg said truthfully. “I suppose he needed me in order to even out the numbers,” she added, less truthfully.

“Whatever the reason, I am delighted.” Charlotte tapped a slender finger to her cheek and let her assessing gaze rove over Meg, from head to toe. “I'm thinking the green silk for you. It will look lovely with your eyes.”

Meg shook her head vigorously. “No. That's too elegant. I don't require anything so fancy—just something a bit more suitable than…” She looked down at her plain brown dress and let it finish her sentence for her.

The sole reason she'd decided to borrow a gown at all was so that she wouldn't embarrass Will. Of course, no one at the dinner party would know they were involved, but appearances mattered to him. Besides, facing Lady Castleton and Lady Rebecca would be slightly easier if she wore a pretty dress—a sort of armor against their cruel barbs and critical stares.

“What about my blue muslin? It's more of a day gown, but very flattering. And we could switch out the blue sash with white satin to dress it up a bit.”

Meg wanted to hug Charlotte but settled for squeezing her hand. “That sounds perfect. I don't know how to thank you.”

“Don't be silly. Seeing you in it will be thanks enough. I'll ask a footman to deliver it to you tomorrow. Imagine—
us
, at a dinner party together. What great fun!”

Charlotte's enthusiasm could not quite overcome Meg's dread, but she did feel better knowing that her friend would be there. The epitome of grace and beauty, Charlotte handled social situations with the ease of a duchess. Even Lady Castleton would be hard-pressed to find a flaw in Charlotte's manners.

They watched the girls chase the hoop across the lawn, cheering when they caught it before it slowed and toppled. Meg sighed, feeling lighter than she had in days. Maybe even years.

Charlotte reached into her basket and offered Meg an apple.

“Thank you.” She bit into it, laughing when juice trickled down her chin.

“May I ask you something?” Charlotte spoke softly, sounding alarms in Meg's head.

She choked down the bite of apple. “Of course.”

“Why did you inquire about the earl's ex-mistress yesterday? Did she visit Castleton House? Or confront you somewhere else?”

“No. We've not met.” Meg didn't like being circumspect with her friend, but it was hard to discuss Marina without revealing her feelings for Will—feelings that she herself was still trying to sort out. “I happened to overhear the name and was curious. Thank you for answering me so quickly.”

“You know you can count on me, no matter what you need.” As though Charlotte sensed that Meg wished to change the subject, she added, “Which reminds me … how are the plans for Uncle Alistair's ball progressing?”

Dear God. At the mere mention of the word ball, panic surged through Meg. “It's not a
ball
so much as … a
soiree
.”

Charlotte arched a skeptical brow. “I see.”

“In any event, I cannot think of that looming debacle right now. First, I must survive the dinner party.” And the next few weeks of governessing. With a little luck, perhaps the twins would have their wish and be reunited with their mother … and then she could return home in time to rein in Uncle Alistair's plans.

Maybe once she'd dealt with all
those
problems she could figure out where she stood with Will and whether they had any sort of a future together.

“I feel obliged to point out,” Charlotte said teasingly, “that most young ladies look forward to dinner parties. And in our case, we happen to know that at least two handsome men will be in attendance.”

Meg rolled her eyes. “Catching the eye of a handsome man is far too lofty a goal for me. I am merely trying to survive the evening without embarrassing myself.”

Charlotte tossed her pretty dark curls and grinned. “How positively boring.”

“Oh, I doubt it will be that.”

*   *   *