The Lady and the Earl (3 page)

“Perhaps if you were
n’
t
so
pleasant
to the young
e
r men and you flirted a little more with the older ones, things might be different.  I would be the one dancing with the—how did you put it—the
young fools
instead of you,” Allana replied smartly
, flashing a mischievous smile
. 

Allana
hadn’t
always been the one the men sought after.  It wasn’t even until
the past year
that any of them really began noticing her at all
. 
She’d
been rather wild as a child after all.  Well,
perhaps more than wild.  She’
d never been interested in the ways of women,
dressing as boys did and acting the part as well.  She
was
raised by her father and older brother, neither of which had ever thought it necessary to have a woman present in Allana’s life. 
When Allana was
ten
,
her father
re
married
a woman from America
,
Lilly
Sheridan,
and even she encouraged Allana not to be anything she
didn’t
want to be.  It wasn’t until the age of fourteen that Allana realized she did not want to be a boy anymore
,
and all because of a man.
  But not just any man,
Declan
Cunningham, the Earl of Westbrook
, t
he most
striking
man
she’d
ever laid eyes on
.  His image haunted her thoughts even to this day.

“You’
re
pleasant
to the younger ones too, and I do not see them flocking to you,” Carmon said with a pout. 

“That’
s because Edmund is always around,” Allana said dryly. 

Edmund
Russell
was Allana’s recent suitor
and three years her senior
.  It had taken him
some time
to forget her boyish ways and see her for the beauty she truly was.  Of course, it hadn’t helped her cause that
she’d
hit him in the nose when she was
fourteen
. 
He’d
brought it on himself, though, for teasing Carmon. 

Carmon had never judged Allana for her
uncouth
ways
.  She had simply accepted her just as she was
, and Allana had done the same for Carmon
.
 
When Edmund’s teasing began, Carmon
was
too timid
to defend herself
against
it
;
thus, Allana had done it for her, punching Edmund being the end result.

“And what is wrong with Edmund?  I would die to have him courting me,” Carmon practically exclaimed.

Allana cringed inside with those words. 
It
should
h
ave been Carmon he was courting
.  It was Carmon’s home
he’d
come to visit, Carmon herself whom
he’d
asked to walk with, but Allana
he’d
asked to see again. 

Carmon had frozen in the man’s presence, so Allana
s
tepped in to save Carmon from embarrassment, charming Edmund in the process.  Only after Edmund asked to see Allana again, did she noticed the hurt, jealous look on her best friend’s face.  Carmon fancied Edmund
!
 
Had Allana only known, she would have stepped aside, possibly even excused herself so Carmon and Edmund could be alone
, forcing Carmon to have speech with him
.  But she hadn’t known and had used all of her best skills on
him
simply to prove no man could resist her.  Now he was courting her, and if she didn’t do something soon, he would probably ask for her hand in marriage. 

She sighed inwardly.  She
needed
to find a way to amend the situation and turn Edmund back to Carmon.   

“
Very well, then t
his is what you
shall
do the next time he is around.  P
lay confident.  Simply smile at him and bat your eyes,” Allana
s
aid as she demonstrated.  “He won’t
be able to resist you.”

Carmon giggled.  “He
won’t
even notice me next to you.
  He never does.
”

“He
has to at least acknowledge you.  It is his gentlemanly duty.  And when he does
—
”

“
Ladies
,
”
a voice said from behind.

Allana
whirled around to come face-to-face with
none other than
Edmund
himself
.

*
             
*
             
*

Edmund
Russell
bowed respectfully to Allana Tananguard and Carmon
Davenhue
. 
He’d
been courting Allana for some time now, yet he could not put his heart in
to
it
; and it had nothing to do with their past differences
either
. 
S
he
was
stunning.  She was entertaining to be with
,
and
she
seemed quite besotted with him.
  She would be a
good
choice for a wife.
 

She graced him with a lovely smile when she turned to him
, curtsying in return.  Even with that smile
added to her other
fine
qualities,
he was not truly interested in her.  The woman he wanted was standing right next to
Allana,
ignoring him as she always did. 

Edmund
glanced
briefly at
Carmon, who curtsied dutifully before
quickly look
ing
away from him
as if bored
.
  He sighed inwardly, forcing his attention back to
Allana.

“Y
ou look lovelier than ev
er
.
”
 
Again he glanced at Carmon, and found her eying h
im
and Allana from
beneath her lashes.  Out of spite, h
e pulled
Allana’s
hand to his lips and kissed the back lightly.
  Carmon’s cheeks turned a
dark
shade
of red
.
 
She
was beautiful.
 

“Thank you, Edmund,”
Allana
said
. 

“Might I reserve
your first dance
?”
Edmund asked.
  He wanted to ask Carmon, but she
’
d made it perfectly clear months ago she was not interested.    

“
That would be lovely
,”
Allana
replied sweetly.
 

Guilt swept over Edmund.  The woman obviously had strong feelings for him.  Yet his feelings lay at her friend’s feet.  Courting Allana also meant spending time with Carmon.  She was their chaperone most days.  She avoided conversation with him, but
he’d
been around her
enough to see her kindness, hear her sweet laugh, and even witness a small bit of her sense of humor. 
He lost himself to her a bit each time he saw her.  But to be
near
her meant courting Allana. 

“I will be back, then, when the orchestra begins.
  Ladies,” he finished, yet he forced his
eyes
to stay on
Allana.  He bowed slightly, flashing Allana
his
most charming smile, before confidently walking away.

*
             
*
             
*

“Oh, Allana.
  You are so lucky,” Carmon said dreamily. 

“Well, you
may have
him,” Allana said irritably.  Edmund was meant for Carmon, and he wasn’t
Lord
Cunn
—no Lucas.  He wasn’t Lucas.  Allana scolded herself for thinking of
Lord
Cunningham over Lucas.
  Cunningham
didn’t
even know she existed.
Lucas was the man for her.
  She
needed
to stop her fanciful thoughts of
Lord
Declan
Cunningham.
  He was a dream, nothing more.
  He would never wa
nt one such as her.  He was an
e
arl
and far too
so
c
ially acceptable and refined
.
She had an
ill-mannered, uncouth, and much too wild
past
for one such as him.
  And she was still too
free-
willed and independent.  He would want someone agreeable and sophisticated. 

She
was accepted as a lady
in these parts
because most of the young men had non
e
others to compare her to.  The more practical young ladies traveled to London to enter society and many stayed. 
Allana did not wish to go to London.  She preferred the country and the freedom she had here. 
 

It had taken four years to rid herself of the tomboy
she’d
been.  She was able to act the part of
lady
at social gatherings and such, but her heart still craved the wild, untamed world she
grew
up with.  She
wanted
the wind in her hair as she rode her horse at high speeds through the
countryside of Tananguard.
  She wanted to laugh, and not the simple laugh of a
lady
,
but a true, heart-warming laugh.
  And she wanted freedom, t
he freedom
she’d
always known here
. 
T
he freedom to be herself.
  Cunningham was a gentleman.  He
knew true l
adies and would
see her for what she was beneath
the outside appearance
, a country bumpkin with too much spirit.  No, he would never want her.
 
Thus,
she would settle for second best.  That was Lucas
Hoffman
.  After all, she had been
besotted
with
him
up until her run-
in with the Earl, so why should that change? 

“I do not understand, Allana.  You could have him, or any man for that matte
r.  What are you waiting for?”
Carmon asked in exasperation.

“I
don’t
know, Carmon.  He
i
s simply not for
—
”

“Miss All
ana, how are you this evening?” a
nother gentleman asked, interrupting Allana. 

“I am well.  Thank you, Peter,” Allana replied.

“I was hoping I might reserve a dance with you.”

“Of course you may.  I promised Edmund the first, but after, I would love to dance with you,” Allana said with charm.

*
           *          *

Carmon sighed
as streams of men approached Allana and ignored her. 
She stood back in the corner and waited for the line to stop coming, feeling slightly jealous of her beautiful friend.  Allana probably
wouldn’t
receive a break the entire night, while she, herself, would sit from the side watching it all
, dancing once in a while with the young men who were barely old enough to even be
in attendance
.

Her eyes circled the room out of habit in search of Edmond.  Her heart scolded her for the act.  Would she not stop torturing it by keeping hope?  He would marry Allana, and that was
that.  Yet she could not
stop
.  She continued her search.

When she finally spied him, she discovered
he
was watching
her
. 
She inhaled sharply, h
er eyes widened, and her cheeks flared hot.  She wanted to look away.  No!  Not this time!  She forced herself to look at him and smile.
His eyebrows rose in surprise, but he composed himself quickly.  He bowed his head slightly without taking his eyes
from her
.  N
odding
,
he
g
ave
her a gentle smile.