A Most Unsuitable Earl (Regency Collection Book 3) Read online

  When the kiss ended, he cupped the side of her face in his hand. “How did I ever get the fortune of marrying you?”

  “It was fate.”

  “Fate has been very good to me.”

  He gave her another kiss, and she sighed in contentment.

  “This dinner party means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he asked, caressing her cheek.

  “I’ve never been to a dinner party where actual friends attended. The people who came did so because of my father.”

  “Well, I assure you they aren’t coming because of him this time.” He kissed the tip of her nose then led her to the door. “You promise me you’ll protect me from your father?”

  She laughed. “Surely, you’re joking.”

  “I’m afraid not. I’m very serious.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t give him so much thought, and since the gentlemen and ladies separate for part of the evening, I don’t know how much I can do.”

  “Oh, yes. I will be forced to be with all the gentlemen after dinner.” He winced then turned his sorrowful eyes to her as they slipped out of her bedchamber. “You will comfort me later when we’re alone?”

  Amused, she offered him a solemn nod. “I will do my best, my lord.”

  They continued down the stairs in a comfortable silence and made it to the drawing room in time for their first guests to arrive. To her delight, it was Claire and her husband. She went forward and clasped Claire’s hands in hers.

  “I’m so glad you could make it,” she told Claire.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Claire replied, squeezing her hands affectionately. “You briefly spoke to my husband at our ball.”

  Catherine curtsied. “Thank you for coming.”

  Lord Roderick bowed. “It’s my pleasure.” Turning to Ethan, he added, “I must admit that I never thought I’d enter your townhouse.”

  “Yes, well, I’m afraid I have nothing of interest for you to read,” Ethan teased. “At least nothing as interesting as the book I sent you shortly after you married your wife.”

  Catherine studied Ethan in interest, wondering what secret he shared with Claire’s husband. She was under the impression the two gentlemen never spoke to each other.

  Lord Roderick offered a nonchalant shrug. “One could hardly expect you to need such a book, given your only talent involves what’s in it.”

  “Why, my lord, you flatter me so.”

  Catherine glanced between the gentlemen, wondering about the joke they shared that no one else did. Even Claire looked as confused as she felt.

  The butler entered the drawing room. “Lady Richfield is here.”

  He stepped aside, and a lovely lady who had to be close to Catherine’s age entered the room. When Ethan told her he was inviting her as a favor to Christopher, she hadn’t concerned herself with how Lady Richfield looked. But now that she saw her, she felt a flicker of apprehension crawl up her spine. Lady Richfield was beautiful. Claire was, too, but it seemed that Claire was unaware of it. Lady Richfield, however, seemed to both know it and use it to her advantage. There was a confident air about her that made others—or at least Catherine—aware of how much they lacked.

  As the butler left, Lady Richfield curtsied and offered a polite smile. “Good evening.”

  Ethan cleared his throat and went over to her. “We’re glad you could attend the dinner party this evening. This is my wife, and these are Lord and Lady Roderick.”

  Forcing an uncertain smile, Catherine greeted her before Claire and Nate offered a similar greeting. The group stared at each other for a long moment, and then Ethan finally broke the awkward silence with a hesitant chuckle. As if on cue, everyone directed their gazes to him.

  “Please, have a seat,” he told the group. “Lady Richfield, you may have the chair over here. Lord and Lady Roderick, you may sit on the settee, and,” he looked at Catherine, “you can sit on this settee with me.”

  Catherine nodded and sat down, feeling only slightly better when he settled next to her. She glanced at Lady Richfield who clasped her hands in her lap and made eye contact with her. Though Lady Richfield smiled, Catherine quickly averted her gaze, hoping she didn’t suspect how intimidated Catherine was by her.

  “Lord Roderick, what’s new with the war?” Ethan asked.

  Catherine would have laughed if she wasn’t so nervous. Since when did Ethan concern himself with any of the wars England ever found itself engaged in?

  The butler entered the drawing room again with Catherine’s father. “His Grace, the Duke of Rumsey.”

  Catherine rose from the settee, expecting her father to come over to her, but her father glanced at Lady Richfield before he went straight over to Ethan. “If I might have a moment of your time, Lord Edon?” Though her father’s tone was pleasant, she detected a subtle threat in it if Ethan didn’t oblige him.

  Catherine wondered if she should intervene on Ethan’s behalf, but since they were in front of Lady Richfield, Claire and Nate, she figured she better not. The last thing she wanted was for people to assume Ethan needed her to fight his battles for him. She offered Ethan an apologetic smile, knowing how much he hated talking to her father.

  Ethan rose to his feet. “Of course, Your Grace. We’ll talk in the library.” He turned to the others and bowed. “I’ll return soon.”

  As the two gentlemen were heading out of the room, Ethan’s mother arrived. “Are the gentlemen going to another room already?” she asked.

  “Not yet, Mother,” Ethan replied. “His Grace requested a moment of my time. We’ll return shortly.”

  “I hope you won’t run off and leave me without an escort to the dining room, Your Grace,” she told Catherine’s father. “Considering the guest list, you’re the only suitable one to do so.”

  “Oh? And who else is coming?” the duke asked.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Morris and Mr. Robinson.”

  To Catherine’s surprise, Lady Richfield’s head snapped in their direction and her eyes narrowed at Ethan at the mention of Christopher’s name. She wondered if Lady Richfield had guessed Ethan’s intentions in inviting Mr. Robinson. If so, she wasn’t pleased about it. Catherine released her breath and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. She hoped this dinner party wasn’t going to turn into a disaster.

  “And you can’t wait until after dinner before having this private discussion with my son?” Ethan’s mother pressed. “I was hoping you’d get a chance to sit and talk while we’re all in the same room.”

  “The matter I have to discuss won’t take long.” The duke turned to Ethan and gestured toward the door. “After you.”

  Catherine winced as Ethan reluctantly obeyed her father. Granted, she knew how her father felt about him, but it didn’t seem right that he should insist Ethan follow him to another room in his own townhouse, especially in front of his guests. She decided it was time to speak with her father. While he might not ever accept Ethan, he should at least allow him to be the master of his own home.

  Once Ethan and her father left, Ethan’s mother turned to the others in the room and grinned. “I can’t remember the last time my son hosted a dinner party. I’m pleased everyone could make it. Lady Richfield, what a stunning dress you’re wearing! I do so adore a rich red. You have excellent taste.”

  Lady Richfield relaxed and smiled. “Thank you.”

  “And Lord Roderick, I hear you are one of the best chess players in London,” she said, turning to Claire’s husband. “My son envies your skill at the game, though he’d be loathe to admit it.”

  Nate also seemed more comfortable. “Is that so?”

  She nodded. “It is. But I think it can be our little secret.” She winked. “And Lady Roderick, Catherine’s told me so many good things about you. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

  “Oh, thank you.” Claire blushed with pleasure. “Catherine’s a good friend.”

  Catherine admired Ethan’s mother. Rachel had a gift for easing the tension in any situation. It was probably some
thing she learned after years of dealing with the many scandals Ethan created to make himself undesirable to ladies. Even so, Catherine was grateful Rachel took everyone’s mind off of what just transpired between Ethan and her father. As Rachel sat in the chair next to Catherine’s settee and continued talking, the others joined in the conversation. Soon, they were laughing and having a good time.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ethan watched as his father-in-law paced the library, his hands clasped behind his back. He bit back the urge to demand the duke get it over with. He already knew why His Grace was upset, and as much as he didn’t feel like hearing it, he couldn’t bring himself to walk out of the room until the duke spoke his mind.

  Finally, after what seemed to span an agonizing eternity, the duke turned to face him. “I will not tolerate you making a fool out of my daughter.”

  “I’m not making a fool out of her,” Ethan replied.

  His frown deepened. “Then what is Lady Richfield doing here?”

  “I thought Mr. Robinson already explained his interest in her when we attended Lord and Lady Roderick’s ball.”

  “I know very well how close you and Mr. Robinson are. I have no doubt he wished to protect you.”

  “Mr. Robinson is one of my friends—”

  “And one who is known for getting into mischief.”

  Ethan resisted the urge to groan. His father-in-law was impossible to talk to. “Your Grace, if you would just listen to me, you’d realize that it’s exactly as I’m saying. Mr. Robinson asked me to invite Lady Richfield here so he could get better acquainted with her. There’s nothing dubious about it. I told Catherine I was inviting Lady Richfield, so she knows why she’s here.”

  “My daughter will believe anything you tell her because she’s a trusting soul. She has no reason to not believe you.” After a moment of silence, he muttered, “I protected her from the undesirable ways of gentlemen such as yourself.”

  “I told you the truth. You can choose to accept it or not. This conversation is at an end. I have guests to tend to.”

  Before the duke could argue, Ethan offered a stiff bow and strode out of the library. He made it to the drawing room in time for the butler to announce Christopher’s arrival. If he was lucky, he’d never have to play matchmaker again. All he needed was to further arouse his father-in-law’s suspicions. It was bad enough the gentleman kept hounding him. He hadn’t known a moment’s peace since that fateful night he got engaged to Catherine.

  He scanned the room and saw that Mr. and Mrs. Morris had arrived during his absence. Good. All the guests were here. He turned to the butler and gestured for him to arrange for everyone to go to the dining room. The sooner he got dinner started, the sooner this evening could be over.

  Ignoring Catherine’s father who came in behind him, he went over to Catherine and tried not to notice the uncertain expression on Agatha’s face as Christopher grinned at her. He sighed. Christopher would do better if he wasn’t so obvious about his interest in her. Oh well. It wasn’t his problem. He had enough to deal with as it was, and the duke continued to glower at him, reminding him that he was still upset with him. Next to him, Catherine smiled. Feeling better, he returned her smile and patted the small of her back. No one would see the gesture, but he had the need to touch her, to let her know he appreciated the fact that she was nothing like her father.

  The butler, mercifully, announced that dinner was ready, so the group paired off to go to the dining room. As Ethan extended his arm to Catherine, he saw Christopher make a move toward Agatha. Agatha, however, went over to the duke and looked expectantly at him, a silent maneuver on her part, Ethan knew, to let Christopher know she had no intention of letting him escort her.

  Ethan’s mother approached Christopher and gave him a wide smile. “It’s good to see you again. I understand Lord Roderick wasn’t very nice to you a couple years ago,” she teased, glancing at Lord Roderick who seemed amused by her comment. “However, given how impish you used to be, I’d say that Lord Roderick did you a kindness.”

  At that, Lord Roderick smirked at Christopher as he and his wife passed by them on the way out of the drawing room. Since the duke had agreed to escort Agatha to dinner, Christopher had no other recourse than to extend his arm to Ethan’s mother who continued to ramble on about something Ethan ignored. Ethan’s main concern at this point was getting through the evening without something bad happening.

  ***

  Two hours later, Ethan found himself sitting in his den, trying not to glance at his pocket watch as Catherine’s father engaged Lord Roderick and Mr. Morris in a tedious discussion on what was happening in America. Christopher, who sat in the chair next to him, participated once in a while, but Ethan knew the topic bored him. Ethan finally gave up pretending he was interested and counted the number of times Catherine’s father traced the bottom of his glass. It was a peculiar habit the duke had, and after counting thirty instances of it, Ethan had to admit it was strangely hypnotizing. He managed to get to number fifty-three when Christopher tapped his arm.

  “Hmm?” Ethan glanced in his friend’s direction.

  “We’re ready to go to the drawing room,” he said, motioning to the other gentlemen who were standing by the door.

  “Oh. Right.” Ethan rose to his feet. “Well, then let’s go.” Thank goodness. The evening would soon end! While he knew the boring conversation couldn’t have taken more than an hour, it had felt like an eternity.

  He followed the three gentlemen to the drawing room while Christopher walked beside him. “I don’t suppose I’ll get a chance to be with Lady Richfield this evening?” Christopher whispered so the others wouldn’t overhear.

  “I told you you’d be better off pursuing her sister,” Ethan whispered in return. “You’ll have to make the most of whatever time we spend with the ladies for the next half hour or hour.”

  “I knew she was going to present a challenge, but I had no idea she’d be this difficult.”

  “Lady Richfield isn’t one to make things easy for anyone. If you’re determined to be with her, you’ll have to make more of an effort. I can only do so much.”

  Christopher opened his mouth to respond, but they arrived in the drawing room where the ladies were talking. Lady Richfield was nowhere in sight.

  “Where is Lady Richfield?” Ethan asked, already suspecting the answer but needing to verify it so Christopher would know just how much of a challenge he had ahead of him if he continued his pursuit.

  “She didn’t feel well, so she had to leave,” Catherine replied.

  “What a shame.” Ethan glanced at Christopher who didn’t hide his disappointment. She felt just fine, of course. Ethan knew better than to believe such a lie, but he couldn’t blame her since she knew exactly why she’d been invited. With a shrug, he went to Catherine’s side and sat next to her on the settee. “But there’s no reason why we can’t still enjoy the evening.”

  “Agreed,” Ethan’s mother replied and gestured for the gentlemen to sit down. “Perhaps we might play a game.”

  While the other gentlemen nodded and sat in their respective seats, Christopher gave a slight grimace before he said, “I’m afraid I have a pressing commitment early in the morning. I must take my leave.”

  Not surprised, Ethan rang for the butler and allowed his friend to depart before he joined the others for a game of Wit. Coming up with impromptu rhymes was much better than fretting over what the Americans were doing. By the end of the dinner party, he was laughing so hard his sides hurt.

  When it was time for the guests to leave, everyone gathered in the entryway to say good-bye. Catherine’s father checked his pockets. “I thought I brought my pocket watch with me this evening.”

  “Maybe the chain came loose and it fell off,” Lord Roderick said as his carriage pulled up to the front of the townhouse.

  “It’s possible, I suppose,” he replied.

  “I’ll look for it,” Ethan offered, not because he was in a generous mood but
because he knew the sooner the duke had it, the sooner he’d leave.

  “It was a gift from my mother,” Catherine told Ethan. “Maybe I should help you look for it.”

  “No, there’s no need for that. I know where he was sitting. I’m sure it’s somewhere around the chair.”

  As she nodded, he hurried down the hallway. He made it to the den and studied the floor as he walked over to the chair. He knelt in front of it and saw the old pocket watch lying behind it. After he picked it up, he took a moment to inspect it, surprised when he saw a crack in it. It still worked, however, but despite the fact that it was still useful, Ethan knew it was the duke’s undying love for his wife that made him keep it. Touched by the gentleman’s devotion, he ran his thumb along it’s cracked surface. If Catherine’s mother was half as lovely as Catherine, he could understand why the duke held onto her memory the way he did.

  The door to the den shut behind him, and he whirled around, fully expecting the duke to demand he get away from the pocket watch at once. But it wasn’t the duke who strode over to him in anger. Eyes wide, he rose to his feet and faced Agatha.

  “How could you invite me here tonight with the notion of pairing me up with your friend?” she hissed, her hands on her hips.

  “I thought you went home because you weren’t feeling well,” he whispered.

  “I can’t go home until I let you know how much you’ve upset me. After all I’ve done for you, you disregarded my wishes and put me in a trap. You know how much I don’t want to marry.”

  He winced. “I know. I’m sorry.” She rolled her eyes, so he quickly added, “I really am. It’s just that once Christopher decides to do something, he’s hard to stop. Nothing I can say will make him give up on you. He needed to be here so you could reject him to understand why he needs to pursue someone else.”

  “You didn’t even have the decency to warn me you invited him.”