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

  “I received pleasure from this, too,” she replied.

  “No, I didn’t mean this. Though this is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever experienced. I meant thank you for believing me about Agatha. I realize how things looked. Your father wanted to take you away from me tonight. If you left with him, I don’t know what I would have done. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. “You’ll never have to be without me, Ethan. I’m not going anywhere.”

  His smile widened as he embraced her and gave her another kiss. And it wasn’t too long before they were making love again.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Catherine’s father, Enoch, had a restless night’s sleep, and he barely managed to eat breakfast. All he kept seeing in his mind was his daughter running away from the den. She’d been devastated. Maybe a part of it was his fault. He did everything he could to shelter Catherine from the harsher realities of life, and though they both knew what kind of gentleman Ethan was before she married him, he hadn’t taken the time to sit her down and warn her that someone like Ethan didn’t have the decency to hide his scandalous behaviors.

  Enoch paced his library, trying to think of how he might rescue his daughter since Ethan refused to let her leave his prison. Of all the sins Ethan took part in, he never imagined that holding a lady in his home against her will was on the list. Enoch silently cursed himself. This disaster was his doing. He should have been forceful. He should have shoved Ethan aside and climbed those stairs to get to his daughter. He shouldn’t have left Ethan’s townhouse.

  Why did he leave? Even as he asked himself the question, he knew the answer. He hadn’t expected Ethan to stand his ground. In the past, Ethan had been afraid of him. It was that fear that gave Enoch the advantage. But his son-in-law wasn’t afraid of him anymore.

  Grimacing, he clenched his hands behind his back and went to the window, his gaze going in the direction where his poor little girl was, trapped and miserable. He had to find some way of talking to her. She was his daughter, and he had every right to get her out of that townhouse. He’d spent enough time worrying about her. It was time to barge into that townhouse and force Ethan to let him see his daughter, and if it took a smallsword to get Ethan to comply, then so be it.

  Feeling better now that he had a plan, Enoch hurried out of the room and up the stairs. He’d rescue Catherine if it was the last thing he did. As soon as he entered his bedchamber, he headed for the cord to let his valet know he was ready to change his clothes when a hooded figure emerged from his armoire.

  His first thought was that it was Ethan, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the person was shorter and thinner than Ethan. It couldn’t be Catherine. Catherine wouldn’t hide under a hooded cloak to see him. Furrowing his eyebrows, he barked, “Who are you?”

  The person pulled back the hood.

  His jaw dropped. “Lady Richfield?”

  Lady Richfield offered him a nod and sat on his bed as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do. “I believe you have me in a vulnerable situation, Your Grace.”

  “I have you in a vulnerable situation? May I remind you that you’re the one who snuck into my townhouse and hid in my bedchamber?”

  With a shrug, she clasped her hands and put them on her lap. “If your valet were to walk through the door, would it matter?” She made eye contact with him, her eyebrows arched in a silent challenge.

  “You’re obviously here for a reason, and since you’re with my son-in-law, I doubt it’s any good.”

  “I’m not with him in the sense that you mean. I came here to demonstrate how easy it is to misunderstand a situation. If your valet, or another servant, were to come in here at this moment, they would assume we’re about to engage in a rather interesting activity, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “They would only assume that because of the room we’re in.”

  “And if we were in another room…say a library or the drawing room?”

  “Then it wouldn’t be an issue.”

  “It wouldn’t? Even though you are a gentleman and I am a lady?”

  He resisted the urge to groan. It seemed to him that Lady Richfield was playing with him as a cat played with a mouse. “Will you please get to the point?”

  “My point is that I was with Lord Edon in the den. I wasn’t in his bedchamber. And yet you assumed something of a personal nature was transpiring between us. But if I was with you in the den, then you expect everyone to believe it was innocent.”

  “I don’t have the reputation that Lord Edon does,” he replied, not enjoying the triumphant look she had on her face. She was baiting him, and he got the feeling he was falling into her trap.

  “Neither do I. Do you recall anything scandalous involving me?”

  “No.”

  “So why did you assume I was his mistress?”

  Growing impatient, he said, “Because you were with him and he’s well-known for having mistresses.”

  She rose to her feet and approached him. “Your Grace, I am not the kind of lady who would degrade herself by being someone’s mistress. A mistress doesn’t stand to inherit a gentleman’s money, and if she has his child, that child is illegitimate. I know better than to give my body to anyone unless I can be assured I’ll receive his money and that my son will one day inherit his title. My marriage might have been brief, but I’m a countess and have more than enough money to see me to my death. Given that, why would I be Lord Edon’s mistress?”

  “Because you wanted to be intimate with him,” he replied.

  To his surprise, she started laughing. “The physical act of intimacy might be enjoyable to gentlemen, but it isn’t so for ladies.”

  “That’s not true.” As soon as he said those words, he cursed himself. It wasn’t any of her business what his marriage had been like.

  She continued to chuckle. “Since you are a gentleman, you have to believe that ladies enjoy the act, or can at least tolerate it. But I’m not here to argue how wrong you are about that. I’m here to explain why you’re wrong about Lord Edon and me. What Lord Edon and I have is a friendship. Due to certain circumstances, we’ve kept the friendship a secret.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, it is so,” she replied in a tone that indicated she was about to win the argument—and he didn’t like that at all. She turned from him, walked a couple steps from him, and turned back to face him with her hands on her hips. “I have a few secrets I don’t want anyone else to know, but you are so stubborn, I’ll tell you what they are. I am a writer. I write for the Tittletattle, and I write gothic horror. I do the two under the names of two gentlemen. Lord Edon has been gracious about submitting my stories to the publisher, and in return, I have spread gossip for him in the Tittletattle.”

  Enoch couldn’t believe his ears. “Why would you spread gossip about him?”

  “Because he asked me to. He hoped to avoid marriage if enough scandals kept mothers from throwing their daughters at him.” Scanning him up and down, she added, “You didn’t strike me as a gentleman who believed everything he read in the scandalsheets. I thought you had more sense than that.”

  “I don’t care for the way you’re talking to me. I’m not a child.”

  “And I don’t care for the way you treated Lord Edon yesterday. He told you the truth, and you refused to believe him. He loves your daughter and wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. From what I saw at the dinner party, he’s very happy with her. And what’s more, she’s also happy with him. The two are well matched. If you won’t believe what he has to say, then at least listen to your daughter. You should be able to determine whether she’s telling you the truth or not if you take the time to really listen to what she’s saying. Too many times, people assume they’re hearing one thing when the person talking is saying something else.”

  As much as he was loath to admit it, she had a point. Catherine kept assuring him she was fine, that she was happy wit
h Ethan. He assumed she said it only to ease his guilt. But if what Lady Richfield said was true, if Ethan was faithful to Catherine, then he at least owed Ethan a chance.

  Lady Richfield pulled the hood of her cloak up to hide her identity. “I trust this conversation will remain between you and me.”

  “I’d be a fool to mention it since you were in my bedchamber when it happened,” he replied, sensing that was why she picked this very room to talk to him in. “Just how did you get in here undetected anyway?”

  She pulled back the edge of her hood and gave him a wink. “A lady never tells her secrets.”

  He rolled his eyes. Of course, she wouldn’t answer the question. He watched as she opened his door a crack, waited for a few seconds, and slipped into the hallway. Deciding it would be best to give her ample time to sneak out of his townhouse, he changed his own clothes instead of calling for the valet.

  ***

  Ten minutes later, Catherine stood in her father’s drawing room as she waited for the butler to find him. She knew the previous evening didn’t look well to her father. It hadn’t looked well to her either at the time. She wasn’t sure what she would tell him about Agatha and Ethan’s friendship. She had promised to keep Ethan’s secrets, and she would. In this case, her father would have to trust her.

  Taking a deep breath, she faced the portrait of her mother. She placed her hands over her abdomen, mindful of the baby even though she wasn’t showing yet. If she had a girl, she’d like to name the child after her mother. The past couple of months had marked significant changes in her life. She was finally a wife and had a child on the way. At the beginning of the year, she didn’t think her life could turn out so differently, but she was glad it did.

  Footsteps caught her attention, and she turned in time to see her father stride toward her. “I was ready to go to your husband’s townhouse and see you,” he said, scanning the room. “Is he here?”

  With a sigh bordering on amusement, she went over to him and hugged him. “No, he didn’t come. He wanted to, but I told him I wanted to talk to you alone.” Pulling away from him, she motioned to the settee.

  “Do you want to come back home?” he softly asked, studying her face. “If you do, say the word and you never have to go back to him.”

  “Father,” she began, fighting down the frustration that she often experienced when he insisted she had to be miserable with Ethan. She took his arm and led him to the settee. She sat down and waited for him to sit beside her. Clasping her hands in her lap, she turned toward him. “I’m happy where I am.”

  The butler came into the room with a tray of tea and biscuits. After he set it on the table in front of them, she smiled her thanks to the butler who bowed and left, shutting the door behind him.

  She poured tea for her father before pouring it into her cup. “Why can’t you accept that I want to be with Ethan?”

  A long pause elapsed between them as he rubbed his knees. “You were upset last night. Aren’t you still upset today?”

  “I was upset last night, but then Ethan explained everything to me. Lady Richfield isn’t his mistress.”

  “And you believe him?”

  She picked up her cup and set it in her lap. “I do. Deep down inside, I know he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” When she noted the way his eyebrows furrowed, she shook her head. “I can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling I have.”

  “So what did he tell you about last night? Why was he talking to Lady Richfield?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  He grunted.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I know it sounds like something is wrong because I can’t explain it to you, but I promised him I’d honor him by keeping his secrets. Father,” she placed her cup back on the tray and reached for his hands, gently squeezing them, “can’t you trust me to know what’s best for me?”

  His expression grew soft and he squeezed her hands in return. “You’re right, Catherine. I should trust you.” He paused. “You really are happy?”

  “Yes.”

  He released her hands and let out a long sigh. “I suppose it’s time I stopped thinking of you as a little girl who needs protecting and accept the fact that you’re a grown lady.”

  She smiled. “I don’t mind it if you protect me. Just as long as you understand Ethan also wants to protect me. You two are very important to me, and I’d like for you to get along. Can you please try to see Ethan for who he is instead of what his reputation says about him?”

  “I can’t promise you that I’ll like him, but I will try.”

  “Thank you.”

  It was all she could ask of him, and since he was finally accepting the fact that she was happy with Ethan, she felt much better about the future.

  ***

  Late February 1816

  Lord and Lady Edon’s Country Estate

  Catherine gave her father a hug as soon as he walked through the front door. “I’m so glad you came!”

  “Of course I came,” he replied and kissed her cheek. “How is my granddaughter?”

  “She’s doing well.” She turned and saw Ethan’s mother as she brought the baby girl over to them. “Ethan and I decided to name her Audrey.”

  Her father took the week-old baby in his arms and stroked her cheek. “You named her after your mother?”

  “I thought it would be a good way to carry on her memory.”

  “It’s a lovely way to remember her,” he whispered, his smile widening. “She’s so small. I don’t remember you being this small, but you had to be.”

  “All babies are small when they’re born,” Ethan’s mother spoke up. “And thank goodness for that or mothers everywhere would be in trouble.”

  Catherine couldn’t argue with Rachel’s statement. She was still sore from giving birth, and though Audrey seemed like a big baby when she was still in her womb, Catherine had to admit she was tiny when she first held her. But as her gaze fell to her child, Catherine couldn’t help but think she’d go through childbirth all over again just to have her. Glancing over her shoulder at Ethan who stood away from the group, she waved him over.

  “I think we’d be more comfortable in the drawing room,” Ethan said.

  “Oh, he’s right,” Rachel replied and motioned for everyone to follow her. Looking at the duke, she added, “We’ll have your things brought in shortly, Your Grace.”

  After they entered the drawing room, Ethan took Catherine’s arm and helped her get comfortable on the settee. Catherine’s father sat in the chair across from them, not too far from the chair Ethan’s mother chose to sit in.

  “This is so wonderful,” Rachel cheered, clapping her hands in excitement. “I just knew this is what it’d be like when we arranged the marriage. Audrey is a fortunate little girl to be born into this home.”

  “Are you sure you’re not disappointed that you didn’t have a grandson?” Ethan asked as the butler brought in a tray of tea and biscuits. “Audrey won’t be able to inherit my title.”

  “Oh, that’s easy to take care of,” she said. She picked up the teapot and began pouring tea into everyone’s cups as the butler left the room. “You and Catherine will have to keep having children until you have a son.”

  “And if we don’t? We could have thirty or more girls and never have a son.”

  Catherine’s eyes grew wide. “Thirty or more girls?”

  Ethan glanced at her. “It’s possible.”

  She accepted the cup his mother offered her. “I don’t think so, Ethan. We might have all girls, but there’s no need to exaggerate their number.”

  Catherine’s father chuckled and turned his tender eyes to her. “All you really need is one to be complete.”

  Catherine smiled, pleased he chose to give her such a high compliment.

  “Tell me, Your Grace,” Ethan began after he took a sip of his tea, “did you have a good journey?”

  “I did. The weather cooperated with me.” He arched an eyebrow and added, “I even brought my fen
cing gear, if you’re so inclined to take the risk.”

  Ethan smirked. “You’re in for a rude awakening. I’ve been practicing. I dare say I might be good enough to have you running out of the room.”

  Catherine’s father laughed, the twinkle in his eye indicating that he enjoyed the challenge Ethan gave him. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “Then we’ll have to see, won’t we?”

  Ethan’s mother bit into a biscuit, swallowed, and wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin. “I think we can tell them now,” she told Catherine’s father.

  Catherine took a sip of her tea and glanced at Ethan to see if he had any idea what his mother meant. Since he shrugged, she asked, “Tell us what?”

  “Well,” his mother began with a slight blush, “we wanted to wait until after Audrey was born to tell you the good news. Catherine, your father and I began a correspondence once we left London.”

  “Actually, she sent the first one,” her father clarified.

  “It was only to assure him that you were doing fine,” she added. “He sent me a correspondence in return, and soon I realized that we had a lot in common.”

  “Oh no,” Ethan muttered, his face going white.

  Eyebrows furrowed, Catherine studied him, wondering why he looked afraid of what his mother would say next. Turning her attention back to Rachel, she pressed, “So what’s this news?”

  “Your father and I are getting married when we go back to London!” his mother announced. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Ethan swallowed the lump in his throat, and though he moved his mouth, no words came out.

  Resisting the urge to giggle at Ethan’s reaction, Catherine nodded. “It is wonderful. You two will do very well together.”

  “I told you they’d be happy for us,” his mother told her father before directing her attention back to Catherine and Ethan. “After the marriage, I’ll live with His Grace, of course, but that doesn’t mean we won’t still see each other. We’ll want to visit our granddaughter and any other grandchildren you’ll give us.”