Not that she needed a chaperone. Her position as a wise woman left her in a strange social status. She was well educated even if that schooling came from her father. Many people would consider her on par with a governess, while others would consider her nothing but a country peasant.
The word of their engagement would spread like a wildfire once Simon told Charlie, but there was nothing Simon could do about that. “Miss Featherstone and I are to marry on Wednesday.”
“
Wednesday
?” Both Charlie and Mia said together.
Charlie stared at him and then moved his gaze to Mia. “It’s about bloody well time.”
“What are you talking about, Charlie?” Mia asked.
“It’s common knowledge that Simon is—”
“That I need to marry and have an heir,” Simon interrupted. Was it possible that Charlie knew how he felt about Mia?
“Oh,” Mia said softly.
Charlie cleared his throat. “Well, congratulations to both of you. As long as I’m here, I shall stay for the wedding.”
Mia gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, she removed her hand and said, “I hadn’t thought about it until now but we can’t marry without your family being here.”
“Yes, we can,” Simon said harshly, knowing what his mother would say about the union. According to her, the only way out of his financial spot was to marry a wealthy bride. He doubted either Caroline or James would mind if he married Mia. In fact, Caroline always spoke well of her.
“Dinner is ready,” Harris announced from the threshold.
Simon held out his arm to escort Mia into the dining room. A shock of awareness skipped up his arm with the light contact. Dear God, waiting a few more days to have her again was going to kill him. And now his brother would be in the house disrupting Simon’s plan to become even more acquainted with the woman who would be his wife.
“You appear quite happy to have Charlie here,” he commented as they walked down the hall.
“I am. I haven’t seen him in over a year. When he was a child, he used to escape the house and come over to spend time with Tia and me. We were all the same age so it was quite fun to have someone else to play with.”
“Of course,” he said stiffly. Why did this bother him? He should be happy that at least one member of his family liked the idea of his marrying Mia. Perhaps it was the lecherous manner in which Charlie looked at her.
Throughout dinner, Charlie spoke of London and the
ton
. Simon had to admit a part of him missed the social events. Not that anyone wanted him there. But marriage to Mia would help that situation. Marriage to anyone would help at this point.
“So, Mia,” Charlie drawled, “What made you decide to accept my brother’s suit?”
Please don’t tell him the truth.
“Charlie, isn’t it quite obvious?” she replied before moving her gaze to Simon. She smiled sweetly at him.
Simon sucked in a breath.
“Perhaps it is,” Charlie said with a smile. “I would just love to hear about how you fell in love with Simon. And why it took you so long to do so? I have a feeling it has something to do with the slight bruise near your beautiful eye.”
“Your brother saved my life,” she said. “How could a woman not fall in love with a man who would do that?”
“Oh, I definitely need to hear this story.”
Simon watched the interaction between them and wondered if there was more to their relationship than just friendship. He shook his head. She had been honest about her past lovers and Charlie was not one of them.
Mia told his brother about the beating she’d received from Davies and how Simon had found her and brought her back here. “As I recuperated, I realized just what a wonderful man your brother is, Charlie.”
Charlie’s face went pallid. He frowned and turned to Simon. “Have you found this Davies man yet?”
Simon explained everything to him regarding Davies possibly being Lambert in disguise. “Now that you are here too, you should not leave without being armed.”
Mia’s mouth dropped. “You think he might be at risk too?”
“We have no way of telling, Mia. Mr. Tanner believes Lambert is out for revenge. The situation doesn’t warrant the reaction Lambert is having, which means he might not be mentally competent.”
“We must find him then,” Charlie stated vehemently.
“I have several runners working on that very thing.” Not to mention he had footmen watching Mrs. Perkins’s cottage every day until Davies or Lambert was caught.
“I will assist you.”
“Thank you,” Simon said, scraping back his chair.
“I believe I will bid you both a good night,” Mia said as she rose. “It has been a long day.”
“Of course.” Simon walked her to the bottom step. “Good night, darling.” He kissed the top of her hand when all he really wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her properly.
Mia walked up the stairs and smiled down at him one last time. Simon then moved to his study where Charlie waited for him with a brandy.
“Thank you,” Simon said as he took the glass from his brother’s outstretched hand.
“So what is really going on here?” Charlie slumped into a chair and stared at Simon.
“I wish I knew.” Simon released a long breath. “There is far more that Mia didn’t tell you.” Simon explained the financial situation to his brother but not before getting a promise not to speak of it to anyone else in the family. “I’m not worried about James. He has a steady income from the parish. Caroline has Richard who is in a good position. Mother is aware of the situation. She believes my best bet is finding a wealthy bride.”
Charlie nodded in understanding. “So if you are in a position that you need money, why are you marrying Mia?”
“You know why.”
Charlie sipped his brandy and then let his head rest back against his chair. “Love is a wonderful thing, Simon. But you could have all that with Mia as your mistress and a woman from Society as your wife.”
“I can’t do that to her,” Simon whispered.
“I know,” Charlie said with a chuckle. “I just wanted to hear you say it.”
His brother always knew how to get under his skin. “Why exactly are you here?”
“I was sent on a mission to retrieve you and bring you to Suffolk for the month of September.”
Caroline. He should have known better. “And what form of persuasion did she use on you?”
Charlie laughed. “Apparently, our little sister discovered I have an interest in a certain Miss Anna Stone. The only way her family would be invited to the country party was if I brought you to Suffolk.”
Devious. Just like Caroline. “You know I can’t go there.”
“It’s only fifty people.”
“At the house. And how many at the ball?” Simon demanded as his hand tightened around his glass.
“Knowing Caroline, most likely another hundred.”
“Exactly.”
Charlie slammed down his glass. “Simon, you are twenty-nine years old. It is far past time to let this go. Mia will be by your side.”
Anger grew to a boiling point. “You know nothing of this. I cannot be there with all those people.”
“Mia needs you to do this for her,” Charlie said in a calm tone.
“She is going to be the Countess of Hartsfield. It is expected that you will reenter Society once you are married. This is an excellent opportunity to bring her out in a smaller setting.”
Simon’s grip tightened so hard on his glass he finally released before it broke. “If they spoke of...” His voice trailed off as the painful memories returned.
“Perhaps you should tell her before you leave.”
“After what happened, I cannot.”
“You’re being foolish, Simon,” Charlie said. “I can see that she loves you as much as you love her. You can’t keep her here like a prisoner.”
A prisoner. That was exactly how she already felt and they weren’t even married. If he refused to go to town or any of the country balls, he was no better than Davies. Mia was a beautiful woman who deserved to be showered with silk dresses and jewels. What was the point of having those gowns made if not to show her to the world? Not that he had an idea of how he would pay for it all.
“I shall think about it,” Simon finally said.
“No, you will go. Because if you don’t, Miss Stone will not be invited and I will not go a month without courting her.”
Simon smiled at his brother’s reaction. It was nice to see Simon wasn’t the only man in the family desperately in love with a woman. He had to do this for Mia and for Charlie. He certainly wasn’t the only impoverished earl in England. Most just collected the debts and passed them on to their children. He hated that idea but had no choice until he could think of a good way to bring in some extra income. “Very well, we shall all attend.”
Chapter 16
M
ia blinked again, attempting to stay awake until she heard Simon walking down the hall. She had to speak to him tonight about the emerald and the money she’d received. They must start digging out at Mrs. Perkins’s cottage tomorrow. As the small clock on the mantel chimed twelve, she rose from her seat and paced the room.
Finally, an hour later, she heard voices emanating from the corridor. She’d been in the house long enough to know that Charlie’s room was in the opposite wing for his privacy. As the footsteps came closer, she cracked open the door and peered down the hall.
“Simon,” she whispered.
Simon turned around with a sensual grin. “Can I help you with something?”
“I need to speak with you.”
“Mia, I’m exhausted. Can’t it wait until morning?” He covered a yawn.
“No.”
“Very well.” He walked into her bedroom and smiled. “I doubt you can be finished with your monthlies already so why am I here?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “This is far more important than sexual congress.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” He eyed her dressing gown.
“Come over to the bed.”
“You call me into your room at one in the morning and ask me to come to your bed but this isn’t about making love?”
“No.” She pulled back the coverlet to expose the white cotton sheet. Then she grabbed the velvet pouch Selina had given her and dumped the coins onto the bed with a jangle. “Remember I told you about that emerald I had asked Selina to pawn?”
“You received that much money for an emerald?”
“According to Mr. Hertzog, a jeweler in London, that emerald was very rare. And very old. And he would be willing to look at anything else we might find buried near Mrs. Perkins’s cottage.”
Simon fell on to the bed and counted the coins. “When you said you found a small emerald, I never expected a fortune for it. This will pay for many of the upcoming expenses.”
Mia knelt on the bed next to him. “Simon, if we dig some more we might find a few more items. Mr. Hertzog believes it might have been a battle site or maybe a place where they camped. It was suggested that we check your family history to see when they were given the title and if there was a significant reason for the earldom.”
“It’s quite possible. My father never really spoke of our history but I’m sure it’s there in some of the books.”
“I found two that I was looking through when Charlie arrived. One was an ancient journal from the early thirteen hundreds and the other a family Bible that lists the lineage.”
“We should be able to find the original patent of nobility around here somewhere.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Mia suddenly felt completely awake and ready to search the library. “Do you think it would be in the library?”
“That’s the most likely spot,” he said with a yawn. He lay back down against the pillow. “We can search tomorrow.”
“But tomorrow we need to start digging.”
“Tomorrow the dressmaker is coming to size you. Then we shall figure out a plan.”
“But we must dig. Davies already knows the spot and we don’t want him taking what is rightfully yours.”
“Ours,” he said with his eyes closed. “I believe I should sleep here tonight. Your bed is more comfortable than mine.”
Mia shook her head. “No, we haven’t announced to the servants that we are engaged.”
“Trust me, they know everything.” He yawned again. “Good night.”
“No, you can’t sleep here.” Mia scrambled off the bed and attempted to pull him up.
“Take off my boots.”
“Simon, you must leave.”
“I will after you remove my boots. My feet hurt.”
“You are incorrigible.” But she moved to his feet and yanked his boots off. “Now, they’re off so come along.” She attempted to pull him off the bed again but the stubborn mule wouldn’t move. “Simon!”
“Now my jacket.”
“No.” He was only making himself more comfortable and she would have no part of that. “Simon, get out of my bed now.”
He chuckled deep and low into the pillow. “You are starting to sound like a wife already. Honestly, I just want to sleep.”
Seeing his boyish face, she couldn’t resist him. She struggled to help him remove the rest of his clothing before snuggling into bed next to him. As he curled up next to her, he kissed her forehead before falling asleep. She was quite certain she could get used to feeling so protected and loved.
When morning arrived far too soon for Mia, she found herself still wrapped in his arms. She hadn’t admitted to anyone that other than the last two nights, she hadn’t slept well. Every night she’d tossed and turned, afraid to fall asleep and have Davies find her in a weakened state. Last night, she’d given that worry to Simon. Judging by his still-closed eyes, he hadn’t worried overmuch about it.
She stirred slowly to allow him to continue sleeping. As she eased away, a thickly muscled arm brought her back against his chest. She smiled and savored his warmth as he showered light kisses on her temple.
“Valiant effort at getting away but it didn’t work,” he whispered in her ear.
“I noticed.”
“Where do you have to be on such a glorious morning?”
Did she have to leave her bed and him? Perhaps not yet. “I don’t believe I have anywhere I must be. Maybe a few places I should be.”
“Name one.” He pressed his hips against her bottom until she felt his rigid manhood between them.
“The breakfast room. You have company and one of us should be down to greet your brother.”
A low chuckle was his comment. “If you think Charlie is out of his bed yet, you are mad. The boy will be up far closer to noon than eight.”
She reached behind her back and stroked the top of his cock. He gasped at the light touch. “I’m certain I have something else I must leave this bed for.”
“Don’t you dare.”
She turned and faced him with a sensual smile. “Are you sure?”
“Very much so,” he said with a groan as she stroked the long length of him. “Dear God, if you stop, I will chase you down until you finish this.”
“Then I believe I had better stay.” She watched as his molded lips came closer to hers and then shut her eyes to the passion of his kisses. If only she wasn’t having her monthlies. This would be a wonderful way to wake up. Once she married him, she could wake in this manner.
“Mia, you are amazing,” he whispered and then lay back against the pillows.
She couldn’t help but watch his face and stare as pleasure overtook his body. He reached down and covered her hand with his to stop the movement as he reached his pinnacle.
“Mia,” he called out as he shook with pleasure.
She continued to stare at his strong jaw and then moved her gaze to his muscled chest and arms. How did a gentleman develop muscles like his? Neither Davies nor Paul had been built like Simon.
He blinked his eyes open and smiled at her. “You are never leaving my bed again.”
Her heart warmed. She didn’t want to leave his bed or his side. The man she thought to marry just for the protection of his name was becoming far too important to her. It was becoming hard to imagine her life without him near.
He took a handkerchief from the jacket she’d dropped on the floor last night and wiped her hand. Then he brought her close. She rested her head on his chest. His strong heartbeat pounded against her ear, comforting her with its steady beat.
“Now what did we have to do today?” he asked.
For a moment, she couldn’t think of a thing that had to be done. Then she remembered and lifted her head to look down at him. “We must dig at Mrs. Perkins’s cottage today. We have to get there before Davies finds something and alerts others. If that happens who knows what type of people would descend on your lands and take what belongs to you.”
“All right. After the dressmaker is finished we will go investigate Mrs. Perkins’s garden. I am not convinced we will find anything, Mia. I believe you found those pieces strictly by chance.”
“I don’t need a special dress and you don’t have the funds for it.”
Simon chuckled. “I believe I do.” He reached over to the table and grabbed the coins. He dropped them one by one into her hand. “Your gowns will not cost anywhere near this.”
“Gowns?” she asked quietly. One dress would do for now until they found more items to sell to Mr. Hertzog.
“You will be my countess. There are certain expectations to be met as such. One is the wearing of gowns suitable to your station. I will not have people gossip about you because of your clothing.”
Mia nodded but couldn’t help adding, “I’m certain they will find other things about me to gossip about.”
He kissed her forehead. “You are the dearest friend of a duchess. They will accept you because you have her ear.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t help but be apprehensive. On the estate, everyone would be kind to her but once she left and became part of his world, everything would be different. Selina had only been a duchess for a few weeks. Very few people had even met her yet. Perhaps they could weather the storm of a Season together.
“You’ve become very quiet,” he said softly. “Are you worried?”
“A little.”
“The first year will be the toughest but we won’t be in town much.”
“Why not?” She didn’t care whether they went to London, but she felt he was not attending the Season for a reason.
“I don’t enjoy it. The main reason is to find a bride, but I have found one right here.”
Something about that didn’t ring true for Mia. Perhaps it was the slight change in the tone of his voice. As he said, most people have a sign that they are lying. Maybe she had just discovered his.
“I suppose at some point we should get out of this warm bed,” he said as if to change the subject.
Mia didn’t care why he’d said it, but she knew there was far too much to do. “Yes. We must dress and eat. But you will check the library while I’m with the dressmaker.”
He smiled and little lines crinkled by his eyes. “Yes, darling. I will.”
“Excellent.” Mia tossed off the coverlet and jumped out of bed. “Come along. We both have much to do.”
Simon groaned. “Yes, darling.”
Simon stared down at the document creating the new earldom. It had been created in the late 1300s and one of his relatives was that earl. It took some time to read through the document written in Latin, but as he read it, he realized there was no specific reason given for the conferring of the title. He picked up the ancient family Bible and looked at the lineage but again there was no indication of any battle that took place on this land.
“What are you doing in here on such a beautiful day?” Charlie asked as he walked into the library. “I assumed you would be outside planning more changes to your gardens or fixing something.”
“I promised Mia I would help her with something.”
“What is it?” Charlie ran his fingers across the spine of several books on the shelf. “Anything I can do to help?”
“I’m looking for information on why the earldom was created and if there were any battles on this land.”
Charlie nodded. “History. Hmm, what have you found so far?”
“Nothing. I found the patent but there was no reason given for the peerage. I just pulled out the Bible but there is nothing in it except the births and deaths.”
Charlie scanned the books. “There must be something here.”
“Personal journals,” Simon said, walking to the shelves. “We need to find old personal journals from our relatives.”
“Of course.”
They examined all the books and then shook their heads. Both pulled a few books out and quickly shelved them again.
“Here’s one,” Charlie said, handing an old leather book to him.
“Keep looking, I’ll check this one.” Simon sat in the chair near the window and studied the book. “It’s from one of our great-great-grandmothers. The first date is fifteen hundred and forty-five.” He read a few entries and closed the book. “It’s nothing more than a daily description of her life.”
“So why are you searching for something regarding battles on our lands?”
“Just a passing curiosity.” Why did he lie to his own brother about the possibility of some old gold and jewels being on the land? It was as if he couldn’t trust anyone until Davies or Lambert was caught.
“If you think I believe that, you’re mad.” Charlie sat down across from Simon and tilted his head. “What is the real reason?”
Simon knew in his heart that his brother was not involved but Charlie had always been the reckless one of the family. “First tell me why you don’t need money. You always run short of your monthly allowance.”
“I already told you about Miss Stone. I have put away my rakish ways, Simon. The money you give me is more than enough to support myself comfortably when I’m not gambling and whoring.”
Simon smiled at his brother. “I must meet the woman who can make you change for the better.”
“Come to Suffolk and you will.”
“We will.”
“You’re serious?” Charlie said excitedly.
“Yes. You were right. It will be a good opportunity to introduce Mia.”
Charlie sobered. “And what about you?”
Simon inhaled deeply. “I shall manage for her.” As long as Charlie was being honest, he could too. “There is more. The real reason we are searching for information is Mia found something in old Mrs. Perkins’s garden.”
“That old witch is still alive?”
Simon laughed remembering how Mrs. Perkins had come after Charlie with a hoe for taking some of her strawberries. “Barely. I believe she is near ninety.”
“So what did Mia find?”
“A gold hilt, a gold coin, and an emerald. Colin and his wife took it to Hertzog. He said if we find more, he would be interested. He believes they are very old.”