Enticing the Earl (2 page)

S
imon Blakesworth watched with dread as Mia fell to the ground. He ran down the hill only to find her facedown in the soft grass. Carefully, he rolled her over. Nausea roiled in his stomach as he saw the marks on her body. Her left eye was red and swelling quickly. By tomorrow, it would be black-and-blue. The left side of her jaw looked as if it had taken multiple blows.

He was going to kill whoever did this to her.

No one touched his wise woman.

He slowly gathered her in his arms and walked toward Hartsfield Park. She groaned in pain with every step he took. He pushed away the emotions eating at him and stormed into his house. “Get Mrs. Featherstone up here immediately,” he ordered his butler, Harris.

“Yes, my lord,” Harris mumbled. “What happened to Miss Featherstone?”

“I don’t know. Someone tried to hurt her.”

“Oh, my lord, who would ever want to hurt such a kind lady?”

Simon only shook his head. “I will place her in the rose bedchamber,” Simon shouted down as he climbed the steps.

Once he reached the rose bedchamber, he entered the room and eased her down on the soft bed. She moaned again and blinked her eyes open slightly.

“My lord?”

“Shh, Miss Featherstone. Your mother is on her way.”

“She is going to be so angry,” she muttered.

No more than I am.
“Not at you,” Simon whispered. “Only at whoever did this to you.”

She nodded slowly and closed her eyes again.

Simon grabbed a cloth and poured water from the pitcher on it. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently cleaned the dirt off her oval face. What kind of trouble had Mia gotten herself in to? And who the hell was that man? Simon had been too far away to recognize him. None of his tenants would wish to harm Mia. She was the healer’s daughter and a wise woman like her mother. Everything she did was laced in kindness.

After looking at her eye, he strode to the door and shouted for a footman. “Is there ice left in the icehouse?”

“I am not certain, my lord,” Robert said slowly.

Simon raised one brow at the man without saying a word.

“But I will check with Cook and bring some to you if there is any left.”

“Crush the ice. Thank you, Robert.”

Simon walked back into the room and sat back down on the bed. He turned at the sound of the door opening. Expecting to see Mrs. Featherstone, he was surprised to find his mother standing at the threshold in her traveling costume. “Are you leaving now?”

“Perhaps,” she answered slowly. She approached the bed and stared down at Mia. “What happened?”

“I don’t know yet. Someone beat her.”

“Should I stay?” she asked hesitantly. For a woman with four children, his mother had never been comfortable with the sick or injured.

“There is nothing you can do. Her mother is on the way and will care for her. You should head down to Suffolk and visit Caroline and Richard as planned.” And give him some blessed peace.

She worried her lip. “But if she is staying in the house, then I should remain to chaperone.”

Simon shook his head. “Mother, she needs a healer, not a chaperone. Mrs. Featherstone will stay with her daughter until she can be moved to their cottage. Go visit Caroline.”

“As you wish. But I will expect you in Suffolk by the end of September. You cannot ignore your sister’s country party, no matter how much you would like to.”

She was bringing up this topic now? “Can we speak of this at another time? Miss Featherstone is badly injured.”

“I see that but nothing can be done until her mother arrives. I will hear nothing more on either subject. You will be in Suffolk by the end of September,” his mother huffed.

He returned his attention back to Miss Featherstone and washed her hand. “How many people will be there?”

“I am not certain. Most likely no more than fifty.”

Fifty people. Nothing could drag him to that party. Thankfully, his sister would understand. “I will do my best to remember the party, Mother.”

“Do more than that. Make certain you attend.”

As she walked out, Mrs. Featherstone blustered into the room. “What happened to my daughter, my lord?”

He explained what he had seen. “Do you know the man?”

“Foolish girl. She only told me that she was visiting a friend in the village. I should have known she had no friends there. The new duchess is her only real friend and I wonder how long that friendship will last now that she’s part of the quality.”

The new Duchess of Northrop could hardly be called a member of the quality. A wise woman like both Mrs. Featherstone and her twin daughters, most people considered Selina far beneath the likes of the duke. Simon tended to disagree. He knew that she was a kind woman who had reached through the darkness in Colin’s soul and brought him back to life. For saving his friend, Simon owed Selina everything.

Mrs. Featherstone set to work on her daughter. “My lord, please ask Mrs. Alder to come up and assist me.”

“I would be happy to help you.”

She turned her head and stared at him with those intense blue eyes. “Thank you, my lord, but I would prefer another woman assist me with my daughter.” She softened her voice. “I will let you know how she is once I have attended to her.”

He nodded sharply, knowing he had no rights where Mia was concerned. “I will get Mrs. Alder.”

He looked back at Mia one last time and then left the room. He walked downstairs to his library and then called for his butler.

“Yes, my lord?” Harris said as he entered the room.

“Have Mrs. Alder assist Mrs. Featherstone in the rose bedchamber. And send word to the duchess that Miss Featherstone is injured. I am quite certain she will want to know.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Simon sat down in the chair that overlooked the gardens and waited for word. He hated being useless. And worse, he hated not having the right to stay in the room while Mrs. Featherstone examined her daughter. He was done waiting for Mia to realize that he loved her. Once she was well enough, he would talk to her about it.

And what exactly would he say?

He had no idea. He could tell her that the main reason he stayed at this estate almost year-round was due to her. It was nearer enough the truth for her. She didn’t need to know the real reason he spent so little time in town.

He could tell her that he loved her more than life itself. Unfortunately, she would more than likely laugh at that explanation.

There had to be some reason he could use to get her to understand that she needed to marry him. He pondered that for close to an hour before Harris knocked on the door.

“Yes, Harris? Is there news from Mrs. Featherstone?”

“No, my lord. The Duke and Duchess of Northrop are here. The duchess refused to wait and ran up to the rose bedchamber.”

Simon laughed, imagining Selina pushing Harris out of the way to get to her friend. “Send North in.”

“Already here,” North said as he entered the room. “I’ve decided my lovely wife might have the right idea of just forcing herself into people’s homes.”

“I don’t believe she thinks there is a reason to be announced.”

“Yes, she seems to have perfected that social blunder.” North chuckled. “It is endearing in the country. I will have to make certain she doesn’t continue that tradition when in town.” North sat down in the gold velvet chair next to Simon. “How is she?”

“I don’t know yet. Mrs. Featherstone ejected me from the bedchamber and hasn’t come down since. I’m worried, North. It looked like a man had done this to her. The man I saw from the top of the hill wasn’t anyone I had seen before. I know all my tenants, your tenants and even Middleton’s tenants, and most of the people in the village.”

“A stranger in the village will cause talk,” North commented. “Perhaps if you question a few people, they will know of this man.”

“I plan on doing that just as soon as I hear how she’s faring.”

“It might be too late by then.” North rose. “Come along, we will leave the women to help Miss Featherstone while we question the villagers.”

Simon nodded. At least this would give him something to do to keep his mind off her for a few minutes. He let Harris know to give the ladies the message that they were heading to the village, and then walked out to the stables.

Once they had mounted their horses, they set out for the ride to Cheadle. Simon kept his thoughts to himself and thankfully so did North. The last thing Simon wanted was North questioning him about Mia. No one knew how he felt about the woman and no one needed to discover how deep his feelings for her had become over the past few years.

He had been aware of her from the time he was seventeen. Even though she’d only been fourteen at the time, he could see she would be a beautiful woman. And with large brown eyes that could see into a person’s soul, chestnut hair and her slim figure, he’d been right.

But his attraction to her was more than physical. He’d witnessed her kindness on more than one occasion. When his mother grew ill, the physician had said there was nothing he could do. Mia and her mother disagreed with the man and fought to draw his mother back from the brink. Five years later, his mother was healthier than she’d ever been. Mia had always been there for the servants and tenants on his estate.

“Here we are,” North said, pulling Simon out of his musing.

Simon glanced about the small town and frowned. The clouds were rolling in over the hillside and the rain would be here soon. “We had best make this quick. I do wonder how we are supposed to question people when I don’t have a name.”

“We ask about any strangers in town. Most people know of the Featherstones and they will be angry to hear what happened to Miss Featherstone. If they know something, they will talk.”

“Very well,” Simon agreed as they walked into the local inn.

Two hours later, the skies had darkened to match Simon’s mood. No one had seen any strangers in the area. A few people had passed by the inn but after a night, they had continued on their journey. “Let’s be off before we get soaked,” Simon said as they walked toward the yard.

“As soon as you get a name from Miss Featherstone, let me know and we can try again.” North mounted his horse and led him to the main road. “I will head back to the estate now. I have no doubt that Selina will want to stay the night with Miss Featherstone.”

“Thank you, North.”

“I owe you this much... and more.”

Simon smiled, remembering how only a few weeks ago, he had run off after the man who had shot North and injured Selina too. Just as Simon mounted up, the rain began. “Damn.”

“And now you know why I am heading back to my home,” North said. “I’ll return the mare tomorrow.” North raced off down the road toward Northrop Park.

Simon nudged his horse to a trot. No matter how fast he went, he was bound to get wet so there was no point in possibly injuring himself or his horse. As he rode toward Hartsfield Park, the rain increased, soaking him to the bone. By the time he reached his home, all he wanted was a warm bath by a fire.

Arriving at his estate, he dismounted and handed his reins to the stable boy. “Make sure he gets some extra oats tonight, lad.”

“Yes, milord.”

The front door opened as he approached. Before he even entered the house, he could hear Harris shouting at the footmen to draw a bath and start a fire in his bedchamber. Harris was worth every pound he paid him.

“How is Miss Featherstone?”

“Mrs. Featherstone wants to see you, my lord. She said it was important.”

Important?
Oh dear God, Mia must be worse off than he expected. Simon raced up the stairs to the rose bedchamber and knocked on the door.

“Thank goodness you have returned,” Selina said as she opened the door.

“What’s wrong with Miss Featherstone?” Simon walked into the room and cringed. He’d known it would happen, but seeing the way Mia’s eye had swollen and bruised made his anger return.

Mia opened her good eye and smiled. “You look dreadful, my lord. Do you not know enough to come out of the rain?”

Mrs. Featherstone grabbed his elbow and dragged him into the adjoining salon. After shutting the door, she turned to him. “She is badly injured. In addition to her noticeable bruises, she has two cracked ribs. I have bound them but we cannot move her yet.”

“Of course. There is no issue with her staying here. I have plenty of bedchambers.”

“And more importantly, you can keep her safe.”

Simon nodded. “No one will gain entrance to this house unless I know them. Harris will make sure of that.”

“Good. I need to check on Mrs. Smith again. I was with her when you called me up here.” Mrs. Featherstone stared at him with those probing blue eyes. “I trust with your mother here that I do not need to worry about a chaperone.”

The reality of her words slammed into him. Mia would be in his home... alone with him. “My mother left today to visit Caroline and her husband. But with a dozen servants in this house, you have nothing to worry over. Every one of them would watch your daughter like she was their own. Besides, the duchess will stay the night.”

“True. And you are a gentleman, are you not?”

“Of course.”

Mrs. Featherstone’s lips twitched. “That is good while she is healing. But perhaps not when she is well.”

Simon’s eyes widened. What exactly was her mother saying? “Excuse me?”

“I want my daughter safe, my lord. Do what you must to keep her that way. Use any means.” She stared up at him. “
Any means
.”

T
he earl returned to Mia’s room after changing his clothes. Her dearest friend, Selina, excused herself while Hart sat down in the chair next to her bed. Every bone and muscle in her body ached and yet, she didn’t want to tell him of her woes. She had seen his anger before and hated how it had made her feel small and helpless.

“How are you, Miss Featherstone?”

“I am mending. Thank you for bringing me here and...” Tears welled in her eyes and one finally breached her cheek. She didn’t have the strength to wipe it away. A large hand cupped her face and his thumb slid the tear away.

“We can talk tomorrow when you are feeling better.”

“Please don’t go yet.” She had no idea why she wanted Hart to stay. For some reason he brought her more comfort than either her mother or Selina.

“Very well.” He sat back against the chair. “Do you want to tell me who did this to you?”

“Please don’t kill him, my lord.”

His face tightened and a little tic pulsed in his jaw. “No promises, Miss Featherstone.”

“Allan Davies.”

Hart gave her a look of confusion. “You say that name as if I should know it.”

“You don’t?” This made no sense. Allan had always disparaged Hart, his money and his title. She had quickly discovered that Allan was afraid of the man and refused to walk on his lands.

“I have never heard of the man.”

“He acted as if he knew you.”

Hart looked away and then slowly shook his head. “I do not believe I have ever met the man.”

“That’s odd.” Mia stifled a yawn. “Drat this laudanum. I swear Selina only gave it to me in retaliation for me giving some to her when she’d been shot.”

He smiled down at her. “I remember that day.”

Mia’s heart gave a lurch. His light gray eyes held nothing but kindness right now. But he was a man.
With a man’s strength and heartlessness.
She’d vowed as Allan was pummeling her that she would never become involved with a man again. Besides, if Hart ever learned that she had stolen from his lands, he would be furious with her. She knew how these lords watched every farthing that passed through their lands.

“My lord, I am quite tired this evening. Thank you for checking on me. As soon as I’m able, I will get back to my mother’s cottage.”

“Miss Featherstone, there is no need for haste. I have thirty bedchambers in this old place.”

“But...”

He nodded and raised a brown eyebrow at her. “No more about this. Even your mother agreed that you are to stay here until you are fully healed. The duchess will stay the night with you. Good night, Miss Featherstone.”

“Good night, my lord.”

“If you are going to be here for some time, please call me Hart or Simon. I get dreadfully tired of all the ‘my lords.’” He rose and walked to the door.

“Yes, my lord.”

He stopped and turned back to her with a smile. Deep dimples lined both cheeks and suddenly her heart lurched again. What was wrong with her?

“As you wish, Hart,” she corrected.

“Much better.” He retreated from the room, leaving her in silent thought.

Why would she suddenly see Hart in a different light? They had known each other since they were children. There was no doubt that he was a very handsome man. Light brown hair cut short and stylish. Broad shoulders and strong arms born from working this estate like a tenant more often than a lord.

She had seen him do everything from putting in a landscaped garden to fixing a spout on a waterfall. No task was too small or too big for him. And all that work had put hard muscle on his body. She shouldn’t have such intimate knowledge of his body, but she had been called to stitch him up after an accident had left his chest with a deep wound. If she hadn’t been affected by him then, why was she now?

Because he’d saved her. That was all there was to it.

That was why she had never noticed how perfectly molded his lips were. And why had she never wondered what those lips would feel like against her own? Or imagine his fingers tracing a path down her breast.

“What a kind man.”

Mia blinked both eyes at the sound of Selina’s voice and then instantly regretted the action. Her right eye ached with the movement. “Who are you talking about?”

“Hart, of course. He told me that he would have a tray sent up for me and some broth for you. Then he said that he would have the room next door made up so I can stay the night.”

At least with Selina’s prattling, Mia could get her mind off the man downstairs. “Hart has always been a gentleman.”

“Yes, and your rescuer.”

Maybe if she downplayed the part Hart had in her rescue, she could rid herself of this sudden, foolish attraction. “He didn’t actually rescue me. He found me and brought me here.”

Selina cocked her head at Mia. “Indeed? That sounds like a rescue to me. If he hadn’t seen you there, it might have been days before anyone found you. The area Hart said he found you is not a populated section. He just happened to be out there walking.”

No, she couldn’t think of him as her hero. “Well then, I guess I was very lucky.”

“Mia,” Selina asked slowly. “Are you afraid of Hart?”

“Of course not,” she replied with a shaky laugh. “We have known each other since I was born. I helped my mother with him when he was sick as a lad.”

Selina tilted her head and stared at her. “He is a gentleman, Mia. He would never hurt you.”

“Oh? Just as Northrop didn’t evict you from his lands just for being a wise woman?”

“He was still hurting from the death of his wife and son. Besides, it’s not like he was in...” Her voice trailed off and she glanced away from Mia.

“Was in what?”

“Nothing.” Selina stood and went to the door. “Now where is that tray?”

What exactly was her friend hiding from her? “Selina?”

“I will just check on that tray,” Selina said and then quickly left the room.

Mia waited, determined to discover Selina’s secret. But as the minutes ticked away, the laudanum performed its magic, increasing Mia’s need to sleep.

 

Simon sipped his brandy and stared over the rolling landscape of the Midlands.
Allan Davies.
Who the bloody hell was he? Mia said Davies acted as if he knew him. Simon relaxed against the cool leather seat and let his mind drift back to Eton. He remembered a Peter Davies but that man was now Viscount Hamilton. Simon doubted Hamilton had any real grudges against him. They both had played a few boyish pranks on each other but it never went further than that.

Davies was a common enough name. He’d most likely met a few others over the past ten years but none that stood out as either a friend or an enemy. Tomorrow he would send for a Bow Street runner to investigate. But for now, his priority was keeping Mia safe. Whoever did this might attempt to hurt her again... or worse.

He shook his head in confusion. Mia was one of the kindest people he had ever known. He could think of no reason for anyone to want to hurt her. Except that one of North’s tenants had done just that to Selina after the tenant’s wife lost her baby.

A soft knock scraped at the door. “Come in.”

Selina peered around the door. “Would you like some company?”

He smiled at her as he rose. “Certainly, Your Grace. How is the patient?”

She walked into the room and sat in the chair across from him. “Finally asleep. That woman needed more laudanum than I usually give a man.”

“Would you like a brandy or sherry?”

“A sherry would be lovely, my lord.”

“Hart,” he insisted. “I don’t stand on formality here.” With a shrug, he added, “Or anywhere.” He poured her a small glass of sherry and then handed it to her before adding a bit more brandy to his own glass.

“Very well then, I insist you call me Selina.” She held up her glass. “To good health.”

He saluted her and took a long drink. The smoky brandy teased his tongue and warmed him as he swallowed. “So, Selina, have you ever heard Miss Featherstone talk about this Allan Davies man?”

The duchess shook her head. “Mia has told me many secrets over the years but for some reason, she never told me about him. Maybe she was envious of my relationship with the duke and decided to take the first man she could as her lover.”

“I’m quite sure there must have been a better candidate,” he grumbled softly.

“I have no doubt about that,” she said with a pointed stare.

He wondered what her stare meant. He’d only told one person how he felt about Mia and that was in a drunken state to Middleton. He needed to get back on task. “Have you ever heard of Allan Davies from any of North’s tenants or perhaps someone in the village?”

“I’m sorry, Hart. I have never heard of the man.” She sipped her sherry slowly. “But don’t you think that it is odd that no one has heard of him? This isn’t London. I know nearly everyone at your home, Middleton’s home, and a great number of people from Cheadle. How could I have not heard of his name before now?”

“An assumed name, perhaps?”

Selina frowned before placing her empty glass on the table. “But the villagers love to speak of anyone new to the neighborhood. I should have heard something of it.”

“I thought the same thing.” It made no sense. “But everyone North and I spoke with said they had never heard of the man. And they didn’t remember anyone new in the neighborhood.”

“It makes no sense.”

“Can you think of any reason someone would want to hurt Miss Featherstone?”

“Hurt Mia?” Selina shook her head adamantly. “No. Everyone loves her.”

Simon rubbed his temples. “I will check out the village tomorrow. I will also hire a runner to see if he can discover anything.”

“Thank you, Hart.”

He shrugged nonchalantly to hide the frustration spiraling through him. “I can’t have one of my tenants in danger on my lands.” And he wouldn’t let another person touch the woman he loved. He would find this Allan Davies, track him down and make sure he felt the same pain Mia felt now.