Page 29 of Courting the Earl
It was early afternoon when Geoffrey received a message from his sister asking him to visit as soon as possible. The summons triggered his concern, and he raced from the house. Her baby wasn’t due for another month, so it was still a little early. Even worse, women died in childbirth. If she was on her deathbed, he knew she’d call for him.
A footman had scarce opened the door when he rushed inside. “Is she upstairs?”
His sister’s laughter coming from the drawing room had him scowling. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and followed the sound. His gaze went immediately to the armchair she liked to use of late because she needed the support of the chair’s arms to rise.
His eyes moved over her face before dropping to her belly. She hadn’t given birth. He folded his arms across his chest. “Your note said I needed to come right away. I thought you were…” He waved a hand over her midsection.
“I am quite well, Geoff. How are you today?”
The sound of muffled laughter had him turning his head to the settee. He froze when he realized Eleanor was there.
“We have an unexpected but very welcome guest,” his sister said.
He turned to look at her. “We?”
She nodded. “Miss Pearson needed to speak to you, but since she couldn’t call on you, she came here instead.”
He noticed the blush on Eleanor’s cheeks, and it made her even more attractive to him. They stared at one another for several long seconds before he collected his wits. He wanted to ask her a million questions but couldn’t. Not with his sister in the room. Instead, he inclined his head in greeting. “Miss Pearson.”
Abigail let out a loud sigh. “Come help me up, Geoff.”
He moved to do so automatically, his thoughts still racing. What could have happened that would have Eleanor seeking him out in this manner? They saw each other each week at the bookstore. She could have waited to speak to him there.
Eleanor stood as well. “I hope this wasn’t an inconvenience.” She winced. “Of course it was. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
Abigail squeezed her hand. “Nonsense. I’m glad to be of service. But if the two of you will excuse me, I need to leave you for a little while.” She placed a hand over her swollen midsection, caressing the bump. “I think the two of you need to have this conversation in private.”
She dropped a kiss on his cheek, using the opportunity to whisper into his ear and press something into his hand. “I sent her coach away with a note that I would require her assistance for the next few hours. This is the key to my old town house. We haven’t had the opportunity to do anything with it yet, and it occurs to me that you might find a use for it.” She winked at him and mouthed, “There will be no one there.”
He slipped the key into a pocket and watched her leave. When they were alone, he turned to face Eleanor. They stared at one another. Finally she sank down onto the settee with a loud sigh.
He didn’t think twice before sitting next to her. They so rarely had the opportunity to be alone together, and he needed to be as close to her as possible.
When she didn’t speak, he broke the silence. It must have taken much courage to reach out to his sister today, but now he feared Eleanor might change her mind. “You wanted to speak to me?”
Eleanor shifted so she was facing him. “I have news about my cousin and Lord Stanley.”
He stilled, hoping that the next words out of her mouth was that the two would be marrying. That would be the best outcome to their current situation, but Lord Appleby seemed quite insistent that a match be made between their two families. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that Eleanor’s uncle had put an end to Stanley’s courtship.
“And what is that news?”
Eleanor’s eyes seemed to search his. Her chest rose as she took a deep breath, but somehow he kept his gaze on her face. “She has accepted his suit. She is speaking to my uncle today and has high hopes that he’ll allow her to break your betrothal.”
The relief he felt was overpowering. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to hold back his desire to cheer. But he didn’t hold back the smile that spread across his face as he opened his eyes again.
Eleanor was still watching him carefully, as though she was trying to read his thoughts. Did she think he would thank her and then take his leave? He would have done just that two months ago at the beginning of the season. Now everything had changed.
He reached for her hand and held it. They both wore gloves, but a thrill of anticipation surged through him. There was nothing stopping him from getting to know this woman better.
“I won’t lie. You know I’m beyond thrilled to hear that.” Finally Stanley’s sense of competition had come in handy. Never had Geoffrey been so glad to have the man best him.
Her voice was soft when she said, “I know.”
Eleanor’s tongue flicked over her lips, and he wanted to groan. He wanted to pull her into his arms, onto his lap, but he couldn’t rush her. She’d returned his kiss last night in the garden, but now he wanted so much more from her.
“What…?” Again with that infernal licking of her lips that was tempting him beyond reason. “What are you planning to do with your freedom?”
He looked down at their clasped hands, where his thumb had been tracing circles on the back of hers. He lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on the smooth skin of her wrist, above where the fabric ended. Her scent—roses, if he wasn’t mistaken—was stronger there.
