Page 38 of The Earl's Christmas Deal
The thought was crystal clear, and as the game continued—the two women teaming up to pelt the men with snow—Adam’s cheeks ached with the mad joy of it all.
From the house behind them at an upper window, a face looked down on the little party with a grim expression.
Watching Adam in the garden made a bitter taste form in Frederick’s mouth. He noted how his cousin rarely looked away from Emilia, his features softening when he smiled at her. It was an expression Frederick had seldom seen from him, even when he had been with Anastasia. There was something pure and wholesome about the connection between the two of them, and he knew he would be hard-pressed to rip it apart.
He would, though. He had no choice.
Adam would lose any interest in her and return to his lonely dark house for the rest of his days, and Frederick would finally receive what was owed to him. He already owed fifteen pounds to Lord Sternwood on top of all the other bets he had made. But perhaps the man could be persuaded to forget thedebt when the news of his daughter’s marriage to the duke was announced.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
As the group went back inside, rosy-cheeked and in high spirits, they joined the other guests for hot chocolate and biscuits.
As Emilia stepped back into the drawing room beside Adam her heart raced, a flutter of unease tightening her chest. It felt surreal to be standing beside him, to beengagedto him when no one around them knew the truth.
She glanced at him as he surveyed the room, his eyes reminding her of the shallow shores at the beach when she was a child, the clear blue water calling to her against the white sands of the Cornish coast.
In the gardens, she had begun to see the playful side of the earl, and it warmed her heart. When they had first met, he had been reserved and quiet, unhappy even. She had not been certain he had wished to be a member of their company or to be part of the house party at all. Yet now, he seemed to be lighter in himself and some of the tension had left his face.
As though sensing her look, Adam turned, and Emilia’s heart thudded wildly in her chest as his eyes softened offering her a shallow bow before walking across the room to speak with his aunt.
He was sohandsomethat was what she could not understand.Why would someone such as he look at me, a woman who society has shunned for years?
“You are looking melancholy, and I cannot fathom why. You have every reason to be cheerful,” Charlotte said, coming up behind her.
Emilia was about to reply with a denial when she was jolted to the side by someone walking swiftly through the room.Righting herself, she turned back to see Frederick Bentley. He had stopped, his jaw working as he bowed to her, his hand on his chest in apology. Emilia held back a gasp at the look of quiet fury on his face, but it was wiped clean as soon as their eyes met.
“My apologies, my Lady, I was not looking where I was walking.”
“No matter, Mr Bentley,” Emilia replied, attempting a smile, “No harm has been done.”
Frederick gave her a tight nod and continued on his way towards Adam and Augusta.
Emilia felt a shiver run through her that she could not name and glanced at Charlotte.
“I wondered if my aversion to that man was simply my own,” Charlotte said darkly. “There is something very odd about him. Do you know, during the ball, he stood by the wall and simply stared at you for several minutes together? I thought it might simply be that I’d misinterpreted the direction in which he was looking, but he has done it several times since. I considered whether he might be thinking of making an advance.”
Emilia shook her head. “How strange. That is the first time we have spoken; he has certainly not sought me out at any point.”
“Perhaps he is shy,” Charlotte mused. The two women exchanged a glance, and Charlotte’s lips pursed together. “No, you are right. I do not believe that either.”
“He looked at me like he hated me. Perhaps he has heard of the scandal and does not approve of—” She stopped abruptly, realising she had been about to reveal Adam’s attachment to her.
“Approve of what?” Charlotte asked indignantly, always quick to come to her defence. “You have done nothing, brokenno laws and slighted nobody. Anyone who is still harping on about such things is not welcome in my company I can promise you that.”
Emilia leaned into her friend gratefully. “You are too good to me.”
“I know,” Charlotte said with a put-upon sigh, making Emilia laugh, “I do not know why I put up with you at all. You are so tiresome.”
Emilia chuckled, and Charlotte grinned at her mischievously.
“Speaking of attachments,” Emilia said carefully. “You and Lord Spencer do seem to be getting along well together. I rather thought you believed him to be very stupid.”
Charlotte eyed her friend, unsure whether to express the depths of her feelings for Lord Spencer. She had never met anyone she liked so much, who was so well connected and so generous with his spirit and feeling.
Charlotte was not a romantic. She knew full well that connections in society, particularly at this time of year, could easily be misinterpreted. Lord Spencer had shown her much attention over the last few days, but it was only that—attention. She had never been someone who fell all over herself for the sake of a handsome man, but there was a part of her that wanted to grasp her friend’s hand and tell her she was enraptured.
He was so genial and polite, never overstepping his bounds. Charlotte was aware that Emilia and Lord Bellebrook had grown close, but Adam was rather too serious for Charlotte’s tastes. Lord Spencer was all levity, smiles, and excitement. Charlotte had been startled by how much she liked him and their time in the gardens had been the happiest she had ever spent with anyone.
