An Earl to Enchant (6 page)

“All right, please tell Lord Morgandale I will accept his hospitality for a few days.”

Mrs. Post nodded and looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“Tell me, Mrs. Post, what time does the earl have dinner?”

“He usually dines around seven-thirty.”

“In that case, I’ll be down at six tomorrow evening so I won’t miss him. You may tell him to expect me.”

“Yes, Miss Sweet,” she said and exited the room.

Arianna relaxed against the pillows once again.

“Can you believe that, Miss Ari?” Beabe said excitedly as soon as the housekeeper’s footfalls could be heard on the stairs. “Hallelujah, we can stay here for a few days. I can put this dress away, because you aren’t going anywhere today.”

Arianna smiled, knowing she’d made the right decision for herself and for Beabe.

She sipped the warm chocolate. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of eager expectancy because she would get to see the earl one more time and look into his enthralling blue eyes once again before she left his home.

Five

My Dearest Grandson Lucas,

What do you think of these wise words of Chesterfield? “Always take care to keep the best company in the place where you are. And the pleasures of a gentleman are only to be found in the best of company; for that riot which low company most falsely and impudently call pleasure, is only the sensuality of a swine.”

Your loving Grandmother,

Lady Elder

After more than two months of feeling as if she couldn’t lift her head off a pillow without the room spinning, Arianna woke for the first time without feeling dizzy. It was amazing what a tub of hot, soapy water, a fresh night rail, and two days of uninterrupted rest could do for a person. Though she hated to admit it, even to herself, the voyage and the fever had taken a lot out of her. She had been weak-kneed when she first arrived at Valleydale, but now she was feeling stronger.

After waking from the nap, she donned a bright melon-colored dress with long, sheer sleeves that were banded at the cuff with a bright multicolored trim. The same trim bordered the hemline and high waist of her skirt.

She supposed in England that most people would frown on her for not still wearing black, as it wasn’t yet a year past her father’s death. But in India, there were only twelve days of mourning, and
kala
was not a color that was worn often and not at all for mourning.

She sat at the dressing table and fashioned her long, freshly-washed hair into a chignon at the back of her head. She then clasped around her neck a choker necklace of four strands of light green beads, that had been woven together, and clipped matching earrings to her ears.

By the time she finished dressing, she was feeling weak again. It frustrated her that her body gave out on her with the least exertion. Arianna looked at the barely touched tray that sat on the dressing table. Her appetite had not returned to normal yet, but hopefully that would come back soon. She had found it difficult even to look at the tray laden with a bowl of steaming chicken, potato, and onion soup, with a large piece of bread covered with butter and a side dish of cooked figs. She asked Beabe to find a nice way to explain to Mrs. Post that she would rather not have so much food on her tray at one time. Arianna had received word back that her tray was prepared the way Lord Morgandale had requested. That didn’t surprise her.

It wasn’t quite six o’clock, the time she had told Mrs. Post she would be down to see the earl. Arianna wanted to satisfy her curiosity about the house and hopefully build some strength in her legs, strolling around the house. Because it was so dark, she hadn’t seen much of it the night she arrived.

Taking her time and holding onto the banister, she walked slowly down the wide, curved stairs. She could see just how grand and large the front hall was. The entrance alone looked as if it could hold more than fifty people. Now she knew why it took the earl so long to get her from the door to the drawing room after she fainted.

On one wall hung the most magnificent floor-to-ceiling mirror she had ever seen. It was framed in the baroque style and painted in shiny gilt. On another wall in the entrance area was draped a huge tapestry of a colorful garden that almost reached to the floor. The centerpiece of the garden scene was a three-tiered fountain that was held up by three winged cherubs. A side table with an oval crystal platter sitting on a highly polished silver stand was filled with calling cards. Arianna couldn’t help but wonder if the earl ever looked at them. She was tempted to pick up one and read it but decided that though snooping around the rooms was acceptable, reading his calling cards was not. Besides, she hadn’t spent any time in England since she was sixteen, and she probably wouldn’t recognize any of the names.

She made her way over to the open double doors on the left of the wide corridor and peeked inside. It was the loveliest room she had ever seen. It was painted in a soothing shade of pale blue. All the trim and fretwork had been painted in gold leaf. A handsome pianoforte was positioned in the middle of the room, and a violin had been propped on a tall gilt stand beside it. Settees, side chairs, and window seats, all upholstered in varying shades of blue and gold patterns, dotted the room. Exquisite blue velvet draperies were held back with large gold tassels and framed the two tall windows in the room. Late afternoon shadows filtered through the glass and danced around the room and glinted off the gold tones.

Arianna wondered if the earl played either of the instruments, or did he perhaps have them available for his guests to play. She walked over to the pianoforte and let her fingers glide softly over the cool, smooth, dark mahogany wood. She closed her eyes and imagined the room filled with beautifully gowned ladies and handsomely dressed gentlemen. She imagined the earl standing before her in his evening coat, smiling, bowing, and then taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

Shaking her head, Arianna opened her eyes and smiled. Why was she having these fanciful notions about the earl? It was absolutely ridiculous. He was arrogant, maddening, and ill-tempered. He was quite the master at giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed without question. But she also knew he looked like the paintings she’d seen of Apollo, Adonis, and the statue of David. She realized that thinking that kind of nonsense was just another indication of how weak her mind and body still were from the fever.

Strolling down the corridor, Arianna stopped at the double doors just behind the staircase and saw immediately that it was the drawing room where the earl had taken her after she had fainted. When she entered, the most prominent item in the room was the life-sized painting of a tall, regal lady dressed in a formal black gown and standing by a chair, with a smug expression on her face. She had briefly noticed the oil a couple of nights ago.

Arianna walked closer to get a better look. One hand rested on the chair and the other on her hip. But what most caught Arianna’s immediate attention was the necklace she wore. There had to be at least five strands of the exquisite pearls draped around her neck. Each strand fell to just below her waist.

After a closer look at the woman’s face, Arianna saw that the woman and Lord Morgandale had the same color of extraordinary blue eyes. The painter had perfectly captured the shade she remembered. This had to be his grandmother, Lady Elder.

Arianna recalled the earl saying something about the Talbot pearls, and she couldn’t help but wonder if those were the ones the lady wore.

Glancing around the room, Arianna saw that all the chintz, velvets, and watered silk in the room were in pastel colors and either floral or stripes in design. None of the fabrics were bold or intense. She was once again reminded of the differences in the shades of dyes of Indian and British people. Indians loved to use rich, vibrant colors in their homes and in their clothing, while it appeared that most of the English people preferred pale, subdued shades.

She had enjoyed her time in that faraway land, but her short stay in the earl’s home helped her realize that England was where she belonged. Her father had told her before his death that they would be leaving India to return to England. He wanted to present his extraordinary findings to the Royal Apothecary Scientific Academy, and then he would put his research aside until she was properly wed to a suitable and worthy gentleman. Only then did he plan to return to India to continue his work.

A pang of sorrow sliced through her.

Arianna took a deep breath and refused to let the melancholy take hold. She looked at the brass-encased clock on the mantel and saw that it was after six. The earl had not arrived, and although she was growing tired, she decided to continue her perusal of the house.

The next room she came to drew an audible gasp from her. The spacious, elaborately mirrored dining room held a table set with thirty chairs and five evenly spaced silver candelabras, each holding twelve candles. She pulled out one of the chairs padded with light blue cushions and sat down, pretending she was a guest at a lavish affair.

After leaving the dining room, she took a quick peek into the breakfast room, where she saw a round table circled by eight ladder-back chairs. A corner china cabinet displayed a lovely china pattern. The white plate had a pink rose in the center with three colorful butterflies surrounding it.

Astounded by the opulence of the rooms, Arianna moved down to a door at the end of the corridor and walked inside.

Startled, she gasped. “Oh, excuse me, my lord, I apologize for intruding. I had no idea you would be in here.”

Lord Morgandale rose from his chair behind the desk, and Arianna’s heart skipped a beat. What she saw of him two nights ago hadn’t done him justice. She swallowed the lump of appreciation that clogged her throat.

The earl was tall and powerful-looking in his black coat cut perfectly to fit across his straight shoulders and broad chest, which tapered to a slim waist and lean hips that were hidden beneath buff-colored breeches. The fabric of his camel-colored waistcoat and expertly tied neckcloth spoke of prosperity and privilege, and he wore both of them well. The style of his fine, dark brown hair was straight and attractive, hanging longer at his nape. Feathery wisps fell across his thick eyebrows, making him look a little roguish, a little daring, but also breathtakingly handsome.

Arianna’s chest tightened, and her stomach quickened deliciously when she realized Lord Morgandale was looking her over as carefully as she was perusing him. She watched his gaze skim down her face, over her breasts, before he glanced back up to meet her eyes once again. His deliberate scrutiny made her tingle with expectancy all the way down to her toes.

After what she must have looked like when she arrived, after her more than two months journey, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction when she saw in his eyes that he approved of the way she looked now.

Clearing her throat, she said, “I was walking around your home. It’s lovely.”

He acknowledged her compliment with a nod. “I heard you.”

“You did?”

“I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you would eventually make your way into my book room.”

“You were so quiet, I didn’t know you were in the house. I thought you would be in the drawing room.” Arianna stopped talking when she saw humor in his eyes. Much to her consternation, she had amused him once again.

“I don’t usually make a noise when I go over my account books. Would you have been happier if I had been running around my house as if I were a nincompoop?”

He smiled at her, and Arianna’s heart started beating faster. She couldn’t have kept herself from returning his smile and a breath or two of a chuckle even if she had wanted to. He was so engaging that she was powerless to control the new and intriguing sensations that she felt whenever he was near.

“No, of course not, my lord. I can’t imagine you ever being that silly. I only meant that I wouldn’t have ventured into your private domain if I had known you were working.”

“But now that you are here, I must say that you look as though you are feeling a little better today.”

“I am. So, as much as I would like to take issue with you for sending my driver away, I cannot. I know that it would serve me and my maid well to stay put for a few days to rest.”

He cocked his head to one side and said, “Was there a thank you in what you just said, Miss Sweet? If so it was unrecognizable as one to me.”

His tone, the shimmer of humor in his eyes, made her stomach quicken excitedly.

She nodded, smiled, and then said, “Yes. Thank you for taking me into your home and allowing me to stay here while I regain my strength before continuing my journey.”

“You are welcome. I see no reason to hurry your recuperation, so I took the liberty of sending a letter to a friend of mine who resides in London in hopes that she can come to Valleydale, as long as you need to be here, and escort you to London. Perhaps she can even be your companion while you search for one.”

Arianna pursed her lips. She was grateful for his shelter for a few days but couldn’t allow him to take charge of her life.

“My lord, I am twenty-seven.”

“That old?” He gave her a look of feigned horror, which she chose to ignore.

“Yes, and I have been on my own for several months now. I have my maid with me, and you have Mrs. Post. Surely, you don’t need to go to the trouble for the short time I will be here. As soon as I can I must travel on to London.”

“I agree that you may not need a companion with you, Miss Sweet, but I do.”

She searched his face, trying to decide if he were serious or finding his amusement at her expense once again. His eyes were so disarming, she couldn’t tell.