An Earl's Guide to Catch a Lady (22 page)

Evelyn blinked at that visual.

“But tonight…” Evelyn trailed off.

“She accosted me, so we were announced together. I would have cut her off, but I decided on a fate far worse. I apologize that it hurt you, but informing her husband of her troublemaking was the best way to ensure her immediate departure from our lives.” He raked a hand through his hair, and continued, “Her husband refused to believe she’d dare cuckold him, so I showed him what an adulterous bitch his wife was.”

Hope bloomed in Evelyn’s heart. But lasted only for a moment. He would still drag her away from her life and her friends.

“I believe you,” Evelyn said finally. “But it doesn’t change what is. I am sorry, I cannot marry you.”

Matthew stood frozen, staring at her blankly, then picked up a pot of ink from the desk and threw it across the room.

“We are getting married Evelyn, even if I have to drag you by your hair, we will get married. I refuse to accept your ridiculous excuse for declining my offer.”

Evelyn stared at the ink, dripping from the wall, surprised. Then his words hit her.

“Ridiculous?” Ridiculous?” she snapped angrily. “I hardly think my refusing your offer should be labeled as ridiculous. I prefer the word smart.”

Matthew shot her a dark look, his frustration mounting with her continued refusal. What would it take to convince her to accept him? He had to break through her reservations but she wouldn’t let him, no matter how hard he tried. From the moment they met, he had fought a battle that would never be won. What a fool he was!

“It is clear then, I have wasted my time. Perhaps it is time for me to leave. ”

Evelyn wanted to shout out in protest, but remained silent. The total acceptance in his voice broke her heart, but she couldn’t bring herself to hand over her control.

“I realize that while I will never be truly free to do as I please, I don’t want lose control of my life. I just can’t give that up.”

Matthew took her hand in his. “Evelyn, you won’t be giving up control, you will only be sharing it with me, while I in return will be sharing mine with you.”

Evelyn took her hand back, it wasn’t that easy, and he knew it.

“So if I forbid you to be friends with Simon you would listen? Would you stop being friends with him or would you just continue with your friendship behind my back.”

Matthew sighed. “Will you continue to be friends with Weaselby behind mine?”

“Yes, I would.”

“So you would defy me?”

Evelyn’s gaze locked with him. “I would defy you to the bitter end, if I thought you were being unreasonable.”

“You do not trust me.”

Evelyn looked surprised. Did she trust him? Yes. She trusted him with her life, but she did not trust him with—what? She couldn’t think of what precisely what at the moment. Not with him so close to her.

“Why do you not trust me? Have I ever given you a reason to distrust me?” he pressed.

Evelyn turned away from him, but then turned back, her long lashes lifting to lock with his. He’d never given her any reason not to trust him. She on the other hand, had lied, deceived and gave him every reason not to trust her. Wild lies and distorted truths aside, her desire for adventure blinded her to the truth and depth of love she felt for him. And now it was too late.

She looked away. “I made my decision never to marry a long time ago,” she whispered.

“People are allowed to change their minds.”

Evelyn nodded in agreement. “I won’t.”

“Dammit Evelyn!” Matthew shouted. “What do you want from me?”

He raked his hands through his hair, frustration etched into the hard lines of his face. “Do you care for me at all, Evelyn? I know you are attracted to me.” He wanted to shake her, take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

“Don’t,” she said holding up her hand for him to stop. Matthew grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, his body inches away from her.

“I can make you admit that you care for me Evelyn,” he whispered in her ear, his lips caressing the side of her neck.

“I know,” she whispered, leaning into him, inhaling his scent. “Don’t.”

“Why Evelyn? Why do you keep resisting me when I know you don’t want to?”

Evelyn shoved at him and he released her, taking a step back he regarded her through hooded eyes. She needed more time.

“Please just leave me tonight. We can talk after breakfast; I just need some time to think. I can’t think when you are near me.”

“You shouldn’t think at all,” he muttered. “Bad things happen when you start thinking.”

“Please,” she pleaded.

Matthew had her in his arms in a second, his lips descending on hers in a harsh kiss. Evelyn shuddered in his embrace, not resisting his effort to claim her mouth. She needed to feel his lips on hers as much as he did. He groaned into her mouth, pressing his body tighter into hers. He wanted to push her against the wall, rip her dress from her body and plunge into her depth. He wanted to be lost in her but restrained himself, although it was hard, knowing she wouldn’t resist him now.

He would give her this one night. But tomorrow, no force on this earth would stop him from claiming her. He refused to lose this battle. He refused to lose her.

He lifted his gaze to her as he ended the kiss.

“Only until tomorrow Evelyn,” he whispered huskily, kissing her again briefly before letting her go.

“Only until tomorrow,” she whispered back, committing his face to memory, knowing after tonight she might never see him again.

Chapter 19

The next day the force came in the form of James Shaw. Westfield studied his old friend as Matthew paced up and down in front of his desk. He looked like hell. What the devil was wrong with Evelyn? She refused to marry for any reason, even when she found a man who loved her, and then she runs away with another man.

“She loves you.” A voice drawled from the doorway.

Both men turned to see Damien leaning against the doorway, his usual air of arrogance and devil-may-care evident in his lazy smile.

Matthew stiffened at the words.

“What do you know of love?” he spat.

“I know that if love was of no consequence, a woman wouldn’t run away with a stranger she barely knows, I might add, when all she could do was,” he paused, “marry you. No my friend, a woman only does that if she believes you not to return her affections and that you will exile her to the country, which brings us back to my point. By some miraculous turn of the tide, she fell in love with you.”

“Exile? I would never exile her and whether she believes that or not, why run away?”

“Why do woman, do what they do, if not to frustrate the male population, keeping us on our toes?” Damien remarked with a wry smile. “Evelyn is a romantic. She compares and idealizes what she reads in those dreadful novels. Did you perhaps sweep her off her feet, fight a dragon, jumped off a cliff or confess your undying love?”

Matthew snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

He wanted to throttle the arrogant bastard.

But no matter how infuriating he was, he was still bloody right. If Evelyn held onto the belief he would exile her she would run to the ends of the earth (which she evidently wanted to do anyway) to avoid such a fate. And while he’d been aware of her fears to a degree, he never considered the extent she would go to avoid it. Why hadn’t he seen it before? Of course it had never been his intention to exile her, not really, but his country estate was his home.

Yet he could see how living in the country did not seem attractive compared to the adventures of traveling to the wilds of Africa and living an extraordinary life, which was what Evelyn, desired above all things. Was he enough? There was that blasted question again, rearing its head.

She loved him. He had to be enough. It would be just like Evelyn not to notice when she finally found her extraordinary ending. Granted he was no fairy tale prince, but he loved her to a point of insanity. He’d just never told her that. Fool! The question now was, could he give up his life to give her hers? 

Of course he could.

He loved her.

He would do anything to keep her.

Damn James Shaw to everlasting hell. With his actions this day he had made an enemy out of Grey and while the bastard may be big, he did not scare Matthew.

He was going to strangle Evelyn.

No.

He was going to kill the mountain first and then strangle Evelyn.

Then he was going to marry her.

Then he was going to make love to her.

Then they were going to live happily blasted adventurous after. He refused to let it turn out any other way than what he set his mind to. He should have told her he loved her. But fear had kept him silent and now he paid the price. But he wasn’t the only one who was going to pay.

James Shaw.

It had taken all of his strength not to rip the man’s heart out when Evelyn clutched at him like he was her lifeline. It hadn’t been a good feeling, being jealous. He absolutely despised it. Yet he couldn’t help its spread through his blood like raging fire, causing him to act like—he sighed—an ass.

The only reason he hadn’t mentioned Shaw the previous night was because he sensed it would only push her further away from him. But once he had her secured in marriage, he was going to blister her hide for what she put him through.

“You’re a bastard, you know that,” Matthew grunted, causing Damien to laugh.

“It’s one of my best traits.”

“This is all very well but aren’t you supposed to chase after the princess when she runs off into the sunset with a pauper?” Simon asked sarcastically. “Before the sun sets?”

“Actually,” Matthew said with wicked glint. “I sent a man out to delay them until I arrive.”

“Ever resourceful,” Damien choked on a chuckle, his eyes full of respect.

“I’m not about to let her run off with another man, least of all a Shaw.”

Damien lifted an arrogant brow. “Does she even know about James and Derrick Shaw?”

Matthew shrugged. “It’s doubtful, but given the circumstances and this is Evelyn, she might know everything.”

“I don’t think she would have dashed off with him if she knew.”

“Hopefully he won’t put up much a fight. The man is a mountain,” Westfield commented.

“It matters not. He’s a dead mountain.”

Westfield believed him. Grey might not look it, but he was furious. For Shaw’s sake, he hoped the man had some sense and handed Evelyn over without as much as a protest. No doubt this was some ploy Evelyn had hatched, but where there was a Shaw involved, one never knew for certain and the way his little sister and Shaw seemed familiar yesterday at the docks, hell, it didn’t bode well for either of them.

Crazy wench.

He loved his sister, but he’d learned long ago never to get involved in female things. He might have instigated this whole mess, but it was in their hands now. To tell the truth, females scared the hell out of him. Sure he liked bedding them, but attachment beyond a good tumble had never tempted him. He wouldn’t know what to do with one.

“I don’t know why you all insisted on accompanying me,” Evelyn complained, exasperation heavily etched in her voice. She glared at Jo and Belle. “This is my rebellion. You weren’t invited.”

“Nevertheless, we weren’t about to let you run off alone with this stranger,” Belle said motioning to James, and Evelyn knew that stubborn look in her friend’s eye. She’d had it since they departed a few hours earlier, and she refused to listen to Jo’s explanation that James was a good man.

“You're not the only one who is allowed to have an adventure,” Belle remarked further.

“This is not an adventure, Belle. I assure you.”

This was the final act. He would either come for her, or he would not.

Belle smiled. “You are running off with a man you hardly know, leaving behind a furious Earl that you do know. Of course this is an adventure!”

Evelyn glanced at James, seated beside her. He looked amused, without a care in the world. 

“I’m not running off with anyone,” she muttered.

James only smiled.

Evelyn massaged the bridge of her nose and sighed.

James shifted in his seat beside her. “Put it how you will honey, but when your precious Earl arrives, I’ll be having some fun.”

Belle shook her head at Jo. “Where did you find this ... behemoth?”

James chuckled. “Like what you see, sweetheart?”

Belle only snorted, giving Jo a pointed look.

“Behave James,” Jo admonished with a smile. “Or you might just get more than you bargained for.”

“Is that so?” James asked, his curiosity evident.

“You obviously don't know her very well,” Evelyn grumbled. Saints help James if Belle set her sights on him.

“Well,” James said glancing at Evelyn. “I wager we will be running into your Earl pretty soon.”

Evelyn glared at James. “If we do, it will be your fault entirely.”

But he was right. By now Simon would have realized she was missing and discovered the note she'd left on her pillow. And then he would inform Matthew.

A shiver made its way down her spine.

Then the coach suddenly came to a halt.

“Why have we stopped?” Jo asked.

“My guess is we’re at the next coaching inn,” James said unconcerned.

The driver had explicit orders not to stop before. James rapped on the roof of the coach, signaling for their driver to push forward. They hadn’t been on the road long enough to reach the next stop. When nothing happed he rapped three times, waited, and then cursed.

Something was wrong.

“What—”

There was a loud crash followed by a scrambling sound. Evelyn groaned. Already knowing what was happening outside the coach.

James reached for the hatch, but the door was thrust open and a man appeared, blocking the way.

Matthew was breathing hard as he threw open the door of the coach. His eyes moved murderously over James, then Lady Josephine and Lady Belle until they stopped on Evelyn.

“Why, is this not a cozy little scene?” he said in a low, deadly voice.

He had been calm when he left the Tremaine residence but with every mile he gained on Evelyn his temper rose. His man had failed to detain them so they had put quite a distance between them and London. The sight of her friends however, confused him and threw him off balance. This was not the picture of your common elopement. Evelyn’s cheeks burned bright red whereas a quick glance confirmed that Lady Belle’s mouth hung open and Lady Josephine sported a triumphant smile. The appearance of utter boredom cloaked James Shaw as he sat with his arms folded over his chest, watching Matthew with amused eyes.

“Matthew,” Evelyn interrupted his thoughts. Her voice held shock and… a touch of amazement?

He searched her face for any sign that she wanted him to leave, that he would never be enough for her. Eyes filled with weariness and hope stared back at him. She looked tired, defeated.

It gave him hope.

“I thought you were eloping with Shaw.”

Evelyn’s hands clenched so tightly together in her lap that her knuckles turned white. It was a logical assumption yet she still didn’t know why he would have thought that, her note had been clear that James was only escorting her, nothing more.

Matthew didn’t miss the gesture. “This should be quite an explanation,” he observed. “You running away from the man you love with a man you never will.” He rubbed his jaw when she gasped. “What a little hypocrite you are.”

“He’s perceptive,” James said with a smile.

“James!” Evelyn exclaimed in horror. She turned her gaze back to Matthew. “We are not eloping, as you well know!”

“Then I find you,” Matthew continued unperturbed by her outburst, “not only with him, but you’ve invited your friends on your little adventure as well. Or was this just another little scheme conjured by your imagination to have me chase you, yet again.” He knew he was being unreasonable and unforgivably rude, but damnation! She had run away from him and this time with another man! His mind dwelled on that last thought.

“Bloody perceptive,” James muttered again.

Hard eyes settled on James.

“Get out. Evelyn and I will continue this journey by ourselves.”

“You mean to leave us here in the middle of the road?” Jo asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“But what if we are attacked or robbed!”

Matthew regarded Lady Josephine dispassionately, as if noticing her for the first time. “Madam, I have no interest in you or your concerns.”

James stirred, every protective instinct coming to life. “I really don’t feel inclined to follow your orders,” he said narrowing his eyes on Matthew, sudden steel entering them.

Matthew smiled bitterly. “I’m not giving you any choice.”

“Is that a threat?”

Matthew moved so quick that before anyone knew what he was about, he had James by the lapels and was throwing him out. A feat to be sure, considering James was built like a brick wall. He gave Jo and Belle one hard look and they scrambled out of the coach in a hurry.

“Good luck Evelyn!” they chirped.

“You’re staying with me,” Matthew growled in a voice that brooked no opposition when she moved to follow her friends.

Evelyn would be a fool to stay with him in his condition, but he left her no choice. The words brooding and furious seem to have been created just for him. He settled himself across from her, his knee brushing hers deliberately, she thought. As soon as the door shut the coach sprang for-ward.

“You can’t just leave them there!” Evelyn hissed outraged.

“Settle down Evelyn, your brother and St. Aldwyn will find them shortly.”

Matthew’s dark gaze again caught hers and Evelyn felt as if he tried to look into the depths of her soul. It was a chilling thought, but it gave her hope. Perhaps he cared for her after all.

“You aren’t eloping.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of course not. I have no idea where you got such a ridiculous notion.”

“Your note.”

“I never said anything about eloping; only that he was escorting me to Scotland. I planned to join my Aunt for a while. Why are you here?” she asked, growing weary of his hard, glittering eyes on her.

His stare never wavered but turned incredulous. “Why?”

Evelyn drew herself up an inch. “Yes, why?” she said testily. “I told you I will not marry you. I believe I have made that fact clear.”