Page 2 of Loving an Earl
Her life as she knew it was gone. Forever.
How had she gotten here? To this pivotal point in her life?
She wiped her tears from her face. “I’m sorry to cry. Please forgive me.”
Henry reached across the small table and wiped more of her tears with his bare hand. “There is nothing to forgive. You have lost your papa, and I have lost my dear friend. We both are entitled to mourn for as long as we need.”
How had she been so fortunate as to marry such a kind man? “It hurts.”
“It does. From my experience, the pain will lessen as time goes on, but you will never forget. He will always be with you.”
Henry ate nearly his entire plate while Lilly only nibbled. Yes, she was hungry, but nothing seemed to settle well. She thought it best to eat light.
When they were both finished, Henry helped her up and escorted her to her chamber. All the while, Lilly’s insides vibrated, her mind raced with unseen scenarios, and she thought she might cast up her accounts.
They stopped near her bed.
“You have had a heartbreaking day, so I will bid you goodnight.” He bent and lightly brushed his lips on her cheek. “We will talk tomorrow about what our marriage will entail.”
Lilly’s feet refused to move as she watched her new husband exit her room and close the adjoining sitting room door. Her feet remained stuck to the floor, and her eyes never wavered from the closed door Henry had gone through, leaving her both relieved and anxious. She was relieved that her wedding night was postponed, but she was anxious because surely it was better to get it over with and not have it looming over her, wasn’t it? How could she relax and sleep when worry swirled around inside her mind and body?
*
When his closestfriend and local vicar, George St. Claire, asked Henry to marry his daughter, Lilly, the answer came quickly and easily. It was the least he could do to repay his friend for all but saving his soul many years ago during a dark and tragic time.
Henry had never married by choice, although he had come close once. He never worried about an heir because he had a nephew, Edmund, who knew from an early age that he would inherit the earldom since his father, Henry’s younger brother, had died when Edmund was young. It was public knowledge that Henry never planned on marrying and producing an heir.
Never say never.
He had finally married, after all.
Could produce an heir if he wanted to.
Which made him think about the lovely young woman close by. His wife. She was like a daughter to him—he’d known her since her birth. Could he bed her and consummate the marriage?
Even though Henry had people reporting to him on his nephew’s actions and whereabouts over the years, deep down, he didn’t know what sort of man he was. Edmund hadn’t visited since leaving university, which bothered Henry. He appeared well-liked in social circles, an affable fellow if somewhat of a rakehell. He owned a shipping import and export company with two other gentlemen, and by all accounts, it had become very prosperous. The business took him out of England for many months, if not years at a time.
However, what if the marriage wasn’t consummated and Edmund found out? Henry never wanted Lilly’s status as his countess to come into question once he passed on. Would Edmund cast Lilly out, penniless with nowhere to go? Was Henry willing to risk her future? No, he wasn’t. It was the whole purpose of George asking him to marry her and keep her safe. A meeting with his solicitor was needed to set up a trust in Lilly’s name. He would not leave her future to the whim of his nephew.
His thoughts returned to consummating his marriage. He would have to impress upon Lilly to keep this knowledge to herself after he was gone. That way no one could ever question the legality of their marriage.
Lately, he’d had trouble sleeping, so he spent most nights in the library. A warm blaze glowing in the hearth as he sat in a comfortable chair, his feet on an ottoman, reading from any book on the shelf, it didn’t matter which, and a nice glass of brandy in hand. This night was no different, although he’d never had a wife waiting upstairs for him before. He snorted. Waiting might be a stretch. The poor child was probably frightened to death that he would visit her bed and demand his husbandly rights.
What had George been thinking? Marrying his daughter to an old man? Of course, Henry knew why. If the roles had been reversed, Henry would have done the same. He may never have had a child, but he understood parents, especially fathers with their daughters. They would do anything for them, anything to keep them safe and to secure their future.
A cold chill crept up his spine at the thought of what would have happened to Lilly if George had died suddenly and not been able to secure her future. If she had been fortunate, she would have procured a position in a household as a governess or a maid or married a member of the local gentry. But none of those guaranteed her safety. Henry refused to think what may have happened to the innocent, sweet girl who’d become his countess if they had not wed. And would he have had the whither all to intercede on her behalf?
Swirling the amber liquid in his glass, he shrugged his shoulders. It was a good thing he’d married her. George could join his beloved wife in heaven and rest easy knowing their daughter was safe and cared for.
*
The creaking ofthe door woke Lilly up as her maid came in. “I’m sorry about the squeak. I’ll have someone oil the hinges today,” Campbell said as she opened the curtains, letting in the cloudy daylight. She went back out into the hallway and returned with a breakfast tray, settling it on the bed next to her.
“His lordship thought you may want your breakfast brought to you. I’ll return soon to help you dress.”
Alone again, Lilly’s reality of her new life weighed heavily on her heart and mind. It was difficult enough dealing with her papa’s death, which made breathing difficult this morning, but finding herself suddenly married to the earl baffled her brain. Two shocks she needed to deal with. If she could only bury herself beneath her covers and never leave these beautiful rooms to face her future life. She’d only recently turned seventeen and wasn’t prepared for what lay ahead. She hoped Henry was a patient man.
Sighing heavily, Lilly fluffed her pillows against the headboard and sat up, realizing she was famished. After she’d finished her tea, toast, and eggs, Campbell returned and helped her prepare for her day. And what, pray tell, would her day hold?
