Page 25 of Loving an Earl
“Otherwise, he knows his mother will orchestrate Lady Priscilla and him into a compromising situation and force their marriage.”
“How do you know this?”
He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath tickling her. “I overheard him talking to his brother at Brooks’s last night after he brought you home. Do you think it’s a coincidence that he sentyouflowers, invited you to the opera, and to ride in the park? I think not. He chose you because you are new to town and haven’t heard the gossip about him.”
Lilly’s shoulders sagged as she exhaled. Even though she didn’t feel a deep sense of longing or connection to the marquess, Langford’s words stung. Hollingsworth didn’t like her—he was only using her. Against her will, tears pooled in her eyes, and she felt foolish. She swatted Langford’s hand from her face and stepped back, putting distance between them. She didn’t need his pity or his gloating. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll bring it up with Hollingsworth. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”
Before she could turn around and walk out, Langford’s hands gently cupped her face, the amber visible again in his eyes. Right before he lowered his head, she knew what he was about to do, had a second to decide if she wanted him to.
Even though he could be demanding and ill-tempered and inclined to think the worst of her, something about him still called to her in a way she didn’t entirely understand. By the friends he kept, she knew he was loyal and honest, and he probably did have her best interests in mind, even if it didn’t always appear that way. If she were being honest with herself, she wanted nothing more than to be kissed by him. In this room. At this time. So she leaned forward just a tad, giving him her silent consent.
His mouth was gentle and soft. She made a mewing sound that came from the back of her throat as he enveloped her in his arms, pulled her close to his body, and deepened the kiss. Leaning into him as his tongue entered her mouth, swirling around and around and tasting her. A moan escaped his lips into her mouth.
She skimmed her hands up and down his back, wishing to her own surprise that he had nothing on so she could feel the warm smoothness of his skin, the tightness of his muscles. As she continued caressing him, his mouth devoured her, sipped from her. His tongue pushed in and out, causing heat to flare inside her body and settle between her thighs. Her body trembled. He broke contact, trailing barely there kisses down her neck.
“My God, you taste so sweet,” he breathed into her neck. “I want to taste every inch of you.” And at that very moment it was something she wanted as well.
The sound of a masculine voice clearing his throat had them pulling back. “Sorry to interrupt,” Blackstone said as he grinned at them, one brow raised. “The Marquess of Hollingsworth is downstairs wondering where the countess is.” He chuckled. “Shall I say she is indisposed at the moment?”
Chapter Ten
Bloody hell, Blackstonewas enjoying this. And damn Hollingsworth for showing up. Edmund needed to put an end to his charade. Hollingsworth could use some other unsuspecting woman to get out of marrying Lady Priscilla. Over his dead body would he use Lilly, marry her, and ruin her life. Henry had wanted her to have a love match in her second marriage, and Hollingsworth couldn’t give that to her. He’d heard from the man’s own lips last night that his heart was defective and he was not capable of love or any feelings of empathy or real joy. His life was an act, he’d said, and he should relinquish his title to his brother and join the stage.
He turned his back on Lilly and faced Blackstone in the doorway. “No. I’ll accompany you back to the drawing room to give Lilly a few moments to herself.” He was almost afraid to turn back around and look at her, afraid of what he might see. Even though she had kissed him back, would she be angry with him? Did she regret the moment they’d shared? He inhaled, held his breath, and pivoted around looking at the vision before him, and exhaled. Lilly’s cheeks were pink—from the kiss or from being embarrassed by Blackstone’s interruption, he couldn’t say. But her shy smile and the softness of her eyes told him everything he needed to know. The knot in his stomach eased as he smiled at her and nodded his head.
As he and Blackstone descended the staircase, his friend said in a quiet, amusing voice, “Quite the intimate party I interrupted.”
Edmund snorted. “Yes, well. I needed to wipe all thoughts of Hollingsworth out of her mind by kissing her senseless.” He cringed at the words coming out of his mouth. It was pure posturing, and by the look on his face, Blackstone no doubt knew it. The truth was his body hummed at the memory of her lips and the feel of his tongue sliding across the gap in her front teeth. Many more kisses from Lilly and he would be her servant for life. “I tried not to sound like an arse, but she needs to know the truth about him.”
Blackstone’s shocked eyes met his. “Did you tell her?”
Inhaling deeply, he replied, “No, just about his mother and how she wants him to marry Lady Priscilla. I will save the rest and use it only as a last resort if Hollingsworth doesn’t give up this ruse of wanting to court Lilly. I will not let her marry him and forever be miserable in a loveless marriage with no intimacy. I promised Henry.”
“You didn’t actually promise Henry. He was already dead when you received the letter, but I understand. You feel responsible for the lovely Lilly.” He snickered.
As they entered the drawing room, Blackstone was still chuckling at the humor he found in Edmund’s life. “The countess will be down momentarily,” Blackstone said.
Edmund sat down and pierced the marquess with a cold stare, though his words contradicted his look. “Thank you for the opera last evening. I apologize that I left abruptly. I had business matters to attend to.”
“Quite understandable,” Hollingsworth mumbled back.
*
When Lilly enteredthe room, after making herself presentable after being in Langford’s arms, she found five sets of eyes watching her intently. Her cheeks burned, and she averted her gaze to the tea tray. “Aunt Vivian”—Relax, Lilly, she scolded herself,your voice is vibrating—“would you be so kind as to pour me tea?”
“Of course, my dear.” She picked up the teapot, poured tea, and placed the china cup and saucer into Lilly’s hands. Pretending her tea was the most interesting thing in the room, she stared at it endlessly until Hollingsworth broke the spell.
“I brought my phaeton for our ride through the park since it’s a warm, sunny day. I hope you’re still interested in going?” Instead of looking at her, he glanced in Langford’s direction. Had he guessed at what had happened upstairs? Then he looked at her questioningly.
Did she want to go for a ride with him? After everything Langford told her about him, was she willing to put her safety in his hands? What would stop him from causing a scandal if he was as desperate as Langford said? All it would take would be for him to kiss her in public. Today, in an open phaeton, he had the perfect opportunity to push for a marriage. Her entire body trembled and her teacup clinked loudly against the saucer, once again having all eyes fall on her. “I’m very sorry, Hollingsworth, but I’m feeling a migraine coming on. Perhaps another day.”
Guilt caused the tea to sit heavy in her stomach. She truly hated lying to the marquess. He looked dejected, and it almost made her redact her statement. However, she followed Langford’s advice and her intuition and decided that she needed to stick to her excuse unless she wanted to find herself married to the marquess. The next thing she knew, all three gentlemen were taking their leave. She sighed, leaning back into the settee. “I’m mentally exhausted.”Oh dear, had she said that out loud?
Aunt Vivian and Emmeline looked at her, both with trepidation.
“What happened upstairs?” Emmeline queried in a soft voice, her eyes full of worry.
“I’ll let you two talk in private,” Aunt Vivian said as she stood.
