Page 35 of Loving an Earl
Right after dinner, Lilly went to her room, looking forward to spending the night at home, as they had no commitments that evening. Lilly, dressed in a night rail and robe, fell back on the chaise longue in her room with a deep, contented sigh. The freedom her body had from not wearing a corset felt heavenly. She breathed in and out letting her chest expand and contract. It was not natural to stifle a woman’s breathing with a corset enhanced with whale bones.
Soft knocking on her bedroom door had her answering, “Come in.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Emmeline said as she walked over toward the chaise. “I thought we could give that list from Langford a once over.”
“Whatever your mother thinks, it’s not thoughtfulness on his part. Langford found private papers belonging to Henry and never meant for anyone else’s eyes. Today he accused both Henry and me of lying and not trusting him to do his duty by supporting me after Henry’s death. He said he could never trust me now. Whatever happened between us last night will never happen again. Hence the list.” Lilly swiped at the annoying tears sliding down her cheeks.
Emmeline opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. Langford is being a fool in so many ways.”
Lilly ignored the pain in her chest and forced Langford from her mind. Earlier, she’d tucked the list into her robe pocket. Pulling it out, she unfolded it and stared at the five names scribbled in Langford’s flowy but messy handwriting. “Number one is the Duke of Stanton.” Lilly furrowed her brows. “Do I know him?”
“Not that I’m aware,” Emmeline said. “He stays mostly in the country with his two children since his wife, their mother, died of a fever two years past. As far as I know, he never comes to London.”
“Then why did Langford put him on the list?”
“I haven’t a clue. Perhaps he knows something. The last time I saw him was during my first Season. He was unmarried, handsome, and a total rakehell. He’d just come into the dukedom and was not ready to settle down. He eventually married the American daughter of a whaling tycoon. How sad she passed on so young.”
Lilly frowned. “Yes. How sad. He must be looking for a replacement mother for his children. Does Langford see me that way? I want children someday, but most certainly not now.”
“Who is next?” Emmeline asked.
“Mr. James Caldwell. Langford needs a physician for his brain if he thinks Caldwell is interested in me or I in him. The man just today professed to love his status as a bachelor. We would never suit.”
“I agree. Next.”
“The Earl of Dunston,” Lilly answered. “I remember being introduced to him before the opera. If I recall, he had his mistress on his arm and he looked besotted. Is this list a joke? Is Langford just making fun of me?”
“I don’t know,” Emmeline said with a soft voice. “Who are the last two?”
“The Viscount Redford.” His handsome face flashed in her mind. “He is handsome and seems affable. He has odd eyes, though.”
Emmeline giggled. “Odd eyes. Whatever do you mean?”
“They are such a light blue. I’ve never seen eyes so light. They almost glow. Perhaps it was the sunlight altering the hue.”
“Anything else wrong with him?”
“Not that I can think of. Not that I actually know him, of course.”
“Final name.”
Lilly stared at the paper. Her eyes had to be deceiving her. It was bad enough that Caldwell’s name was on the list, but to also have his brother, the baron, was plain stupidity. Neither brother had shown any interest in her or in marriage. “This one is as laughable as his brother.”
“Let me guess.” Emmeline huffed. “Baron Latham?”
“Langford’s an idiot. The baron is even more of an enigma than his brother, Caldwell.” Lilly jumped up and sat down at her writing table, took out a piece of parchment, opened the ink bottle, and dipped the quill.
Dear Earl of Langford,
While I appreciate your efforts in compiling a list of potential suitors, I must decline to consider all but one. The only name on the list that is worth considering is Viscount Redford. The others I strictly decline to even contemplate. Not that I am truly considering Redford, either. I simply couldn’t think of a reason to cross off his name. Yet. Perhaps you should leave my future life and husband to me. I’m capable of making good decisions most of the time.
Very truly yours,
Lilliana Weston, Countess of Langford
“I wrote him a note,” she said to Emmeline. “I wonder what he’ll think when he reads it. Not that I care. The faster I get him out of my life, the better.” She hoped he’d understand the added significance of the last sentence. As the hours ticked by, she regretted the events of the previous night more and more.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
