The Earl's Secret Bargain Read online

  Her voice broke, and she edged away from him and stroked the horse’s neck.

  “I haven’t known that kind of loss,” he said, his voice soft.

  He stepped closer to her, and though she tried to step away from him, the stall door prevented her from doing so. Realizing he’d made her uncomfortable, he eased back a bit to give her more space, and she relaxed.

  “It sounds like she was a good friend, and it sounds like you closed yourself off from the rest of the world after she died.” It made sense, and it probably explained her skepticism when it came to new people. “You don’t make friends easily, do you?”

  “I don’t need the kind of friends who end up having fun at my expense behind my back.”

  At first he thought she meant him, but then it dawned on him that she was thinking of her past, specifically to a time in her childhood when she thought those other girls were her friends but had overheard them making fun of her. And if he guessed right, Judith hadn’t done that to her.

  “I’m glad you had someone like Judith in your life,” he finally said, knowing that she wouldn’t believe him if he told her he never wanted to hurt her by agreeing to the stupid wager. It’d never been his intent to make her the object of a joke, but he could see how she’d think that and couldn’t fault her for reacting the way she did. “Thank you for telling me about her.”

  Her gaze met his, and he saw the unshed tears in her eyes as she blinked them away. “I always thought if I had a girl, I’d name her after her.”

  “We can do that,” he whispered.

  Noting the spark of hope in her eyes, he gently brought his finger under her chin and tilted her head back so he could get a better look at her. She wasn’t trying to get away from him. In fact, she was still looking at him, and better yet, the wall she’d erected to keep him out had faded. She had finally let him in.

  Sensing the moment was right, he brought his lips to hers. How he missed the softness of her lips and the way she sighed in pleasure when he traced his tongue along the seam of her lower lip.

  But just as soon as she seemed to be opening up to him, she pulled away. She didn’t say anything for a long time as she ran her hand down the horse’s neck, and he wasn’t sure if he should apologize or act like the kiss never happened.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally said, startling him.

  “What do you have to be sorry for?” She wasn’t the one who stepped out of line and kissed him.

  “I’m trying to forgive you for the wager, but it’s hard.”

  “I know. If the situation was reversed, I’d have a hard time of it, too.”

  After a moment, she turned back to him. “I do believe you about the missive Lord Pennella sent you on our wedding day.”

  “You do?” he asked, afraid he hadn’t heard her right. She had no reason to believe him, none that he could see anyway.

  “I do. I may not know much about Lord Pennella, but he is the type of gentleman who’d do something like that. I get the impression he doesn’t want others to be happy.”

  Maybe. Maybe not. All he knew about Pennella was that he liked to boast about how wonderful he was, and that often included putting others down. “I try to avoid him whenever I can. It’s just that White’s isn’t that big. You can’t help but run into someone if they want to find you.”

  “It seems to me all of London is that way. No matter where I went, I used to end up seeing the same group of people after awhile.”

  He nodded, and she backed away from the horse.

  “I’ll let you saddle the horses.”

  He quietly worked through the process, and as he was finishing up with the second horse, she cleared her throat. Glancing over at her, he asked, “Have you changed your mind about riding?”

  “No, I…” With a shy smile, she shook her head. “Never mind.”

  “What is it?”

  She bit her lower lip as she wrapped the reins of her horse around her hand. “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re adept at this thing. With the saddle and all. I don’t know the first thing about it.”

  “Do you want me to show you?”

  “No. I have no interest in learning how to do it. I just wondered how you got to be so good at it.”

  “Remember what I told you about doing as much as servants do?” When she nodded, he added, “This was one of the things I learned. Riding this horse was one of the few enjoyable things I had to do out here.” He patted its neck affectionately.

  Her smile widened. “That’s nice.”

  “For what it’s worth, I like spending time with you more than I do riding a horse.”

  His horse snorted in protest.

  Laughing, he stroked its neck again. “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

  “Then it’s good that we’ll go horseback riding together. You can have two things you enjoy,” she replied.

  Pleased, he grinned. “It’ll make for a most enjoyable morning.”

  Once they were on their horses, he led her out of the stable and down the path that would take them to the stream. The tension between them had subsided, and in its place was a flicker of the warm companionship he had experienced with her before she discovered the wager. Maybe there was hope. Maybe there would be more kisses. More laughter. And maybe there would even be children. Even if they only had girls, he’d be happy. All he wanted was for her to look at him the same way she had that night at Toplyn’s ball. If he could get that again, he’d die a happy gentleman.

  He slowed so she could come up beside him.

  “You have a good view out here,” she said.

  Forcing his gaze off of her, he noted the land surrounding them. Trees lined parts of the property, but mostly the flat landscape was covered in tall grass. “There’s a stream down that way.” He gestured to the left. “I thought we might go there.”

  “All right.”

  They rode on in a comfortable silence, and when they reached the stream, he helped her down from the horse.

  “I used to come down here a lot when I was younger,” he told her as he secured the horses’ reins to the trees.

  “Did you?”

  “Yes, especially when I was a boy. Orlando and I would come here and swim.”

  Her eyebrow raised, she asked, “In a shallow stream?”

  “I didn’t say we were successful at it.”

  As he hoped, she chuckled. “I suppose being children, you two were pretending to swim.”

  “Yes. But as I got older, I still liked to come down and take off my boots so I could enjoy the cold water. It was especially refreshing on a hot day like this. What do you say? Want to go in without your boots on?”

  “And get my stockings wet?”

  “Just take them off.”

  She gasped, her green eyes growing wide. “I can’t do that. Not outside the bedchamber.”

  “Why not?” He glanced around. “No one can see you. The manor is a good mile away, and we’re surrounded by trees.”

  Her face turned pink. “I just can’t. I wish to remain fully clothed during this outing.”

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go in first.”

  As he slipped out of his boots, she asked, “You’re not going to go in there without taking off your stockings, are you?”

  “I don’t wear stockings,” he replied. “But I will keep my drawers on.” He motioned to his footed-drawers. “I’d have to remove my breeches in order to take them off.”

  “Oh.”

  Amused, he teased, “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing that if wet drawers bother you.”

  “No. I mean, you need to keep them on. What if,” she glanced around, “someone sees you?”

  “No one but you will see me.” To save her from having to reply, he stepped down into the stream, careful as he stepped over some rocks. Turning back to her, he called out, “It feels great. Are you sure you don’t want to join me? We can sit on that large rock over there.”

  Though she followed his gaze, she shook her head. “I ca
n’t.”

  “Why not?”

  She shrugged. “I just can’t.”

  “All right.” He wouldn’t push her. If she wasn’t comfortable, she shouldn’t have to do it. But it wasn’t much fun standing in the middle of the stream all by himself. So he only stayed there long enough to pick up a couple purple and white flowers growing along the grassy edge and returned to her. “These are for you.”

  “They’re beautiful.” She accepted them and smelled them. “They have a pleasant fragrance.”

  “I’m glad you like them.” With a smile, he slipped his boots back on.

  “Is it uncomfortable to wear those when your…drawers…are wet?”

  “Only a little, but I do feel much cooler.”

  They went to their horses and rode back to the stables. Deep down, he believed everything was going to be all right.

  Chapter TwentyOne

  The next day, Regina stood by the stream. She made sure the manor was far away enough so that no one would see her. It was silly to worry, she supposed. No one had been the wiser when Toby stepped into the stream. She had been curious about what it would be like to feel the cool water on her feet. Toby seemed to enjoy it, and while he’d been out there, she had to hold back the urge to free herself of her inhibitions and join him.

  With another glance around to make sure no one was nearby, she slipped out of her riding boots then removed her stockings. She lifted the hem of her riding skirt and petticoats. Her heartbeat picked up in excitement as she stepped on the grass. She’d never exposed so much of herself in public in her entire life. Granted, no one was there to see her, but the possibility someone might was enough. Taking a deep breath, she edged closer to the stream. The area was muddy, given last night’s storm, so she tried to be careful as she proceeded forward.

  But as she stepped down toward the stream, she tripped on a tree root and lost her balance. Letting out a shriek, she let go of her skirt, her arms flailing in front of her in the most ridiculous fashion as she tried to find something—anything—to grab onto. But her efforts were in vain, and she only grasped a handful of mud on her way down into the water.

  She landed face first in the cold stream. The whole thing happened so fast, she couldn’t even describe it to anyone who asked. But she ended up drenched from head to toe, mud clinging to her and blood seeping from her sleeve. Wincing, she sat up and peeled back her sleeve to see how badly she’d injured her arm. Relieved, she sighed. Good. It was just a gash. Her sleeve had suffered the brunt of it. She’d never be able to wear this riding outfit again.

  She stood up and pushed the hair out of her eyes then picked up the hat, which was lying a few feet from her. Well, so much for dipping her feet in. She trudged back onto the grass and put her stockings and boots on. Though she was sore, she’d survive. Her biggest angst was being embarrassed when the others saw her.

  Reminding herself she was much better off getting dirty than breaking a bone, she rode to the stables.

  “My lady,” the startled stable boy said as he helped her dismount. “What happened?”

  “N-nothing,” she mumbled through chattering teeth.

  She hadn’t thought it possible on a nice summer day, but in her wet clothes, she experienced a chill. After she handed him the reins, she headed for the house, her skirt clinging to her legs, making it difficult to go as fast as she desired. When she finally made it to the steps of the front door, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d made it. The trek back from the stream seemed like the longest one she’d ever had to take.

  The footman opened the door, his jaw dropping at the sight of her.

  “I had an accident in the stream,” she said.

  Before he could say anything, she headed for the staircase.

  “My lady,” the butler called out as he hurried toward her. “Shall I have a bath drawn for you?” His gaze went to the blood soaking the sleeve of her dress. “And send someone to tend to your injury?”

  “It’s only a scratch,” she assured him as she slowly climbed the stairs. Her legs were bruised by the feel of it. “And yes, a bath would be nice.”

  “I’ll have a bath sent up immediately.”

  She thanked him and continued up the staircase. What a sight she must have made, what with the mud clinging to her and all. If she’d gone with Toby, she supposed none of this would have happened.

  By the time she reached her bedchamber, she was shivering. She shut the door and started removing her clothes. Once she got out of them, she’d feel a lot better. There was a knock at her door. Figuring it was her lady’s maid, she called out, “Enter,” and slipped out of the last of her things as the door opened and closed.

  “I heard you were hurt,” came a familiar voice that definitely didn’t belong to her lady’s maid.

  Gasping, she looked up and saw Toby. She made a futile attempt to cover herself. Why didn’t she think to go behind the dressing screen?

  He headed over to her. “You’re bleeding.”

  “It’s nothing,” she said and hurried behind the screen.

  But he followed her. “It’s not nothing. You’re dripping blood on the floor.”

  She groaned when she realized he wasn’t going to leave her alone. “It’s a gash, nothing more.” She held her wounded arm out to him while doing her best to cover herself with her other arm, and that really didn’t do much good.

  He gently took her arm and studied the long gash that ran from her elbow down to the middle of her arm. Dabbing the blood away with the sleeve of his shirt, he released his breath. “You’re right. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “No, it’s not. Now can I have my arm back?”

  “Oh, of course.”

  She took the opportunity to try to conceal more of herself. When there was a knock at the door, she said, “That’s probably my bath.”

  “I’ll have them bring it in.”

  Before she could argue that she wanted him to get out of there so she could bathe in private, he was already at the door and telling the servants where to put the tub. She even overheard him telling her lady’s maid that he was going to take care of her. Her eyes grew wide. What was he doing? It wasn’t his place to wash her or help her with her clothes. But she couldn’t speak up and protest, not when the servants were on the other side of the screen.

  After the servants shuffled out of the room, he peered around the screen and waved her forward. “It’s all right. There’s no one here.”

  “You’re here,” she managed to squeak. She cleared her throat, mentally cursing herself for giving away her apprehension.

  “I’m going to help you wash the mud out of your hair and tend to that arm.” His gaze lowered. “Did you hurt your legs?”

  “Bruises,” she muttered and hurried past him so she could get into the tub.

  She’d been standing naked in front of him long enough, and even though she did her best to hide her breasts and the other notable part of her body from him, she didn’t think she was doing that great of a job. She slipped into the tub and winced. The hot water was enough to sting her skin, but she would rather risk getting red than remain naked in front of him.

  “The maids brought in soap and towels,” he said, though she thought it unnecessary since they did that every time she took a bath. “They also brought bandages to put on your wound if necessary.”

  She nodded and got as comfortable as she could in the tub. She took a deep breath and brought her legs up to her chest. There. That was better. Now he couldn’t see so much of her. When she dared a glance over at him, he was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

  He picked up the bar of soap and dipped it in the water. He grimaced and shook his hand. “How can you stand water that hot?”

  With a shrug, she muttered, “I was cold.”

  “I suppose. You’d have to be to sit in water this hot. I’ll look for a comb so I can take care of your hair.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. Didn’t he realize she was naked? He didn’t seem to be tr
ying to peek at her body. Maybe he was so concerned about her that he wasn’t paying attention to what was really going on.

  “Is this comb good?” He lifted one of her combs from the vanity and showed it to her.

  After a moment, she nodded. All right. So he wasn’t fully aware of what was going on. Either that, or he had no interest in seeing her naked, something she didn’t think possible after that kiss they’d shared at Lord Topylin’s ball. Even now the memory made her skin flush.

  He brought the comb over to the small table by the tub and set it next to the towels. “Can I wash your arm?”

  She held her arm out, and he knelt by the tub. He picked up the cloth and dipped it into the water. Then he lightly brushed it over her wound. She sharply inhaled. It might not have been a deep wound, but it still stung.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll be as gentle as I can,” he said then dabbed the water along the length of her injury.

  She bit down on her tongue. When he washed it with soap, it was worse. But then he rinsed it off by pouring water from a small bowl on it, and she relaxed.

  “Good. It looks like the bleeding is slowing down,” he commented.

  He let go of her arm then knelt behind her. He took the pins out of her hair and set them on the table.

  “I didn’t realize you were so adept at removing pins from a lady’s hair,” she joked.

  He chuckled. “They’re easy enough to remove, though,” he added as he set the last pin aside, “I can’t say I’ve ever done this before. You’re the first.”

  Surprised, she glanced back at him as her damp hair tumbled over her shoulders. “Am I the first lady you’ve bathed?”

  He had been reaching for the soap in the tub when she made the inquiry, and judging by the way he grew still, she figured it finally dawned on him that she was naked.

  Despite herself, she chuckled. “Next, you’re going to tell me you’ve never been with a lady who had no clothes on.”

  His face grew red while he pulled the soap out of the tub. “I haven’t, actually.”