Page 20 of Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Did she feel the same way? Was she struggling with all of this just as much as he was? It certainly seemed that way.

He could not tell for sure though, because Susanna was pointedly not looking his way either.

“Is there anything in particular you would like to see?”

Susanna shrugged. “I am sure whatever we do will be fun.”

“Yes, I am sure you are right.”

He could hardly wait until they arrived in the town, so he could escape this enclosed space where his thoughts were just jumbled and all over the place.

He wanted to be able to think straight again.

Thankfully, it did not take too long before they could climb out of the carriage once more. Martin ensured that he was out quickly, but he did reach out his hand to help Susanna climb out too because it was the gentlemanly thing to do. Although he was not quite ready for the flurry of excitement coursing through his veins.

When was he ever going to get used to this feeling?

“Right,” Luke declared as soon as his feet touched the ground. “Come with me, I have the perfect place to start our adventure today.”

Luke led the group to a small park to take their first walk. He and Mary walked ahead of Martin and Susanna, so he made the effort to hang back a little so they could finally talk.

It was all lovely enjoying the sunshine in this lovely greenery, but Martin could not focus.

“Is everything alright?” he asked Susanna quietly, leaning in closer to her. “You seem distracted today.”

“Yes, I am alright…” She kept her eyes focused on Mary and Luke, ensuring they were ahead enough for her to speak freely before she continued. “But I have been subtly asking around, trying to see if I can discover anything new about Edwin. It was not the easiest thing to do because I do not want to draw attention to myself. I do not want Edwin to find out that I have been asking questions, and I most certainly do not want anyone to think that I am interested in him…”

The idea was so ridiculous that Martin could not help letting out a little chuckle. At first, Susanna stared at him in horror, like she could not believe that he was finding this funny, but as soon as she seemed to realize why he was laughing, she joined in a little.

“I know, I know, it is insane to think that I would like him, but I am afraid of giving that impression.”

“But you asked around anyway?” Martin checked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“I did, and I cannot discover anything new about him that I did not already know. But there are not many people with positive things to say about him. Most people just say very little, but I can tell by their faces that they are not impressed by him.”

“Well, that makes sense,” Martin agreed. “Because I have never been impressed by him. I have never had the best opinion of him. But I am still trying to work out if he isreallycapable of doing something so terrible. How insistent has he been with his pursuit of Mary? Is he still causing issues now?”

“Well, Mary will do anything that she can to not be left alone with him,” Susanna confirmed. “She tries her hardest not to even be close to him because she knows what he is like, even when there are other people around, but I have noticed him watching her a lot. It is a good job that Luke is his cousin. That might force him to behave…”

“Hmm.” Martin was not so convinced. He did not know if Edwin would be loyal to anyone. Especially if he was a desperate man, and from what he had heard, Edwin appeared to have some desperate tendencies. “I will ensure that I keep an eye on him always. I will also ask my own questions because it is unlikely that anyone will assume thatIam interested in Edwin.”

Shock crossed Susanna’s face before she realized that he was joking. The giggle that escaped her mouth was a little too loud.

Mary whipped her head around and stared at them both in surprise. “What is so funny?” she demanded, eyeing them both in shock. As her eyes narrowed, Susanna recalled telling Mary that she did not like Martin at all.

No wonder she was so intrigued by the laughing.

“Just a silly joke,” Susanna quickly replied, her voice light and dismissive. “Nothing to worry about, Mary.”

Mary’s expression softened, but she still looked a bit puzzled. “Alright then, but do share next time! I could use a good laugh.”

“We will, I promise,” Martin added, trying to sound casual.

Mary nodded and turned back to her conversation with Luke, who seemed completely oblivious to the brief interruption.

Martin and Susanna shared a look, a silent understanding passing between them. They needed to be more careful, especially around Mary.

“We are going to have to continue digging deep,” Susanna agreed the moment Mary turned back to concentrate on her husband-to-be. “Because I am growing more concerned about Mary by the day. I am terribly worried that Edwin has done something, and that he cannot be trusted again. Mary has been through so much, I do not want her to suffer anymore.”

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