Page 32 of Her Infuriating Earl
Phoebe stared down into her lap, fidgeting. She could still feel Daniel’s tight embrace, the nape of her neck forever marked by the touch of his hand and the light brush of his thumb. In truth, it felt like a dream, for why would any gentleman ever choose to hold her like that? Or rather she wished it was a dream, for the entire thing threatened to make a difficult situation even more troubling.
Joanna is enamored with him. Even if I have no intention of allowing them to be together, she would hate me if she ever discovered what occurred.
“Because he is not gentlemanly,” she said, for if she suddenly changed her tune in regard to him, her friends would be sure to notice… and ask questions. Questions she did not dare to answer. “We cannot stand one another, so I do not know why he even asked me to be his partner for the hunt, in the first place. I suggested he ought to ask Joanna, but he refused. He wants to gain my approval because I am standing in his way, but he does not realize that he shall never gain my approval.”
Olivia took a pointed sip of her tea, her sharp exhale shuddering in the air before she said, “I think you are being much too unkind, Phoebe. I have come to know him well since marrying Evan, and he is not the wretched rogue that you have convinced yourself he is. I do believe he is earnest about his intention to gain your approval, and if you would allow him the opportunity, I think you would be surprised.”
“He is not right for Joanna,” Phoebe insisted, her stomach pinched with guilt.
Was she saying that because she truly believed it or for another reason? Was she saying that because, deep down, she did not want Joanna to have him? It sickened her to think that her own muddled feelings could be driving her words.
Leah passed on the slices of cake. “Why not? In simple terms, why do you think he is so inappropriate for her?”
“I have explained this,” Phoebe mumbled, wincing as a jolt of pain ricocheted up her leg.
“Explain it again,” Leah urged gently, “so that we all understand. We are not trying to be combative, Phoebe.”
Phoebe sighed. “Because he has a reputation from his years of traveling, and because, as far as I understand, he has no intention of ceasing his travels. His business endeavors require it, and he shall always put those endeavors before anyone else, for he wishes to see his family safe and secure.” She took a breath. “Joanna thinks she will enjoy the fame of being his wife, but when reality hits her, she will realize what a mistake she has made. She does not fare well by herself. She needs to be the priority—she always has.”
“But she would not be alone,” Olivia insisted. “Evan and I are nearby, and Amelia and Caroline will be here at the manor to entertain her and keep her from feeling lonely.”
Phoebe looked to her friend, fully understanding why she was defending the man who was like a brother to her husband, yet wishing that, on this matter, they could just agree.
“And when Caroline debuts and finds a husband of her own, what then? Or when you have children and dedicate all of your time to them, what shall Joanna do? She does not like children. Nor do I think that spending every day in Amelia’s company would be satisfying enough for her. I would relish it, and Ellen might also, but Joanna is not the same. I fear she would get herself into trouble if she was left alone for too long.”
“I must agree,” Anna said, to Phoebe’s abject relief.
Matilda nodded. “So must I. Joanna is a young lady who thrives on attention. If she does not receive it from her husband, I worry that she will seek it elsewhere.” She paused. “That is not to say that I do not think Joanna is capable of loyalty, but… she is young, she is beautiful, and if she feels lonely, that could sway her to be influenced by anyone who offered her the attention she would undoubtedly crave.”
An awkwardness thickened the air in the Sun Room as the five ladies sipped their tea and nibbled on their cake and pretended that they were not in the midst of a disagreement. It happened so rarely that it was always uncomfortable for a while, until they could all agree to disagree, or come to a collective solution.
“But why do you think he has no intention of remaining in England?” Olivia broke the silence a short while later, brushing crumbs from her lips. “He has stated, many times, that he wishes to be more present with his family.”
Phoebe nodded. “Yes, but that is not any sort of assurance that he will not take off again. That is only an assurance for the time being, and I suspect for only as long as it takes him to find a wife.”
He would need someone who does not mind being alone, or someone who would be eager to journey with him,she wanted to add, but she held her tongue in case it sounded like she was suggesting herself. She was not. Not in the slightest. That was impossible.
“Would Joanna not travel with him?” Leah asked. “She is a lively girl who would undoubtedly revel in the adventure of seeing the world.”
Phoebe shook her head. “She detests traveling and fares very poorly over water. She is not afraid of it, necessarily, but she prefers solid ground.”
“Yes, she did turn rather green when we rowed on the boating lake that summer,” Matilda agreed. “I have never seen anyone more desperate to be returned to shore.”
Leah took a bite of cake, chewed on it thoughtfully, and swallowed. “It might seem like the obvious question, but does Joanna love him? Love can help overcome a great many things, including an aversion to water.”
“I think she loves theideaof him,” Phoebe replied. “I realize I am making her sound fickle and shallow, and she is not, but… whenever he is mentioned, she speaks only of how everyone else will envy her, and how glorious it would be to win the heart of a man that no other woman could win.”
Olivia seemed torn, drinking her tea with a pensive look on her face. “I still think you ought to reconsider,” she said, more gently. “Daniel is a kind man—a good man—and if Joanna were to ask him to stay in England, I am certain he would.”
“Even his mother does not think the match is a good one,” Phoebe insisted. “I have no doubt that there is kindness and goodness in Daniel, but that does not make him right for Joanna.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “Amelia does not approve of the match?”
“She does not.”
“Oh, well, I did not know that,” Olivia murmured, frowning. “Does she have someone else in mind?”
Phoebe shrugged. “I would not know.” She sipped her tea, trying not to let her annoyance flare. “But why has Amelia’s opinion changed yours, when I have been saying the same thing?”
