Page 8 of How to Charm an Earl
Somehow, with great reluctance, Roman stopped. This couldn’t happen in a field where anyone could walk up on them. He had to protect her. He took a step back and stared at her, his breathing ragged. “That…”
“Was everything,” she finished for him. Her smile was so sensual it gutted him. “Thank you, Lord Kendal. You’ve told me all I needed to know.”
He wished he could think clearly enough to decipher her meaning. “Roman,” he told her. “You should definitely call me Roman.” He met her gaze. “Tell me your name.” He was tired of not knowing that little detail about her. It was important.
“I’m Athena,” she told him. “Lady Athena Thompson.” She grinned. “I should return home.” Athena folded her blanket and placed it in the saddlebag on her horse, along with her small bag with the book. She mounted her horse and then said, “Until we meet again in London, Roman. Don’t disappoint me.” Then she flicked the reins, and the horse took off. Roman stared after her like a bumbling fool.
“Athena,” he whispered her name. “I will see you again.” She’d charmed him the first time he’d glanced her way, and now he was most definitely besotted. He couldn’t wait to spend more time in her company.
Three weeks later…
Athena stared down at the gown she’d had designed for her debut ball. It was a dark green that was too bold for a young debutante about to be presented, but she didn’t care. Her hair was piled high on her head, with dark ringlets draping around her face. The pendant with her initial that she’d found with her mother’s journal was her only jewelry. The black stone glittered in the candlelight and it almost felt as if her mother stood beside her approvingly.
All she could think about was Roman. He had kissed her. Yes, she had asked him for that kiss, but she hadn’t thought he actually would grant her desire. And what a kiss it had been… She touched her lips as if she could feel his lips still there. She would kiss him again. Until that moment, Athena hadn’t been certain, but now she knew—he was meant to be hers.
That might seem ridiculous to believe, but she did. Athena didn’t regret kissing him. It had been a test. At first, it had started out as something she needed, but then it quickly turned into something far more devastating to her. Her heart opened up to him in those fleeting moments, and he had willingly entered. She would bet everything that he had felt what she had. They were drawn to each other for a reason.
A knock echoed through the room, and Isla stepped inside. She wore a gown of deep gold that made her skin glow. Her only jewelry as well was the black stone pendant with her initial. “Are you ready?” Her gown was a declaration in itself. Isla held her head high as she prepared herself to face the ton again. They had flayed her the last time she’d been in London, and she’d fled home to heal. Athena still didn’t know all that had happened to her older sister. She wished she could protect her now from what was to come.
“I am,” she told Isla. “Is Maeve done dressing?”
‘Almost,” Isla said. “There was a slight difficulty with her gown. One of the buttons had loosened, and it had to be repaired. She shouldn’t be much longer.”
Maeve had decided for a soft peach gown that was more suitable for a debut ball. She was more practical than Athena ever would be. The gown suited her twin, though. They had distinct personalities and their gowns would show the world who they were. Soon enough they would be out in society and they would be subject to the same ridicule that still haunted Isla. Were they fools to go through that same torturous gossip and disdain from the ton?
“Let’s go down into the hall then and wait for her. We should enter the ballroom together.” They should present a united front to the buzzards. They might not want to pick over their remains if they couldn’t actually reach them. She looped her arm through Isla’s. “We will be with you every step of the way.”
Isla sucked in a deep breath. “Thank you,” she said in a quiet tone. “I’ll be all right. I promise.”
She thought she heard her mutter something under her breath. Had Isla said, at least he will not be here. Did she mean the Duke of Thornridge? That was the only he that Isla avoided. What had happened between them? All Athena knew with certainty was that the duke had broken her sister’s heart, and both of them seemed miserable. The duke, the last time Athena had seen him, had been as forlorn as Isla. Maybe one day they would find their way back to each other. It was clear to her they were unhappy apart, so they might erase that unwelcome emotion if they admitted they belonged together. She didn’t know if that was possible, or if they would be open to it, but the solution was there for them to grasp on to.
They were not in the hall long before Maeve joined them. Her hair was secured in an elegant chignon, but she did not have as many loose curls as Athena did. She also had on the pendant with her initial. They all had chosen to honor their mother, and Athena prayed they would not regret that choice. The peach gown enhanced Maeve’s beauty. “You look beautiful,” she told her twin.
“Thank you,” Maeve said, then smiled. “You do as well.”
“It’s time,” Isla told them both, then braced her shoulders. She was preparing for something unpleasant and it hurt Athena that her sister felt that need. “Let’s descend the stairs and let them announce us. My maid told me that it is a crush. Everyone who is anyone is here.”
That should make Athena happy, but dread filled her. Something terrible was about to happen. She only prayed it didn’t leave emotional scars as it had with Isla, or worse. “We can do this,” she said, more for herself than her sisters, but it applied to them all. Slowly, they descended the stairs, and with each step, they accepted their destiny. They would make it to the end. Nothing could destroy them if they didn’t allow it.
Five
Roman wished he could have avoided visiting his mother and gone straight to London. Her ramblings and reprimands had both been tedious and frustrating. She had seemed happy to see him, but he didn’t think it was for his sake. His mother was practical and knew having one of her sons still alive was to her benefit. If one of his cousins inherited the title, she might not be so well off. As the mother of the earl, she was held in much higher regard in society. The Dowager Countess of Kendal enjoyed her prominent position in society, one solidified after her husband’s death, and intended to maintain it. She didn’t have to be a wife, but had all the benefits that allowed it.
It had been an exercise in futility. He listened to her berate him for his absence while in the same breath, asking when he would leave again. She also intended to go to London for the season and hoped she would see him there. Roman didn’t actually believe she wanted him to have attend anything regarding the season, but she probably did hope he would marry and secure an heir for the earldom. Not because she had any hope of having grandchildren, but because she would so hate to fall into a state of destitution, or something she’d consider akin to beggary.
He was happy to be away from her loving company. It had left him feeling cold, and he had a deep need for warmth again. Which was why he found himself at the townhouse of the Earl of Harwood’s London townhouse. There were so many people there to attend the debut ball for the twins. He had to wonder if all of the guests actually received an invitation. No one seemed to have been turned away, that was certain. It surprised Roman to discover that he had an invitation. Had Athena ensured he would have one? When had the invitations actually been sent?
Roman wanted to believe she wished for him to attend. He wanted to see her again. It had been a very long while since he had seen her. All right it had been a little more than a fortnight, but it seemed far longer. He glanced toward the two gentlemen who had agreed to attend with him. “Are you prepared for this?” The carriage almost seemed too small for all three of them. None of them were small in stature.
They were all eligible to the ladies searching for a husband, but the duke would garner the most attention. He pinned Roman with a glare. “I would rather go with Pemberton to one of his favorite brothels,” Thornridge drawled
“So would I,” the viscount added in a jovial tone. “I can definitely suggest a few more pleasurable choices. Why are we here again?”
“To watch Kendal act the fool,” Thornridge drawled. “I told him he should stay away from this family, but he’s determined to ruin himself with this pursuit.”
“The chit cannot be as terrible as you’re suggesting,” Pemberton said. “I heard they’re all beauties.”
Thornridge was silent for a few moments, then said in a tone so quiet Roman almost missed what he’d said, “No one lady is more beautiful than Isla.” He cleared his throat. “They’re all beautiful. That is their allure, but you will regret being in their company.”
