Page 31 of Educated By the Earl (Second Sons of London 1)

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Spencer couldn’t believeit.

He had kissed Lady Tessa.

Why he had done so was a mystery. Or perhaps not. He had been attracted to her from the beginning. The physical attraction had only grown since that first meeting. He had wanted to be alone with her, without others present, to truly see who she was. And he had liked everything about her. Abra abdicating her responsibilities of serving as a chaperone had only allowed him to do something his subconscious had yearned to do.

Kiss her.

So he did.

It was obvious from the first that she had never been kissed. That fact did not surprise him. Tessa had been buried in the country for years, away from Polite Society and the gentlemen who would have been interested in pursuing her. But the spark between them was undeniable. Their kiss had fanned the flame. So much that he had almost taken more liberties with her than he should have. It was already bad enough that he had kissed her in a public place, where anyone could have stumbled across them.

Discovered in an embrace would have been a disaster.

Not that Spencer wouldn’t have offered for her immediately. He would have, as a gentleman should do. If that would have happened, though, it would have removed all choice from Tessa’s hands—and he would never do that to her. Knowing how headstrong she was, it wouldn’t have surprised him if she would have turned him down. He might not know much about the unwritten rules of thetonbut common sense told him that move would have been catastrophic to her reputation. He had heard enough talk at school from fellow students with older brothers, some of them rogues, and how men seemed to be forgiven their discretions while women often suffered for transgressions not of their own making.

He wanted Tessa to go into marriage with him willingly, not because her hand was forced to do so. From their kiss, he knew they would be well suited in the bedroom and he could not wait to get her there and take liberties a husband could with his wife.

Still, he had acted far too rashly. His plan had been to allow her to enjoy the Season for several weeks before he made known his interest in her. That idea had been blown out of the water, like a cannon firing and leaving destruction everywhere.

Kissing her had been totally out of character for him. He was known for being methodical and thinking things through. True, in war, he’d had to weigh decisions quickly and act hastily sometimes, balancing the intelligence he had received against the men he had. More often than not, he had liked his chances and acted. Not rashly but perhaps a bit recklessly, though the recklessness was laced with courage and determination.

Perhaps this had been the same. He knew he wanted Tessa as his wife. She was not only fair of face but intelligent and spirited. She would be a commodity on the Marriage Mart that many bachelors would want to sample and eventually try to make their own. It was a good thing he had kissed her and told her of his interest. Guilt filled him, though, as he remembered his words. He had sounded rather arrogant, something that he saw definitely held no appeal for her. It would take time to win her favor and return to her good graces.

Could he do so before the Season began?

Spencer hoped so with all his heart.

He would need to draw up a battle plan, similar to what he had participated in on the Continent. This time, however, he was general and foot soldier rolled into one. The challenge of winning Tessa’s hand would be next to impossible after the hole he had dug and placed himself in—but the reward of her becoming his countess would be incredibly sweet. He would have to think rationally about the moves he should make as he closed in on his prey.

Not something he could do at present.

She stood too close for him to think. True, she had removed her hand from his forearm in a very pointed manner. She had remained in the room, however, taking him from one exhibit to the next. Unfortunately, all animation had fled her face and her voice droned on in a monotonous tone, much like several tutors he had known, as she told him about various artifacts. He stood as close as he could to her merely to inhale the faint scent of lavender coming off her.

A scent he remembered from his mother.

When he had been old enough and recognized it when he smelled it again, he had asked what it was and had been told it was lavender. He couldn’t recall his mother’s image but he did remember associating that scent with her. Spencer wondered if fate had intervened, bringing him to a woman who also claimed the scent as her own.

He determined to show Tessa the man he was—and the one he could be with her.

“Lady Tessa,” a voice called out, “the lecture will be starting in twenty minutes.”

Spencer glanced to the doorway and saw Smithson, the museum guide.

“Thank you for alerting us, Mr. Smithson. I don’t want to miss a minute of it.”

Her voice had returned to normal as she spoke to the guide. Jealousy filled him. He wanted her to speak to him that way, not the boring monotone of the last hour.

“Shall we make our way to the presentation?” he asked, offering his arm. When she hesitated, he added, “Your mother taught you good manners, my lady. I would not think she would wish you to be churlish in public to an earl.”

Reluctantly, she placed a hand on his sleeve.

“The lecture will be held in the hall downstairs,” she told him.

As he led her from the room, Spencer said, “Thank you for sharing your time and information today. You know far more than most Cambridge dons.”

He glanced down and saw she looked pleased at the compliment.

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