Page 53 of Educated By the Earl (Second Sons of London 1)

Chapter Fifteen

Tessa decided togo downstairs and play the pianoforte for a while. The group going to the lecture at the British Museum was set to meet outside her uncle’s townhouse in an hour. Already jittery, she hoped playing a soothing piece would calm her nerves.

Adalyn had gone with her mother to a final fitting at the dressmaker’s shop. Since it was so close to the beginning of the Season, the appointment could not be canceled or delayed because of the impromptu outing. Adalyn said she would be finished in time for the carriage to drop her at the museum so she could meet up with their party.

As she reached the drawing room and took a seat in front of the instrument, she thought about the note she had received from Lord Ellington canceling yesterday’s outing in Hyde Park, an outing which she had looked forward to. The earl had profusely apologized, saying unexpected business had come up at his country estate and he needed to return there and see it resolved before the Season began. In it, he not only asked Tessa’s forgiveness for missing their drive in his phaeton but he also asked that she reserve the first dance at the Healeys’ ball with him, the first affair opening the Season.

Adalyn had told Tessa it was not necessary for her to reply to the earl’s note. That doing so wasn’t acceptable. She was never to write a gentleman who was not related to her. Word from Lord Ellington’s footman that the note had been delivered to her would be answer enough. She hoped the business wasn’t difficult and could be concluded in time for him to return to London. She thought the earl quite handsome even if he seemed a bit forward, holding her hand too long when he departed from dinner the other night.

She decided to play a lively number by Bach, hoping it would keep her mind off Lord Middlefield, who constantly invaded her thoughts. Drat him and his drugging kiss. She hadn’t had a moment’s peace ever since that had occurred. She didn’t think she would ever be able to stand before the Rosetta Stone again without remembering what they had done before it.

Sensing the door open, she glanced up and saw Rainey coming toward her. She lifted her fingers from the ivory keys.

“Lord Middlefield is here, my lady,” the butler informed her.

“But . . . he is very early,” she protested.

His arrival put her in a dilemma. With her aunt and cousin at the modiste’s and her uncle at his club, Tessa had no one to chaperone her. She hesitated a moment and then decided they were inside the house. No prying eyes of Polite Society would know if they were in a room together alone for a brief spell.

“Show him in, Rainey. And leave the doors open if you would, please.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Rising, she gripped her hands in front of her, forcing herself not to wring them and give away her discomfort.

“Lord Middlefield,” Rainey announced and the earl entered the room, meaning he had been waiting in the corridor.

As he came toward her, Tessa saw he sported a black eye and swollen jaw and she asked, “What on earth happened to you?”

Ignoring her question, he said, “I couldn’t help but hear you playing. I have had my own pianoforte tuned recently. You are welcomed any time to come and play it.”

“I asked what happened to you, my lord.”

Then she recalled he and Lord Ellington were supposed to go to Gentleman Jack’s to spar.

“You and Lord Ellington went at it,” she accused.

“Yes,” he said agreeably. “Without gloves. They call them gloves but they are little more than leather strips wound about a man’s fist. Taking them off does make a difference, however.”

Without thinking, Tessa grabbed his wrist and lifted it, seeing his knuckles battered and still raw. She quickly released him.

“I cannot understand why men think pummeling one another is a good idea. I find it uncouth and uncivilized. Why on earth would you and Lord Ellington attempt to do this without gloves?”

“I found out he is a skilled pugilist and needed to put him in his place. On my behalf, he is the one who asked that the gloves come off.”

She frowned. “Whyever would you wish to put him in his place?”

He grinned. “Why, over you, of course. Men can tell when another man is interested in a woman. We both are interested in you, Tessa.”

“You told him that?” she accused.

“No. I didn’t have to. Women have their intuition. Men have their gut feeling. We sniffed one another out and it was obvious.”

“If you look like this, what does he look like?”

“Worse,” Lord Middlefield admitted. “I suppose you haven’t seen him.”

“He canceled our drive. Actually, he said it was postponed due to unforeseen business that needed attending to at his country estate.”

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