Page 53 of Tempting the Earl

Bentley grinned as he took his wife’s hand. “It would be my pleasure.”

Angelique leaned forward to suggest in a heavy whisper, “And if you two find yourselves in zee garden again, I shall endeavor to distract your guests from noticing your absence.”

“Wait. How would you...” Emma began to ask with a slightly furrowed brow, but Bentley was already leading her away.

“And now you, ma chérie,” the dowager countess said, thoughtfully glancing about the drawing room before her eyes widened in a theatrical fashion and her focus landed on something just beyond Ainsworth’s shoulder. “Ah, zee perfect solution. My lord,” she summoned in a surprisingly commanding tone.

Groaning inside, Ainsworth turned to see just what poor soul had been called forth as sacrifice.

Lord Wright stepped forward to give the dowager countess a bow. “Good evening, my lady.”

Though his words were gracious, Ainsworth could feel the earl’s discomfort at being singled out. As Ainsworth searched for something to say that might appease the Frenchwoman and let the earl off the hook, Angelique swept a bold and assessing look over the poor man who could only stand still under her suddenly intent regard.

Then a knowing smile curved the lady’s reddened lips as she leaned to Ainsworth and said in a very loud whisper, “He shall do quite nicely, dahling. Trust me. It’s all in zee eyes, no?”

She took Ainsworth’s hand and set it on the earl’s sleeve. “You shall escort zee lady to zee dance floor,” the Frenchwoman declared before she rose up on her toes and began searching the drawing room once again. “And now, for me,” she said with a delighted glimmer of anticipation in her eyes.

Realizing they’d just been dismissed, Ainsworth allowed the earl to lead her away. They didn’t get very far, however, before she felt a change in the man beside her. It was just a brief tensing and a momentary hesitation in his step before he resumed an even pace. It was all very subtle but Ainsworth was quickly resigning herself to being able to detect such minute shifts in his demeanor.

“What’s the matter?” Ainsworth asked.

There was only a short pause before he replied, “Just someone I hadn’t expected to encounter tonight.”

Ainsworth followed the line of his gaze to see an elegant woman making her way toward them with the sort of grace that couldn’t be taught. She was tall and slender with fair hair and dark eyes. Her features were timelessly beautiful and more than one gentleman turned to watch as she passed though she was quite obviously intent upon intercepting the earl.

“Who is she?” Ainsworth asked in an aside, feeling foolish for the sudden jolt of uncertainty the woman inspired.

There was a curt clearing of his throat. “My mother.”

Ainsworth blinked at the unexpected reply.

He looked down at her. “You’re surprised.”

“Aye,” she sputtered in a quick whisper. “Dinnae you tell me she’d been exiled?”

“Father banished her from his home and his presence, but she never went very far.” He lowered his voice as the lady had nearly reached them. “I think she enjoyed tormenting him as much as he did her. Once I was old enough to make my own choices on the matter, I found where she was living and introduced myself.” He lowered his voice. “Our relationship remains...complicated. We don’t have much in common and haven’t seen much of each other since she recently remarried.”

Once again hearing what he didn’t explicitly say, Ainsworth understood that his mother hadn’t tried to reach out to him on her own and had apparently been content to leave her son in the cruel hands of his father.

But perhaps the woman hadn’t known what Colin had been forced to endure in his childhood. Ainsworth wanted to allow her the benefit of doubt, but it was extremely difficult for her to imagine a mother simply walking away from her child no matter how challenging the circumstances. If anyone dared to keep Caillie away from Ainsworth, she’d die fighting to be reunited with her child.

“Well, well.” The earl’s mother reached them with a flourish of her skirts and a winning smile. “What a delightful surprise.”

“Hello, Mother,” the earl replied as he took the slim hand she offered and leaned forward to brush a kiss on her cheek. “I didn’t know I’d see you here tonight.”

The lady responded with a dismissive wave of her fingers. “Oh, Watson was a cousin of some sort to Lord Harte’s late mother.” Then she gave a short laugh and a sly glance. “In truth, it’s far more shocking that you’re here. You do know whose house this is, don’t you, dear?”

“Of course,” the earl answered, but his mother had already turned her attention to Ainsworth.

“And who is this?”

“Mother, allow me to introduce Miss Ainsworth Morgan,” he replied without missing a beat. “She is visiting London from Scotland.” Nodding to Ainsworth, he concluded, “Miss Morgan, my mother, Lady Watson.”

Ainsworth gave a quick curtsey. “Lovely to meet you, my lady.”

“And you, I’m sure,” Lady Watson replied in a tone that didn’t quite match the sentiment before she quickly returned her attention to her son with a curious light in her brown eyes. It wasn’t quite a dismissal, but it came close. “In truth, I’m rather glad to have run into you tonight. You see, I’ve heard a curious rumor...one I suspect you’ll clear up straightaway.”

“If I can, of course,” he replied graciously.

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