The Earl's Mission: Defiant Brides Book 4 Read online

  Then she would explore the halls of her father’s house, a home she never knew. The man had never gone to see her, although deep inside she understood why he had not. It was for the same reason Lord Linfield had instructed her to lie about her past. She was not of the same class. It mattered not that her birth father was a wealthy man. She had been born out of wedlock, an illegitimate daughter, a scourge on society. Yet, for all their rules of etiquette and custom, most of the people she had met who were of the ton, including Lord Linfield himself, were unhappy. Oh, they tried to hide their discontent behind their fancy clothes and elegant carriages, but she had known too many miserable people to not recognize someone attempting to hide their joylessness behind a smile or a haughty demeanor.

  The Earl had his wealth, a fine carriage, fancy clothes and mannerisms, but she sensed a great unhappiness in him. His attempts to dictate her words and actions were a clear attempt at finding contentedness through the control of others. Whether or not he could be shown this truth was quite another story.

  The man was already engaged in a deep conversation with another man who wore clothes that were as fine as Lord Linfield’s, and Rachel could hear their laughter despite the strum of the violin and the words of the singer.

  The reality was, Lord Linfield had been sent on a mission, on an errand, but Rachel tasked herself with one, as well. She would teach him that happiness did not reside in the type of clothes a person wore or the amount of money he had. It would be a challenge, for the man was stricter than any headmaster and changed his moods as often as not, but there was never a challenge she could not meet.

  The Earl and his new friend moved to a table next to where Rachel was sitting. They ignored her completely, which was fine by her; she was enjoying simply watching the people in the pub and not having to pretend to be someone else, as would have been expected of her if the two men had joined her at her table.

  Lord Linfield laughed at something his companion said. “Well, that is why I am the Earl of Brunsford,” he said in a voice that carried across the room. Rachel shook her head. The man was also easily inhibited by drink, for his words were those of a braggart. Too often she had seen men like him tossing around their title as if they were invincible, only to find themselves tied up outside, their fine coats missing and all of their valuables missing. Did these men never learn?

  A man in a frayed coat and breeches made up more of patches than anything else rose from a chair in the far corner. Rachel watched him curiously as he made his way to where Lord Linfield sat. It would be interesting to see what the man would say, for if a ruffian such as him decided to set his sights on the likes of an Earl, he had to be up to no good.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, My Lord,” the dilapidated man said as he gave Lord Linfield a low bow. “but I did hear ye say ye were the Earl of Brunsford, didn’t I?”

  “It is true,” Lord Linfield replied. “What concern is it of yours?”

  The man bowed again, his hand clenched in his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry, My Lord, but it’s just that I knew your father. I had the honor of meetin’ him some years back. He was the finest gentleman of all gentlemen—beggin’ your pardon, My Lord,” he said to the other man quickly. “Anyway, it was the happiest day of mine and my wife’s life when we met him.”

  Rachel raised an eyebrow, a growing suspicion overtaking her.

  “So, when was the happy meeting?” Lord Linfield asked.

  “‘Twas nearly twenty years ago, I’d say, when the Earl came through here on business,” he replied. “I don’t recall what type of business since it was no business of mine.” He chuckled at his own attempt at humor.

  “Wool?”

  The man smiled. “Aye, that’s the one. His carriage became stuck in the mud; ‘twas raining hard that day, you see. The missus and me helped him, diggin’ the wheel out so he could be on his way to return to his family. He offered to send ten pounds for our troubles, though he never did. But that’s quite all right,” he added quickly. “Just meetin’ him was payment enough.”

  Rachel sighed. She had heard several variations of the same tale all too often at The Rooster’s Crow, and most men of means fell for it than not. Well, Rachel was not about to allow Lord Linfield to be swindled, not after what he had done to find her.

  Lord Linfield was reaching into his coat pocket. “My father was an honorable man,” he said as he pulled out a clipped bundle of notes. “I will honor his debt.”

  Rachel walked up to the table and the older man gave her a toothy grin, which she ignored. “So, you helped the Earl and he promised to send you ten pounds, is it?” she asked the scruffy man, her hand going to her hip. The man nodded, his eyes flashing to the notes Lord Linfield held in his hand. “How amazing this story is,” she said in mock awe before narrowing her eyes at him. “However, I have heard it told better before.”

  “Miss Cooper, please do not embarrass me or my father’s name,” Lord Linfield said, the shock in his voice great. “Now, return to your seat at once.”

  She ignored him and turned back to the man in his frayed jacket. “Lying to an Earl could result in hard labor, or even death, depending on the magistrate.” She narrowed her eyes at the man again. “Are you sure you have the correct Earl?”

  The man licked at his lips and then scratched his head. “Well, come to think of it, it was a different Earl. My apologies to you both. I need to go.” And with that, he hurried through the door and out into the night.

  Rachel let out a small laugh, but rather than being thanked for what she had done, Lord Linfield glared at her. He excused himself from the table, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to a small hallway. “If this arrangement is to work, you must continue to obey my instructions,” he hissed in a hushed tone. “You have embarrassed me greatly this night.”

  “Embarrassed you?” she asked in shock.

  “Yes, embarrassed me,” he spat. “How dare you speak on my behalf! I will not tolerate your disrespect!”

  “Tolerate my disrespect?” she asked in amusement. “You were the one being swindled by a trickster in front of one of your peers. But please, don’t let me stop you from looking the fool. It seems to fit you well.” She crossed her arms over her breasts. “I stopped a man from taking advantage of you, but now I regret doing it. Perhaps a fool can trick another fool.”

  “I do not care,” he snapped. “Come, let us go to our rooms. We will discuss this tomorrow where there will be no chance of anyone overhearing.” He grabbed her arm once again, this time much tighter than he had earlier. She would have bruises in the morning. Oh, but this man was stubborn, and she began to wonder if it would be possible to teach such a man how to be happy.

  ***

  The sun was just peeking over the horizon as Rachel got into the carriage and took her place across from Lord Linfield. She had not slept well the night before, thoughts of the man in the room next keeping her mind much too busy to close her eyes for many hours after going to bed. However, sleep did finally come, and with it dreams of a tall, dark-haired man rescuing her from all sorts of harm.

  At first, it was a terrible villain who wore the face of Jacob Downs. Then, once she was free of the vile man, she was taken up by a rogue pirate, followed by a stout highwayman. In all of those cases, the man who rescued her so resembled the Earl, Rachel would stomp away from him in anger that it was he who had saved her. By the time she woke, however, she had acclimated herself to the fact that the man would save her every time, and when she opened her eyes, she lay staring at the beamed ceiling, feeling much better about the next leg of her trip.

  However, sitting across from that man now was much different from what she had expected. He stared moodily out the window, his jaw clenched and lips pursed. After an hour on the road, his mood had not changed. This man would be the one who would have control of her money and would be helping her find her way in society, and the thought excited her as much as it frightened her. She wanted to apologize for the previous night, but part of her
advised against it, for she had done no wrong. There was no doubt the man in the frayed coat had been up to no good, and she would have done the same for anyone who was about to fall prey to the likes of him.

  As she studied the Earl and his doleful posture, she realized that she could better both of their situations if she took the first step to making their time together pleasanter.

  “My Lord,” she began cautiously, “about last night. I wish to apologize. It wasn’t my intention to embarrass you; I hope you know that.”

  He continued to stare out the window for several moments before he finally let out a heavy sigh. It was a bit dramatic in her opinion, but she said nothing. He was much too easily upset to dare make a comment, despite his talk of them being ‘friends’. “We will speak of it no more,” he replied, finally taking his eyes from the window and looking at her. A smile crossed his lips. How quickly this man could be angry one moment and happy the next. He would certainly be an interesting study. “I look forward to showing you around Elford Estates. I know you will appreciate it as much as I do. Once you have completed your training, then we can begin planning parties. You will soon begin receiving invitations to others’ parties, as well, and you must be ready if you are to attend those.

  Rachel twisted the ring that now sat on her finger. “Will this be enough to keep people from prying?” she asked. If there was anything she knew about the ton, it was their propensity to pry into other people’s business. She had never enjoyed being the subject of gossip, but what those intertwined in society could do with it was beyond belief.

  “I have not created an excuse for your fiancé and why he did not accompany you,” Lord Linfield said with consideration. “However, I will be able to devise a story by the time we arrive.” He gave Rachel a supportive smile, and she sat back into her seat.

  “Another lie,” she sighed with a shake to her head. “I don’t like lying, but I do understand the reasoning behind it. I’m sure I can come up with some sort of story that will be acceptable.”

  “What if…” His voice trailed off and he moved to the front of the cushioned seat. “I have an excellent plan, one that will ease the burden of a story and will help us both.” Rachel could feel his enthusiasm rolling off him in waves. It was the same atmosphere one felt when the best of ideas were being formed, and Rachel felt herself being caught up in his excitement.

  “Tell me,” she said, her voice reflecting his eagerness. “What are you thinking?”

  “What if we were to continue with the story we have already created about your father and your background, but let us modify it somewhat. We could say that I first met you through doing business with your father, I courted you, but you did not wish to marry immediately. It was imperative that I return to Kellington to attend to my business needs, but upon learning of Richard’s death and his now empty estate, I suggested you move there to be near me until we are wed!”

  Rachel frowned in consideration. It was a good tale. However, one part of it bothered her. “I do not wish to marry you. Besides, if we are engaged, who would believe we wished to wait?”

  The Earl shook his head. “First of all, the best part of this arrangement is that neither of us wish to marry. However, this engagement will suit us both equally, do you not see? I will no longer be pestered for not having married, and no men will call on you if they believe you already intended. And the women, well, they may still ask why we have chosen such a long engagement, but that is the wonderful part of engagements; they can last forever if both parties agree. In our case, it will last until the final reading of the will. Once you receive what has been left to you, then you will be free to go your own way or, if you enjoy your new home, stay on under the ruse of the engagement.”

  Rachel bit at her lip as she considered his words. Did he have some motive masked behind the words he spoke? It was difficult for Rachel to not see hidden meanings and masked motives behind any words a person spoke, something she had learned from years at the pub. Most men, and many women, had ulterior motives behind every decision they made. Yet, there were those few who were simply honest. Which type of person was Lord Joseph Linfield?

  Then she remembered that the reason the Earl had come to her in the first place was due to a request made by a man on his deathbed. Any man who had the integrity to follow through on such a difficult request as the one Richard Templeton had made had to be an honorable man indeed.

  “Very well, then,” she replied firmly. “I agree to those terms.” She smiled. “It’ll allow me time to adjust to my new life without the added burden of men calling. I suppose, as a now-wealthy woman, there’ll be streams of them coming to my door to have a cup of tea or to have a few words with me. I must remind you, though, that this arrangement is only for appearance. As I warned you before, I’m not to be considered some object to be desired or some sort of prize you have won.”

  His chuckle irritated her, but she was glad when he replied, “I understand and agree.”

  It became quiet for a moment, the only sound the wheels crunching over the hard-packed road and the occasional flick of the reins from the driver. The tension that had carried over from the previous night was now gone, and a feeling of relief settled in its place.

  Rachel smiled and twisted her fingers in her lap. “I know we have time over the next days, but maybe we should learn a few things about each other in order to carry out this facade and make it more believable.” It was strange to be discussing private matters with a man she barely knew, but how else would they be able to convince others they were engaged to be married? In order for their story to be plausible, they would need to at least have a rudimentary understanding of one another.

  “Very well,” Lord Linfield said. “What would you like to ask of me?”

  “Well, I supposed I should know what you like.”

  He gave her an indulgent smile. “You are kind for wishing to cook for me when I visit; however, you will have a house full of servants to do those tasks.” He patted her hand. “Do not worry; you will learn how to run a house and who is responsible for what duties. I do not expect you to know all of these things already.”

  She gave him an indignant frown. Educated or not, the man was as thick as the stew she served on a cold winter’s night. “I didn’t mean food.” She left off calling him a buffoon. “What do you enjoy doing? How do you spend your time when you’re not attending to business? Do you enjoy reading? Or perhaps you go riding?”

  This seemed to confuse him even further, for he furrowed his brow and stared at her with perplexity. “My businesses keep me occupied enough,” he finally replied; yet, his voice still held that tone of confusion. “I have no time for leisure activities. I suppose an occasional walk through the garden might be considered leisurely, perhaps. Do you enjoy talking walks? We may do that if you would like.” The last was said with an eagerness that made Rachel almost laugh.

  “That’d be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon,” she said. “I, myself, enjoy reading, though I never had many books growing up.” Then her eyes widened as an idea occurred to her. “Does my father have a library?”

  “A vast one filled with many tomes that would take three lifetimes to read. Of course, you may read as much as you want, if that is what you desire.”

  Rachel nodded. This was something she had never considered, and the idea of having more than a few of the same titles on hand was beyond her understanding. How many subjects and authors would be displayed in one single room? she wondered. So many new things awaited her, and she was eager to experience it all.

  “And your mother?” she asked, hoping to learn more of the man before her. “Will I meet her, as well?”

  Somehow she regretted the words as soon as she saw the flash of anger in his eyes. She could see his attempt at remaining calm as he took a deep breath before speaking. What had she said to upset him so?

  “You will,” he replied, though the words were spoken through tight lips. “My mother is quite…rigid, unlike me, though a
lovely woman.” He added the latter as almost an afterthought. “If you can refrain from upsetting her, I would be very appreciative.”

  What an odd response, Rachel thought as she studied the Earl. If taken at his word, she would have thought meeting his mother would be something to anticipate. Yet, his tone implied the woman would not be as accommodating as he expressed. Of course, she had no intentions of somehow upsetting his mother, and the fact he felt the need to state the obvious was a little unsettling.

  She glanced down at the ring once more and wondered about what they would be telling his mother. They had not discussed this and now she was reluctant to ask, for even the slightest mention of the woman made him angry.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked. His question seemed out of place after the manner in which they had spent the past two days. Not once had he asked after her, about her well-being, and it felt strange.

  “That I am a poor woman who will marry an Earl, or at least that is what people will believe. I realize that it’s not very common for a man of your rank to marry a woman of mine, but I hope we can be at least on friendly terms during our engagement.”

  Lord Linfield gave her a smile and Rachel found herself feeling a bit lightheaded. He truly was a handsome man, and if she could find a way to bring out a more likable version of him, such as the man who fought off Jacob Down in a wave of gallantry, then they could most certainly become very close. Close as friends, that is. She still had no plans on marrying, him or anyone else, until she knew where she stood once her training was complete. If there was one thing Rachel Cooper could not contend with, it was making a fool of herself, and that is exactly what she would do if she made any attempts at love before finding her way in a class of people about whom she knew very little.

  “As long as you obey my instructions, we will both be happy,” Lord Linfield said.

  It was as if every time she thought of them developing even a friendly relationship, the man said something to bring her back to reality. She had a lot of work to do, not only for herself, but for this man, as well. She would have to become reliant on him in so many ways, but she refused to live a life where she was treated like a person who was less than she was. Unfortunately, she was learning rather quickly that this endeavor could be more than she bargained for.