Читать книгу An Earl In Want Of A Wife - Laura Martin - Страница 12

Chapter Four

Daniel wasn’t quite sure what had just happened. He knew he’d just kissed the young woman sitting across the room from him. He just didn’t know how to classify his reaction.

He’d been thrown when he realised he’d met Miss Amelia Eastway before last night. He’d hardly taken any notice of the unassuming young woman who had stepped in front of his horse. She’d seemed so ordinary, so normal. Not like the woman in the garden. She had been intriguing and almost mystical. Daniel had found himself drawn to her, attracted and aroused despite his years of experience.

Then when he’d found out the woman who he’d kissed was the very one he was meant to be pursuing, his world had almost fallen apart. He didn’t want to desire his future wife. Desire complicated everything. Desire made a man lose all sense of reason and preceded bad decisions. Over the past four years Daniel had become a master at keeping his desire in check. That wasn’t to say he’d been celibate, just that he hadn’t let his desire overshadow his common sense.

It was the shock, he realised. He hadn’t expected to recognise his mystery woman in the daylight, he hadn’t even considered that they might have met before. He’d looked her over appraisingly and found rather an ordinary young woman sitting in front of him. Not someone who made his pulse race and his temperature rise. He’d felt comfortable, reassured. She wasn’t the irresistible vixen he’d thought the night before, she was just an average young woman with no particular distinguishing features.

He’d planned to kiss her, of course. He needed to marry her and he needed to do it soon. After their kiss the night before Daniel knew she was an innocent and he knew that his charm was legendary with women all over London. He was hopeful that Amelia would enjoy his attention and flirtation.

And then it had happened. He’d moved closer, leant in to begin his seduction, and he felt as though he’d been punched in the gut. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why he felt this way, just that he needed to kiss Amelia Eastway, not so she would have to become his wife and save him from financial ruin, but because it was the only thing that would keep him going.

He wasn’t sure if it was the delicate curve of her lips or the charming set of freckles that covered her nose, he just knew he had to kiss her. And far from being completely in control, as he had planned, Daniel had felt rather wonderfully at sea. He’d kissed her as though he hadn’t kissed a woman in years, allowing himself to pull her body towards him, run his hands over her skin. He’d lost himself in that kiss and that was worrying him.

He glanced back across at Amelia and wondered if she had somehow sensed all of this. She’d wanted him, Daniel was experienced enough to recognise the signs: her pupils had dilated, her breathing had become just a little shallow and her lips had parted. She’d kissed him as passionately as the night before, but now she was regretting it. Something had changed. It was as though a shutter had come down over her face and now they were sitting apart like complete strangers, not a couple who had kissed twice in the space of twenty-four hours.

Daniel knew he had to do something to salvage the situation. Whatever his current internal conflict Miss Amelia Eastway was still the solution to all his problems. He needed to court her and marry her before the month was out. He would have to push aside any doubts he had. When he looked at her objectively he knew he should be able to resist her. He would just have to learn to control his urges and no doubt soon enough their relationship would slip into easy companionship rather than one fuelled with desire.

‘Would you care to join me for a stroll in the park?’ Daniel asked.

Amelia looked at him as though he had grown two heads. He wondered if he had uttered the sentence in Latin or some other foreign tongue.

Eventually she sighed and nodded her head. ‘That would be most delightful,’ she said, sounding anything but delighted.

Daniel felt himself bristle. Again he wondered what had happened to bring about this change in her feelings for him so abruptly. One minute she’d been melting in his arms, responding to his kiss, the next she was forcing herself to take a stroll with him.

‘Maybe your aunt would be so kind as to find a chaperon?’ he enquired. ‘Although I’d much rather be alone together. Such wonderful things happen when we’re alone,’ he murmured.

Amelia seemed to soften towards him slightly.

‘I’m sure she will.’

She made no effort to go and sort this out and Daniel felt his mood darken further. Most young women would be swooning at the thought of strolling through the park on the arm of an earl for all society to see.

‘Would you like to go and ask her?’ he suggested.

‘Of course, my lord.’

‘Daniel, please,’ he said, thinking it was ridiculous having her call him by his title when already they were quite intimate. ‘Since we already know each other so well.’

He watched as she rose and walked out of the room. Despite having fallen down stairs into him, and nearly having been trampled by his horse, Miss Eastway seemed to move with a fluid kind of grace when she was on her feet. He found himself watching the soft sway of her hips as she left the room and once again felt the first stirrings of desire deep within his body.

Daniel took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He would not desire Amelia Eastway. Although deep down he knew desire wasn’t something you could easily keep in check, equally he knew he was a man of the world, not some green boy of twenty. He had control over his emotions and he would not lose his head over a woman even if she had charmingly kissable lips.

He’d have to kiss her again, of course, but next time he would be completely in control.

He rose as Amelia re-entered the room and saw with dismay that she was accompanied by her cousin. Daniel had spent less than five minutes in the young girl’s company, but he knew she was spiteful and jealous.

‘Harriet would like to accompany us,’ Amelia said, her lack of enthusiasm obvious in her tone.

‘That would be delightful,’ Daniel said. ‘I just hope our discussion on ancient literature does not bore you too much.’

Daniel saw the flicker of a smile cross Amelia’s lips. Harriet’s eyes narrowed as she tried to work out if Daniel was being serious. He kept a neutral expression on his face, hoping all the time she would change her mind and stay at home. He wasn’t likely going to make much progress with Amelia if her cousin was present and annoying her.

‘Harriet, I need your help this afternoon,’ Aunt Mathilda said as she glided back into the room. ‘I’ll send one of the maids out to chaperon you, Amelia.’

Daniel wondered if Harriet would argue, she looked as though she wanted to, but in the end she kept her mouth shut.

Within minutes Daniel was strolling towards Hyde Park with Amelia on his arm. He realised she felt right beside him, her strides matched his own and the weight of her hand resting on his arm was comforting. He felt quite comfortable with her, despite the odd moment of madness where he seemed to want to ravish her. If he could only overcome those, he thought Amelia would make a very good wife. She was quiet and unassuming and he didn’t think she’d protest too much when he continued with his current lifestyle.

‘I understand you’ve only recently arrived in London,’ he said, thinking a little bit of small talk would help break down the barrier between them.

She looked wistfully into the distance for a moment before replying. ‘I’ve lived in India all my life, or at least for as long as I can remember.’

‘Do you miss it?’

She nodded. ‘When I was there all I could think about was getting away, coming to London, but now I’ve left it behind I miss the rolling green hills and the days filled with sunshine.’

Daniel wondered what her upbringing had been like. From his subtle enquiries he’d found out she’d been raised the only child of the very wealthy Colonel Eastway. She’d always been destined to marry well, but to look at her you wouldn’t believe it. She seemed rather overwhelmed by the sudden attention and he had the impression that she hadn’t expected to be courted this soon.

‘Do you wish you were back there?’ he asked softly.

She considered for a moment, then turned to him with a smile. ‘No. As much as I like to reminisce, it was time for me to leave, time for me to start the next chapter of my life.’

‘As a débutante in London.’

He saw her grimace out of the corner of his eye.

‘Something like that,’ she said vaguely.

They’d reached the entrance to the park and walked in through the archway. Daniel found he was enjoying himself more than he’d imagined. When he’d realised he was going to have to marry he’d been a little disgruntled to say the least. He didn’t want his life to change, he was quite content running his estates, spending time in London and making sure he didn’t make any lasting connections. The idea of having to marry was bad enough, although Daniel was a pragmatist and knew where his priorities lay, but he’d dreaded having to find and court a wife. He’d imagined some air-headed young miss that he’d have to listen ramble on about nothing. Amelia Eastway was not like that at all. In fact, he was rather enjoying himself.