Sarah Mallory - His Countess For A Week

‘I am obliged to you, madam.’

‘I assure you my funds are more than sufficient to cover anything I choose to do. I have merely made use of your house and your name.’

‘ Merely made use of them!’

‘You were not using them, at the time,’ she retorted. ‘I had no idea you would choose just this moment to return to England, and even if I had known,’ she continued, with spirit, ‘I would not have expected you to come first to the least important of your properties!’

‘And you would still have carried out this charade? By heaven, madam, you are a cool one!’

‘I want to discover what happened to my husband! I have explained why I needed to come here. Why should you think it so odd?’

With a hiss of exasperation, he pushed himself to his feet. ‘For one thing, it is a hare-brained idea,’ he exclaimed, pacing the floor. ‘And for another, it is damned dangerous. Was there no one you could talk to about this? Relatives, friends?’

‘I have no family of my own. As for friends, there is no one I would trust.’

‘Why did you not tell your husband’s family?’

‘Sir Adam Roffey has a weak heart. Angina. He was laid low by his son’s death and I did not wish to add to his worries.’

He bent a frowning gaze upon her. ‘Do the Roffeys have any idea what you are about?’

She shook her head. ‘They think I am staying with an old school friend. They will not be anxious because I have Ruth, my maid, with me.’

‘The devil you have. Of all the foolish starts! How old are you?’

She put up her chin. ‘Two-and-twenty.’

‘And you said yourself you have never before been out of Lincolnshire.’

‘What has that to say to anything?’

‘You can know very little of the world. Whereas I...’ he stopped and raked one hand through his hair ‘...I know too much of it.’

‘I am well aware of that!’ she flashed back. ‘For all your title, you are no less a felon!’

His eyes darkened. She braced herself for a furious response, but he merely shrugged.

‘I cannot deny it. But that is all the more reason you should not be here. You should never have embarked upon such a foolhardy scheme, alone and unprotected.’

Arabella suddenly felt exhausted. George had been her world since childhood. Could no one understand that? Tears were not far away and she looked up at him, saying wretchedly, ‘What else have I to live for?’

Ran saw those emerald eyes shimmering with tears and thought she must have loved her husband very much. Something clutched at his heart and he turned away to resume his pacing.

He said, ‘Have you learned anything that might help you?’

‘Very little,’ she confessed. ‘I want to know who else was at Meon House when George was a guest there. I had hoped, tonight...’

He heard a sniff and glanced around to see her surreptitiously wiping her eyes. He paced a little more, trying to convince himself that the plan in his head was every bit as hare-brained as the one she had described.

‘Very well.’ He stopped in front of her. ‘Let us continue this masquerade for a little longer.’

She stared at him. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘I will help you. A short note to Lady Meon tomorrow should repair any damage tonight’s little fracas may have caused and we will work on the acquaintance until the lady divulges a little more information.’

‘No!’ She was on her feet now, staring at him as if he had run mad. ‘I cannot stay here.’

‘Why not? You have been content to do so thus far.’

‘That was different!’

‘How was it different?’ He uttered the challenge, preferring her anger to the desolation he had heard in that one sniff.

She glared at him. ‘You were not here.’

‘And now I am.’ He smiled. ‘Which will make your presence here all the more plausible.’ He saw her look of horror and added, ‘By Gad, madam, I am not suggesting we should be man and wife in anything other than name, but it will be necessary to live under one roof! I have already ascertained that Beaumount has separate rooms for the Earl and his Countess, so only your maid and my man need be taken into our confidence—’

‘But you are a—a criminal ,’ she interrupted him, retreating behind her chair. ‘Perhaps even a murderer!’

Ran stopped, all desire to laugh gone.

‘You should have considered that before you began this charade,’ he threw back at her. ‘Let me allay your fears, if I can. My biggest crime was to be a damned young fool! I was sentenced to be transported for fourteen years and, having survived the voyage, I was prepared to serve my time and to make a fresh life for myself on the other side of the world. Circumstances, in the form of a pardon and the death of the old Earl, conspired to bring me back to England.’

‘But it cannot be long before people know you are in England,’ she argued. ‘Word will soon get out that you have no wife.’

‘By the time that information reaches Devon I hope we shall be finished here. You will disappear and no one need ever discover your true identity.’

‘But what of your staff?’ There was a note of desperation in her voice. ‘What must be their feelings when they know you have duped them?’

‘ I did not dupe them, my lady! I have merely...’ he waved one hand ‘...not corrected the misapprehension.’

‘Now you are playing with words, my lord!’

‘Very well,’ he said, goaded. ‘They will believe you were my mistress. What of it? Is that not the sort of behaviour expected of great lords?’ He shrugged. ‘I shall no doubt feel obliged to apologise for playing such a trick, but I pay them well enough. The matter will soon be forgotten.’

‘Not by me!’

She was staring defiantly at him, her head up, eyes blazing, and suddenly he did not want her to think him the sort of master to disregard the feelings of his staff. He did not want her to think ill of him at all.

He said, ‘I do not like this subterfuge any more than you, but what’s done is done. We may as well continue with it.’

The words sounded gruff, uncaring, and she continued to stare at him with angry disapproval. Damnation! Did she not realise he was trying to help her? If there had been dark deeds at Meon House then who knew what dangers might await such an innocent if he left her to continue her enquiries alone. He issued his ultimatum.

‘So, you must make your choice, madam. You can either accept my help, or you give up your investigation and go home.’

Arabella glared at the Earl. Since leaving Lincolnshire she had been aware of how vulnerable she was, how alone. True, she had Ruth. The loyal maid had been with her since she was a baby, but if there was real danger, then she was putting Ruth at risk, too. Lord Westray might well be able to help her obtain the information she required. If one could forget his past.

It occurred to her that she found it only too easy to ignore the fact that he was a convict, but she was merely being charitable. Wasn’t she? All the guests at Meon House had had no difficulty in accepting the new Earl, even with his tainted history. Although they were not pretending to be his spouse. She swallowed.

‘Very well, sir. I will accept your help.’ She hesitated. ‘I am very grateful to you.’

Some of his stiffness disappeared and she saw the glimmer of a smile.

‘No, you are not at all grateful. You would like to tell me to go to the devil.’