When the Earl was Wicked by Stacy Reid

Author:Stacy Reid
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2019-03-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Six weeks and two days had passed since Verity had appeared on the earl’s doorstep. She had been instructed several times thus far in the art of fighting, and she had been horrified this morning to note the slight development of muscles in her upper arms. She felt fitter, more confident, and less afraid. It was as if with each lesson, she vanquished the lingering dread.

Their unorthodox friendship flourished with each titillating secretive encounter, and Verity’s admiration for James grew to an astonishing degree. A gentleman is thought to be of top quality through education, refinement, polished manners, a considerable degree of charm, and the productive management of his inheritance. With each passing reflection, which Verity admitted was terribly often, she’d deduced James was more than a gentleman.

He truly existed in a class of his own, and the appellation could not stand alone to describe James. He was charming, kind, thoughtful in his manners and civility, yet at times mercurial and abrupt, with layers to his character Verity presumed would take her years to understand. He challenged her, encouraged her, and always lent a listening ear whenever she vented her frustration of the tiresome nature of the season’s frivolities, the gossip sheets, and the hurtful distance with her family.

Verity waited for the earl in his brightly lit library. A decanter of sherry had been rested on the mantle along with whisky. She removed her hat and veil and lowered herself into the plush sofa. She had arrived at James's townhouse at her usual time, but he had not been present. That had been a first. Tonight's lesson was to be a continuation of the art of intelligent conversations with a lady of society. This had proven the most challenging aspect to James, for he wished to discuss politics, past wars, the economy, horse racing, and even fishing.

When she had suggested he could soften the tension by commenting on the weather, his muttered, “Good God!” had been filled with such horror she had laughed and admitted such conversation could be intolerable but seemed to be the expected norm. That evening they had engaged in such lively discourse, the night had ended without their lesson.

That was becoming too common, and she was determined to honor her part of the bargain. Even though the awareness of what he might do with the knowledge hurt somewhere deep inside. The ending of their arrangement hovered. Only last week they had decided to reduce how often she sneaked away from her home to be with him. Mamma and Albert were becoming irritated with her various excuses to be absent from social events.

There had been a rout-party last week, Albert had been most adamant she should attend. Verity went and had been alarmed that her brother was seeking a political connection with the hostess’s father. The man had to be thrice Verity’s age! The pressure from her brother to depart his household had increased dramatically, and the sense that she ought to find a gentleman to her liking and be pleasantly receptive to his advances lurked in her convictions.

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