Why Earls Fall in Love by Manda Collins

Author:Manda Collins [Collins, Manda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Historical romance
ISBN: 9781466815377
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2014-01-27T22:00:00+00:00

Ten

It was almost time for luncheon when Georgina, Clara, and Lady Russell returned to Henrietta Street.

Exhausted from her first venture out in days, Lady Russell decided to take her meal in her bedchamber, exhorting Georgie to leave her in peace. “I do not need to be coddled like a child,” she insisted with exasperation. “Leave me to eat in peace and quiet. I vow I heard enough chatter in the Pump Room to last a lifetime. I’d forgotten how talkative Mr. Huntingdon can be.”

Releasing Lady Russell into the care of her maid, Georgie and Clara untied their bonnets and gave them to the butler, who informed them that Lord Coniston was waiting for Georgie in the blue sitting room with another gentleman. Thinking that it was the investigator from the magistrate’s office, Georgie told Clara to go on to luncheon without her, and smoothing her hair and wiping her hands nervously on her skirt, she stepped into the sitting room.

“Surprise,” Perdita said, rushing forward from where she’d been seated on one of the two long couches before the fireplace and wrapping Georgie in a tight hug. “I know you hate them. Surprises, I mean. But this one couldn’t be helped. I heard about the trouble you’d been having with the man who resembles … well, that man, and I had to come.”

“I’m the guilty party, Mrs. Mowbray,” Lord Archer Lisle said from his position just behind Perdita. “Coniston consulted me about the matter, and knowing the duchess would wish to be informed, I … well, informed her.” To Georgie’s amusement the man ran a finger between his collar and his neck. Leave it to Lord Archer to apologize in such a way that she couldn’t be angry with him.

“Technically,” Con said from his position before the fireplace, “the blame is mine. I am after all the one who told Lord Archer, so if you are to rake anyone over the coals it should be me.”

“I’ve never heard such a load of rubbish in my life,” Georgie said as she and Perdita took seats next to one another. “You’re all so busy taking blame that you don’t stop to consider that I might be glad for your inability to keep a secret.”

“It’s only that we love you, dearest,” Perdita said, squeezing her friend’s hand. “And knowing what Isabella went through in Yorkshire and later in London, I couldn’t allow you to remain here in Bath suffering alone. I could never forgive myself.”

“I understand,” Georgie said, her heart full as she realized just how much she’d missed her friend. “Though I hope that this doesn’t rise to the level of awfulness that Isabella’s incident did, I must admit that I’m unnerved by the things that have happened here.”

“Can you tell us what exactly has happened?” Lord Archer asked, his brows drawn as he stood next to Con before the fireplace. “We’ve heard about the incidents from Lord Coniston, of course, but I’d like to hear your own impressions if that would be agreeable to you.

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