The Cursed Earl by Ruth Ann Nordin

Author:Ruth Ann Nordin [Nordin, Ruth Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-01-08T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“Where have you been?” Christopher demanded as he strode into the library.

Ethan Silverton, the Lord of Edon, turned from the bookshelf where he’d been placing his books.

“I sent you a missive letting you know my mother took ill,” Ethan said. “Catherine, the children, and I went to her estate in the country to see her. You’ll be happy to know she’s doing better.”

Christopher groaned. “While you were away, something terrible happened, and it has to do with you.” He glanced at nine-year-old Audrey and seven-year-old Julian who were studying the globe close by the window. “I have to talk to you alone. What I have to say isn’t meant for children’s ears.”

Since Christopher was in distress, Ethan encouraged his children to go find their mother, their younger brother Hector, and their younger sister Ella. He waited until they were out of the room before he shut the door.

He returned to the bookshelf. “All right. We’re alone. What’s upsetting you?”

“Some evil person at the Tittletattle spread horrible lies about you,” Christopher said. “Agatha doesn’t know who did it, but the person claimed you were never a rake. The person said you were a virgin when you married Catherine.”

Ethan waited for the terrible part, but when Christopher didn’t say more, he realized that was it. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that he could stop making up stories of his past conquests to keep the gentlemen at White’s entertained. Now he could engage in topics he’d rather focus on, like the ridiculousness of Parliament or how too many people, such as Lady Cadwalader, took themselves much too seriously. There were other silly things that came up from time to time, but making fun of stupid laws and the Ton were his favorite topics of conversation. Why so many gentlemen would rather hear of exploits in the bedchamber, he could only guess.

“Well?” Christopher demanded.

After a moment, Ethan said, “The person wasn’t lying. The truth is, I never shared any rakish moments with any ladies. Catherine was my first.”

His jaw dropped. “That can’t be true.”

“It is. I made it all up so that fathers wouldn’t want their daughters to go near me. I didn’t want to get married. I had a lot of money and a title. I was like a fox in front of a bunch of hounds.”

“So, Agatha is right? Everything she wrote about you in the Tittletattle was made up?”

Ethan thought over all of the things he had asked her to write about him in the scandal sheets. “There was one thing that was true. I did consider my mother to be a nuisance. Of course, that was back when she kept pushing me to get married. I’m more than happy with her now. But the reason I had Agatha put that in about my mother was to get the mothers to stop presenting their daughters to me. That one had nothing to do with the fathers.”

Christopher stared at him in disbelief.

Unsure of what to say, Ethan slipped the rest of the books into his bookcase.

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