An Earl In Want Of A Wife. Laura Martin

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СКАЧАТЬ at ease, but only a little. He still held her hand in his own, so their bodies were quite close together and for the first time Lizzie was able to make out his features. She gulped. Trust her to be almost trampled to death by the most handsome man in London.

      As she studied him Lizzie felt his eyes roaming over her features. Immediately she stiffened. Lizzie knew she wasn’t a hideous crone, but she also knew she wasn’t what society deemed to be attractive. Her hair was just a little too brown, her skin had a few too many freckles, and where men seemed to admire petite women Lizzie could look most men in the eye without straining. Many she even had a good view of their bald spots.

      It had happened so many times that she could see this man’s thoughts as he looked her over. Within two seconds he had dismissed her.

      ‘Be more careful in future,’ he said with authority.

      Lizzie found herself nodding despite his imperious tone. She wished she had mastered Amelia’s haughty look. Her cousin could slay a man merely by raising an eyebrow. Lizzie supposed it came with confidence and probably being a stunning petite blonde didn’t hurt, either.

      She watched as he strode back to his horse, athletically mounted the beast and moved off. Their whole encounter couldn’t have lasted for more than a minute, but it had been enough to crush any confidence Lizzie had summoned to face the world as Miss Amelia Eastway.

      The footman appeared back at her side.

      ‘Are you harmed, miss?’ he asked, his face ashen.

      Lizzie smiled at him kindly, knowing he would likely get the blame for her clumsiness.

      ‘Not at all,’ she said with a false bravado. ‘Just a little shaken.’

      Carefully they crossed the road and ascended the steps. As they reached the top the front door opened and Lizzie was ushered inside.

      ‘My dear Amelia, what on earth happened?’ A woman in her midforties rushed forward to greet her.

      Lizzie supposed this was Amelia’s aunt Mathilda. And the young woman standing in the corner with a smug grin on her face was probably her odious cousin Harriet.

      Lizzie felt the colour start to rise in her cheeks as she began to mumble something about falling over, then she realised this would never do. She was meant to be Miss Amelia Eastway, the sort of young woman other people admired. She needed to start acting the part.

      ‘It was most harrowing,’ she said, pressing her fingers to her temple. ‘I was crossing the street and I was almost trampled by a careless rider.’

      Aunt Mathilda rushed to her side and took her hand.

      ‘What an awful ordeal for you, my dear, why don’t you come and sit down?’

      Lizzie allowed the older woman to lead her into a drawing room, but as she left the hall she caught a glimpse of the expression on Harriet’s face. Lizzie knew then that Harriet had seen the whole episode and knew that Lizzie’s carelessness was to blame.

      ‘You must be exhausted after such a long journey.’

      ‘It was only an hour from the dock.’

      ‘Mother meant from India,’ Harriet said as she followed them into the room.

      ‘Oh, of course,’ Lizzie mumbled.

      ‘Although I never understand why people insist that travelling wearies them. It’s not as though you have to sail the ship yourself.’

      Lizzie thought of the endless days of nausea and disequilibrium, the nights she’d spent staring at the rocking ceiling and wishing it were all over. Even now, hours after disembarking, she still felt a little wobbly.

      ‘Have you ever been on a long sea voyage?’ she asked sweetly.

      Harriet shook her head.

      ‘No, I didn’t think so.’

      Lizzie perched on the edge of an uncomfortable armchair and watched as the young woman’s eyes narrowed to slits, and realised she’d just made a big mistake. Her life for the next couple of weeks would be hard enough without making an enemy in the place that was supposed to be her sanctuary.

      Either Aunt Mathilda didn’t notice the animosity between the two girls, or she deliberately ignored it.

      ‘I can’t believe my dear little niece Amelia is here sitting in my drawing room,’ Aunt Mathilda said. ‘The last time I saw you, you were a lovely little thing with pigtails and a gap between your front teeth.’

      Lizzie smiled serenely, trying to quell the sickness in her stomach. No doubt Aunt Mathilda was remembering the sweet little blonde-haired girl and wondering when she had turned into this tall brunette. Luckily Amelia’s father had settled in India fourteen years ago and Amelia hadn’t seen her aunt since. Hopefully the older woman would just assume time had changed her sister’s daughter beyond recognition.

      ‘We’ve got such a busy week planned, my dear,’ Aunt Mathilda said as she rang the bell for a maid. ‘We’ve got dress fittings and shopping trips galore, and at the end of the week you shall make your début.’

      Lizzie’s eyes widened.

      ‘So soon?’ she managed to ask, her voice breaking a little with the surprise. Amelia had assured her it would be weeks before she was meant to make her début. The plan had always been for Lizzie to step into her shoes for a fortnight at the most, and that fortnight would be spent settling into London life, going shopping and strolling round the parks. Neither of them had ever expected Lizzie would actually have to go out in public as Miss Amelia Eastway.

      ‘Your father was quite insistent,’ Aunt Mathilda said softly. ‘He instructed that you make your début as soon as possible.’

      Of course it was all Uncle Robert’s doing. Even Lizzie had to admit Amelia had become a handful in the past few months, although she, of course, knew the reason behind this rebellion. Amelia’s father had sent his daughter to London so she would find a husband and settle down, and by extension not be his problem any longer. It made sense that he had wanted Amelia to be out husband-hunting as soon as possible—it meant less time for her to cause mischief.

      Lizzie knew she couldn’t be introduced to London society as Amelia, but right now she couldn’t think of a good reason to give Aunt Mathilda, so instead she just smiled and nodded. She would have to feign an illness, or invent some family tragedy that required a period of mourning. Anything that would push back the début until Amelia returned. Her cousin had promised she would not leave Lizzie alone in London for more than a week, two at the most, and flighty though Amelia was she normally kept her promises. Amelia simply wanted to have a few days of freedom to find the young officer she was enamoured with before being introduced to society. Lizzie had no doubt they would both get into trouble for this ruse, but she was certain Aunt Mathilda would want to keep any hint of the scandal quiet and that would only be possible if she hadn’t been presented to London as the season’s most eligible heiress.

      ‘But let’s not get ahead of ourselves,’ Aunt Mathilda said. ‘You’ve had a long and tiring journey and I’m sure you just want to settle in and rest. I will have one of the maids bring some light refreshments to your room.’

      ‘Thank you,’ Lizzie said and stood. She smiled СКАЧАТЬ