Free The Lonely Earl by Vanessa Gray Page B

the earl, for whom he was about to suggest a bride, was present. He bit his lip, and for the first time in Faustina’s memory, she watched the vicar flush a dull red to his cheekbones.
    The earl said nothing. Faustina, glancing at him, felt a quiver of shock run through her. The earl’s face was as impassive as before, but a subtle change had come over it. The earl was furious. Rigidly, uncompromisingly furious.
    “Perhaps your daughter might serve as a governess for Lady Althea,” suggested Louisa Waverly to the vicar, with every appearance of kindness. “It will help her to have some experience along that line.”
    “Louisa!” said Egmont sharply, shocked to his kindly soul.
    The vicar’s jaw hung slack, unable for once in his life to form words to suit the occasion.
    When Lady Waverly turned to Hugh, she found he was gone. Only Faustina had seen his curt nod of farewell, just before he vanished through the front door, silent as a dark shadow.
    When it was realized that Pendarvis had left, Egmont hustled the vicar out without ceremony. Glancing around with a baleful eye, noting that the servants were not visible, he rounded on his sister-in-law.
    “Louisa, for God’s sake!” he sputtered. “What on earth are you thinking of? Helen Astley has no need to be a governess! She is connected with the Hortons.”
    “Oh, spare me the ‘connected withs,’ ” sparked Louisa impatiently. “Astley himself is such a bore on the subject, I don’t need another. I suppose you are too dense to see what I’ve done?”
    “You’ve insulted the vicar and the vicar’s daughter, I know that. And if you think that will recommend you to Pendarvis, you’re even more wind-filled than I thought!” grumbled Egmont. “A shameful occasion, Louisa, and one I’ll be put to to apologize for. To think I would need to apologize to the vicar , no less! Unless you will do so?”
    “Apologize?” Louisa was frankly astonished. “When I’ve shown Pendarvis that we all have his daughter’s interests at heart? I hope I know enough to be positive on this one score. A man’s daughter is closer to his heart than anyone else. And although I may be devious, I’ve advanced a step or two toward—”
    Egmont was thoroughly aroused. “Toward what, Louisa? If it is your goal to alienate all our neighbors, then you have indeed advanced more than a step. I suggest that you pack up at once and go back to London. Or to Beaufort if your wish for peace and quiet is paramount. I tell you, you’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest here.”
    “Oh, stuff and nonsense!” exclaimed Louisa. Nonetheless, her eyes roved uneasily. And, unfortunately, fell upon her daughter. “Julia, there you are!” she said with light scorn. “I vow I would never had known you were in the room. Is this what I’ve spent a great deal of money on? A silent miss who cannot speak a word in society?”
    Julia stared at her mother, eyes wide with shock. “Mama, I did not believe you were serious,” she said with devastating frankness. 
    Louisa was taken aback only for a moment. “Why did you think we undertook that dreadful journey down from London?” she challenged. The hazard was great, she thought, that her daughter might bring up the forbidden subject of the defecting Captain Abernethy. She glared at Julia, and was gratified to see that the child had no intention of revealing that skeleton in her own cupboard. She regained her serenity, unaware that her daughter had already unburdened herself to Faustina and Lord Egmont. But Julia had caught an ominous note in her mother’s voice. She gulped, “I truly cannot like him!”
    “You won’t impress the earl with such namby-pamby actions as this, I can tell you,” said Louisa with a slight smile of triumph.
    Egmont, staring coldly at Louisa, threw up his hands in an odd gesture and vanished into die library behind him. His expression of opinion was contained in the firm closing of the door behind him. Had there been a