He was in love!
There was not another on earth like his sweet Audrey!
He could not pursue his usual women, bed any widows, when all he could think about was the incredible creature who had stolen his heart. His horrible proposal was a total muck! Audrey must feel so unappreciated after his contemptible assertions that he did not know his mind and might wander off like a grubby child distracted by sweets!
Of course, he knew.
He knew that each day with her, his ardor would increase. She was bold and courageous, and he admired her more than any other he had ever met. Even Lady Smiling could not compete with such magnificent perfection. It was as if the gods themselves had forged the perfect female and presented her to his ignorant self.
Which meant he had gravely insulted the one woman who could challenge him into being a better man. A woman who could act as his true partner. Who did not attempt to chain him down, but rather tempered him into more thoughtful action.
Brendan was right. I am a fool.
Audrey wasthe most nervous she had ever been as she walked into the earl’s study. Perhaps if she had not invited Julius to deflower her two nights earlier, she would have felt more confident meeting with Lord Stirling. She would have had the confidence of one who had done no wrong.
But she had, and they had engaged in carnal relations, which meant Audrey was mortified to speak with the father of her lover about the terrible cloud of scandal she had visited upon the Stirling household.
Lord Stirling was standing by the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared into the hearth. Audrey waitedin nervous anticipation for him to turn, but after a prolonged pause, she decided to speak.
“Lord Stirling?”
He glanced over his shoulder, not quite looking at her directly, before turning his gaze back to the hearth. “I am afraid I have let you down, Miss Gideon.”
Audrey fidgeted, confused about what was unfolding. “I am afraid it is me who let you down, Lord Stirling.”
His shoulders tensed. Heaving a sigh, he spun on his heel to face her. He still did not make eye contact, gesturing for her to take a seat on one of the plump navy-blue armchairs facing the fireplace.
Audrey hesitated, moving forward to perch on the edge of the seat while the earl sank into the other and then picked at the pristine lapels of his coat as if to divest them of some invisible lint, as if he were ashamed to face her.
“Your father entrusted me with your welfare, and I believed I was up to the task. I never considered that my son would … Lord Trafford has never dallied with maidens before now, or I would have kept you apart.”
Audrey swallowed. It would seem that the earl had not yet spoken with Julius and was unaware of the details.
“Jul—” She stopped, stricken that she had used his Christian name.
The earl tensed in alert surprise.
Audrey blew out in distress. “Lord Trafford has not informed you of the circumstances?”
“He has not. Julius made some jest about his circulation being compromised. My son is a law unto himself, and I fail to understand him at the best of times.”
“I see … um … well … Lord Trafford was attacked right out in the street.” Audrey gestured toward the front hall. “When I saw the knife, I had to help. I grabbed one of your swords fromthe display to frighten the scoundrel off. Jul—Lord Trafford sustained a laceration to his torso, he was losing a lot of blood, so I was compelled to treat him … but he insisted we were in danger so … we dashed over to Lady Hays’s so I might … clean and stitch the wound?—”
Lord Stirling leapt to his feet with an expression of alarm. As he was a gentleman in his fifties, with a solid build, Audrey had not been aware he could move so fast. She supposed he was rather fit, so it should not have been astonishing, but still she stared at him in consternation.
“Are you telling me Julius could have been killed?”
Audrey nibbled on her lip, giving a slight nod.
“What the blazes is going on?”
She licked her lips, trying to think how to respond. It felt disloyal to reveal what Julius had been doing without his approval. “Perhaps Jul—Lord Trafford should explain the situation himself,” she proffered with a hopeful tone.
Lord Stirling shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “I shall speak with him. Nevertheless, we have your reputation to consider. The specifics notwithstanding, I will impress on Julius that he must do the honorable thing. His outspoken objections to proper behavior matter not—he will be required to marry you. If that is what you wish?”
That was a relief. Audrey had been worried the earl would disapprove of a wedding. It was rather heartening that he held her in sufficient regard to accept her into his family. She was not a high-born lady of theton—the kind of daughter-in-law that Lord Stirling would have intended to be the future countess of his people. For him to accept her despite her lower status was a considerable compliment.
“Lord Trafford has offered me the protection of his name. He informed me that a special license is being obtained by the Duke of Halmesbury in order that we wed by the end of the week.”
