Page 8 of A Wallflower for the Disguised Earl

Vivienne dropped into a flawless, sweeping curtsy. “I am Miss Vivienne Ashwell, my lord. It is a profound pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is entirely mine, Miss Ashwell,” the earl replied, his eyes lingering appreciatively on Vivienne’s beautiful face. He then gestured casually over his shoulder to the tall man standing silently behind him. “May I also introduce my personal secretary and companion, Mr. Julian Marsh.”

Corinna froze.

The tall man with the blue eyes stepped forward. Stopping directly in front of Corinna, he extended his hand.

“A pleasure, Miss Ashwell,” he said, his deep voice giving away absolutely nothing.

Slowly raising her hand, Corinna placed it in his. The warmth of his callused palm sent a fresh jolt through her system. As he greeted her with perfect composure, his large fingers swallowed hers. They looked at each other, holding the gaze for precisely one second too long.

A sharp thrill ran down Corinna’s spine. The secretary let go of her hand and took a respectful step backward, blending seamlessly into the background shadow of the earl.

Vivienne was already performing magnificently. Tossing her head so the candlelight caught the pearls in her hair, she laughed musically at something the earl said. She commanded his attention entirely, ensuring that the wealthy peer saw absolutely no one else in the room but her.

Standing quietly by her mother’s side, Corinna watched the earl interact with her sister for a moment before slowly shifting her gaze past him.

She found the secretary across the room. Standing perfectly still and watching the crowd with those cold blue eyes, Mr. Marsh looked completely detached from the spectacle unfolding around him. Corinna felt the specific, irritating discomfort of a puzzle she did not yet have the pieces for. She thought again about how wildly inappropriate their encounter in the dark garden had been.

As she watched the tall, quiet companion observe the room, she realized just how incredibly interesting this strange man truly was.

Chapter 4

“I am convinced I was born to be a peer of the realm,” Julian announced to the velvet ceiling of the carriage. “In fact, I believe a great injustice was done at my birth. Someone clearly misplaced my coronet, and I demand a formal inquiry.”

Edmund Ashford sat in the opposite corner of the bench, rubbing his temples as the heavy wooden wheels rattled violently over the uneven London cobblestones. If this carriage hits one more rut, my teeth will actually shatter. Shifting his weight, he kept his eyes fixed on the passing streetlamps, watching the golden light flicker across the dark leather interior.

“You are a cloth merchant’s son from Bristol, Julian,” Edmund reminded him quietly. “Your only connection to royalty is that you once sold a rather garish waistcoat to a minor German prince. Please try to remember that fact before you attempt to pass legislation in the House of Lords.”

Julian laughed brightly. Stretching his long legs across the floorboard, he seemed entirely unbothered by the cramped space. His sharp, expressive features looked remarkably handsome in the dim light, animated in a way Edmund’s never were.

He had spent the entire evening at the Whitmore ball performing the role of the Earl of Ravenswood with sickening ease, charming the matrons, commanding the respect of the gentlemen, and completely captivating Miss Vivienne Ashwell.

“She is absolutely perfect,” Julian declared, folding his arms across his chest. “Miss Ashwell is everything your solicitor promised on paper. Classically beautiful, remarkably attentive, and possessing teeth like actual pearls. I told a terribly dull story about a hunting dog in France, and she laughed precisely at the correct moments. She is a magnificent creature.”

Edmund remained silent, leaning his head back against the squabs and closing his eyes.

He was not thinking about Vivienne Ashwell. His mind kept drifting back to the quiet, dark-haired girl by the ornamental pond. He could still feel the sudden, shocking weight of her in his hands when he hauled her away from the water’s edge.

Why didn’t she scream? he wondered. Any other woman in this city would have fainted or shrieked for a chaperone. But she just stood there.

She had sought the dark edge of the property, perhaps to escape the suffocating performance of the ballroom, and she had spoken to him with a blunt, refreshing honesty. When he pulled out a book on agricultural crop rotation, she had not laughed. She had actually seemed intrigued.

“You must stay focused,” Edmund finally said. He opened his eyes, leveling a hard stare at his friend. “Do not allow yourself to be swept away by her flattery, Julian. She was flattering the title, not the man.”

“I am perfectly focused,” Julian replied smoothly, reaching up to adjust the immaculate folds of his white cravat. “I am merely reporting my findings. The eldest sister is a triumph. But you, my friend, have a completely different situation on your hands. I saw the way you were looking at the younger sister across the ballroom.”

Edmund stiffened. “I was observing the room. That is my job.”

“You were staring at Miss Corinna Ashwell as if she were the only person standing in the room,” Julian corrected, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “The quiet companion is already much more interesting to the younger sister than the wealthy earl is. That is either a terrible problem, or it is very funny. I honestly have not yet decided which.”

“Go to the devil,” Edmund muttered.

Turning his face toward the window, he resolved to ignore his friend’s teasing. He is wrong, Edmund told himself firmly. I have a duty to my family. I cannot afford distractions, especially not a girl with sharp gray eyes who asks too many questions.

The following morning broke with a bright, crisp chill, prompting Julian to suggest they exercise the horses. It was not a planned social call; Edmund simply needed the fresh air to clear his head.

By eleven o’clock, Hyde Park was teeming with the fashionable elite. Carriages rolled slowly along the wide gravel paths while gentlemen in tailored riding coats tipped their hats to ladies twirling silk parasols.