Page 71 of Real Earls Break the Rules

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Brandon warred with every instinct in his body not to pursue Amelia. He wanted to bring her back to the stream where he would make passionate love to her until nothing else mattered but the two of them. But she’d made her intentions clear and had ended their affair. Even the promise of lessons from a Royal Academy master hadn’t been enough to keep her by his side.

He’d made a mess of things and had offended her with his offer to keep her as his lover. He should have known she’d never accept. She was not mistress material. She was marriage material. A woman to cherish for a lifetime.

How could things turn out so badly? He hadn’t yet proposed to Lady Minerva. The dowager and the duchess expected him to make the announcement tonight at the ball. According to his grandmother, he should be grateful the duke’s daughter and her impressive dowry were currently under his roof. Edward Arnold would call again in days, along with his solicitor. The unentailed property would be lost forever. The tenants’ families would be displaced, and the income from their rents would cease.

Then there was the factory. He’d toiled to turn it around and improve conditions for the men, women, and children who worked there. All would return to the way it was if he was no longer the owner.

He picked up a small rock and tossed it. The stone skipped across the surface of the stream. He loved it here and had spent countless hours fishing in the stream and searching for perfect stones to throw. How could he hand the land over when the solution to his problem was willing and available?

The problem was he didn’t like Minerva. He could barely tolerate her presence for half an hour, let alone a lifetime. He’d be expected to bed her for an heir, and then they’d live separate lives. He’d set up a mistress in a London townhouse. Minerva would discretely take a lover.

Good God. His marriage would be just like his parents’.

He couldn’t fathom it. He didn’t want his child to grow up in a luxurious mansion that was nothing more than a cold pile of stone.

So how the hell could he go through with it?

He rode hard back to the house. Smithson took one look at his master’s face and blended in the background. Brandon took the stairs two at a time and shut his study door. The portrait in the corner immediately caught his eye. Amelia had been hard at work when he’d been away.

She’d captured not only his image, but his essence. He looked confident and powerful, yet approachable and intelligent. Is that how she saw him?

The painting wasn’t complete. His clothing and parts of the background needed to be finished. Similar to the half-finished canvas, he felt incomplete without her in his life. He could hire another artist to finish the portrait, but it would never be the same. Just like no other woman could replace her.

The ormolu mantle clock ticked, and the sound reverberated in his skull. Tonight’s ball was hours away—hours until he looked into another woman’s eyes, knelt on one knee, and did the unthinkable.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rosehill’s ballroom was awhirl with colorful gowns. Amelia stood to the side of the parquet dance floor and scanned the crowd. All the country neighbors were in attendance tonight, including other landowners from Hampshire. Guests were turned out in elegant evening clothes, military dress uniforms, and magnificent gowns. The younger ladies wore white and pastels, and the married women were garbed in brighter, brilliant shades. Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds glittered beneath hundreds of candles from the magnificent chandeliers. The buzzing of dozens of voices, the clink of glasses, the trill of high-pitched laughter, and the music from the orchestra sounded throughout the room.

Amelia spotted Caroline conversing with a group of ladies by the refreshment table. Caroline caught Amelia’s eyes and waved, then excused herself from the group to approach.

“I was right. You look stunning,” Caroline said.

“It’s the dress.” Amelia smoothed her hands down her skirts.

She had decided to wear the sapphire silk, and the gown felt decadent against her skin. She knew the gown’s vivid color accentuated her blue eyes and fair complexion, but she’d experienced a moment of misgiving as she’d looked at herself in the polished silver after dressing. The gown was the perfect length, but she feared it was too snug in the bodice. Her maid had reassured her that the dress was acceptable for a young lady, and she’d styled her hair into an elegant chiffon and had left a few loose curls to frame her face.

“No. It’s not the dress.” Caroline’s bright eyes traveled Amelia’s form. “It’s you.”

Amelia’s composure was a fragile shell around her. She may be garbed in a beautiful costume, but heaviness centered in her chest. She dreaded the moment when Brandon would propose to another woman. A hundred people would witness the event and congratulation the couple and Amelia would just be another guest amongst the celebratory crowd. Her throat ached at the thought.

“My hope is my brother sees you tonight and comes to his senses,” Caroline said.

Amelia looked at Caroline in surprise. “Pardon?”

“Minerva isn’t for him. I saw the way he looked at you at the picnic. He gazed at you with longing and passion.” Caroline’s hand rose to her chest, and she sighed. “It’s what every lady wishes for. I hope Minerva was mistaken when she said he’d propose to her at the ball.”

She isn’t wrong, Amelia thought.

Brandon didn’t have a choice. He was an earl and duty must come first. He had to think of the land, the factory, and his family—not himself.

Amelia was assailed by a terrible sense of bitterness, but she was also determined to put on a good face. It was best for both of them. Brandon deserved better than a forger’s daughter. And she deserved better than to give up her artistic dreams. She was determined to paint under her real name and exhibit the works that she wanted to paint. And if she ever decided to marry, then it would be for love.

She wouldn’t settle for anything less. “I don’t know what you mean by—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Caroline said. “He’s here now.”