Surrender to the Earl Read Free

knew Blythe would have swept into a deep curtsy at meeting a peer of the realm. And by her breathless, “How do you do, my lord?” Audrey assumed his lordship must be an attractive man, and not too old for Blythe’s consideration.
    Their father didn’t even bother to tell Blythe the real reason Lord Knightsbridge had visited them, only said, “Knightsbridge is newly returned from India, lately a cavalryman for the Queen.”
    “Oh, what an exciting and dangerous life,” Blythe said, her voice full of awe and eagerness.
    Didn’t she hear her own desperation? Audrey wondered. She’d once tried to point it out, but Blythe had dismissed her concerns, saying Audrey knew nothing of the flirtation between men and women. But Audrey could hear when someone made a fool of themselves.
    “I consider myself honored to serve my country,” Lord Knightsbridge said in a somber voice. “But it is not a life for the faint of heart.” He hesitated. “I inherited the earldom at twenty, but did not have the maturity for the title. The army seemed like the only way to achieve that. And I had an excellent staff who kept the estates running smoothly in my absence.”
    Oh, there was a deeper story there, but she would not be so impolite as to ask about it.
    “We don’t need to talk about the army,” Blythe said in a too cheerful voice. “I imagine you simply want to forget it.”
    “Sometimes, I would like to,” he said quietly.
    Audrey felt a chill at the emptiness in his voice.
    “But I must honor the memory of the friends I lost,” he continued. “That is why I’m here, to pay my respects to the widow of my fellow soldier, Mr. Blake.”
    “Oh, I didn’t realize,” Blythe said faintly.
    Audrey could already feel her sister’s mind working, as she imagined that yet another man was connected to Audrey, besides her late husband. And Audrey wanted this new connection. She didn’t want to hurt Blythe, but for once, she had to put herself first.
    “Surely you weren’t planning to share tea and then leave,” Lord Collins blustered. “We have several young men arriving for my son’s shooting party. Do stay, Knightsbridge. We have plenty of room.”
    On cue, Lord Knightsbridge said, “That is a gracious invitation, sir. I accept. I’ve been away nine years, so it will do me good to reacquaint myself with other young men.”
    “Oh, I am so glad, my lord,” Blythe gushed.
    “Perhaps you wish to retire and rest before dinner?” Audrey asked.
    Sometimes it was good not to be able to see, if her sister was angry to have the earl snatched away from her so soon.
    “I imagine I look dusty from the road,” the earl said lightly, then his voice sobered. “Forgive me, Mrs. Blake, of course you cannot see that—”
    She put up a hand and interrupted. “My lord, figures of speech are not offensive to me, so do not be concerned. I understand you are probably not used to dealing with the blind.” But she felt rather relieved that he was considerate. After all, she’d just recklessly asked him, a stranger, to take her away from home. Perhaps it was good that they both learned about each other.
    But he wasn’t a stranger—he’d been a friend of Martin’s. That didn’t exactly recommend him in her eyes.
    “You are very understanding, ma’am.”
    “I’ll have a footman escort you to your room.” Audrey rose to her feet. She was always very careful to sit at the end of furniture groups, so she wouldn’t have to stumble over people. At the door, she leaned out to give instructions to the footman.
    She could hear the party rise behind her as Lord Knightsbridge thanked her father once again before following her to the entrance hall.
    “Rest well, my lord,” Blythe called.
    They were all briefly silent as the earl’s footsteps faded away up the stairs. Then Audrey heard her sister excitedly whisper, “Oh, Father! An earl—”
    Audrey heard her father rubbing his hands together.
    “I know something of Knightsbridge,” he