What a Wicked Earl Wants Read Free Page B

a journey. I certainly hope you’ve the funds to pay for all the expenses, because I refuse to release his quarterly allowance for a trip that I did not approve. In the future, you will consult me before making travel arrangements for my nephew. He is my ward, and your role is only to follow my instructions.
    She stood and fisted her hands. How dare he suddenly decide to intervene in their lives when he’d not lifted a hand to help Justin for years? He’d actually told her that he was too busy with his own children to bother with Justin. Now Montclief had suddenly decided to mount a high horse and start issuing commands. He was awfully late in establishing his authority.
    Laura started to tear the letter and then thought better of it. Someday she might require it as proof of his neglect to his own nephew, though she doubted any court would side with a woman.
    Fortunately, she did have the means to pay for all of their expenses. She had never intended to make use of Justin’s quarterly allowance, even though she had every right to use it to pay for his clothing, food, and lodgings.
    She took a deep breath and blew it out. Well, she supposed the only reason Montclief had even responded was because she’d felt obliged to inform him about their activities. In the future, she would simply ignore Montclief, the same way he’d ignored Justin and her.
    Reed arrived at the door. “Lord Chesfield left a few minutes ago.”
    “Did he say where he was going?” she asked. He’d been home only twenty minutes.
    “No, my lady. He left with his friends in a curricle.”
    Her temples ached. He’d not bothered to ask her permission. “Thank you, Reed.”
    After the butler left, she paced the drawing room. She regretted bringing her son to London, but she had not foreseen that Justin’s behavior would take a dramatic turn for the worse. He was seventeen years old and thought himself worldly. It frightened her to think of the seedy places he might go with his friends. In this enormous city, any manner of awful things could happen to him. She had to make him understand that he could get hurt if he encountered ruffians.
    The moment he returned home, she would confront him again. He needed to know she would not tolerate his insubordination.
    She sat on the sofa and picked up her cup. Unfortunately the tea had grown cold. She started to get up and ring the bell when a light tap sounded at the door. Reed entered and said, “My lady, you have a caller.”
    “Is it Lady Atherton?”
    “No, my lady.” He held out a silver salver. Laura picked up the card. Upon seeing the name, she dropped it.
    Reed retrieved it. “My lady, shall I show Lord Bellingham upstairs?”
    Good heavens no . “Reed, please inform the earl that I am not at home,” Laura said.
    “Yes, my lady.”
    After her butler quit the drawing room, Laura exhaled. Doubtless she was the only woman in London who had the temerity to refuse admittance to the Earl of Bellingham. Indeed, she suspected even the most genteel of ladies would flutter their fans and flirt outrageously with him. Since she was a vicar’s daughter, Laura liked to think she was made of sterner stuff. Unfortunately, she’d discovered last night that she was more than a little susceptible to the uncommonly handsome earl.
    She would not think about the way he’d let his gaze travel over her body last evening at the ball. Most certainly she would not dwell on the way her skin had heated while he’d perused her with his astonishingly blue eyes. Above all, she would banish the naughty fantasies that had danced in her head while she’d tossed and turned in bed last night.
    Even if she wanted to dally with the notorious earl, she would not dare, especially after receiving Montclief’s scathing letter. Yesterday, she would not have worried a jot about Justin’s uncle. Today, his letter had left her fearful that Montclief would take Justin away if he heard there was even a hint of a problem.
    Laura inhaled