Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

W hat the hell just happened?

Martin was in shock as he and Susanna backed away from the strange conversation happening just around the corner from them. Just a few minutes ago, all he could think about was Lady Susanna’s seductive lips and the desperate need to taste them. Until the moment was ruined by none other than the man he despised. He had no idea what Edwin and his friend were talking about, but it had sickened him to his stomach. No wonder Mary reacted like he did when he arrived. She obviously saw right through him as well.

He had nastiness in his heart. A strange unpleasantness that affected his deep black soul.

“What did Edwin mean back there?” he asked curiously, needing the blanks filled in. “Do you know what he meant?”

Susanna glanced his way, looking at little glassy-eyed as if she had forgotten that he was seated right beside her. She swallowed hard before she gave him a response.

“My sister has been engaged before…”

“She has?”

Luke had not told Martin this. It left him a little uneasy. What had happened? How could Luke trust that this wedding was going to happen when another one had failed?

Martin’s senses sharpened with irritation.

“Yes,” Susanna whispered. “To Lord Duncan Thompson. She met him in one of her early Seasons, and they got along very well. It seemed to be an absolutely perfect match. Everyone was very happy.”

This caused Martin’s hackles to rise. He had been a little concerned that Luke was about to get his heart broken by Mary, but he had all but pushed those worries aside because she seemed to care for him just as much as he did her. But this statement put him back on edge all over again.

“Why did that not work out?” he asked thickly, unsure if he even wanted to know the details.

“Duncan was involved in a terribly unfortunate incident a week before their wedding.”

“Incident?” This was getting stranger by the moment, especially as Susanna sadly hung her head.

“He was actually murdered, just outside of his home.”

Martin sucked in a shocked breath.

Murdered?

Was that what Edwin meant when he said, “Maybe it is not luck, but deserved punishment.”

That truly sent an unwelcome chill down his spine.

“We do not know what happened. Even to this day,” Susanna continued. “Of course, the rumor mill has run rampant. Many things have been said, but most of them I know to be untrue.”

“So… do you have a theory as to what happened?”

Martin felt truly terrible even asking this, but he absolutely needed to have all the details he could get about this story before he processed it properly.

Did Luke know about this? Why had it never been discussed?

Susanna offered him a helpless one-shouldered shrug. “I cannot be sure. But I do know that Duncan was not involved in anything nefarious. I suppose the only assumption I can make is that bandits attacked him. Perhaps it was a robbery gone wrong or Duncan saw something that he should not have seen. But I do not have any evidence of that, and I guess I never will.”

Martin was starting to see everything through a new lens now. His heart bled a little for Mary. That had to be a horrible experience to go through, so actually it was very brave for her to be here, trying out love once more.

And if there was anyone in the world who could help her recover from heartache, it was Luke. His kind heart would go a long way to ensuring she had a happy life from here on out.

“And why do you think Edwin was talking about that?” Martin practically whispered because he was not too sure that he wanted the answer. “Just the gossip?”

Susanna scrunched up her face for a moment, showing her disgust before she responded. “Edwin has actually been trying to court my sister for a very long time, but she has never shown any interest in him whatsoever. He does not seem to know how to accept rejection.”

“He has?”

Susanna nodded. “Yes, and he made that very obvious when Duncan, who was his closest friend, passed away. He offered to ‘help’ her, but was actually just using the time to make her fall in love with him…”

“Martin, there you are!” Before Martin could ask the hundreds of questions that were now floating through his mind, Luke cried out to them. “We were looking for you. I do not know how we got lost there. We were just thinking that it might be nice to have a picnic lunch by the lake. What do you say?”

The lake was a beautiful part of this estate, so it was no wonder Luke wanted to show it off to his fiancée. Martin would have much preferred to stay where he was with Susanna, so they could talk some more about everything he had just unexpectedly learned, but there was no way they could do that without raising suspicion.

Luckily, Susanna seemed to understand that too, as she smiled and agreed with Luke. “Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

Martin could tell that there was a tremor in her voice, he could still hear the anxiety there, but it seemed like it was hidden enough to remain out of Luke and Mary’s sight. Either that or they were far too wrapped up in one another to pick up on anything else.

Luke headed inside to ensure a picnic was packed for the little trip to the lake at the edge of the estate, while Martin took a step back to let the sisters talk. He could tell that it was Mary leading the discussion, seemingly talking about her lovely walk with Luke, which gave Susanna the chance to nod along and not say much.

Martin wondered if her head was spinning just as much as his.

What did Luke think about his cousin’s behavior? Did he even know about Edwin’s intentions?

It was too much of a heavy subject for Martin to just bring up with him, but he was going to have to try and figure out just how in the know his best friend was.”

I will have to get Susanna alone again .

As impossible a challenge as that would be, he needed to know the rest of that story.

As soon as I can.

There definitely seemed to be much more to it, which was why Edwin was saying such terrible things in secret, hushed conversations.

Martin did not want to cause issues at Luke’s home just before his wedding, but if he needed to, then that was exactly what he would do.

Once Luke reappeared with the food in his hands, Martin forced a smile on his face and pushed his worries to the back of his mind. For now.

But he could not ignore the heaviness that clung to him and Susanna as they walked in silence behind Luke and Mary. Edwin’s words seemed to roll around them, reminding them that not everything was well here.

“Oh my,” Mary gasped as soon as she spotted the lake, pulling Martin out of his thoughts. “This is quite beautiful, Luke. Even better than you said it was going to be.”

Luke caught Martin’s eyes, grinning happily, practically beaming from ear to ear as Mary enthusiastically moved closer to the water. Martin hoped and prayed that his best friend really did know everything that had happened, so this would not come as a surprise.

Luke did not need to be surprised before the big day.

This was going to be more challenging than he thought it would be, and now that Martin had new information, he felt far too responsible for all of this going well.

Judging by the way Susanna was wistfully staring at her sister, it seemed like she had the same weight pressing down on her shoulders.

They settled on the picnic blanket by the lake, the picturesque setting a stark contrast to the turmoil Martin felt inside. Luke spread out the food, an array of sandwiches, fruit, and pastries that looked as delightful as the view.

Mary clapped her hands in delight. “This is perfect, Luke. Absolutely perfect.”

Luke smiled warmly at her. “I am glad you like it. I thought it would be a nice change of pace. We need an escape from the wedding planning every now and again.”

As they began to eat, Mary started the conversation, talking about the wedding even if they were supposed to be having a break from it. “Susanna, did you see the flowers that Mother has picked out for the wedding? What do you think of them?”

Susanna nodded, looking like she was forcing a smile. “Yes, Mother showed me. I think they will be perfect.”

“Me too,” Mary declared as she beamed from ear to ear. “I just want everything to go well…”

That was a sentiment that Martin understood a little deeper now. He could not blame her for wanting a lovely day after all the pain that she had suffered in the past.

After they finished eating, Luke suggested a stroll around the lake. “It is too lovely a day to stay in one spot. Let us walk and enjoy the scenery.”

But that seemed to be an invitation for Mary only, which was a great relief to Martin.

He needed a moment to stop the pretense. Smiling at his friend with such a heavy heart was really challenging for him.

As the sun beamed down on their shoulders, and Luke led Mary to the water, Martin found himself staring a little wistfully at Susanna.

Much as he wanted to talk to her about what they had overheard, he knew that this was not the time. Luke and Mary were still potentially within earshot and not looking like they were about to move on anytime soon.

So he chose something much easier to talk about.

“They really do look happy,” he commented, nodding towards his friend and Susanna’s sister.

Susanna laughed awkwardly, looking shocked by his words. “Are you suggesting that there really might be something called love after all?”

He held up his hands in a playful surrendering gesture. “Perhaps you are right. Maybe they really are in love and I was too quick to judge their decision. Perhaps they really will be happy for the rest of their lives.”

“So, you agree with their decision to get married? I am stunned.” Susanna giggled once more. “I did not know it was possible to change your mind so quickly.”

“I never said that I have changed my mind completely. Do not get carried away with yourself, my lady.”

Susanna narrowed her eyes at Martin, and he braced himself, waiting for yet another challenge from her, enjoying every single moment of it. “You have rather a high opinion of yourself, my lord. I do not think I have ever met anyone quite like you.”

Martin noticed the way her eyes flickered down to his lips as she said that, which made his heart pound a little faster.

Was she thinking about the moment they got a little close before? When it seemed like they might kiss? Because that moment was absolutely flooding his mind.

“I shall take that as a compliment,” he said, with a cheeky smile, “that you have never met anyone quite like me. I believe that is because there is no one else like me. I am one of a kind. Completely unique.”

She cocked a knowing eyebrow but did not say anything to deny the compliment.

Perhaps that was exactly how she meant it.

Mary and Luke started to walk back towards them before either of them could say another word. It always seemed like they were interrupted before their conversation got interesting, but that was alright. It just kept Martin on his toes and made him yearn for more.

He hoped Susanna felt the same way…

There was a knock on his bedchambers door as he straightened his bow tie for dinner, which had him curious. He had just left Luke and the others behind, so he could not imagine that his friend was coming to see him once more. There was no one else that Martin could envision coming to seek him out…

Unless…

No, of course, it was not going to be Susanna.

She probably wanted to talk to him as well, but she would not behave in such a risky manner. She was a Lady with a reputation to protect. Sure, they had almost crossed the line earlier, but that all happened by mistake. They were supposed to be with Luke and Mary the whole time.

There was no way that she would come to his bedchambers.

But he had to admit that he was rather excited by the idea. The thought of her sneaking away to get a moment alone with him, either to talk or to perhaps finally close the gap between them to kiss, he did not mind.

Being around Susanna was electrifying, and he truly could not get enough of her.

“Oh, Mother.”

His heart sank. This was not the visit that he wanted at all. If anything, with that glint in her eyes, he knew that his mother was only here to ruin his evening before it had even begun.

“Martin, I hope you do not mind my coming to talk to you, but I have been thinking a lot. The wedding has me worried about you.”

Martin resisted the urge to roll his eyes as she stepped uninvited into his room. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. “Oh, Mother, I do not need you to be worrying about me…”

“But you are five and twenty years of age now, and you have shown no signs of wanting to settle down…”

“Again, Mother? We are talking about this again? Plenty of gentlemen get married at a far more advanced age than mine,” he tried to remind her, but she was not hearing him.

“But perhaps this will change things,” she commented. “Seeing your best friend happy and married. It might make you yearn for the same, and there are going to be plenty of eligible women at the wedding who may well capture your attention at long last…”

Thank goodness she knew nothing about the almost kiss between him and Susanna. That would most certainly send her spiraling. She would likely have the two of them married off before Martin could even blink.

“I am quite happy with the way my life is…”

“You will not be happy forever when you struggle to find yourself a suitable wife because of your rakish reputation. Without a wife, you will not be able to have children, and then your life will not be fulfilling. A family will make you happy, I can promise you that.”

“You know that will not happen, Mother…”

“But, Martin, please just think about it…”

Martin forced a smile, trying to mask his frustration. “Mother, I understand your concerns, but I assure you, I am quite content with my life as it is right now. I do not know what I need to do to prove that to you.”

His mother’s eyes softened, but her determination did not waver. “I only want what is best for you, Martin. I want to see you settled and happy. A good match can bring so much joy. Me and your father had so many happy years before he was taken from me.”

Martin sighed inwardly. He knew that his parents were happy, but he had also seen how much his father’s death ruined his mother for a long while. Surely it was not much of a surprise that he did not want the same for himself? Seeing her heartbreak had hardened his heart, and that was the way he wanted it to stay.

“I will consider your words, Mother. But for now, can we please focus on Luke and Mary? It is their special time, and I want to make sure everything goes perfectly for them. I do not wish to have all of these complications to deal with.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Very well, Martin. But promise me you will at least think about it. I just want you to keep an open mind for this wedding. It is going to be a lovely event, with an expansive guest list. I am sure there will be some incredibly interesting people there who you should take the time to talk to.” She cocked her head. “Promise me that you will at least try?”

“I promise I will, Mother,” Martin replied, hoping to placate her for the time being.

Satisfied, his mother gave him a small smile and patted his cheek affectionately. “Good. Now, let us go enjoy dinner. And do try to have a pleasant evening with the guests. They are all very pleasant people.”

With that, she left his chambers, leaving him to his thoughts. He adjusted his bow tie once more, his mind wandering back to Susanna. The mere idea of her sneaking away to see him made his heart race. He could not deny the growing attraction that he had for her, and the knowledge that she might feel the same was exhilarating.

But of course, he had to ensure that his mother never found out how he was feeling, or she would force something to happen between him and Susanna. Which was the last thing he wanted.

It was lust, desire, and the fun of arguing.

He did not want to overcomplicate things, and he was sure that she felt the same way. They both had enough to worry about, especially now after what they had heard Edwin say. That was likely to plague the both of them for a very long time.