Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Chapter Three

A few days after the incident with Herbert Mowbray, the Earl of Stonefield returned from White’s—a gentlemen’s club in London that he frequented when he was in town—with a smile of self-satisfaction on his face. Madeleine happened to be crossing the foyer on her way to the library when he arrived.

“Ah, Madeleine, just the person I wished to speak with.”

Madeleine felt her stomach turn over.

“Me, Father?” she asked for clarification, gulping down the fear that threatened to rise and spill out all over the foyer floor. She had thought that she had narrowly escaped her father ever knowing about what had transpired between her and Herbert Mowbray since he had not spoken with her about it before now.

“Indeed, I wish to speak with you, my dear.”

He came to stand in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Herbert Mowbray, the Earl of Mowbray’s son and heir, has asked to pay call upon you, and I have given him my permission. He will be joining us for dinner this very evening. I do believe that he intends to propose, and I have given him my blessing.”

Madeleine gulped again. Acidic bile rose up into her throat, choking her ability to speak. She swallowed hard as her heart began to hammer and opened her mouth to protest, but her father raised a hand to silence her. Madeleine ignored him.

“Father, I…”

He did not allow her to finish.

“Madeleine, I expect you to give Herbert Mowbray the consideration that he deserves. He is a good man from a good family. He is the heir to his father’s title and fortune. He would make an excellent match.” Having said his peace, the Earl kissed Madeleine on the forehead. He turned away to enter his study.

Panic gripped Madeleine’s heart causing it to beat harder and faster until she feared it might explode. She could not let this happen. She grasped at a solution, any solution, and Percy’s words from the night of the ball rang through her mind.

“Father!” she protested, stopping him in his tracks. “I cannot be courted by Lord Herbert Mowbray as I am already being courted by Percival Hardy, the Duke of Greyhall.” She placed emphasis on the title of duke to make certain that she had his attention.

Surprise spread across her father’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a glowing radiant pleasure.

“Why, Madeleine did you not say so before? What a welcome discovery!”

She forced a silly expression and shrugged innocently, taking on the role of a dimwitted young girl. Her father’s smile only grew bigger as she answered, “He only just asked me at the ball. It was such a pleasant surprise that I am still trying to convince myself it was real.”

Panic sliced through her as she quickly added, “Though of course, it was real. Very real. And I believe His Grace wanted to break the news to Cecil himself before we made the announcement public.”

She pushed herself to let loose a flitting laugh. “You know how Cecil gets when he is the last to know of things.”

Smiling, her father came forward and embraced her.

“Cecil will have to be a man and deal with it,” he chuckled as held her close. “Now that I know this information, it must be spread post haste. Of course, I will write it all to explain to Mowbray. Do not worry about a thing, my darling. You will make a lovely duchess.”

“You are… you are not disappointed that I am refusing Lord Mowbray, Papa?” she asked, too timid to accept relief just yet.

To her surprise her Father let out a booming laugh.

“The Mowbrays are a fine family, to be sure, but Percival has always been like a son to me. What could bring me more happiness than making him an official member of our family? And do not fret over Cecil. I will speak with him if I must, but I highly doubt he will be averse to taking Percy on as a brother-in-law.”

Accept he will never be his brother-in-law, Madeleine thought, a tinge of guilt moving through her. She said nothing though, offering her father a convincing smile instead.

“Wonderful news,” he murmured, nudging his knuckle just beneath her chin before he turned away. “Just don’t keep such secrets so long to yourself, hmm?”

Madeleine quickly nodded, even though she knew he could not see it.

Whistling a merry tune, the Earl disappeared into his study, closing the doors behind him.

Madeleine turned and grabbed ahold of the umbrella stand for support as she gathered her thoughts, breathing heavily in her anxiety.

“My Lady?” the butler, Gerald Greeves, questioned from behind her with concern in his voice. “Did your breakfast not agree with you?”

Madeleine shook her head as she steadied her breathing and her emotions, regaining her composure. “My apologies, Mr. Greeves. I appear to have taken a turn. Please do not make a fuss or tell anyone what you have seen here. I will be well momentarily.”

Greeves’ face creased further in concern, but he nodded his head in acknowledgement. “If it pleases you, My Lady, do go and lie down. I will have your lady’s maid bring you some tea. Do not fear. I will speak of it to no one.”

Appreciation for their longtime family servant swelled in her.

“Thank you, Mr. Greeves. You are a better man than most.”

Greeves smiled softly at the compliment. “We do try, My Lady.”

Madeleine returned his smile as best she could before retiring to her room. Lucy met her at the door of her bedchamber, having heard Madeleine coming down the hallway. “My Lady, did you change your mind about reading in the library?”

Madeleine had completely forgotten about her original destination when her father had stopped her to deliver his news. “I did,” Madeleine nodded. “I have decided to rest before this evening’s dinner.”

Lucy nodded, but her face said that she knew there was more to the statement than met the eye. “As you wish, My Lady.”

She helped Madeleine to disrobe and turned down the bedcovers for her to slip beneath the sheets. Madeleine crawled into bed and laid down on her side, staring out of the window. A flock of pigeons flew past at high speed. Shortly thereafter, a peregrine falcon followed. Seeing the falcon’s speed and strength reminded her of Percy.

“Percy!” she gasped, realizing she had never actually accepted his invitation. She sat up and scurried out of bed, running over to her writing desk to pull out a sheaf of parchment and dab her quill in ink.

“My Lady?” Lucy inquired; her eyes filled with concern.

“I must write to Percy and tell him of our courtship.”

“Your courtship?” Lucy’s tone heralded her confusion.

“Yes, Percival Hardy, the Duke of Greyhall and I are courting.”

“Does he not know of this, My Lady, that you must write to tell him so?” Her confusion was clear in her voice.

“He asked to court me. I did not give him an answer. I am answering him now.”

“I see,” Lucy’s tone stated that she did not actually understand anything that was going on, but she accepted her mistress’ word.

Madeleine hurriedly scribbled out a missive and sealed it with wax. She handed the letter to Lucy. “See that this is delivered to His Grace with all haste. Do not allow it to fall into anyone else’s hands. It must be placed by you into the hands of the Duke of Greyhall without delay. Return to me only when you have an answer. Do you understand?”

Lucy nodded her head, but there was a look of apprehension on her face.

“Are you certain that this is wise, My Lady?”

Madeleine shook her head. “No, I am not certain at all, but please do as I say.”

“Yes, My Lady,” Lucy replied nervously at the intrigue of it all, curtsied, then left the room with the missive clutched firmly in her hand.

Percy was returning to the stables after a long ride outside of the city when a young girl with hair and eyes the color of a mouse came running up beside him.

“Who might you be? You are not one of mine,” he said warily, noting immediately that she was not a member of his staff.

He took a wary look around, always on edge. It had been years since he had seen Laura, but he was no fool to think that he could hide forever. The young woman before him was harmless, obviously, but if she were a distraction…

“Your Grace,” she panted breathlessly, pulling Percy from his thoughts, “a letter from My Lady, Madeleine Gillett. She says it is for your eyes alone and that I am to place it into your hand and no other.”

Hearing Madeleine’s name made Percy’s heart race just a little bit faster. It had been two days since he’d made his offer, and he had assumed that she had refused him. Dismissing any danger of a trap, he reached out and took the crinkled missive from the girl’s hand.

“Does the Lady await an answer?”

The mouse nodded. “She does, Your Grace.”

Percy broke the wax seal with a quick flick of his fingers. He noted that the wax was blue like the author’s eyes, and he smiled at the thought. The letter was scrawled in a hurried hand, but the form was still elegant. His brows arched in surprise at the words within then he let out a pleased chuckle.

So,s has accepted after all.

“Please inform your lady that I will do as she asks. Tell her that my answer is yes.”

“Very well, Your Grace. Thank you, Your Grace.” The little mouse curtsied and ran off to deliver his reply to her mistress.

Percy reread the letter once more, barely believing his eyes. “Percy, meet me at the back gate of my family’s townhouse garden at midnight. I must speak with you urgently. Postscript, You and I are now courting as of the evening of the ball.”

It was simply signed M .

Through his smugness, Percy suddenly felt a tremor of foreboding pass through him. His plan to keep them both away from the marriage mart was a decent one—but was it smart? He’d been telling himself since the night of the ball that he was simply helping an old, childhood playmate, but the excitement that coursed through him as he read her letter did not feel friendly.

It felt sensual. Wicked. Delicious. Thoughts of her beautiful figure began to swirl among these feelings. Feelings he should not be entertaining at all. Especially for his best friend’s sister. Crumbling the letter and depositing it into his pocket, he began to wonder if his proposal was the key to their freedom or the key to their undoing. Either way, it was too late to back away now.

Madeleine impatiently awaited Percy’s arrival, pacing back and forth by the back garden gate while her lady’s maid, Lucy, kept watch at the kitchen door. She was to whistle softly if anyone was coming. Madeleine hated to risk such a scandalous liaison, but she and Percy needed to get their stories straight before he encountered anyone within her family.

Her father had been so pleased with her announcement that he had made one of his own at supper that night. The Earl had stood, his face wreathed in smiles, and he had toasted Madeleine and Percy as if they were already engaged. In the Earl’s mind, it was already a done deal.

Cecil, as she had predicted, had not seemed pleased by the unexpected news.

“I know you lie as that is not something Percy would keep from me,” he had insisted.

Their father’s happy disposition was temporarily clouded over with a look of disappointment toward his son.

“You will celebrate us, Cecil,” he commanded, “then you and I may discuss this later in my office.”

Madeleine had been certain that intense words had been exchanged, but she could not bring herself to creep up to the door and listen for them herself. Instead, she had excused herself early, claiming to have overeaten, and had stayed in her quarters until 11:45.

“Hello, Monkey."

Madeleine let out a squeak of surprise as she whirled back around toward the garden gate. Merely a second ago, there had been no one there, but now… there he stood, his head nearly reaching the top of their tall gate. She grew immediately irritated with how handsome he looked, every small lock of dark hair combed in place and every piece of clothing perfectly fitted to him. And he was smiling, the brightness of his teeth flashing in the darkness.

“I see that you could not resist me after all.”

With that, Madeleine shooed her thoughts of his prettiness away and glowered at him as she put her fists to her hips. He’s not so handsome, she fumed silently. Not if you squint.

“I can resist you just fine,” she bit back, immediately earning a feral sounding chuckle from him.

“Very well then,” he said calmly, crossing his arms as his eyes slowly travelled up her person.

“You will have to pretend otherwise, though, if you wish to pull off this sleight of hand.”

Madeleine immediately lost some of her fierceness. Yes, that was true, wasn’t it? They had to truly convince others that were in love.

“What I need is your ability to keep away any other suitors,” she pushed forward, frowning up at him in the moonlight. “Today at White’s, my father agreed to allow Herbert Mowbray to call upon me this evening. I had to do something to stop him from marrying me off to him.”

“Obviously that would never do,” Percy retorted amusingly.

Madeleine set her jaw, growing more serious.

“I could never love a man such as he. I could never marry a drunken gambler who sees women as something to possess.”

A moment of silence stretched between them, allowing Madeleine to realize the full venom of her tone and the feelings that backed it up.

“That is understandable,” he said at last. “I agree that he is not for you.”

Well. At least we agree on that, she thought.

“So, you will do this for me, then?” she asked. He cocked his head, studying her face.

“We will do this for one another,” he replied. “Do not forget that it is also my freedom that hangs in the balance. Your act needs to be just as convincing as mine.”

Yes, she knew that very well. This was not to be a one-sided deal.

“If we follow through with this ruse, are you not afraid that you might fall in love with me?” Percy asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Not bothering with politeness, Madeleine rolled her eyes before she stubbornly shook her head.

“Is that a serious question?” she asked.

“Do you believe such a thing is truly impossible?” he asked, clearly full of himself. “Many more experienced women than you have fallen under my spell. What makes you so different?” The tone of his voice held an almost imperceptible edge.

If Madeleine had not known better, she would have thought that his feelings were hurt by the comment. Nevertheless, she continued, “I know you. I know how evil you can be. I was your victim once, remember? Do you know how long it took my nanny to clean that chalk paste from my hair when I was nine? Mother took to bed for days because she thought she would have to sheer my head!”

A low, dark chuckle crept from Percy’s lips, and he took a single step toward her.

“Do you remember what you had done the day before that happened, my little monkey?”

His question, and the affection that crept through his voice as he said her nickname, caught her off guard. Quickly she flipped through her memories, trying to recall the time. She only remembered the sounds of two boys snickering from above before she looked up, and from the balcony one floor up, he and her brother had poured the bucket of paste directly onto her head.

“I’m waiting,” he purred.

“I cannot say that I do,” she said with a sigh, “but I am sure you will be delighted to tell me.”

Percy sucked on his teeth as he looked her up and down once more, as if savoring the moment of holding the forgotten memory above her head. His eyes might have well been hands the way she felt them rest on her breasts, and she fought the urge to pull her robe closer around her. Perhaps it was a bad idea to come down in her nightclothes, but she figured it would be easier to explain than a full dress so late at night should she be discovered.

“Horse shite.”

“I beg your pardon,” she asked, taken aback by the blatant use of such a foul word in front of her.

Percy snickered and took another step toward her, unfolding his arms, so he could slip his hands into his pockets.

“I was staying with your family at your country house for a week, and you, little miss innocent, decided to get me back for the previous summer’s trickery by putting horse shite under my pillow and in the pillowcase.”

Madeleine clamped both of her hands over her mouth to stop her boisterous laughter. Her eyes grew wide, and tears formed as she tried to hold it in, and her entire body began to shake with the pent-up sound. Of course, she had forgotten; he had never said anything! Never went running to her parents; never came to her to scream or chastise as Cecil often did when he was bested alone.

“I do not seem so evil anymore now, do I?” he mused, grinning at her reaction.

Madeleine snorted—snorted!—trying to catch her breath and hold her laughter at the same time.

“It was well deserved,” she managed to get out and was both relieved and surprised when Percy let out another low chuckle.

“I suppose it was,” he mused with a shrug. Then his smile dropped, slowly, and a look of intense contemplation took over his face.

“But we are not children anymore. I will keep my antics at bay if you do the same, and I think you will find that when I am not trying to get even, I can be rather…”

He took the last step, closing the space between them, and he reached up to stroke a lock of her hair back behind her ear.

“Tempting.”

The way he said the word made her heart flutter, and the laughter she was trying so hard to contain seemed to drift away from her lungs.

Regaining her composure, Madeleine shook her head, taking a step back.

“Tempting or not, I know my limits as well as my capabilities. It is not just you that I cannot love. It is any man other than those I love in a familial matter. Romance… being in love is something I will never do.”

Percy’s face constricted in a way that wrenched something in Madeleine’s heart. “You do not mean it.”

“I do,” she insisted, her feet now firmly planted into the ground. She would not give another inch. She was determined to gain his aid, but she would not allow him to operate under any misconceptions of how their agreement was going to work.

“What has happened to you?” he asked in a tone far too sincere for her liking.

It made her balk immediately, and she took a step back from him.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she retorted. “Or is your supposed curse far too sensitive of a subject for you to discuss?”

Percy’s eyes darkened, all mirth completely gone, and she felt his anger begin to roil off of him. He clenched his hands at his side, unclenched them, then ground his teeth until his jaw ticked.

“For someone who is in need of my assistance, you are not behaving in a way that would induce a person to help you. Most people would have walked away from you after being subjected to your poor manners. It is unkind and beneath you. It is beneath me for that matter. Perhaps I should walk away and find another way to rid me of my own unpleasant association.”

He started to turn away.

“No,” she stepped forward, reaching out to stop him.

Guilt rushed through her. She had gone too far, and she knew it. She laid her hand on his arm then released it just as suddenly.

“Please, I need your help. I am sorry. You are right. I should not have been so unkind. I simply wished to reassure you that my affections would not wander towards you and interfere with our plans.”

He turned his body back towards her, his displeased expression carved deep into his features. They were so close now that they were nearly touching. When she did not back away, he closed the remaining distance between them.

“Prove it,” he whispered into the darkness between them. “Kiss me. If you feel nothing, we will proceed with this charade.”

Madeleine gritted her teeth, biting back an acid retort. Taking a deep breath, she balled her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. She was nervous, but she was not about to show him that. She needed this arrangement more than he did, and he knew it.

“If I do this… then I have your word?” she asked carefully.

Percy nodded, his face still a mask of discontent.

“You do.”

Her heart suddenly beating wildly, Madeleine drew in a breath and leaned up on her toes. Her lips were barely able to reach his jaw, but she brushed a kiss along the carved contours there. She was surprised at how the invisible stubble tickled her lips, and she pressed them tightly together as a slight current came alive in them.

Percy chuckled, the sound condescending, as she lowered herself down to her heels and took a small step back.

“What was that?” he asked, his brow perked.

He was teasing her, and she hated it, but the mocking expression sat better with her than that look of betrayal.

“A kiss,” she breathed, feeling her cheeks flush anew at the confession.

“No, darling,” he murmured, tracing his fingertips up her arms, “ This is a kiss.”

Percy’s one arm constricted around her waist, pulling her into his body as the hand captured her throat. Immediately, Madeleine felt herself be bathed in his heat, and without a thought as to why, she let her body melt into his as his lips claimed possession of hers. Pleasure spiraled through her as Percy’s demanding lips first melded to hers, and she couldn’t help the small gasp as his tongue slid forward and taught her how to open her lips for him.

“That’s it,” he whispered into her mouth, his voice deep and desperate as his hold on her tightened. “Open up for me, sweetheart.”

Madeleine obeyed, her senses blurred into thick cloud of pleasure and desire around her as Percy slid his tongue over hers and coaxed her to do the same without speaking a word. For a brief moment, the passion was overruled by timidness as she ventured the tip of her tongue into his mouth, but the moment she slid the tip of the soft pink muscle against his, a growl erupted from deep within Percy’s chest.

His hand tightened around her throat even more, and while it stole her breath, it also made a rush of warm moisture—the likes she’d never felt before—release from her lower belly and coat her inner thighs. Giving in to the pleasure of it all, Madeleine let him lead her deeper into the kiss. Her lips opened and closed with his, sealing and parting them around one another with no thought of needed breath as she grew dizzy from the onslaught of delectable sensations.

Before she could become desperate for air, before she could comprehend that she had started to subtly move her hips against his thigh, Percy released her completely. One minute, she was being consumed by him—the next she was gazing at him from a few steps away, watching as he drew in a ragged breath. His eyes glinted with venom and confusion as Madeleine stared back at him, wide eyed and in shock.

“Th-th- that was n-not a kiss!”

Madeleine had no idea who’s voice she’d just heard, but she could have sworn it was not hers. It was too thick, too raspy and clumsy to be hers. Yet Percy smiled at her devilishly as he nodded his head.

“Oh, yes, it most certainly was,” he replied, reaching up to adjust his mussed jacket.

Is he trembling? Madeleine asked herself, catching the subtle motion as Percy appeared otherwise unfazed by their…

“ No,” she insisted, determined to be right. “I have received many kisses from my mother and father, and none of them were like that!”

“Thank heaven,” Percy teased, still grinning. “We would have bigger problems if that were the case.”

Madeleine flushed, feeling her entire face—hell, her entire body turn red as she continued to reach for the control she once held over herself.

Say the words, the stubborn voice inside of her demanded. Say the words and secure this deal!

“Nothing,” she breathed out, looking back up at Percy’s handsome face.

The arrogant look he wore shifted subtly, so much so that Madeleine almost did not notice it at first. But the brightness in his eyes dampened, the corners of his mouth flattened, and his at ease stature grew rigid. Seeing this gave her the tiniest bout of strength, and she let out a deliberate sigh as she shrugged her shoulders and turned both hands up. To her surprise, she was even able to pull on a rather pitying smile as she said, “I felt nothing.”

“Nothing?” he said the word as if disgusted with it.

Realizing she couldn’t pass the lie through her lips another time, Madeleine only cocked brow as she twitched her lips and gave another small, impartial shrug.

The glower in Percy’s eyes brightened as he studied her silently for a moment, and in that time, she wished that she could reach the sarcastic part of her that yearned to ask him what he felt. But while her appearance was collected, her body was not. In fact, she was not sure how long she could hide her trembling flesh from him as they continued to stare at one another.

“Very well,” Percy said at last, his tone begrudging.

Unable to help herself, Madeleine let out the deep breath she had been holding, and a small sigh escaped her lips. This earned her a shift in Percy’s expression, his frown turning into a small smirk.

“I will help you,” he continued, raking his eyes down her figure once more, “and in so doing, it will rid us both of undesired romantic entanglements. I will speak with your father upon the morrow to ask for his consent to court you.”

Hearing this, Madeleine smiled brightly as relief washed through her.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Madeleine replied sincerely, even going so far as to offer him a formal curtsey. “With you by my side, I will be safe from all men.”

A look of dark pleasure filled Percy’s eyes as she lowered herself to him.

“Safe from them,” he murmured, turning from her as if he had to force himself to do so, “but not me.”

Like it had when he’d pulled her into arms, a lick of dangerous pleasure swept over Madeleine as she heard his threat, but before she could fathom a response, Percy was gone.

“Nothing,” Percy growled to himself, uncorking the bottle of whiskey before the fireplace in his bedroom.

It came undone with a pop , and instead of pouring a glass, he brought the bottle to his lips and took a long pull. He savored the way the liquor burned a trail from his mouth to his stomach. He forced himself to swallow and took another long swig, trying in vain to wash the taste of Madeleine’s sweet kiss from his lips.

He’d laughed at her first feeble attempt at a kiss, mocked her for it, but the little minx had somehow turned the tables on him, and now, he was the one reeling. Everything— everything about her had brought forth a heady pleasure that tunneled through his veins and pooled in his groin, turning every part of him into a sensitive young buck.

Putting the bottle down, he shook his sweating hands, trying to dispel the way her soft curves had melted into them. He rubbed his palms against his trousers when shaking them out didn’t work, and he was instantly reminded of how, even through his trousers and her nightgown, he had felt soft, dewy flesh between her slightly parted legs.

Had she felt him in return? Had she felt how hard his cock had grown? How it had strained against his trousers and curved upward toward his navel?

Arousal had been a part of his life since he was a young man. He’d learned to think his way through the haze of desire when he needed to and how to give in to it when the time was right. Frustration was never a factor, no matter how intense his urges got, but now…

He had to get ahold of himself. This was wrong. On so many levels. Madeleine was his best friend’s sister. Not a conquest, nor another one of the simpering ladies trying to win his affections. She was an associate in need of help and willing to give help in return. That was all. He had to regain control of this little game they were playing. And he had to do it quick.

But… how was he to do that when they were to be convincing the ton that they were a love match?

You’ve made a mess of this,” an inner voice whispered.

“It does not matter,” he said aloud as he lifted the bottle once more. “We’re in it now.”

Want to know how the story ends?