With that question, Emory explained the attempted compromise of Lady Lucinda and though he had no proof, Emory did not feel that Lady Violet was safe.

  “Then shouldn’t she return to her home?” Liam countered.

  In every conceivable situation, the answer would be undoubtedly yes, but Emory couldn’t bring himself to agree. He wanted Lady Violet close. Further, he wanted to protect her from gentlemen who cared more about her dowry than they would ever care for her. Not only that, but she’d also be uncomfortable in her home because of the guests, and Emory would not see her suffer if he could prevent such from happening. “I’m not certain she would be any safer at Forester Hall,” Emory grumbled. “Lady Lucinda was attacked the moment she was left alone with that blackguard.”

  Liam stared at him in stunned surprise. “You are judging the guests without basis to do so, which is one of the traits you detest among Society.”

  Everything Liam said was true, but Emory could not shake the feeling that he needed Lady Violet to remain in Laswell where he could watch out for her.

  Bloody hell, when did he start becoming irrational over a lady?

  “I believe she is safer at the inn surrounded by servants.”

  “Lady Violet is no longer at the inn,” Liam informed him. “She has returned to the Harley household.”

  Emory pulled back in surprise. He knew that the Tilson sisters were going to pay a call on Mrs. Harley, but he hadn’t expected anything to develop from the meeting.

  “I was present when Ladies Esther and Joanna Tilson visited. Mrs. Harley was set to argue the interruption to the household until she learned of your courtship of Lady Violet, then she was happy to welcome her back. I’m not certain what they discussed following, as I had to take my leave. Likely they settled in for tea and gossip.”

  Emory frowned. “Why would it matter if I were courting her or not?”

  Liam shrugged. “I assure you, I’ve no idea. That woman often baffles me.” Liam shook his head. “Therefore, you can be assured that Lady Violet is protected. At least more so than in that inn.”

  “How many male servants are within the Harley household?” Emory demanded.

  “I don’t know. I’ve only seen a maid, housekeeper, footman, and Mrs. Harley.”

  Bloody hell. Lady Violet was safer at the inn, surrounded by female servants than she’d be in the Harley household with so few to see to her protection. “I need to know where Eardly is, or where he might likely be residing.”

  Liam rose and walked to the sideboard where he poured a glass of brandy. “It’s likely Eardly has taken a room at Mrs. Wyndly’s boarding house. She’s a widow, and rents rooms for long and short terms for extra income. It’s where I resided until Dr. Pierce retired to Bath.”

  “If you give me direction, I’ll make certain that Eardly is where you say and then I’d like you to introduce me to two men in need of coin who can also be trusted.”

  “Why?” His brother was growing exasperated.

  “So that I may hire them to watch the front and the back of the Harley home, from dusk to dawn, to ensure nobody attempts to enter who should not already be there.”

  “You’ve never been one to be a knight for a lady, Emory. What is so bloody special about Lady Violet that you feel such protection? You barely know her.”

  His brother was correct. There was no rationale to his decisions, but his gut warned him not to trust Eardly, and he feared something might happen to Lady Violet. It was madness to act in such a desperate manner, but something inside warned that he needed to take every precaution available to him. “I’ve no explanation. I just know this is necessary,” Emory finally admitted.

  Liam tossed back his brandy then grabbed his greatcoat. “Come along. As you are not going to let this rest, even though I believe you are overreacting, I’d like to see it done so that at least I can enjoy this evening.”

  He was overreacting, which Emory admitted to himself. However, he was without power to stop himself.

  “You do realize how uncharacteristically you are behaving?” Liam asked as they stepped outside.

  “Yes,” Emory ground out.

  “I am curious as to why?” he asked thoughtfully.

  Emory looked over to find his brother studying him.

  “I’m not in love with Lady Violet,” Emory stated before his brother got outrageous ideas of his own. “Just because I want to see her protected and knowing how much she does not want to return to Forester Hall until all of the bachelors are gone, does not mean I’ve developed an emotional attachment to Lady Violet.”

  Liam turned to focus forward and nodded. “I understand.”

  There was something almost mocking in his tone and Emory nearly argued further, yet to do so might prove Liam’s point. Or his brother would assume Emory was protesting too much and would never believe that Emory was not in love.

  Of all the ridiculous…He’d known Lady Violet only two days and it was impossible to fall in love in so short of time. He simply liked her and wanted to protect her. If Liam saw more than there was, that was his mistake, and Emory wasn’t going to argue further.

  As Bess had to remain at the inn, Mary assisted Violet. Her duties were few with Silvia ill, but upon hearing about Lord Ferrard’s courtship, Silvia instructed how Violet should dress and how Mary should arrange her hair, then insisted on Violet borrowing gowns more appropriate for a courtship. Violet thought it unnecessary, but her friend did not yet know the truth, nor would she until she’d recovered from her illness and after Lord Ferrard had returned to Sussex and after Silvia promised to hold Violet’s confidence. Not that she feared that Silvia would speak out of turn, as there was no one that Violet trusted more. She had confessed many concerns, truths, and secrets to her dearest friend and she’d not yet given Violet a reason to doubt Silvia’s trust.

  Today Mary prepared a blue walking dress which matched Violet’s lightweight, grey pelisse, per Silvia’s instructions. Not that Violet cared what she wore for her walk with Lord Ferrard, unlike yesterday. Instead, she was more interested in any of the answers he had to the question that had plagued her since the night before.

  She suspected what Lord Ferrard had been about, and it did not sit well with her.

  “Lady Violet, a Lord Eardly has come to call,” Mrs. Buckley announced while Violet waited in the parlor for the appointed time when she was to meet Lord Ferrard.

  Eardly claimed that he’d not give up, but he truly must. How had he even learned that she’d returned to the Harleys’.

  “Inform Lord Eardly that Lady Violet is not at home,” Mrs. Harley instructed as she glided into the parlor. “That is to be your instruction for each time he may call. I’ll not have Lady Violet associated with such a gentleman.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Harley.” Mrs. Buckley bobbed a quick curtsey, then left to do as instructed.

  “You do not approve of Lord Eardly?” Was there more to the gentleman’s reputation than she was aware.

  “He is not worthy of you,” Mrs. Harley stated. “Ladies Joanna and Esther advised that he is a fortune hunter. As you are not at Forester Hall where you might be protected from such, I will see that you are shielded while in my home.”

  “Thank you.” Violet really didn’t wish to have to tell Eardly again that she had no interest in his attention, and now she would be able to avoid him. No doubt he’d eventually give up and be on his way and she’d be free to move about again. Not that she feared him, or what he might do, but he was a nuisance and Violet wished to waste no further time repeating what he should have already accepted.

  “Lord Ferrard is waiting on the walk,” Mrs. Buckley announced.

  “Thank you.” Violet tied the ribbon on her bonnet and hoped that their chaperone did not arrive too soon, as she would like to have a private discussion with Lord Ferrard.

  As she exited the home, Ferrard strode toward her, his lips set in a grim line.

  “Why was Eardly here?”

  “He wishes to court me. I advised him yesterday that I have no interest and when he called today, Mrs. Buckley informed him that I was not at home and those will continue to be her instructions if he calls again.”

  “Yesterday? Did you encounter him after you returned to the inn?”

  Ferrard was unreasonably alarmed, for which there was no cause.

  “I visited the book shop and encountered him on the street.” Given the hardness in Ferrard’s sapphire eyes, Violet decided against telling Ferrard of how Eardly had kept hold of her elbow and then followed her across the street. He was already reacting in an irrational manner, and she’d not give him cause to overreact further. “I informed him of our courtship and rejected his suit.” That should put his mind to ease.

  “You shouldn’t be out alone,” he insisted.

  “I was perfectly safe, Lord Ferrard.” Violet took a deep breath because she was not going to further argue a subject upon which they would not agree. He saw her as a helpless woman, as most gentlemen in Society did, and very little could be done to change their minds. Therefore, she’d address her other concern. “Why were you outside this home last night?”

  “I was out walking.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “I thought you detested lying.”

  At least his cheeks colored with embarrassment.

  “I saw you with Tommy Shilling. You were talking to him and then you left Tommy standing in the shadows.”

  “I’ve paid him to keep watch on the Harley home.”

  “Why?” she demanded.

  “I do not trust Eardly,” he answered. “He is a desperate man.”

  “You think Eardly would break into the Harleys’ and compromise me.” It was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.

  “Yes, I do.”

  All ration and reason disappeared, and before Violet could recall herself, she allowed her frustration to be released. “You’ve quite the imagination, Lord Ferrard. Or perhaps you’ve read too many gothic novels, where damsels are kidnapped and squired away to dark castles by evil villains.” Until now, Violet had been confident in his intelligence and rationale.

  “I’ll have you know that I do not read gothic novels, nor would I ever be susceptible to allow a fictitious tale to influence my good sense.”

  “Good sense?” she countered. “If you possessed such, you’d realize how ridiculous it is to have a young man standing outdoors all night watching a house where I am perfectly safe.” Violet fisted her hands on her hips. “You have younger sisters, do you not?”

  “Yes,” he answered slowly.

  “How would they feel if you set a guard on them.”

  “I’d need not worry because they would remain safely at home, not take up residence in an inn without proper protection.”

  Violet gasped. “You mean, you’d not allow it.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean,” he returned.

  “Lady Violet! Lord Ferrard!”

  They both turned to find Lady Esther bearing down on them.

  “I could hear you from nearly a street away,” she chastised. “What is this argument about?”

  Goodness, Violet hadn’t even been aware that she’d raised her voice until Lady Esther brought it to her attention. What was it about Lord Ferrard that tested her at every turn? First it was a mere flip in her belly, then warmth through her being, shortness of breath, unfamiliar anticipation at being in his presence, and now she was yelling, which she’d not done in years. All in all, Lord Ferrard was not good for her peace of mind and caused her to abandon her normal disposition of being sensible, logical, and in full possession of her emotions.

  “Lord Ferrard doesn’t think I can take care of myself,” Violet finally answered, hoping that her tone was now calm.

  “That is not what I said, Lady Violet,” he ground out. “I don’t trust others.”

  “I don’t need anyone protecting me from imagined lords who might steal inside under the cover of darkness.”

  “They’d have a difficult time doing so,” Lady Esther offered. “Mrs. Harley is diligent at keeping every door and window locked, especially when her husband is not in residence.”

  It was all Violet could do not to roll her eyes as she focused on Lord Ferrard. “As Lady Esther just assured you, there is no need for Tommy Shilling to linger outside.”

  “Who is Tommy Shilling?” Lady Esther asked.

  “I hired the young man to keep an eye on the home through the night because I do not trust Eardly,” Ferrard admitted. “For good reason as he called on her today, and apparently she encountered him yesterday afternoon as well.”

  “Oh, very good,” Lady Esther brightened. “Thank you.”

  “Very good,” Violet nearly screeched, which was completely out of character, as she never screeched, screamed, or lost such control of her emotions. At least, not until she became acquainted with Lord Ferrard.

  Lord Ferrard and Lady Esther must hear reason, which they would not if she were screaming. And the only excuse she could offer for this temporary loss of control was that Lord Ferrard was being quite vexing.

  “Yes, dear. One can’t be too careful when the likes of Lord Eardly are about, especially since you refuse to return to your family estate.” She stepped closer. “Lady Lucinda was not the first lady he had attempted to compromise.” She glanced about to make certain no one was near, which they weren’t.

  “There were three last spring, once during a house party this past summer and another in the fall. He is no longer invited anywhere, which is why I’m surprised he was invited to Forester Hall. However, neither your father nor your grandmother had been aware of the rumors.”

  “That does not mean he’ll go so far as to try and find a way into the Harley home,” Violet argued. However, if he truly were so desperate, she’d need to be careful when she was out, though there was still no need for Tommy to watch the house all night long. It was a ridiculous precaution.

  Violet placed her hands on her hips and glanced between Lady Esther and Lord Ferrard and willed herself to remain calm. At the same time, she also came to the conclusion that no matter how sound her argument, both suffered from preconceived notions based upon their own experiences, values instilled, and societal rules as a whole. She should expect as much from Lord Ferrard given his age and title, and the mere fact that he was a man. However, for Lady Esther, who had never married and traveled the world with her sisters, to believe Violet needed to be watched over was a surprise. It was likely that she’d been influenced by Grandmother and thus, saw Violet as helpless as well.

  Given that it was unlikely she would be able to change their opinions, Violet decided to let go of the argument, as she had no further desire to waste time. “Are you comforted that Tommy will be watching the Harleys’ residence even though it is unnecessary?”

  “Yes,” Ferrard ground out.

  “You as well, Lady Esther?”

  “Of course. As I said, one can’t be too careful.”

  Violet blew out a sigh. “Very well. Though I find it unnecessary, it also impacts me little, therefore, I concede to your wishes.”

  “I’m so glad we’ve brought this disagreement to an end,” Lady Esther proclaimed with delight. “Now, it’s time for the two of you to court.”

  Thankfully, this was only a courtship of convenience, as Violet knew she could never endure a true courtship with a gentleman who thought to enforce protection when it wasn’t necessary. If he sought such control over her now, how much worse would it be if she were a wife?

  Chapter 11

  Emory had never encountered anyone as stubborn as Lady Violet. Nor had he ever met a woman with so little regard for her safety. It would be maddening to have her as a wife, and he was grateful that this was only a courtship of convenience, otherwise, he’d need to end their association and return home.

  Just as quickly Emory realized that he would not take such a rash action. Even if their courtship ended, he would remain to watch over Lady Violet until she returned to Forester Hall. Just because the two of them would never suit, did not mean Emory would leave Lady Violet vulnerable to the likes of Eardly.

  “It shall be the park today,” Lady Esther announced. “Her Grace advised that there is little in Laswell to recommend for courtship and will provide a location she deems appropriate each day.”

  With that, Lady Esther turned and marched forward. “She assures me that even though it is winter, the park is still pleasant.’

  Emory offered his arm and after casting a glance at him from beneath her bonnet, Lady Violet reluctantly accepted.

  She was most undoubtedly still angry with him, but at least they were no longer arguing.

  She’d yelled at him! No woman had ever done so or disagreed with him with such force.

  Shocking, but hardly irritating. In fact, he rather enjoyed her standing up to him. And, if she weren’t so maddening, he might have reconsidered whether the courtship should only be a convenience. Except he knew that she’d drive him quite mad quickly, as he’d be in constant worry that she’d not consider her own safety and do something foolish.

  “Let’s put our disagreement behind us,” Lady Violet stated, though there was coolness to her tone. “What are your interests, Lord Ferrard?”

  He could think of nothing other than keeping her safe, an answer she’d not accept.

  When had he gotten so protective over a lady he barely knew?

  Except, Eardly was a cruel, selfish man who took what he wanted. He’d been the same at Eton, privileged with little regard for anyone, which left all females vulnerable.

  “Lord Ferrard?” Lady Violet questioned.

  He must stop thinking of Eardly and concentrate on Lady Violet since he was courting her. “Honestly, I have few interests of late.”

  “I find that rather depressing if you must know.”

  “It is rather depressing,” he agreed. “Until this past summer, I had many interests, usually involving horses and other gentlemanly pursuits.”

  “The park looks lovely,” Lady Esther announced. “I will enjoy sitting by the fountain, even if it isn’t working this time of year, and the two of you can wander about, but within sight.”