The American Earl (26 page)

“I know – I look just like the first earl.”

“No, you’re much more beautiful than he was.”

He smiled. “Does that mean I have beaten him out in your affections.”

“The man’s been dead for centuries. There was no contest.”

He smoothed his finger across my cheekbones. “I love you so much,” he said.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing about you,” I returned shakily. “I just never thought you’d want to take me back with you to America, that you were afraid I wouldn’t fit in.” I bit my lip. “I probably won’t, at first, but I’ll try, Evan. I promise I’ll try.”

His whole face had become very still. “Are you saying you’d come to America with me?”

I said recklessly, “I’d go anyplace in the world if you were there.”

This time his voice was shaky as he said, “Brave and gallant, as always. But you won’t have to make such a sacrifice, my love. I have decided to remain in England and turn Stoverton into a profitable estate once more. I think my father would have wanted me to do that.”

I sat up. “Are you serious? You’re going to stay in England?”

“Yes.  I didn’t ask for it, but I have been entrusted with the lives of many people and I can’t desert them.  I’ve decided I shall just have to become the Earl of Althorpe and do my duty.”

My mouth was hanging open. I had not expected this. “Are you sure?”

“Perfectly.”

“It’s not just because of me? It’s what you really want to do?”

“Yes.”

My heart lit like an explosion of candles. “Oh Evan, that makes me so happy!”

He gave me the sweetest, most tender smile. “I rather thought it would.”

I lifted my arms to him and said, “Kiss me again!”

We kissed until we were both breathless and panting. Somehow we managed to shed our clothes and then we were truly close, skin against skin. I kissed him and kissed him, loving the feel of his strength, the feel of his flesh under my hands. He lowered his mouth to kiss my breasts and I gasped and arched up at the sharp sensation that went through my loins. He sucked on my nipple and I quivered, my body growing tauter and tauter, like a bow waiting to be shot. I opened my legs, feeling my need, wanting him to come into me.

When he did a hot drenching swell of pleasure came with him. I think I whimpered. I know I raised my hips so he could come even deeper. A shock of burning pain caused me to stiffen and cry out and he buried his face in my neck and said, “It will pass, Julia.  It will pass.”  I hung onto him and let him stay, surrendering to him, feeling him inside of me, stretching me, giving me such mounting pleasure that I wanted to scream.

Then it happened, a fierce explosion of pleasure that caused my whole body to convulse, again and again and again. His seed poured into me and felt such exultation, such joy, that I thought I might die of it.

Evan turned me on my side and took me into his arms. “I love you so much,” he kept saying. “So much.”

“I love you more,” I said, and he laughed.

* * * *

We drove back to London the next day.  Everyone crowded into the drawing room when they heard we had arrived, including Uncle Gordon, who had returned in my absence.

“Thank God you found her,” Lady Barbara exclaimed.

Maria was hugging me so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. “I’m sorry I worried you,” I said. “I wasn’t thinking very clearly.”

“I know.” Maria looked down at me, her blue eyes bright with unshed tears. “I know why you left and I understand.”

Lizzie came to hug me next. “I’m so glad to see you, Julia. You know how much I love you.”

I did know and I was grateful for her love. Lizzie’s friendship had been a great gift to me.

Aunt Barbara said ominously, “Where did you spend last night, Julia?”

It was Evan who answered.  Clearly he thought himself a better liar than I was.  “She stayed with Sir Matthew, Aunt, and I stayed at Stoverton.”

Aunt Barbara fixed him with a piercing gaze. “Make sure that remains your story,” she said.

My, my, I thought. Such a nasty mind.

“We are very happy to have you back,” Uncle Gordon said, coming to kiss me on the cheek and to shake Evan’s hand. 

“I have put it about that you were ill,” Aunt Barbara informed me. “Fortunately you were not gone for long. I think we shall muddle through all right. The marquis even asked about your health, Julia. I have hopes you can still attach him.”

Evan and I looked at each other.  I gave him a small nod and he took a deep breath and stepped forward.  “I have some rather good news for you all.  Julia has promised to become my wife.” This brought gasps from all around.  He continued, “And we plan to remain in England and live at Stoverton.”

Dead silence greeted this part of the announcement. Lizzie recovered first, squealing and coming to hug me again. Then she hugged Evan. “This is wonderful! I have been praying it would happen – you two so clearly loved each other.”

I looked at my cousin’s beaming face.  “How did you know
that
?”

“Oh, anyone with eyes could see it,” she responded blithely.

Tears were rolling down Maria’s face. 

“Maria!” I said, rushing to her side. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy for us?”

She nodded, sniffled, and said, “I’m crying because I’m happy. I was so afraid I had lost you.”

I wrapped her in my arms. “I would never desert you.”

Evan said plaintively, “Don’t I get a kiss, Maria? I’m going to be your brother now, you know.”

She flew to him and kissed his cheek enthusiastically. “I’m so happy, Evan. So happy.”

He grinned at her. “So am I.”

Maria turned to me and said, “Just think, Julia, you’ll be a Marshall after all! Think of all the family lore you can pass along to your children.”

I blinked.  Strangely, this thought hadn’t yet occurred to me. 

Uncle Gordon said, “This news calls for a celebration drink. Surely you have some champagne on ice, my dear?”

Lady Barbara looked doubtful.

Evan said, “I’m certain the estimable Grantly can come up with something.”

Lady Barbara rang the bell.

Uncle Gordon said, “Come and sit down you two.”  When we obliged, he gave Evan an approving smile.  “I’m delighted with your choice of bride and I’m delighted with your plan to remain in England.  Stoverton needs a steady hand if it’s to recover from the devastation of its previous owners.”

Evan looked very serious. “That is the conclusion I came to myself.” He turned to Aunt Barbara. “I believe this is what my father would have wanted me to do.”

Aunt Barbara smiled.  A real smile, not her usual pained one.  “Dear Tommy.  He did love Stoverton, you know. If only he had inherited instead of Philip this disaster would have been averted. I’m very glad his son has decided to take up the challenge.”

“And Julia won’t have to leave us and go to America,” Lizzie said.

Evan said, “Chills run up and down my spine at the thought of Julia in Salem. The town would never recover.”

“That’s not true!” I said indignantly. “I told you I would go and do my very best to fit in.”

“Well that’s the strongest declaration of true love that I’ve ever heard,” Lizzie said, smiling at me.

Uncle Gordon said, “Julia is not the only one to have marital news for us. I am pleased to inform you that Lizzie is to marry Lord Roger Ainsley, the Duke of Morton’s brother.”

“Lizzie!” I shrieked and went to hug her.

“She could have had the duke,” Aunt Barbara said. “Instead she picks this young man who is going to be a clergyman.”

“You picked me,” Uncle Gordon reminded her. “What about that rich earl who wanted to marry you?”

We all stared at Aunt Barbara in amazement. To think someone else besides Uncle Gordon had wanted to marry her.  It didn’t seem possible.

“Well, it was you I loved, Gordon,” Aunt Barbara said.

“Hah!” Lizzie grinned at her mother. “I believe that is how I told you I felt about Roger.”

The door opened and Grantly appeared.  “You rang, my lady?”

“Yes, Grantly, is it possible that we might have some champagne?”

“Of course, my lady. I always keep a bottle on ice in case it is wanted.”

“Bring it up then, Grantly,” Evan said.  “We have something to celebrate today.”

“Very good, my lord.”

Grantly exited with his usual dignity and Evan said, “It seems there are some uses for a butler after all.”

Aunt Barbara said with fervor, “Thank you, Evan, thank you for taking Julia off my hands.”

There was a moment of startled silence, and then we all began to laugh.  Evan put an arm around my shoulders and led me to one of the sofas.  I sighed with deep satisfaction. 

“I think Ty will be all the crack in the hunting field,” I offered, thinking that perhaps we might even get to hunt with the Quorn if Tom could arrange it. 

“Oh My God,” Aunt Barbara said. “Does she never stop?”

I regarded the ring of amused faces looking at me. “What?” I said.

Evan dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “Pay no mind to them, my love. I’ll always be interested in your hunting stories.”

I gave him a radiant smile. God how I love that man. He said something to Uncle Gordon and they fell into conversation. I leaned against him, happier than I had been in my entire life, and listened to the sound of his voice.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The American Earl
is my 47
^th
novel and represents a return home to my beloved regency period.  The first twelve novels I sold were all regencies, published by New American Library under the Signet imprint. My very first novel,
A Counterfeit Marriage
was published in February 1980 – quite a long time ago.  During the next four years, I wrote eleven more regencies for NAL.  And here’s an anachronism for you - I wrote them all in longhand at the local public library while a high school girl baby-sat for my children!

When the short contemporary romance a la Harlequin swept the book world, NAL asked if I would write some contemporaries for their new line called Rapture Romance. My first contemporary,
Summer Storm
, was published in March 1983.  During the next three years, I wrote six more of these small books:
Change of Heart, Beloved Stranger, Affair of the Heart, Portrait of a Love, A Fashionable Affair
, and
Wild Irish Rose
.

After NAL closed the Rapture line I decided to try some straight historical romances.  These were:
The Rebel and the Rose,
set during the American revolution; and
Highland Sunset,
set in romantic Scotland during the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Once I had gotten some practice with longer books, I turned to the novel I had long wanted to write –
The Road to Avalon
.  It’s the Mallory version of King Arthur, but set in its proper time (the fourth century).  My aim was to show how this famous story might actually have happened.  I loved writing the book so much that it morphed into a trilogy about Dark Ages Britain.  I consider
The Road to Avalon, Born of the Sun and The Edge of Light
the best books I have ever written.  I am so very very proud of them.

A note of interest here is that
Born of the Sun
is the first book I wrote on a computer. Up until 1988 I was still writing in longhand and transposing the book to a typewriter. It seems almost unreal to think of such a thing today.

After I finished the Dark Ages Trilogy my publishers approached me about writing a pre-historic book.  Jean Auel was all the rage and everyone was jumping on the pre-history bandwagon.  That is how I came to write my pre-history trilogy:
Daughter of the Red Deer, The Horsemasters
and
The Reindeer Hunters
. There is a strong feminist theme running through all these books, which made them very popular. Interestingly, they sold like wildfire in Europe.

After fourteen years and twenty-seven books with NAL, in 1995 I signed a contract with Warner Books.  I wrote eleven books in all for Warner, the first eight of which were regency romances.  They were a little different in that they were told in the first person from the heroine’s point of view. Some of the titles were:
The Deception, The Arrangement
and
The Pretenders. 

During the same time that I was writing the regencies for Warner, I also wrote two medieval mysteries for HarperCollins.
No Dark Place
was published in 1999 and
The Poisoned Serpent
in 2000.  I still get letters begging me for another ‘Hugh de Leon book.’

Then it was back to the real world with three contemporary novels for Warner: 
Silverbridge
was published in May 2002,
Highmeadow
and
That Summer
in 2003.  At this point Mira Books offered me a nice contract and from 2004 to 2006, they published three Joan Wolf books:
White Horses
, set during the Napoleonic War;
To the Castle
, set in medieval times; and His Lordship’s Desire, a regency romance.

At this point some serious health problems put me on the shelf and it wasn’t until 2010 that I wrote something new.  I had always loved the Old Testament Book of Esther and thought it would make a great love story.  Thomas Nelson published the novel,
The Reluctant Queen,
which I followed up with a re-telling of the biblical story of Rahab,
This Scarlet Cord.

I had long thought that the life of Mary Magdalen would make a great novel and Worthy Publishers agreed with me. 
Daughter of Jerusalem
was published in 2013 and I am so proud of it. It’s a book that means a great deal to me; writing it was a personal spiritual journey.

And now I’m back in the regency!  What goes around comes around they say, and that’s certainly true for me.  I loved writing
The American Earl. 
It felt like coming home, and I think I’m going to remain at home in the regency for my next book too.

I love to hear from my readers. You may contact me on my website,
www.joanwolf.com
and on facebook at
www.facebook.com/authorjoanwolf
.