Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

T hat evening, Meliah wavered on whether or not to leave the sanctuary of her bedchamber and join Lord Belmont for dinner. She was feeling the strain over what dress to wear when there was a light knock at the door. Nerves immediately rose up within her midsection, but when she answered the summons, she spied a middle-aged woman standing on the other side with a kind smile, a simple brown dress, and her graying brown hair pulled back into a tidy bun. She was petite and stout, the type of common persona that Meliah was used to conversing with on Brick Lane.

"Good evening. My name is Mrs. Salisbury, the housekeeper." Surprise must have instantly registered on Meliah's face because the woman chuckled. "I gather you weren't expecting me?"

Meliah recovered her shock and offered a welcoming smile in return. "No. I daresay I wasn't. During my stay here I was starting to wonder if the earl was actually being truthful when he claimed that he had any servants at all to attend him here."

"Yes, well, we are around when needed. He is gracious to allow us time to attend to our families and other duties in the village while paying us a full-time wage."

Meliah found herself curious by that revelation, but then an alternative reason occurred to her. "I assume you are referring to the marquess."

"Oh, no, miss. Lord Belmont has been more than accommodating. His father, Lord Traverson wanted to see the hunting box sold off a few months ago, claiming he was getting too advanced in age to appreciate the hunt any longer. It was under the earl's authority who ensured we were not without a position if that came to pass."

This came as a surprise to Meliah, who had already decided to villainize the earl, along with the rest of society. But if what Mrs. Salisbury said was true, then Lord Belmont had been rather generous indeed. A true contradiction of the man in which he was portrayed by "The Belle." It was another facet to his personality that he seemed eager to hide, but was starting to come to light.

"When Lord Belmont wrote that he would be needing to come to the cottage a few days ago," the housekeeper continued. "We wanted to ensure that his kindness was repaid in full, that he was compensated with three hearty meals a day and a clean and tidy place to stay." She nodded her head. "Of course, we were asked to look after you, as well. As such, I decided it was past time to make my acquaintance."

This was the perfect opportunity for Meliah to find out if the earl's staff was truly loyal or not. "I do appreciate that, Mrs. Salisbury, and although I don't wish anyone to get the wrong impression about my presence here. I?—"

The lady was already waving away her explanation. "You don't have to worry about gossip spreading unnecessarily. Everyone in the village has been touched by the earl's kind consideration in one way or another. You won't find anyone who speaks a cross word about him."

"Is that so?" Meliah murmured. "In that regard, would you mind if I joined you tomorrow afternoon and hear what the earl has done? There has been a… story published in the London papers that didn't speak very highly of Lord Belmont and I am determined that the truth is revealed."

Mrs. Salisbury put a hand to her chest. "Upon my word, I should be grateful if you were to quiet such unfounded rumors. I can promise you that the earl is nothing but the sole of thoughtfulness."

After the housekeeper parted a short time later, Meliah closed the door with a considering frown. It was strange to think that the paragon Mrs. Salisbury had spoken of so highly was the same man as Lord Belmont. Although her experiences with him had been nothing but hospitable in regard to her lodgings and the gowns he'd purchased for her, it was his mannerisms and his charisma that didn't fit. Now that she'd been told there were two sides to the earl, she was more curious than ever to find out which part of his personality was genuine and which part was fabricated.

An image of a whip flashed in her mind and a frisson of fear mixed with something else entirely slid down her spine. When her host had spoken of a line between pleasure and pain, she had to wonder if there was any truth to that as well. She had no doubt that the earl would be more than willing to assist her in that regard, but for now, she was more interested in the gentleman that no one in London really seemed to know.

Donning a light blue, watered silk dress, Meliah decided that she would head down to dinner after all. She wasn't sure if Lord Belmont was still cross with her, and honestly, she wasn't sure if she was still upset as well, but it was best that they discussed their disagreements instead of letting them fester any longer.

On the off chance that Miss Newton decided to join him for the evening meal, Elwood had donned a pair of black trousers, a silver waistcoat, and black dinner jacket. He'd asked the housekeeper to starch one of his cravats and he'd tied it into a perfect knot at the base of his throat.

If he couldn't seem to act like a gentleman around her, perhaps he could look the part.

He heard movement out in the hall and while he expected it to be Mrs. Salisbury coming to let him know he would be dining alone, he was pleasantly surprised to see Miss Newton walk across the threshold.

For an instant, his heart stuttered to a halt. He had imagined that shade of blue would look remarkable with her dark hair and sparkling green eyes, but he hadn't known exactly how enticing her every movement would make him physically uncomfortable. In all of the women he'd courted and generally bedded over the years, none of them had made him feel as if he'd been punched in the solar plexus. It proved that Miss Newton was unlike any other woman of his acquaintance—and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

He moved from the head of the table and pulled out her chair to the left of his.

She offered him a slight smile that he wasn't sure how to interpret. "Thank you, my lord." After she sat, he resumed his seat.

"Would you care for some wine?" he offered, holding up the decanter.

She cast him a wary glance, but then inclined her head. "Please."

He poured the red liquid in the crystal tumbler and realized that although he generally despised stilted silences, he was more concerned how this evening might end. He was still a bit distracted from earlier when he'd discovered she'd been rummaging for pen and paper to use as weapons against him. To say he'd felt a little betrayed was more than an understatement. The longer he'd had to reflect on his recent behavior, he certainly hadn't made much of a lasting impression, not in the way she might prefer, at least.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier today."

As if reading his very thoughts, she spoke the words he nearly uttered aloud. "It's ironic that you should say that, because I was going to say the same." She laughed lightly, and he suddenly found it one of his favorite sounds in the world. "I appreciate your consideration, but you were only being true to your… nature, whereas I attempted to disguise my reasons for being in your rooms, however innocent they might have seemed at the time."

He thrilled at the slight hitch of color that appeared on her cheeks, as she seemed to recall the moment she'd been revealed. "You did nothing wrong. I certainly haven't given you any reasons to warrant becoming an ally thus far."

"Not particularly," she said slowly. She hesitated as she took a delicate sip of her wine. "But I still have to wonder if that is the real Lord Belmont."

He tilted his head to the side, stiffening slightly. "What do you mean?"

She shifted her eyes away. "I might have learned something about you today that has given me cause to alter society's opinion." She took a deep breath and met his gaze directly once more. "I find that, while I used to want to agree with ‘The Belle's' perception of you, I wish to prove her wrong even more." Elwood's brows lifted at that. "Whoever the author of the Rake Review is obviously had a sour relationship of her own, which is why she wants to council other women. Or else, she considers it to be a lark and she doesn't care if she injures anyone in the process so long as people are reading her articles."

Elwood had thought both, although he knew no one would take his opinion into consideration, especially after he'd been targeted as "Mr. October." To hear Miss Newton speak so plainly about the authoress, he had to believe that his original assumption that she was "The Belle" was no longer in question. It had been a short-lived theory with no actual proof as it was.

"I intend to make my way into the local village tomorrow," she added. "Mrs. Salisbury has kindly offered to come around in her wagon and?—"

"Absolutely not." Elwood hadn't meant to make his voice sound so harsh, but neither did he like the idea of her out on her own without his protection. He took one look at her mutinous expression and realized that he had to explain himself or else he would have an irate female on his hands. "What I meant to say was that I am more than capable of taking you into the village."

"While I do appreciate that, my lord, I'm sure you have things to do."

He snorted. "At the moment, the only thing I have at my disposal is boredom. Truly, you would be doing me a service by allowing me out of this prison for a brief time."

She lifted a brow and finally relaxed her posture. "Very well. I can't fault you for wanting to return to some semblance of society, even if it isn't the crowd you are used to entertaining."

His eyes held hers as he murmured, "On the contrary, I'm finding this secluded existence more appealing with each passing day."

Meliah was grateful that they were interrupted by a middle-aged woman with gray hair and a younger man with curly, dark brown hair. They were each carrying a silver serving tray and set them down in front of the earl and herself.

As the lids were removed, Lord Belmont gave a sigh of appreciation. "It smells heavenly."

"It's your favorite, my lord," the older woman said with a wink at Meliah. "Lobster bisque. For the main course, I chose haddock in a butter crème sauce with a side of boiled potatoes and mashed peas and apple crumble for dessert."

The earl put a hand over his heart. "You are irreplaceable, Mrs. Jacques." He nodded in acknowledgment to her companion who was acting as the footman. "Mr. Hanovan. May I present my guest of honor, Miss Meliah Newton?"

Meliah inclined her head as she savored the scents of the fare laid out before them. Her stomach was starting to growl just thinking of the delights awaiting her. "Thank you for such a lovely fare."

"You are quite welcome. Any friend of Lord Belmont's is a friend to me." She smiled kindly and as she took her leave, Meliah noted that Mr. Hanovan lingered a moment longer as he regarded her. She had to admit that he seemed to be a nice man, and not much older than her, if she had to hazard a guess. But he was sadly lacking the one thing that drew her to the earl time and again, and it had nothing to do with a title or wealth, but rather the devastating attraction that stole her breath and weakened her knees.

She picked up her spoon after her host had done the same and blew lightly on the steaming soup. The moment it touched her tongue, she moaned lightly in delight. "It's delicious."

"Hmm," her companion said around another mouthful. "Mrs. Jacques is truly an artist in the kitchen. When my father decided to part with this hunting box, she started her own eating house in the village. I have known people who came all the way from the heart of London to sample her fare, myself included. Thankfully, I had only to ask her to drop by on occasion when I arrived."

Meliah shot him a coy glance above her spoon. "It does seem that you have made quite an impression on the local assembly. I'm looking forward to learning more about this side of Lord Belmont."

He gave a lopsided smile that made her look away, lest she was pulled even further into his spell. Then again, perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible to lose herself with him. "Don't get too excited. The villagers are wont to embellish upon my good nature."

"I wouldn't be so sure," she countered. "They seem quite enamored of you."

He sighed dramatically and flicked his eyes at her bosom, allowing them to slowly move upward to meet her gaze once more. "Would that the same sentiment could be told of you."

She laughed lightly and took another sip of her wine for courage. "I didn't say I wasn't attracted to you, my lord. I just see the wisdom in not giving in to my reaction to you. A lady in my situation has to be cautious."

He sat back in his chair and folded his hands across his midsection. For the moment, the unfinished meal before him was forgotten. "What if I offered a proposition that would benefit us both?"

Again, her focus was wary. "And what is that?"

"Become my mistress. I vow that I will be generous, and when the time comes for us to part ways, you won't have to toil as a weaver. You could live the independent life that you yearn for yourself." He tilted his head to the side. "What do you say, Miss Newton?"