An Earl In Want Of A Wife. Laura Martin

to escape. He wasn’t in the mood for flirtation tonight. His decision to marry was sitting heavily on him and he wanted to find his possible future wife, introduce himself and return home before he could talk himself out of it.

      He reached the terrace doors in less than a minute and slipped out into the cool summer’s night. The outdoor space was illuminated by candles dotted along the stone balustrade, but there were plenty of dark corners a young woman with little experience could find herself lured to by a man with less than noble intentions. Daniel wondered what to do next—he’d expected to come outside to find someone who fitted Miss Eastway’s description and had planned to whisk her gallantly away from danger. Now he was here even he knew that plan was foolish. Firstly, the people who slipped outside normally didn’t want to be disturbed, and secondly, he couldn’t very well rescue a damsel in distress if he couldn’t see her.

      Daniel almost gave up and returned to the ballroom, but compared to the cramped, stifling atmosphere inside, the summer’s evening was lovely and cool. He thought he might sit for a moment or two before returning to find the woman he was going to marry.

      Quietly he slipped down the stone stairs into the garden proper and seated himself on a little bench looking out into the garden. Not for the first time he wished he was back on his estate in Cambridgeshire, strolling about his own garden with a glass of whisky in his hand. Or even at his club in London, sitting quietly with a newspaper or discussing the day’s events with his friends. Balls and ballrooms didn’t suit him. He wondered not for the first time if there shouldn’t be an easier, more pleasurable way of finding oneself a spouse, but knew in today’s society things were unlikely to change any time soon.

      Daniel was just about to get up from his bench when he heard the doors to the ballroom open on the terrace above him. For a few seconds the music swelled and pulsed, then it was quiet as whoever had slipped outside closed the door. Daniel waited for the whispers of two illicit lovers and wondered if he should clear his throat to let them know they were not alone.

      No whispers came, just the unmistakable swish of silk as someone started to descend the stairs towards him.

      Daniel didn’t want to startle the woman, but equally he didn’t want to be caught in a deserted garden with some empty-headed young thing. He stood, coughed quietly, then approached the steps.

      In the darkness Daniel heard a cry of surprise before he saw something moving towards him at great speed. He tried to jump backwards, out of the way of the careening object, but his reflexes weren’t quite quick enough. Something warm and soft crashed into him and knocked the breath from his lungs. Unable to keep his balance Daniel toppled backwards, taking whatever it was with him. They landed together with a quiet groan.

      For a few seconds Daniel was too stunned to move. It was obvious now the object that had come hurtling down the stairs towards him was a woman. A rather stunned young woman if her silence was anything to go by.

      Slowly he became aware of her body pressed up against his. One of her legs was nestled between his thighs and her chest was pressed closely to his. Her face must have been cradled into his neck as he could feel her soft breath tickling his skin. She was trembling, he realised, and too shocked to move.

      Gently he rolled her over and sat up, being careful not to move suddenly.

      ‘Are you hurt?’ he asked, thinking himself rather foolish. After all, who could fall down quite so many steps and not be hurt?

      ‘Erm...yes...no. I don’t know.’

      Daniel found himself smiling. She was conscious at least and sounded rather charmingly befuddled.

      ‘Let me check you over,’ he said, in a voice that invited no argument.

      It was dark outside, too dark to make out much of the young woman’s features, but Daniel’s eyes had become accustomed to the blackness and he could at least see her outline. Gently he reached over and took one hand in his.

      He heard a sharp intake of breath as he traced the lines of her arms with his fingers, checking for any broken bones. He did the same with her legs, but when he was just reaching her knees it seemed she had regained at least some of her wits and pulled sharply away. Daniel sighed—he was just starting to enjoy himself.

      ‘I’m sure I’m fine,’ the young woman said in a voice that wasn’t in the least bit convincing. ‘What about you?’

      ‘Me?’ Daniel asked. ‘Oh, I’m used to cushioning the falls of fair maidens,’ he said with a grin. ‘But that was certainly the most pleasant introduction I’ve had all evening.’ Daniel pictured the young woman’s cheeks turning pink and silently reprimanded himself; sometimes he couldn’t help his flirtatious side. ‘There’s a bench just over here. Let’s see if you can make it over.’

      Daniel thought he saw her nod her head in the darkness and stood, leaning down to assist her up. He felt her totter a little and slipped an arm around her waist to steady her. She was slender, but Daniel could feel the flare of her hips beneath her dress and felt the first stirrings of desire. Reluctantly he pushed them away. This was most likely a well-bred young lady who he couldn’t dally with. And, he reminded himself sternly, he was here for one purpose only: to find a wealthy wife, no matter how much the idea galled him.

      Together they hobbled over to the bench and sat down.

      ‘What happened?’ he asked gently, not letting go of the woman’s hand.

      She sighed. ‘You’ll think me foolish.’ There was a modicum of humour in her voice and Daniel found himself smiling. The whole situation was farcical really, and most young women would be in hysterics, but this one was taking it all in her stride.

      ‘I wanted to escape...’ She paused, then corrected herself. ‘No, I needed to escape. If I spent one more second in that ballroom, I would have screamed.’

      ‘Surely it wasn’t so bad that you had to throw yourself down the steps?’

      Although he couldn’t see her expression Daniel rather thought she’d smiled.

      ‘Almost.’ She sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sure I’ve ruined your...’ Instead of finishing the sentence she waved a hand in his general direction. ‘Whatever it is men wear to these balls.’

      Daniel found himself leaning in a little closer, trying to make out what his mystery woman looked like. He knew she was tall, with a slender waist and delightfully curvy hips, but he wished he could catch a glimpse of her facial features.

      ‘I just wanted some peace and quiet, just for a few minutes. When you coughed you startled me and I tripped.’

      ‘I wanted you to know you weren’t alone.’

      Daniel felt himself drawn to this woman and started to gently trace his thumb backwards and forwards across her hand. He knew it was wrong and he knew he should send her back inside immediately. If they were found in this position, outside and alone together, there would be a terrible scandal, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to send her on her way just yet.

      ‘Why did you want to escape the ball so much?’ Daniel asked. ‘A lovely young woman like you must be the centre of attention.’

      He could tell she grimaced even in the darkness. ‘I feel like an antique up for auction.’

      Daniel laughed, he couldn’t help himself.

      ‘Not that I think I’m any kind of prize, quite the opposite,’ she rushed to reassure him. ‘It’s just when you know people are only interested because of money...’ She let her sentence trail off.

      Daniel suddenly felt a little guilty. All evening he hadn’t thought of anything but securing himself a wealthy wife. He hadn’t considered what his potential spouse’s feelings would be on the matter, hadn’t even thought of her as a real person. That must be what this young lady felt like, an object up for auction. Daniel pushed his qualms aside. He would treat his wife well, give her anything she asked for, and all he needed in return was for her to save him financially. It wasn’t even as though he’d