The Earl's Spark, page 7
Not to mention his friends had welcomed their new lives with open arms. He loved the children and looked upon them as his own in a manner. He would protect them without hesitation or fail. He’d come to this island as a favor to assist a man whose son was being threatened. That man, his woman and their children were also included in his circle of protection and friendship. However, he hadn’t gone back to England. No, instead he’d stayed. Purchased the house, and hadn’t considered returning there.
“You have not come home.” Lucien turned to look at him, the sun surrounding him from the window behind him. “I, we, have become concerned.”
“My lord,” Keating interrupted. “Ms. Gwen is insisting on an audience.”
“Ms. Gwen is here.” Her tone was sharp.
She’d never been so angry in her entire life. The nerve of these men. Fyre had passed the point of caring what was proper. No one, either the man she worked for or brother, had the right to try to run her life as these two were doing.
Fyre glared across the room to the man leaning on the front of his desk, drink in position of rest beside one powerful thigh. His expression showed his shock.
But beneath that, what was she spying? Amusement? Yes, that’s exactly what that was.
“My lord, while I understand I work for you in a small capacity, that does not in any way give you the right to discuss my life or my living habits, or tell people that you are going to be the only person I work for.”
His lips twitched. “Spoke to your brother about our discussion, did you?”
“Both of you, so smug. Acting as if you are doing me a favor. I work hard. I am damn good at my job. So what if I am a woman, and a woman of darker skin? It does not hamper the way I work.”
He held up his hands, the motion drawing her attention to the strength in his fingers and the way the sun glinted through the crystal he held. “I never said it did. Your brother came to me—”
“I am perfectly aware of my brother’s actions with you earlier in the day. Both of you are out of line. I think it will be best for all involved for me to stop working for you as well as Mr. Caulfield, and I will make my money elsewhere.”
“No!”
She stepped back at the fervent refusal that burst from his mouth.
Fyre propped her hands on her hips. “Contrary to how people view you, my lord, you do not control this island. Or me. I work for who I want. He wanted me to quit working for Mr. Caulfield, now he is all about me quitting here, or being let go and working only for Mr. Caulfield.”
“Can you say that with any more disdain, Fyre?” He pushed up from the desk and moved toward her. Prowling. Exuding danger on a level she wasn’t positive she could deal with. “I get it, you have no use for my title.”
“Do not put words in my mouth, Lord Edais. I have no problem with your title. I have an issue with men in my life trying to tell me what is best for me. Like you and my brother.”
His lips twitched as he stopped so close to her the smell of his freshly bathed body reached her and she latched on like a starving animal.
Phillip blinked and those gray eyes deepened as he stared down at her. “Am I?”
“Are you what?”
“A man in your life?”
Such decadence lined that question. She swallowed and licked her lips. His gaze darkened further.
However, a clearing throat jarred her and she jumped. By the window stood a man she’d not seen before. Tall, muscular. Jet-black hair and beautiful lake-blue eyes. Golden skin.
Heart thundering for a completely different reason than being so close to Phillip, she gulped and dropped to a curtsey.
How could I have been so foolish?
Not only had she burst in on an earl, but the man had company.
“Forgive me, my lord. I was not aware you were entertaining.”
“Chin up, Fyre. This is my best friend, Lucien.”
Unsure how much anger and disgust she would witness when she lifted her head, she did so slowly. Those blue eyes sparkled with humor and something else she couldn’t quite identify, but if she had to guess, it would be understanding or realization.
He gave her a little bow. “Lucien St. Martin, Marquess of Heartstone.”
She wanted to dig a hole and climb in as she recognized she’d just pushed rudeness beyond the earl and onto a marquess.
“Apologies, my lord, for my behavior. I will leave.”
“Do not leave on my account,” Lucien said, a smile making him even more handsome. “I am just catching up with my friend. Please. Continue, this is far more interesting than I had thought it would be.”
“Fuck off, Saint.”
Gaze flickering between the two imposing men, she wasn’t quite sure what to say. Phillip didn’t appear upset with his friend, despite what he said. And the fact he didn’t try to check his language before her warmed her. Like it was a bit of acceptance for her to hear this type of banter between him and his friend. Like she was not someone precious or delicate he had to present a certain façade for.
Who is Saint? Perhaps it was because of his name, St. Martin. She didn’t have the gumption to ask.
The man smirked and hefted his glass before taking a drink.
Phillip scowled at him before focusing back on Fyre. Looking serious, he reached toward her only to stop and lower his hand.
“Your brother came to me and told me to let you go. He said he would take over the job. I reminded him he had not been able to do it the first time, as he brought you in. After he told me he’d made arrangements with Mr. Caulfield to have all the work you needed, I informed him I would hire you full-time and pay a far more lucrative wage than Caulfield could dream of paying.”
Weighing her words, Fyre stole another peek at the man who didn’t even pretend to allow them to converse in private. He was right there, listening with unabashed interest.
“Why would you do that?”
“He is selling you to Albie.” Gray eyes narrowed. “That is not going to happen. Not while I am here.”
“So instead of that, you are trying to buy me?”
His brows furrowed. “What? No.”
There was no mistaking the snort of laughter from his friend. She refused to look at him. Why piss off two powerful men?
Phillip stepped closer and she retreated the same amount.
“Fyre.”
How did men get their voice to resonate so low and vibrate through a woman like that? It did its best to knock her off her focus, the reason she’d come here.
It was not to fall for his charm and sex appeal.
Right, because that had already happened.
“You are doing the same thing my brother is. Telling me who I can and cannot work for. How is it selling me off to someone when you are doing the same thing? Just because you are buying does not make the outcome any different. I am well aware of how he struck a deal with Albie. It will not be honored, not by me. He is staying on the schedule on his days. That is all.”
The earl fisted his hands, nostrils flaring as he took some deep breaths. “I am not buying you. I do not own people.”
“So you say.”
His gray eyes flashed with something she couldn’t identify. What she could recognize was she had quite possibly pushed him too far. Phillip stepped toward her, not pausing when she retreated until he was right there. In her space.
Then there was light and room between them. She flushed with embarrassment as it dawned on her who had split them up.
“Perhaps we should sit and discuss this.” The man’s words were smooth and calm.
The exact opposite of how she felt. With a curtsey, she shook her head.
“I should be going. My apologies for interrupting your day, my lords.”
“Fyre, do not move.”
She flicked a quick look to where Phillip stood. Lucien remained in front of him, and she couldn’t risk staying. The man made her do things and feel things she shouldn’t.
Inching back, she gulped when his gray eyes slashed to her. Then the lake-blue ones found her. Nope, didn’t help her to breathe any easier. While she didn’t have a huge knowledge base on how things were over in England, she did get the concept of these men and their titles.
They could make her life hell.
“I would love to get to know you better, Ms. Fyre. Perhaps you could return for the evening meal and we could talk? You remind me a lot of my wife.”
“Thank you for the offer, my lord, but I…”
Lucien grinned and her heart stuttered at that. The man was extremely handsome.
“Perfect. We will see you here at seven. I will escort you home, check out the town, and be back to bring you here. I am sure Phillip has some more paperwork to finish up.”
No missing the pointed looks between the two men.
Phillip held her gaze. “Until this evening.”
Another curtsey. “My lord.”
She walked out of the room and heard the footsteps of the man who was escorting her home. Fyre didn’t say anything as the man issued orders like he lived there. Within moments, they were going up the road in an open carriage.
They stopped before her cottage and Lucien jumped out without asking for help, then turned to assist her down.
“I will return in a few hours to escort you to dinner.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
He bowed over her hand. “Phillip has been my friend since we were boys. He only has your best interests at heart, even if he is going about it this asinine way to show you.” Lucien dipped his head and hopped back up. They were off in a flurry of wheels.
“Who was that?”
Elonne appeared at her side, Cara with him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion or jealousy, Fyre wasn’t sure.
“The Marquess of Heartstone.” Fyre shook her head. “A friend of the earl.”
“And what were you doing with him?” The accusation stung, even if it came from Cara.
“He insisted on escorting me home. I am not about to tell a man of his position in society no, Cara. And I am having dinner with him and the earl tonight.” She headed for the door, completely unsure of what one should wear to dinner with those two men.
Her brother and sister-in-law followed her, making comments that should have hurt her, but she was far more stressed about tonight.
* * * *
Elonne and Cara had both left and since returned by the time she was to be picked up for the invitation. They were inside her small home, sitting, while Fyre paced. It didn’t surprise her that they would try to weasel their way into coming with her.
The rumble of wheels had her swallowing back more unease.
Her brother bolted from the chair when the knock came. Fyre watched from her position as he opened it and found Lucien St. Martin on the other side.
Their meeting and the subsequent dinner could go well, or not even close.
Chapter Seven
“I like her.”
Phillip paused in his trek around the study to glance over at where his friend reclined against a chair, appearing as if he hadn’t a care in the world. From his fingers hung a glass of scotch. They were enjoying after dinner drinks. A dinner which hadn’t gone too badly, considering how much he’d wanted to kill his friend. And Fyre’s brother. And her sister in law.
“You like her?”
Lucien chuckled and sat up, claiming a sip before he nodded. “I do. She is feisty, stubborn, has a great sense of humor and I know she will, and is, keeping you on your toes.”
“Great sense of humor.”
“You, my friend, are sounding like a parrot. Yes. She had me laughing more than once at dinner.”
“You were flirting with her.”
Lucien shrugged and took another drink. “Was I?”
“Sod off.”
“Tell me you do not know more about her now than you did prior to this.”
That was true, but it didn’t resolve his friend from being such a flirt.
“Not that it matters,” Phillip groused. “But you also had to bring her brother?”
“That was a strategic move. This meal was because of me. I have no problem inviting a man who is supposed to protect her. Just because you were not allowed to kiss her is not my problem.”
Phillip started pacing again. “I have never kissed her.” Damn it. Just thinking about that pissed him off.
“There is the start of your problem then.” Lucien finished his drink and held out his glass.
Phillip filled his friend’s tumbler once more. Then he walked back and started once more on his around-the-room path.
“She is not even living with her brother now. She moved.” He tunneled his fingers through his hair.
“I know where she lives.”
Phillip strode to his friend. “Where?”
“If I tell you, what are you going to do?”
Run over there. Hold her. Kiss her. Get her to understand that there is something between us.
“What difference does it make?”
Lucien set his glass down and leaned back. “Sit down, Phillip.”
He recognized his friend’s tone and listened. Not that he wanted to. What he really wished to do was beat the information from his friend then go satisfy his need to see his woman.
“What?”
“You need to be careful how you tread here. Tell me you are aware of this.”
“Are you telling me you do not think she is good enough for me because she is not royalty like your wife?” The words were growled and dangerous.
“Not even close to what I am saying. This has nothing to do with her upbringing or her family line.”
“Then what?” He tossed back the remaining liquid in his crystal. “What am I missing?”
“A lot.”
He scowled at his friend. Lucien, however, didn’t even flinch under the stare.
“I have known you pretty much our entire lives, Phillip. These are not words I say lightly.”
There was a level of seriousness in Lucien’s tone that worried him. Phillip sat on his irritation and waited for his friend to continue.
“You know what went on with my wife and me.”
He nodded, ashamed he had been part of their issue when finding their happily ever after.
Lucien, as always, knew where his mind had gone. “You are family, Phillip. Ciara loves you like a brother. There is no need for you to continue to hold on to any guilt over that. We have forgiven you, you have to forgive yourself. It has been years.”
“Hard for me to just let it go like that. You are my best friend and I did nothing to help you win your woman. I did the opposite. I tried to sabotage it.”
“Let it go. This is important.”
Phillip tugged on his hair before dropping his head back. “What am I missing?”
“You know how we had you come here to help Trace.”
“Of course, that was what prompted me to buy this place. We had to rescue him and his woman.”
“An act that was not too long ago. There are still plenty here who have their opinion of where people not with our skin color should be. You cannot be obvious with your intentions if there is no plan to protect her. She would be in danger.”
Phillip covered his face with his hands and groaned in frustration and anger.
“I know this. It does not do a damn thing about making me want to stop offering her something safe.” And if he thought about it, he wanted her protected. This had become far more than just being obsessed with the woman. He wanted to keep her protected from the harm and evil in the world.
“And this is what Ciara has always seen in you, Phillip. She knew there was more to you than the side you enjoyed showing in London.”
“I have not been privy to any more discontent between the races. Not since that general was hauled off.”
“It is there, make no mistake. If it was not, that man would not be so concerned about his sister.”
Phillip sneered. “That man, and I use the term loosely, is trying to sell her. She is the one who did my books, he couldn’t handle it, but he thinks he has the right to tell me he will be working on them once more while he pawns her off on some lecherous bastard who wants nothing more than to bend her over the nearest table and take her innocence from her.”
“I heard you say it all earlier. Does not mean the situation has changed.” He smirked. “And I would wager my entire estate you would love to bend her over the table as well.”
Fuck yes!
“What the hell am I supposed to do then? I am trying to protect her!”
Lucien rose and walked to the window, where he looked out for a charged moment of silence.
“When I woke up in that cabin, I was at a loss to make sense of Ciara. Sure, she had saved me, but she was not anything like the women I associated with. Not even the women I kept.”
He pivoted back to Phillip. Waiting for his friend to speak on, Phillip just gestured with his hand when Lucien appeared lost in thought.
“It took a while.” Lucien gave a wry grin. “Far longer than it should have, for me to realize that she had no model I could follow. She had not been born in a society that tried to form her in a certain way. She had not been on the streets looking for a handout or a way to improve her station. Ciara had everything she wanted.”
Phillip nodded.
“And she was and had everything I wanted.”
“So I should give Fyre a rose?”
Lucien smiled.
“Best night of my life, my friend. I do not care that I sank to my knees before the woman I love more than anything in this world, before the members of society. All I had to offer her was me and my love.”
“I cannot say I am in love, Lucien.”
“You do not have to say it. It may not come to you for a while. I see it now, but until you are ready to accept it, what I see is of little consequence. My point is, your way of offering her protection may not be what she wants. Learn about her. Show her you do have the ability to listen and are not just falling back on your title to get what you want.”
