How to Wed an Earl by Ivory Lei Page A

lips, silencing her.
    He slid his finger from her lips and softly traced her cheek then cupped her chin, forcing her to keep her gaze on his.
    “I’ll forgive you,” he murmured, “on one condition.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip.
    The touch made her shudder with anticipation. “What condition?” she whispered.
    His eyes gleamed wickedly. “I’ll forgive you only if you’ll have lunch with me.”
    She stared at her fiancé, took in the invitation in his eyes and considered the basket of food on the ground. With the failure of her little creditor scheme, she might not have another chance to be with him again.
    She nodded in agreement.

Chapter Seven
    She sat on the blanket beside Lucas, sipping some wine while her mind reeled from the shock of the day’s events. She put the wineglass down and buried her face in her hands to stop the world from spinning. She’d always tried to do the right thing by people, and now she seemed to be making mistakes left and right. Her family could lose their home because of her ruse. And she had very nearly killed an earl.
    “Would you like to tell me about it?”
    The question shook her out of her daze. Lucas appeared so calm sitting beside her, casually eating bread and cheese. Who would have thought he would look even more powerful when bared from the waist up?
    She watched his mouth as he chewed, fascinated by how masculine he was, how he would be in control of any situation thrust upon him. It was evident even with the way he ate — there was purpose in his every bite, no action was wasted.
    “We lost, Lucas,” she finally made herself say. “Mr. Henson visited today and demanded his money. He’ll be back in a few days to take over Highfield Manor.”
    “I thought you said our engagement would convince him to give your family an extension.”
    She gave a shaky laugh. “I thought so, too. It didn’t work.” She let out an anguished moan. “I don’t know why I thought I could convince him. I failed, like I failed at convincing my uncle to let us stay at Maitland Hall when Father died.”
    “Calm yourself. You’re getting overwrought.”
    “
Overwrought?
” she burst out. “I am more than overwrought, my lord. I’m one second away from losing my breakfast!”
    He reached out and his large hand took hold of hers. His strength had a comforting effect. “Tell me what happened at the meeting with Henson.”
    She told him everything. He appeared calm until she got to the part about Henson’s suggestion of using Sarah as a bargaining tool.
    “The bastard!” he growled. He let go of her hand and started to get up. “I’ll kill him.”
    “No!” She grabbed his fingers and pulled him back down. “You are not going to kill anyone. Really, is that the male answer to everything?”
    One raven brow rose in challenge. “You think he doesn’t deserve it for attempting to blackmail you into whoring out a child?”
    She clung to him. His comment made an idea take root in her mind. It was going to be risky, but at this point, they had nothing to lose. If she were very careful in the execution of her plan, it might even work. It was so simple; Penelope didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before.
    She grinned. “Of course he deserves it! Lucas, you’re a genius.”
    He tucked an errant lock behind her ear. “I know.” He got up. “So, where does this Henson live? I’m going to teach him a lesson about taking advantage of distraught women.”
    She got up, too. “You are not going anywhere near him. He’s dangerous.”
    “You cannot stop me, nymph.” He took a step toward the house.
    She held his arm again before he could progress further. “Listen to me, Lucas. I know for a fact Mr. Henson has killed at least two men on the dueling field. Will you stop being angry for one minute and think, instead of acting like — ”
    His eyes turned as chilly as midnight. “Like Raving Ravenstone?”
    She grabbed his other arm and shook him. “You will never