Enticing An Earl (Completed)

Part 2

Before George could lose herself in maudlin thoughts completely, she heard voices in the corridor outside library. The location of her library was a family secret as it was her designated space when visiting the Crawford house. Her mother was the only likely person who would come here to look for her and drag her back to the party. Her composure was gone and she was not sure that she had the patience to deal with her mother's dramatics.

The only possible hiding place in the room was the window seat. George rushed towards it before her mother could enter and spot her. She saw Lord Cooper enter with his mother on his heels from her hiding place and shuddered when she realized that she was trapped.

"Are you sure this is the room that the servant pointed at? There's on one here." Lord Cooper sneered as he read the titles on the books.

"Yes, she said that this room and Maximilian's bedroom are the only ones where the servants left burning candles for tonight. The rest of the rooms are dark and this does not look like a bedroom. I'll go and check the powder room, you can wait for her to turn up here. Even if she went to the gardens for some fresh air, she will retire to this room like she always does." Lady Cooper nodded at her only child and left the room in a hurry.

Lady Georgiana cursed her luck as it seemed that nothing would go the way she wanted it to. Lord Coopers presence in the library meant that he was missing from the ballroom and so was she. As far as the hawk eyed matrons of ton were concerned, they were together. If there was no announcement of engagement tomorrow, she would surely be ruined. On the other hand, if she revealed herself to the infuriating man, she would surely be raped. She weighted her options, which were not much.

George tried to think of a third option but her panic was making her daft. Her safe haven had been invaded by the enemy and she could do nothing about it. She turned towards the window in an effort to calm herself but the pressure on her chest would not ease. She opened the window as silently as she could while keeping an eye on Lord Cooper.

The cool air of the night cleared her head and George's panic was replaced with the anger at the whole situation. If the ogre was stupid enough to think that she would marry him under any circumstances then he was sadly mistaken. Poking her head out of the window, she tried to judge if she could survive a fall from such height. George saw the new hothouse that was built near the main house sometime ago and an idea began to form in her head. She would have to walk on the narrow ledge before she would actually reach her destination. The roof of the hothouse was near so many tall trees with their thick branches providing the perfectly safe way for her to climb down.

As George stepped on the window ledge she turned to check if Lord Cooper noticed her presence and was surprised to see him enjoying her latest Gothic romance novel. She started moving carefully and slowly, making sure she wouldn't slip. It was rather easy at first, but then the ledge started getting narrower. She was almost afraid that a fall was inevitable when she reached her destination. From up close, the jump looked farther then it had from the window and George considered her options. She could go back to the room from which she came or she could take her chances with a narrow ledge and hope that it doesn't end before another window.

George grimaced and decided that her first plan was the best one. All those years of climbing, running, riding and swimming were to prepare her fro this day. Taking a deep breath she braced herself, bending her knee, she jumped. She almost didn't make it. Her dress weighed more than her normal dress and it almost dragged her down before she reached the roof. The first words out of her mouth were curses that would make a sailor blush. She kept on berating herself as she pushed herself on the roof.

"This is why I'm against all such monstrosities! You pathetic blue beast of ruffles and bows, we have to escape. You are silk, behave like it. How can you weigh like dry cotton? Why did I let mama talk me into wearing you?"

George groaned as she reached the nearest tree. She realized that climbing down in her gown would be an impossibility and she would break her neck trying. Holding on to her composure, she started undoing her gown that two of her maids had helped her wear. After an eternity of curses and a few rips in her mother's favorite gown, it was finally off.

George was positive that she'll have to spend the rest of the party hiding in her carriage. It was one thing to take a gown like that off but putting it on will be a completely different problem. When she imagined how scandalized her parents would look when they find her in their carriage in her under garments, she could not stop the giggle that escaped her lips. Throwing her gown down the side of the building, she said a silent prayer. The way things were going tonight, she could possibly break her neck going down. She checked the first branch for sturdiness before placing all her weight on it.

What happened next was beyond her control, as the branch broke and she started gaining momentum on her way down. When people say that your whole life flashes in front of you before your death, they lie. All I could think of was that tomorrow servants will find my body and I'll be in my under garments. My mother will raise me again just so she can kill me and then she would kill her husband for spoiling their daughter.

Before Lady George could hit solid earth, she felt strong arms close around her. She refused to open her eyes,she could imagine that she was in devil's arms. Maybe this was his special welcome for hoydenish ladies. She should have paid attention to her mother's lectures on being a Lady. She could smell the sinful smell of satan's sweat and feel it on her skin through her thin undergarments.

While Lady George contemplated opening her eyes, the handsome stranger had a good look at his beautiful load. When he realized that she was half undressed, he drew the only conclusion any gentleman would regarding half dressed ladies.

"Are you, by any chance trying to catch a husband?"

"No, I'm trying to escape the bastard who's trying to catch a dowry." George answered sweetly as she opened her eyes to gave her rescuer a deadly glare. As soon as her eyes rested on her rescuer, she gasped.

Her rescuer was an angel with the biggest palest blue eyes she had ever seen and platinum blonde hair. The moonlight highlighted the sharpness of his jaw and made him look more a fallen angel.

Oh Dear God!