The Seductress' Marriage Ploy

34. House Party

Bolwick castle, Essex.
1830.

COLE LIFTED THE KNOCKER and knocked on the front door of lady Durford's estate. As he waited patiently, he couldn't help but feel something close to panic.

How long has it been since he last attended a social function? Five years? Six years? Eight years? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that at one point he had stopped attending social functions.

The moment London mamas and the ton's host realised that he won't bother to grace their balls with his presence, they stopped sending him cards and eventually, no one sent him invitations.

The door swung open and an old butler stepped out of the house. He closed the door and looked at Cole with a stiff expression. "How may I be of service, my lord?"

Cole raised his chin and stared at the butler. "There happen to be a house party going on here, and I wish to be of attendance.

The butler frowned.  "I'm afraid but that's not possible my Lord. you see the mistress had asked me not to open the door for anyone who isn't invited.

"Mayhap, it might interest your mistress once she knows who is at the door," Cole said and offered his card the butler.

Cole might not be a duke, but he was an earl, one that was popular among the ton. After all, how many lords could claim to have come into their title at a young age of one and four? Not many.

Allowing Cole entry into lady Durford's house party would ensure the success of her party. Then, she could boast to all her friends and tell them that the lone earl the one who had not stepped foot in any social function for over six years had graced her house party with his presence. Then everybody will wonder why and then her parties would be termed a success her invitations highly coveted.

Cole knew the moment the butler had decided. His hands tighten around his card and his eyes widen in recognition.

Then he stepped aside and allowed Cole entry into the house.

Cole took a huge breath and tried to calm his racing heart as he prepared himself for what he knew was about to come. the stares, the whispers, the questions.

The earl of Tonfield. the butler announced.

Following the butler's announcement the room before Cole fell into an unearthly silence. He stepped inside with a racing heart and felt so many eyes on him all at once.

He was unfortunate to have arrived when they were supping. Everyone was here. at least everyone that was invited to the blasted house party.

Cole felt panic rise, and turn his senses into mush, freezing his muscles and rooting him to his spot.

Then the whispers started. Cole didn't think he could take it anymore. He could see their eyes calculating, trying to know why he was there.

Some stared at him with wide-eyed curiosity while others stared at Julia then at Cole trying to connect the two dots.

It was a known fact to the ton that their engagement had been called off and Everyone believed that the engagement had been called off by Julia, so seeing Cole here, now in the dining room raised an unspoken question. What was he doing here? Had he realised the error in his ways? Or perhaps had he come to beg at the foot of lady Julia. nobody knew what was going on in Cole's mind. Only Cole knew.

Cole scanned the occupants of the table until his eyes rested on Julia. She too had a curious look to her face. she sat there and blatantly stared at him. without even knowing it, Cole's lips broke into a smile and the tension in his body slowly eased away.

Like everyone in the room, she wanted to know why he was here. Cole grinned at the thought of dangling the information in front of her until she screamed with annoyance.

Cole straightens his coat and flashed a smile. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Perhaps he could forgive Sebastian for forcing him to be here.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw lady Durford stand and match over to him.

Maxine's lips curved up into a smile as she made her way over to the Earl of Tonfield. She couldn't stop herself from grinning. surely the presence of the Earl of Tonfield would mark her party as a success. After all, she had achieved what others couldn't. She knew that her friends would regal her with questions. How the earl had come to appear in her house party, but she shall not tell them a thing, because she herself didn't know how he came to be at her party.

Maxine reached Cole and tucked her arm under his. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here my lord."

Cole looked down at her and grinned. "Even I, am surprised."

Cole allowed himself to be led by the beautiful woman by his side and soon they were making room for him so that another chair might be placed and he could seat beside the duchess.

"Please do eat my lord, you must be hungry," Maxine said.

Cole smiled and nodded his agreement. Then he tore his eyes from the beautiful woman and scanned the table. And as he thought, Wychfort was there. The reason he was at the party in the first place.

Cole turned his head to answer lady Durford because he had felt her tug at his arm, but he couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching him.

He turned his head again and saw no other than Ophelia Cavendish staring at him. lady Ophelia wasn't privy to the things that he and her daughter had been scheming or that the engagement had been a farce. After all, she wasn't the one he had asked for an audience with. The person he met was Julia's, cousin. but looking at the woman now, he couldn't help but feel like she knew more than she let on.

Ophelia opened her mouth and asked the questions everybody had been dying to hear the answers to.  "Whatever made you join us in the society again my lord, after all, it is not every day that a bird leaves its nest. should we be expecting your presence in the near future?"

Cole opened his mouth and answered them. "Perhaps yes, perhaps no, but I have decided not to make myself scarce again."

Cole heard gasped from different angles of the table and delighted himself with the idea that perhaps he had shocked them once more.

He didn't entirely lie to them. In fact, ever since he sat down on the bloody table for dinner he had been thinking about it.

The dinner wasn't so bad. He was even enjoying himself. he liked the idea that he could be able to shock them anytime he wanted.

Plus that he was sitting beside a beautiful woman. He had thought Julia was gorgeous when he had first seen her, but the woman sitting beside him here was enchanting, and he couldn't help but steal glances from her every two minutes. And she was a widow. A fact she hadn't hesitated to tell him.