Treating a Sinful Earl by Henrietta Harding
Chapter 6
Catherine felt utterly bereft of words as she watched Jasper confidently conversing with her friends. How was it that she thought of him so frequently, and now, when she was in his presence, she was as quiet as a mouse? If only she were more like Abigail. Then, she could be the one to speak wittily and play hard to get. No, Simmons did not seem like the kind of man that cared for such things. He was so open and genuine. She continued to listen as he spoke.
“What pains me most about society is the artifice. Why must one pretend to be something that they are not? I suppose that I was raised to believe that such great pains were unnecessary. Life should be simple, in my estimation,” Simmons said.
“Nothing is simple,” Mr Andrews assured him. “If life were simple, then there would be no excitement.”
Abigail added, “I see that you like a good challenge, Mr Andrews.”
“Please, call me Fenton.”
Catherine had to conceal a laugh. This was Mr Andrews flirting with Abigail! And of course, he was flirting with her. Abigail was open and gregarious, everything that Catherine was not. At least, not on this occasion.
Selina nudged Catherine. “Perhaps you and the Earl should dance,” she said in a whisper.
“I could not possibly,” Catherine whispered back.
“Why not?”
“Because I am sure that I shall stumble.”
This little quiet discussion did not go unnoticed by Simmons, who said, “Is there something amiss?”
“No, no,” Selina assured him. “We were just speaking of how stifling it is in this ballroom. I think that the chaperones have fled our presence due to the heat!”
Looking all around, Catherine thought that Selina might be right on that occasion. Their chaperones were nowhere in sight.
Simmons suggested, “Would you care to step out onto the veranda? I am sure that the air is more agreeable.”
Catherine felt her heart race in her chest. Yes, she very much wished to step outside with the Earl, but she could not go without her chaperone. “Come along,” Selina said, encircling her arm through Catherine’s. “We shall go together.”
“Felton and I shall dance,” Abigail proclaimed. “But the three of you can depart.”
Catherine gave one last glance towards Abigail, who looked at Mr Andrews with fondness in her eyes. They departed for the veranda, which was on the other side of the ballroom, and once they stepped out, Catherine closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air as though it were an elixir.
They crossed the veranda and placed their hands upon the balustrade, looking out upon the Duke of Brighton’s estate. It truly was remarkable how much land the Duke owned. Catherine could not help but remark upon it. “Such splendour. The duchess must be so happy here.”
Simmons replied, “Do you like it? Does it impress you?”
Catherine found this question odd. “It does not impress me in the sense that the Duke has wealth. It is the beauty of it all. But I surmise it takes a considerable amount of wealth to sustain such beauty.”
“That it does. Have you considered my offer? Regarding visiting my estate?”
Selina cleared her throat. “If you two do not mind, there is a marvellous sculpture yonder that I wish to view. I shall return shortly.”
Catherine took this as a hint that Selina wanted her to be alone with the Earl! Oh, her friend could be so vexing at times. Still, Catherine was grateful for the privacy.
“I have considered your offer, Simmons, and I would be most happy to attend.”
A smile came to his lips. “That would please me much. Seeing how impressed you are by this estate, I hope that my own does not disappoint.”
Oh, but there were terrible butterflies in Catherine’s stomach! Did the Earl wish to impress her? Surely, he would not have to do a thing because he already impressed her, just the way that he was.
“I am sure that it shall not disappoint. The home that I live in is rather quaint and simple. Everything seems to impress me.”
“Good, then I shall not be apprehensive about it,” he replied humorously. “And I am sure that the Dowager Countess would be pleased to meet you.”
“I should very much like to meet her.”
Except that Catherine would be a ball of nerves on that occasion. Not only did she have mounting feelings for Simmons, but the prospect of meeting his mother was even more overwhelming. Still, she very much wished to see where he lived and to be more familiar with him, in any way that she could.
“There is sweat clinging to your brow once more,” Catherine said with concern in her voice.
Simmons pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away the moisture from his forehead. There was a curious expression on his face as though he were worried about something. “Do not pay it any thought. It was rather stifling in the ballroom.”
“That it was. I am glad that we escaped onto the veranda. The temperature is so much more agreeable out here, just as you said.”
Catherine froze as she realized that Selina was nowhere in sight, and she and the Earl were entirely alone with one another. Oh, if her chaperone found out, Catherine would be in a world of trouble. Still, something instructed her that she was entirely safe in the Earl’s company and that there was nothing to fear.
She heaved a sigh, gazing out at the expansive lawn once more. The moon was rising, and a few stars were showing in the sky. In her estimation, it was a perfect evening, particularly with Simmons by her side.
She looked up at him and laughed, despite herself. “You are so very tall that it pains my neck to look at you!”
Instead of laughing, Simmons seemed concerned about this. “It frightens you.”
“Not in the slightest. It is merely humorous, the difference in size.”
Finally, the Earl was able to smile. “It is rather humorous. When I first beheld you, I feared that you might find me intimidating in some way.”
“I do not find you intimidating,” she said warmly. “Just the opposite, in fact.”
Simmons swallowed down hard as he gazed into her eyes, as though he were moved by the sentiment. For Catherine, she had merely spoken the truth. She had expected the Earl to be intimidating because of his handsomeness and his prowess, but his presence was one of the most calming that she had ever known. Oh, but Catherine was getting ahead of herself! It was best to not think of such things, as she feared that she might think of Simmons constantly and she did not know what his feelings were.
“Here, I have attended a ball and I am not even dancing,” Simmons said, gazing back towards the ballroom.
“Do you wish to return inside? I am sure that there are many who wish to dance with you.”
He shook his head. “There is no one that I wish to dance with, unless…you would be agreeable to it.”
Catherine froze. It was the moment that she feared. She wished for nothing more than to dance with the Earl, but she feared that her knees would go weak, and she would make a fool of herself. “I am a horrid dancer. I have expressed as much.”
“Then we can be horrid together. I do not care for it myself.”
“But you danced so elegantly with Selina,” Catherine protested. “Surely, you are a much more accomplished dancer than you think.”
“You are being kind. I have many accomplishments in this life and being a capital dancer is not one of them. Perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else?” he quipped.
“No, it was you. I am sure of it.”
Catherine was sure of it because she could not take her eyes off of him as he moved. It was uncommon to see a man so large and tall with such grace. Simmons seemed like the sort of fellow that was rather hard on himself. Catherine understood this well, for she was hard on herself often.
“It is perfectly all right if you do not wish to dance. We can attempt it on another occasion,” he assured her.
“Do you think that you will attend more balls? Oh, I am doing the best that I can to be out in society more. I wish to be more like Abigail.”
Simmons’ face fell. “You should not seek to be anyone but yourself. You are perfect, Catherine.”
Simmons was impossibly close, and Catherine felt a flush come to her cheek. Was he going to kiss her? From the look in his eyes, it seemed as though he was about to do it! He then grasped the balustrade tightly and closed his eyes.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“I became faint. Give me one moment to recover.”
Instinct took hold and Catherine placed a hand upon Simmons’ broad back. “Was it the heat?”
“No, it was not,” he assured her.
“Let me fetch you a glass of water,” Catherine said, departing with haste and running into the ballroom to the refreshments stands. She quickly secured the water and returned to the veranda where Simmons was standing in much the same position. She handed him the glass with deep concern written upon her face. “This may help.”
He took a sip of the water, and Catherine could see that his hand was unsteady. She desperately wished to know what happened, but Simmons was not saying a word. Finally, once half of the glass of water was gone, he said, “That helped considerably. I thank you.”
“I am glad to hear it. You gave me such a fright.”
“It is…common for this to happen. Do not allow it to frighten you.”
It was common? What was Simmons referring to?
“Why does it happen?” Catherine asked.
He cleared his throat and finally opened his eyes, turning those blue orbs upon her. “It is rather difficult to explain Catherine. Perhaps another time…I can reveal it to you.”
From the gravity in his voice, she knew for certain that it was something serious. Catherine could not banish the fear from her breast, and although she wished to know instantly what had gone wrong, she sensed that it was something that Simmons did not wish to speak of.
“Very well,” she said softly. “I am merely happy that you have recovered.”
“As am I.”
Catherine could not help but think of what Selina had described when she and Simmons had finished their dance. Was this the same occurrence?
Catherine explained, “When I fell faint, there is a certain remedy that I use from my garden. A tincture that I have fashioned.”
“A tincture?” Simmons asked, brows raised.
“Indeed. There are a number of tinctures that I make from the garden. You would not believe the healing power of nature. If there is something that is hurting you, please ask me for help. I know many things.”
This was something that she had not yet revealed to Simmons, and Catherine beheld the curiosity in his expression. “I fear that no tincture can banish this affliction. But I would like to know more about your medicines. I am rather impressed that you know so much.”
“I have been studying it for some time. I do keep to myself for the most part, and I love nature. There is ample opportunity to explore and learn.”
Finally, Simmons was able to smile. “I am more than intrigued. You are a fascinating lady, Catherine.”
“I would not call myself fascinating!” Catherine protested. “I merely have certain interests and I am allowed to pursue them.”
“As I said…fascinating.”