Earl of Billington and Miss Lyndon

Chapter 23

Ellie shakes her head. "We're not far from my house. I don't think it's hard to walk back while leading the horses. I'm sure my dad can find another transport so you can go home. Or we could send a courier to pick up a new horse carriage from Wycombe Abbey."

"I think it can be done," Charles murmured as he observed the broken chariot closer.

"Is something wrong, My Lord? reality other than we hit a big root and flipped over?"

"See this, Deliana." Charles reached out and touched the broken wheel of the carriage. "Not installed on the train."

"I think it's the result of an accident."

Charles tapped his finger at the body of the carriage while thinking. "No, it should still be installed. Broken, when we're upside down, but still attached to the shaft."

"Do you think the wheel just came off?"

"Yes," said Charles, pondering. "I thought so."

"But I know we just hit a tree root. L saw. I feel it."

"The char just triggers a wheel that is already loosely attached, to be easily detached."

Ellie bowed and followed the damage. "I think you might be right, My Lord. Look damage. His fingers were crushed by the weight of the carriage he was holding, but his wheels were still intact. I learned a little physics, but I think this wheel should have broken in half when we rolled. And... Oho! Looky!" He grabbed into his pocket and pulled a metal bolt.

"Where did you find this?"

"On the road. About on the hill. Must be loose and detached from the wheel."

Charles turned towards Ellie, his sudden movements making their noses close together. "I guess," said Charles quietly. "you're right."

Ellie flabbergasted. Charles was so close that Ellie could feel his breath, so close that Ellie not only heard it, but felt it.

"I should probably kiss you again."

Ellie wanted to say something-well, although she honestly didn't know what she wanted to say, but anyway, it didn't matter, because her vocal cords refused to make a sound. He just sat there, silent, while Charles slowly tilted his head and touched his lips to Ellie's lips.

"It's so sweet" Charles murmured, his words piercing Ellie's oral cavity.

"My Lord..."

"Charles," corrections Charles.

"We have to. this..." Ellie really couldn't think, all because of the tongue of a man who was gently stroking her lower lip.

Charles moved slowly and raised his head slightly. "What do you want to say?"

Ellie said nothing but her eyes.

"In that case, I may suppose that you want to ask me to continue." Charles' smile turned sly before he lifted Ellie's chin and slid Ellie's jaw with his lips.

"No!" ellie cried, suddenly waking up. "This is not what I meant at all."

"Didn't you?" Charles Goda.

"I wanted to say that we were in the middle of a public road, and..."

"And you're worried about your reputation" Charles finished Ellie's sentence.

"And your reputation, too, so you don't have to make me a shy woman."

"Oh, I don't intend to do that, honey."

"Good idea" replied Charles, standing up and extending his hand to Ellie. He accepted it and let Charles help him stand up, although he felt that the move hurt Charles enough. Every man has self-esteem, and Ellie feels that Wycombe's descendants have more than just self-esteem.

The journey back to the house of the servant priest took ten minutes. Ellie tries to talk about safe topics, literature, French food, and- although she really dislikes it because of the shallowness of these topics-the weather.

Charles looked a little amused throughout their conversation, as if he knew exactly what Ellie was doing. To make matters worse, her polite smile was just a touch of kindness, as if letting Ellie talk about rainstorms and such.

Ellie was not impressed by the haughty look on Charles's face, but in fact, she was impressed that Charles was able to maintain that expression while his path was limping, still rubbing his head, and sometimes clutching his ribs.

When the house came into view, Ellie turned to Charles and said, "My father is back."

Charles curled his eyebrows. "How did you know?"

"He lit a candle in his office, worked on his sermon."

"Have started working? But Sunday is long. I remember, my housekeeper just started doodling on a Saturday night. He used to come to Wycombe Abbey for inspiration."

"Oh, huh?" Ellie asked with a cheerful smile. "You think you can inspire? I didn't know you were a good boy."

"To be honest, quite the opposite. He loved to study me, and then to choose which of my sins would be suitable for the theme of his next Sermon."

"Yes, my gosh," replied Ellie, and her laugh exploded. "How can you hold him?"

"Worse than you think. He was also my Latin teacher and taught three times a week. He said that I was born in this world to torment him."

"Looks like it's not worth saying by a servant priest?"

Charles shrugged his shoulders. "He also likes liquor."

Ellie stuck out her hand to open the front door, but before her hand grabbed the doorknob, Charles held her arm. As Ellie looked up at him in confusion, Charles spoke in a soft voice, "Can I talk to you first before meeting your father?"

"Of course" replied Ellie as she moved away from the door.

"Do you still hold your word to marry me tomorrow?" Charles' lips stiffened when he spoke.

Suddenly Ellie felt dizzy. Charles, who has been demanding that Ellie keep her promise, appears to be making an offer to let Ellie go. Ellie could have cried, saying that she was suddenly frightened...

"Deliana" urged Charles.

Ellie gulped, thinking how boring her life had been lately. The idea of getting married to a stranger horrified her, but it was better than her boring life. It can be worse than boring. Life bored a lifetime plus the presence of Mrs. Foxglove. Whatever the earl--and Ellie's fault is, Ellie has a feeling that the mistake is not a little deep in her heart, Ellie knows that this man is not a bad man, what else is weak. He could find happiness with it.

Charles touched his shoulder, and Ellie nodded. Ellie thought she saw Charles's shoulders slightly curved in relief, but in an instant the mask of a dazzling young earl was again visible on her face.

"Are you ready to go in?" ask Ellie.

Charles nodded, and Ellie pushed open the front door and called out, "Papa?" after a moment of silence, Ellie said to Charles, "I'll go to the study and pick him up."

charles waited and soon Ellie was again followed by a fierce-looking man. His gray hair began to thin.

"Mrs. Foxglove had to go back to her house" Ellie said as she gave a secret smile towards Charles. "But let me introduce you to my father, Mr. Reverend. Lyndon. Papa, this is Charles Wycombe, Earl of Billington."

The two shook hands, silently judging each other. Charles felt the reverend looked rigid and disciplined to raise a princess with a spirit like Deliana. He can see it in the way of Mr. Lyndon looked at him, judging him as to whether he would be a proper daughter-in-law or not.

They greeted each other, sat down, and after Ellie left the room to prepare tea, the reverend turned to Charles and said, "Most men would agree fully on his daughter's marriage if her future son-in-law was an earl. I'm not that kind of guy."

"You don't think so, Mr. Lyndon. clearly Deliana has been raised by a man of solid character and morals." Charles only intended to calm the mood, but when he said it, Charles realized how true his sentence just now was. Not once did Deliana Lyndon show any behavior that she was bewitched by Charles's title or fortune. In fact, the woman was more interested in her own three hundred poudsterling money than Charles' abundant wealth.

The reverend advanced his body, his eyes narrowing as if figuring out the truth behind the earl's words. "I won't stand in the way of this marriage" she said softly. "I've done it before, with my eldest daughter, and the consequences are bad. But let me tell you, if you treat Deliana badly, then I'll curse you with all the curse words I can say."