Read The American Earl for Free Online Page A

opened my mouth to reply but he wasn’t finished. “You may be upset that American ships were in the Channel, but your troops marched into Washington City - our country’s capital - and burned it to the ground!”
    I kept on glaring, furious that I couldn’t think of anything to say.  Then the fire in his eyes went out and he looked contrite.  “I’m sorry, Julia.  I’m sorry about your brother.  Believe me, I would much rather it was he who was responsible for Stoverton than I.”
    I nodded and mumbled something indistinguishable in reply. 
    Cousin Flora said hurriedly, “What does your wife think about all this, Evan?”
    “Not much, I’m afraid; I don’t have a wife. I haven’t been home long enough in the past few years to impress any girl.”
    I didn’t believe him for a minute. He was a stunning looking man. The girls must have been all over him.
    Cousin Flora’s eyes widened. “Perhaps you will meet a girl in England who will take your fancy.”
    She shot a quick look at me.
    Evan said, “I don’t think so, ma’am.”
    I didn’t think so either.  What girl in her right mind would want to go and live in America? 
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    The following morning, Mr. Shields, Evan and I sat around the library desk where I kept the estate’s accounts.  Evan was dressed casually in a riding jacket and trousers while I wore my usual house garb, an old blue wool dress that was both comfortable and warm.  Mr. Shields was by far the best-dressed person in the room. 
    Mr. Shields opened the meeting. “I didn’t get a chance to go over very much with you while you were in London, my lord, so I am afraid you will be unpleasantly surprised at what you are about to hear.”
    Evan said, “I’m sorry I was so short of time, but I was tied up with Mr. Adams, the American Minister. However, I’ve only to look around this house to guess that the earl didn’t leave much in the way of money.”
    “You guess correctly, my lord. Let me apprise you of the situation.”
    Mr. Shields began to talk. I knew most of what he was going to say, but it was news to Evan. He was looking stunned by the time Mr. Shields finished.
    He said, “Could no one have stopped my uncle from this destructive course?”
    “Once his agent left, he was able to keep the amount of his debts a secret. My firm knew he was in trouble, but we never suspected anything as bad as this.”
    Disbelief was stark on Evan’s face. “It’s almost inconceivable to me that one man could go through so much money.”
    He was sitting directly in the shaft of thin winter sunlight coming through the window and I noticed how his hair shone like spun silver.
    I still got a jolt when I looked at him, he was so like my Philip: the strong sculpted cheekbones, the straight nose, the firm mouth, the blue Marshall eyes. It was disconcerting, to say the least.
    I dragged my attention back to the conversation. Evan was saying, “To sum up, the estate account, which should support the earl and his family, is empty, and my uncle has left personal debts of half a million pounds.”
    “Yes, my lord,” Mr. Shields said. “I am sorry to break this news to you, but that is how your finances stand at the moment.”
    Evan turned to me, a thin line between his brows. “Julia, how have you been able to keep this house going if there were no funds available?”
    “Mr. Shields has been sending me a monthly allowance from what was left in my father’s personal account, which enabled me to pay for coal and groceries and give a salary to Mrs. Pierce, our cook, our maid, Lucy, and Toby, our groom. I was also able to buy hay and grain for the horses.”
    “Was there no one else in the Marshall family to come to your rescue? To take in you and Maria?”
    This was a delicate question. Ignoring Aunt Barbara’s offer, I said, “I’m afraid not. My father had borrowed from everyone, you see, and was exceedingly unpopular with the family.”
    His eyes narrowed. “Why