Page 32 of Discovering Her Earl

He’d even gotten some in his mouth.

“I enjoyed it immensely, Ben. Who would have known toying around in the dirt could be so exciting? I’m sure it would be even more so if we’d found something, but still, I’m already looking forward to going back tomorrow.”

To spending the day with Miss Bantham again. To making her smile and laugh with his antics.

His own smile dimmed slightly. Would he be starting over anew the next day? It seemed any time she was given more than two minutes alone, she came back to him with that sour look of displeasure on her face and icy dislike of him.

“And Miss Bantham?” Ben asked.

“What of her?” Julian stalled and cleared the smile from his face. It wouldn’t do for Ben to know he favored the woman. Julian recalled the time he’d had a crush on the coachman’s daughter. He’d only been twelve and Ben had deviled him terribly.

“Did you win her over? While she was clearly enchanted by me, she didn’t seem to care for you overmuch. What did you do during your travels?”

“You know very well I didn’t do anything of that sort.”

“I do know you only dally with consenting, experienced women. But that doesn’t absolve you from doing something else she may not have found amusing.”

“You mean to say I am not as charming as I think I am?” Julian splashed water at the man.

“I’m saying sometimes people of substance are not so easily charmed. They need more than just a flashy smile and bit of wit.”

“You know damned well, it’s more than just a bit.” Julian smirked at his valet who rolled his eyes, proving his earlier comment to have some merit.

Ben saw the real man behind Julian’s façade. Perhaps Miss Bantham did as well?

When he was clean once again, Ben helped him into his clothes and he paused only a moment before heading down to dinner.

Would he be dining alone? Or would Miss Bantham forgo eating in her room to join him?

After spending many evenings locked in his room as a boy because he’d dissatisfied his father, Julian preferred to eat anywhere but in his room. And he preferred to have people around him.

But as he descended the stairs toward the foyer, he realized he wouldn’t suffer from a lack of people.

The Leightons had arrived.

While he was not unhappy to see them, he was disappointed that he would have to share Miss Bantham. No more intimate dirt battles and laughter. He couldn’t imagine the older couple would appreciate such a thing.

A wave of irritation came over him as he took in the happy greetings below.

He wanted Miss Bantham to himself.

He wanted her to be his alone.

The thought was utterly ridiculous.

Chapter Eleven

When Miss Bantham hugged the older couple in greeting, Julian wondered what it might feel like to be embraced by her. She was rather tall and sturdy. He imagined she would give a proper hug when given the opportunity with a partner she cared for.

“Gregory, Minerva, please allow me to introduce Lord Melville. He is trying his hand at archeology.”

“Yes, we met at the Expedition Ball. It is a pleasure to see you again, my lord.”

“The pleasure is mine. And I welcome you to Dalkeith Castle. I hope I will not hinder your enjoyment of the dig. I am new at it, but I have hope this smaller expedition allows me the opportunity to join the larger journey to Egypt when they leave in December,” he added and saw Miss Bantham frown. The woman gave away nothing. It was maddening.

“It is all just a bunch of mucking around in the dirt. I daresay, there isn’t a wrong way to do it,” Mr. Leighton said with a hearty clap to Julian’s shoulder.

Julian exchanged a quick look with Miss Bantham and saw her clear disagreement with the man’s assumption. Even after only one day in the field he knew there was a proper way to muck about in the dirt as it were.