Page 89 of Discovering Her Earl

He felt.

He cared deeply for his friends. He’d felt a glow of warmth in his chest the first time he’d held Baby Verona. It had been the easiest thing to echo her parents’ love and want the best life had to offer on her behalf.

He’d nearly had one of his attacks when Hale had asked Julian to be his daughter’s godfather. It seemed a terribly difficult thing. But as he considered—for the three and half minutes it had taken him to reply—he knew he would see to her happiness. The rest of it would be dealt with, but he felt he had the most essential piece worked out already. Love.

So, he’d said yes. And then evoked a promise from the man that he would take care with his life so Julian wouldn’t be called upon to take over.

That night Julian had wondered what had been wrong with his own father. For if it was so easily done to love a child, even one not of his blood, why couldn’t his father have loved him?

Shaking away the maudlin thoughts and unanswerable questions, Julian pressed a kiss to Lainey’s knuckles.

“Thank you, Lainey.”

“You may not want to thank me yet. I have a bit of work lined up for you today.” She offered her saucy grin he so much enjoyed when they were alone.

He appreciated the way she knew when to push him, and when to let the mood lighten.

“I am your humble servant. Please show me what heinous task you have set out for me.”

She giggled evilly and rubbed her palms together in a sinister way, which made him laugh.

It was at that moment he admitted to himself that he was in love with Elaina Bantham.

“Please hold this lantern while I collect a sample of this engraving,” she said while handing him the light. As if he would complain that holding a lantern was too lowly a job for an earl. She must know him better than that by now.

“Closer,” she said, her breath caressing his ear because they were already quite close.

“I’m not sure how much closer you wish me to get, but if we don’t stop now, I can’t speak as to what might happen in this empty tomb with all the pharaoh’s creatures watching us.” He nodded toward the drawings of sphynx and gods in the form of dogs.

“Very well. Hold the light closer and allow me to finish this, so we will be free to sneak off later.”

“Of course.” He shifted so he could both hold the light closer as she’d requested, but also hold an edge of the paper she was using to create the rub.

It seemed an odd moment for an earl to be standing there in an ancient tomb thousands of miles from England so close to an untitled woman wearing men’s breeches so he could do something so mundane as hold the light closer so she could work.

He absolutely loved every moment.

Julian had become quite comfortable with his tasks on the dig. He knew the most efficient way to use each tool and what each was called. But most importantly, he felt like he belonged.

He wasn’t the least bit disappointed that they hadn’t found many artifacts to uncover. The region had been ravaged for years, decades, and centuries. It was rare to find anything of extreme value. The occasional piece of pottery or painted stone. Ben had been elated to find some scraps of fabric and Elaina had even found a bone. But no golden statue or sarcophagus had been uncovered.

He wasn’t surprised to realize he didn’t care if he found anything or not. It was about the adventure of being here rather than discovering great riches.

After all, riches were measured differently for everyone and as he held the light and watched Elaina focus on her task so intently her tongue peeked out in concentration, he knew she was the greatest treasure of all.

And one he wouldn’t be allowed to keep for himself. No matter how much he might want to.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Elaina often found herself smiling for no reason.

Actually, there was a reason, and that reason was lying next to her asleep. Soon, she would need to slip from his bed to sneak through the darkness back to her own tent.

What it must feel like to wake up in his arms. To share that intimate moment of watching as he shifted from sleep to awareness. To earn his first smile of the day. But for the duration of their time together, they would be banished to a few sparse hours of the night.

But from the time she woke until she slipped from his bed, she was happy.

Their mornings were filled with happy greetings over breakfast before starting their task for the day. Julian had become more attentive since her fall, but she didn’t mind in the least.