The Earl That Overruled My Destiny

by Hanna Hamilton

  She felt as though the Lord might disappear entirely if she breathed too hard. The fronds swept between them in streams of green leaves. Gwendoline felt as though she’d stepped into a fairy ring. Time had frozen, and all that mattered in the world was the lord who stood across from her.

  “My parents and the staff will be wondrously wroth with you if they discover your presence. A Farraday on a Lockwood estate.”

  Lord Caspian flashed his brilliant, white teeth. “It would be scandalous, indeed. I’m certain your father especially would be upset, and yet here I am.”

  “So you are.”

  And when Gwendoline stepped closer, he didn’t disappear. The willow swept between them, keeping her half hidden in the darkness. But feeling bold, she stepped forward and drew close to him. “I’m glad to see you, My Lord.”

  And she waited for his response. Why had he come here? And was she right to trust him? So many questions swept through Gwendoline’s head that she was nearly unsteady with them all buzzing about.

  But the Lord was here, for better or worse, and while she ought to flee, shouting, and wake the household, she didn’t. She’d found her adventure, and whatever the young Lord Caspian’s motivations, she was determined to see it to the end.

  Chapter 12

  When Lady Gwendoline came from the darkness, Caspian felt at first as though she’d come from the trees and flowers. Her riding habit was deep green and embroidered with delicate swirls and flowers. In the night, her face was pale and luminous, like the moon, and her eyes were dark, shining pools. The woman’s hair was a little disheveled and slightly flat on one side, which was expected since he’d awakened her from bed. But somehow, the disheveled lady looked even more enticing than the polished one.

  “How did you come to be here?” Lady Gwendoline asked.

  “I rode. My horse is a few meters away. As much as I enjoyed the thought of coming to you that way, I felt like bringing a horse beneath your window might draw a little too much attention. She’s my favorite horse. Good and dependable. But she’s also white and quite noticeable.”

  “I’m sure you looked very dashing as you rode her,” Lady Gwendoline replied.

  “I would look dashing atop any horse,” Caspian replied. “That is the gift of handsome men.”

  “So I have heard. But why are you here? You clearly planned this.”

  “I did. I’ll admit that I learned a little more about my Aunt Helena, and what I discovered was of such importance that I couldn’t bear to wait to tell you.”

  Lady Gwendoline’s face lit up. “What is it?” she asked.

  Caspian reached beneath his shirt and drew out the shiny, gold locket. He carefully unlatched the delicate chain and held the locket between them, like a symbol of something he scarcely understood. But Lady Gwendoline’s reaction was instantaneous. “It can’t be,” she whispered.

  She nearly ripped the locket from his hands, her thumbs tracing over the gold locket. “You—where on Earth did you get this from?”

  Caspian smiled to himself. He’d anticipated a reaction like this. Because the locket, clearly an object of great value and expense, was unfamiliar to him, he suspected that it must have come from another place. Another family, perhaps. And it made sense for it to be Lady Gwendoline’s.

  “I saw my mother going into Aunt Helena’s room. I imagine it’s much like your uncle’s room—seldom visited. But my curiosity was piqued, as you can imagine. I followed her and watched as she put an item in a box, so I waited until she left. And once she was gone, I went to investigate. In the box, there was just this locket. Nothing else.”

  Lady Gwendoline caressed the locket nearly reverently. “I have seen this only in portraits. It was my grandmother’s locket. On my father’s side. The Lockwood side. We thought it was lost, but this…this looks to be it.”

  She turned over the locket and caressed the symbol of a rose etched onto the back. The Newhost sigil, as they both knew.

  “Open it,” Caspian said quietly.

  Lady Gwendoline opened the locket and drew in a sharp breath, just as Caspian had when he first opened it. Inside, there were two locks of hair. One was sleek and as dark as night. The other was a pale wisp of blond.

  “Your aunt Helena…” she trailed off.

  “Was fair-haired,” Caspian said quietly. “Yes. And if I’m correct, your uncle Charles had dark hair, like yours. Didn’t he?”

  “He did.”

  Lady Gwendoline nodded and gently stroked the dark lock of hair. “I can’t believe it. He must have given it to her. This is a priceless heirloom, and for him to just offer it to her, he must have really loved her.”

  “Yes. It’s really quite amazing how much they loved one another. They must have cared so deeply about one another to have gone through such great lengths to be together. I don’t think they would have let anything come between them. They were a match made in heaven. It’s so unfortunate that they ended as they did.”

  Lady Gwendoline watched him, the dreamy look that crossed his green eyes and the hint of a smile on his face. Caspian paused in speaking, and for a second, she stared back. Her dark eyes met his, and his breath gave an embarrassing twitch. Abruptly, the Lady averted her gaze, as if she realized she was staring and was ashamed at being caught. Her lashes were thick and dark, and Caspian found that he fixated upon them.

  Perhaps it was the secretive nature of their meeting. Or maybe it was Lady Gwendoline herself. Or his desire to see an end to the exhaustive feud between their families.

  But she is stunning. And brave.

  “I think it’s too soon for us to approach our parents with this,” Lady Gwendoline said. “They have hated one another for decades, and I don’t imagine that they’ll be eager to abandon the feud. Not until we have more evidence, at least. Thus far, we know that my uncle and Lady Helena were in love, but we don’t know what happened to them or where they were.”

  “Agreed,” Caspian replied. “My father isn’t a particularly caring man, as is. I don’t envision him simply forgetting this all because we ask.”

  Lady Gwendoline nodded and dropped the locket back in his hand. “Thank you,” she said, “for everything.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to keep this?” Caspian asked.

  She shook her head. “Not now. It was given to your aunt Helena, after all. It seems as though it ought to belong to you, at least until we can settle this whole matter. If I kept it and my parents learned of it, they’d ask questions I couldn’t answer.”

  “I suppose that’s fair. You couldn’t simply manifest a long-lost heirloom without raising suspicion,” Caspian agreed.

  Lady Gwendoline nodded. Her eyes lingered on the locket, and she put her hands behind her back, as if she feared that she might seize the locket uncontrollably. And as Caspian tucked the item into his pocket, he felt as though the locket really did belong more to Lady Gwendoline than to him.

  “Right.” Lady Gwendoline flashed him a brilliant smile and bobbed her head slightly in respect. “Thank you for sharing this with me. I know it must have been difficult to trust me with this, considering how my family has treated yours over the years.”

  “Think nothing of it,” Caspian said quietly. “It was the right thing to do.”

  Lady Gwendoline nodded. “I should bid you a good night,” she said. “I know you took great risks to come here, and I’m sure you’re eager to leave.”

  Perhaps he ought to be eager to leave, but as he gazed at Lady Gwendoline, thoughts of leaving seemed utterly absurd. How could anyone, man or woman, even consider abandoning such a lovely creature, standing there in the darkness of night?

  “Why bid me a good night?” Caspian asked. “Since I’m here, I should make it worth your while, oughtn’t I?”

  “Worth my while?”

  Caspian offered his hand. Lady Gwendoline’s eyes darted to his face, searching. “Since you’re already here,” he replied, “It seems as though I ought to provide you with an adventure, at least
.”

  “An adventure?”

  “Did you think I’d sneak onto the estate simply to ask you to look at a locket?” Caspian asked. “No, my intentions weren’t nearly so selfless.”

  The Lady’s brow furrowed, and Caspian smiled reassuringly. “What did you have in mind?” Lady Gwendoline asked, drawing herself up.

  Caspian suspected that she meant to look more intimidating, but that was difficult for the lady because she was so much smaller than him.

  “I thought a midnight ride might be agreeable. I do have my mare waiting, after all,” Caspian said.

  The lady hesitated and bit her lip. Her dark eyes darted about the estate, as if she expected her father or one of the staff to burst from behind the tree or the hedges at any moment. “We ought not,” she murmured.

  “We ought not even speak to one another,” Caspian pointed out. “I mean you no harm, My Lady. I merely want to take you upon a ride in the moonlight.”

  “But why?” she uttered.

  For so many reasons. Many of them irrational. How could Caspian even hope to explain that she, the spawn of his family’s greatest enemy, suddenly inspired feelings inside him? The unexplainable feelings of fondness and affection. Feelings of amazement and desire. And although Caspian would never dream of doing anything untoward to Lady Gwendoline, he couldn’t deny that his breath caught when he looked her over. She was beautiful. Even a blind man would notice that.

  “Should we not begin to trust one another if we hope to build an alliance?” Caspian asked.

  It was partly the truth. Caspian knew that if he and Gwendoline were to become allies and end the feud between their families, they ought to begin building trust between one another. But if Caspian was being honest with himself, he would admit that he genuinely wanted to spend just a little more time with Lady Gwendoline.

  “I suppose,” Lady Gwendoline said, hesitantly.

  Caspian offered his hand, more insistently. Lady Gwendoline hesitated, but slowly and with a shy look, she placed her hand in his. Lady Gwendoline’s palm was as warm and soft as she remembered, like touching a length of expensive silk. With a small smile to himself, Caspian kept his hand curled around hers and coaxed her away from the shadows cast by the estate.

  “Just a short ride,” Caspian assured her. “I promise.”

  “That’s fine,” Lady Gwendoline said softly.

  Caspian felt like a man enchanted as he looked at her. It was a bit like being under some powerful, pleasant spell. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Lady Gwendoline, and he didn’t want to either. They walked together across the estate grounds, accompanied by the calls of owls and the whispers of the wind.

  “Do you do this sort of thing often?” Lady Gwendoline asked.

  “No,” Caspian replied. “Very rarely.”

  He led the lady to his waiting mare, her coat luminous in the night. As Lady Gwendoline approached, Caspian offered his hand to help her onto the horse. With an amused smile, Lady Gwendoline placed her foot into the stirrup. She put her hands on the saddle and effortlessly pulled herself onto the mare’s back. Once seated, she offered Caspian a sly smirk. “What would you do if I rode away with your horse?” she asked.

  “I imagine I’d fall onto my knees and cry in despair,” Caspian replied. “So I beg you, my fair Lady Gwendoline, do not flee with my horse.”

  The lady’s laugh was like the twinkling of bells. With a grin, Caspian pulled himself into the saddle before her. Lady Gwendoline wrapped her arms around his waist, and a curious thrill jolted up the lord’s spine. He nudged his horse’s ribs and coaxed the mare into a trot.

  He and Gwendoline rode through the night, and slowly, he felt the lady relax against his back. “Where are you taking me?” she asked.

  “To a place I have found,” Caspian replied. “I think you’ll find it quite agreeable.”

  “As agreeable as you?” Lady Gwendoline asked, her voice wry.

  “Oh, yes. A secret place between our two houses. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

  They followed along the familiar path, edged by sprawling rosebushes and heaps of mint. Despite his resolve to look only forward, Caspian couldn’t keep his thoughts from drifting to the warmth Lady Gwendoline’s body created when she leaned against him. She was so close that if he leaned back just a bit, he’d nudge her leg.

  Finally, they approached their destination. The roses became scarcer, making way for tall, green trees. Ahead, the waters shone like a mirror, reflecting the moon and the stars above. The water lilies and flat green pads were interspersed with large, white-pink flowers, and shined in the silvery light of the night. It was a lake, seldom visited, but which Caspian had discovered in his youth. When he was a boy, he’d been enamored by the wispy strands of pale, green grass and the thin, little violets that grew at the water’s edge. It was like something from a painting, the perfect place to spirit a young lady away to.

  “Oh,” Gwendoline whispered, her voice faint. “This is so beautiful.”

  Caspian smiled and halted his mare. He dismounted and offered his hand. Lady Gwendoline hesitated for only an instant before placing her hand in his. She swung a leg over the horse and dismounted. “How did you find such a place?” she murmured.

  “I come here often,” he replied. “I discovered it when I was but a boy. I had a penchant for sneaking away from my family and my responsibilities.”

  “After you discovered that you couldn’t live in the forests, My Lord?” Lady Gwendoline asked.

  The lady clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. Her eyes shined, and her face glowed. Caspian dismounted and patted his horse’s flank, but his eyes remained on her.

  After a brief pause, she took a few steps away from him, and he followed the swishing of her lilac dress. She looked like an ancient queen, winsome and romantic.

  Caspian brought his horse with them, following the Lady’s footsteps. She seemed to glide over the path, following along the path of the lake. Lady Gwendoline looked so beautiful, so enchanting, that Caspian found himself wholly, utterly content to follow her in silence.

  “Our aunt and uncle,” she murmured. “They must have loved one another so earnestly.”

  “And now, they’re both gone,” Caspian replied. “And who knows where they have vanished to?”

  “Do you think they’re still alive then? I feel as if they must be, and the more I think of it, the more I suspect that they’re both alive and well. The story never did ring true to me, you know,” Lady Gwendoline said. “I mean, from your perspective. If my uncle stole Lady Helena away, as you say, where did he steal her to, and why did she not return?”

  “It is strange,” Caspian muttered, “Since you mention it, I have often wondered the same. And if Lady Helena was a cruel seductress, as your family says, why did Lord Charles never escape her and return to London?”

  “Do you think our families know the truth of the matter?” Lady Gwendoline asked. “And if they do know, why would they keep this from us both? Surely, there must be something more than the broken engagement to the Earl of Woodmore.”

  Her words made sense, but Caspian couldn’t think of any reason that they ought to have been lied to for so long.

  “I’m unsure,” he said finally. “But we’ll find out, Lady Gwendoline. I promise you that. My aunt and your uncle must have had such a strong love between them. It seems as though they would let nothing stand in their way.”

  Lady Gwendoline seemed to draw herself up taller. “It does, and the truth of such a powerful love deserves to be known. I promise that I shall do my best to learn what I can, My Lord. And between the two of us, we might manage to solve this mystery. I think it’s still too early to reveal what we have found.”

  “Yes. We don’t even know that the hair in this locket belongs to Lord Charles and Lady Helena,” Caspian said, tucking the locket into his coat once again, “But we suspect it. We must know for sure, though.”

  Lady Gwendoline nodded. “I don’t imagine either of our pa
rents will be eager to abandon this feud after decades of disagreements. I agree with that. We’ll both look for more, and we’ll wait to reveal what we know until we’re entirely certain.”

  “Agreed, My Lady.”

  But if they couldn’t manage to solve the quarrel between their families, Caspian suspected the consequences would be great. Unresolved problems seldom died on their own. Instead, they were more likely to grow.

  Chapter 13

  With a flourish, Lord Caspian swept his great coat from his shoulders and laid the garment across the ground. The man bowed, his eyes shining, and gestured for Gwendoline to sit. She carefully lowered herself onto the ground and arranged her skirts beneath her.