Fortune's Dragon

by Meara Platt

  She dreaded doing so, for she suspected it held an expensive gift. “Very well.”

  Since his smile was broad and he was obviously proud of his purchase, she did as he asked. She could not accept it and was going to disappoint him. “Oh, Richard!” Her stomach sank into her toes as she displayed the magnificent pendant to her uncle who seemed equally surprised by the gift.

  “This is too much.” She turned to face him and held out her hand, expecting him to take it back. The sapphire was exquisite, a perfectly cut gem surrounded by smaller diamonds that gleamed in the palm of her hand. “You must take it back. Why did you do this?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “My dear, we shall be married on Saturday. The day after tomorrow. Did you think I would shame you by coming to you empty handed? These gems are worthy of a marchioness.”

  That again.

  “You’ll wear the pendant on our wedding day.” He took her hand in his and closed her fingers around the gift. Although his grasp was gentle, she could not overlook that his words had been a command and not a request. “I’m not taking it back, Faith. Wear it for me. No more cheap trinkets.”

  She drew her hand away and set the sapphire pendant on the small table beside her, then touched her hand to her throat. The chain holding her amulet ought to have been resting there. She would cry herself to sleep tonight in utter misery, just as she had done last night. “I’ve lost my dragon.”

  “What?” His eyes brightened and he made no effort to hide his relief. “I’m sorry, Faith. I know that ugly little creature meant a lot to you. But it’s for the best.”

  She turned away, struggling to hold back the angry retort on the tip of her tongue. Yet, was he wrong? Even Caleb had suggested she forget the dragon amulet. “Would you care for a cup of coffee? You’ve had a long ride and must be thirsty.”

  Richard declined. “I came by only to let you know I’ve returned. But I’m quite spent and long for the comfort of my bed. I’ll see you this evening.”

  She was relieved not to have to deal with him now. “We’ll talk then,” she said as she walked him out.

  He paused at the door and regarded her intently. “Have you seen that Brayden fellow?”

  She heard the anger in his question. “Do you mean General Brayden? Yes, I saw him. A fight broke out at the fair. I was caught in the middle of it and about to be crushed under the boots of the brawling louts. He and his soldiers had rushed forward to break up the fight. He saw me fall and came to my rescue.”

  “So you have seen him.”

  She bridled. “What are you suggesting? You ought to be asking whether I was hurt. No, I wasn’t. Thanks to him.”

  “I don’t want you seeing him again, Faith.”

  “Nonsense, Richard. I don’t believe I’m yours to order about yet.”

  He sighed. “Don’t be like that. You know I admire you and shall always treat you well. Can you say the same of him?”

  She hadn’t wanted a confrontation, but neither was she going to remain silent. “Yes, I can say the same of him. He’s an honorable man and you know it or else you wouldn’t feel so threatened by him. Let’s not have this discussion now.”

  “There is no discussion to have about him. I mean it, Faith. I do not want that man anywhere near you.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Or else what? Are you threatening him or me? Get some rest, Richard. You’re obviously out of sorts and in need of it.” She turned on her heels and stormed back into the drawing room as Richard walked out, but only to grab the shawl off the back of her uncle’s chair. “I’ll only be a few minutes, Uncle Winslow.”

  “Where are you going?” he asked, struggling to his feet.

  She eased him back in his chair. “Only to the garden. I need to walk off my anger.”

  He glanced toward the small table. “What about the pendant? You can’t just leave it there.”

  The table had a drawer, so she stuck the pendant in there. “I’ll take it up to my room later. Don’t wait for me. I have a lot of anger to walk off.”

  “About time you realized it,” he muttered.

  She ignored his comment and walked out. The hour was early. The overcast sky was a dark gray and threatened rain. Good, the flower beds needed it. So did the willow tree. Its leaves had taken on a silvery sheen that made the tree appear to shimmer, but the beautiful effect was a result of lack of water. They needed a good downpour to replenish the soil.

  She sat on the stone bench beside the tree and drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of grass and salty sea air that was heavier than usual. Even the terns and gulls who usually hovered over the beach had moved inland and settled in the nearby trees.

  Along with their noisy caws, she heard music drifting toward her from the distant fair. She’d dismissed Harriet earlier than usual last night to allow her maid to go to the fair again. A young man had come by to escort her, but Faith hadn’t recognized him as one of the locals, nor was she certain that Harriet had been escorted home by the same young man. The girl had already given herself to several men and seemed quite cheerful and unapologetic about it.

  She liked Harriet’s attitude, but knew her own heart would only accept one man.

  Caleb.

  Why hadn’t he come to her last night?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CALEB ROSE AT sunrise to gray skies and the memory of what the fortune teller had told him the night before. The waves that soothed his sleep with their gentle lapping were now hitting the shore with more force than usual. However, the tide was sufficiently calm that he managed a quick swim before shaving and dressing. Afterward, he checked in with the night watch and was relieved to learn there had been no incidents with General Larkin’s men. No new illnesses, no one sneaking out to cause havoc at the fair.

  These dragoon regiments were made up of disciplined, battle-ready soldiers. But these men had been fighting on the Continent for years and were eager to have a little fun now that they were home. The lure of ale and women was strong even for his best trained men.

  The cavalry horses were loosely penned near one of the caves along the beach. He fed and groomed Pharaoh himself and then saddled him for their morning ride. “Captain Stark,” he called to one of his officers, “I’ve left instructions for the rotation of the watch and those given leave to visit the fair. I’ll be at Lord Boscombe’s this morning if you need me.”

  The captain saluted him in acknowledgment. Caleb liked the leathery, battle-hardened man. He was at least twenty years older than Caleb, but had readily taken to his command. “If I’m going to risk my life in battle,” he’d once told Caleb, “I’d rather die under the command of a man I respect, not a horse’s arse, which is what most of our generals are.”

  Caleb rode to Boscombe Manor, eager to see Faith.

  She and her uncle were seated at the breakfast table engaged in their usual morning exchange when he arrived. “Faith,” her uncle said, “I think I’ve sprained my shoulder.”

  “Oh, poor dear. How did it happen?” She caught Caleb standing quietly in the doorway and beckoned him in with a subtle nod. Her welcoming smile lit up the empty corners of his heart. He wanted this, the amusingly predictable morning conversations. The love that obviously flowed between Lord Boscombe and Faith.

  “I turned suddenly when the birds began to chirp outside my window. Have Fleming chop down those branches.”

  She rolled her eyes. “The birds will move on as autumn sweeps in. No need to cut those beautiful branches.”

  “And look, my fingers are swollen. I shall never be able to write my letters today. Ah, good morning, General Brayden.”

  “Morning, Lord Boscombe.” He took the offered seat beside Faith. “Good morning, Lady Faith.”

  She smiled at him and then turned her attention to her uncle. “I’ll rub them with liniment after breakfast.”

  “Thank you, my sweet girl.” He turned to Caleb. “Hawley is back. He gave Faith a revoltingly expensive wedding gift and forbade her
to see you. His uncle, the marquis, arrives today. It’s time to take action.”

  Faith sighed. “And what is he to do, Uncle Winslow? He isn’t a marauding Viking. Shall he haul me over his shoulder and steal off with me?”

  Her uncle nodded. “Nothing wrong with that plan. The boy is obviously eager to pillage and plunder you.”

  “Uncle Winslow!”

  “I’m neither deaf nor blind, Faith. Are you going to marry him or not?”

  She blushed and pulled her chair away from the table in order to rise. “Caleb, may I speak to you in private?”

  He spared her hopeful uncle a glance and nodded. “Yes, you may.”

  He followed her into the drawing room. She crossed to a small table and pulled open its drawer. “Richard brought me this gift not an hour ago. I’ll return it to him, of course.” She withdrew a small box and raised the lid to reveal a beautiful sapphire necklace. “He gave it to me and then demanded that I keep away from you.”

  “Bad tactics on his part. I can see he’s made your blood boil. You’re still scowling.”

  She sighed. “I’d make a terrible soldier. I don’t like to be told what to do. Would you place similar demands on me?”

  “No, Faith.” He arched an eyebrow and raised his hands in mock surrender, although he did not take Richard’s behavior lightly. “I trust you. I understand the difference between leading men in battle and making a home with the woman I love.”

  She nodded in apparent acceptance, but still seemed wary, so he continued. “We Braydens are military men, but I learned early on from my father that marriage is a partnership. Both parties, husband and wife, must work together to make a house a home. Even so, a wise man will defer to his wife in matters of running the house. He may be considered head of the household, but she’s the heart of their home.”

  “I don’t think Richard feels as you do.”

  “It’s the way he’s been raised, Faith. He will become a marquis and has been taught that his elevated status gives him the right to do as he wishes and command whomever he pleases.”

  She tucked the sapphire pendant back in the drawer. “Do you think he loves me?”

  Caleb could have easily lied to her, but this wasn’t the way he wished to win her. “Yes, in his own way.”

  “Perhaps, he does. But I doubt he’ll ever consider me a partner. I’m a pretty trinket to display to his friends. That’s all I am to him, I think. But he won’t find me so pretty as I age, will he? Nor will he be discreet when he starts going about town with younger, prettier women.”

  “He’s a fool if he ever stops seeing the beauty in you.”

  “Oh, Caleb. This is such a mess. All my own doing, of course. He and his uncle are joining us for supper. Will you come, too?”

  He shot one eyebrow up in surprise. “Are you certain?”

  She nodded. “It isn’t fair of me to ask, but I hope you will. I don’t know the marquis, but if he’s anything like his nephew and matters get ugly…”

  “Yes, if you wish it.”

  “I do. Uncle Winslow is feisty, but I’m not sure he and I are a match for them.” She put a hand to her throat, then shook her head and sighed. “My dragon necklace. I keep forgetting I don’t have it.”

  “About that. Faith, I found your fortune teller last night and she had it.” He withdrew it from his pocket and held it out for her to inspect.

  “Oh, Caleb! Is it true?” She stared at the amulet, the sparkle returning to her eyes as she recognized it as her own. “It’s a miracle.”

  She brushed a tear off her cheek. “I know you want me to put this amulet aside and be practical, but I can’t. This little dragon saved me.”

  “Here, let me put it back on you.” He turned her around so that he had a better angle to clasp the amulet around her neck. She raised her hair to accommodate him, a gesture similar to what she’d done ten years ago when he’d first purchased it and put it on her. But now, he wanted to kiss her neck and trail kisses down her body. He wanted to hold her in his arms and take her to his bed, feel the give of her soft body as he settled himself over her. “There’s something more I must tell you.”

  Her smile slipped a little, but she nodded and motioned for him to join her on the settee. “What is it? Must you leave sooner than expected?”

  “No, several of the men in General Larkin’s regiment have taken ill. We’ll be delayed a day or two until they’re strong enough to march north.” He caressed her cheek. “Faith, that boy. Your dragon slayer…you never pressed me about his identity, although I think you’ve always suspected it was me.”

  She pursed her lips and clasped her hands in front of her. “I wanted him to be you, Caleb. I hope he is. But if he is, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “I didn’t want you swept away by your feelings for the boy. You’d built him up to mythical proportions in your heart. Once I realized you’d worn the amulet every day since I’d given it to you, I was afraid you’d grant me anything I asked. More important, I wasn’t yet certain what I wanted from you.”

  “Are you certain now?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Oh, yes. Not a doubt.”

  “So you didn’t come to Scarborough intending to propose to me?”

  He laughed again. “I had no intention whatsoever of marrying you. I might have passed through this town without bothering to look you up had the fair not been here to stir my memories.” He paused a moment, his voice gentler as he continued. “Then I saw you standing on the hill, looking out across the sea and I knew. In that moment I knew I loved you. I had always loved you. In that same moment, I knew you would always love me. You will meet a dragoon who will devour your heart.”

  She shook her head in confusion. “That’s not my fortune. She said I would meet a dragon who will eat my heart.”

  “No, Faith. I went to see Madame Zeta after you were safely back in Miss Crandall’s care. You were little and overset by the death of your parents, and then your governess brought you into a dark tent that must have seemed quite ominous to you. Your little heart was probably beating as rapidly as a humming bird’s wings when this strange lady took your hand. I think she could have told you anything and you would have been afraid.”

  She nodded. “Perhaps.”

  “You were only eight years old. You’d never heard of dragoon soldiers. You knew that ‘devour’ meant eating hungrily. And that’s what you heard while your heart was beating fast enough to burst, that a dragon was about to eat you.”

  He repeated the words of her fortune, the words Madame Zeta had truly spoken. “You will meet a dragoon who will devour your heart.”

  He took her hands in his and kissed her softly on the cheek.

  “You knew I would love you,” she said in a ragged whisper when he eased back to look at her.

  “I didn’t,” he said, laughing softly. “I’m far too practical ever to believe in fortunes or fortune tellers. But when I saw you on the hill, I felt the magic surround me and knew that my heart was yours forever. I dared not tell you who I was or how I felt until I was certain of your feelings for me. Not for dragon slayer Caleb, but for General Caleb Brayden, a soldier likely to be demoted soon.”

  She frowned.

  “I will be demoted, it’s only a matter of time. This is how the military operates. I was only a field general, appointed to command in battle. There are no battles now. They won’t pay me the higher wages during peacetime.”

  She gave an indignant sniff. “So typical of those pompous lords. They’ll cut your pay, but I’m sure they won’t think to lessen theirs. Indeed, they’ll pat themselves on the back for a job well done and grant themselves raises while the men who actually risked their lives will come back to nothing.”

  He laughed. “I see you hold opinions on the matter.”

  She blushed. “Uncle Winslow has spoiled me. We discuss everything and he encourages my independent thoughts.”

  “As will I,” he assured her. “But my situation is something impor
tant for you to consider. I want you, Faith. With all my heart. But I can never offer you sapphires as exquisite as those Hawley gave you. I can never offer you the privileges of nobility. However, I will love and protect you with all the strength I have in me. I will always be faithful to you. It won’t be a hardship. You’re in my soul. I can’t be without you.”

  She tipped her head up and kissed him soundly on the lips. “I never wanted sapphires. I only wanted you.”

  “Is that a yes to my marriage proposal?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll obtain the license.” He grinned. “What’s the bishop to say? Two men asking for license to marry the same girl. He might return with me out of curiosity.”

  She laughed. “Oh, no. He’ll think I’m a witch who’s cast a spell on both of you. He’ll come here to burn me at the stake.”

  He returned her kiss with a deep one of his own. “No one will ever hurt you once you’re married to me. The war is over now. I’ll resign my commission, if I must. I have two cousins who are earls and can arrange to have me assigned to the War Ministry, hopefully in a position where I can do some good at home. It may take a while to accomplish. I hate to ask them for the favor, but I would to stay closer to you.”

  She nodded and cast him a gentle smile. “I’ll have your amulet to protect me whenever we’re apart.”

  “Faith–”

  “I’m jesting. I’m not about to do anything foolish, believing I’m invincible while I have it on. Those brawling drunks who almost crushed me proved that readily enough. But having the amulet will always remind me of you and help me get through the times we are apart. You mentioned the fortune teller had it. Did she say anything more?”

  “She wants to see you.”

  Her beautiful eyes clouded with doubt. “I want to see her, too. Even though I’m still a little afraid of what she’ll tell me next. I tried to go to her yesterday, but my near trampling put an end to that visit.” She cast him a wry smile. “Did I thank you earlier? I was too overset at the time to recall.”

  “You thanked me.” He offered her his arm. “Care to visit the fortune teller now? It’s early yet. You ought to be safe enough wandering through the fair.”