Earl of Destiny

by K. J. Jackson

  She sidled the horse, stretching her foot up into the stirrup and gripping the top pommel. A few hops, and she heaved herself upward into the sidesaddle. Awkward without a stump or a platform to step up upon, she managed the motion somewhat gracefully.

  Settled on the white mare, her eyes went to the stream. She watched the rolling water for a few long moments, and Sebastian could see she was hesitant to leave the tranquility of the spot.

  But then the set of her shoulders tightened and the smile slipped from her face. A few more moments, and her back straightened, somberness setting into her eyes.

  The change was fascinating.

  Fascinating. And unsettling.

  Sebastian’s head tilted, and he watched as she pushed the horse up the bank and disappeared from view.

  He smiled to himself, clicking his horse into motion.

  Maybe it was time Miss Silverton knew of his existence.

  ~~~

  Brianna’s eyes went to the sky, trying to make out the sun through the thick cover of the summer haze. Without the sun to guide her, she had ridden longer than she had intended, but it had felt so good to escape she couldn’t quite bring herself to turn Moonlight back to the stables.

  She set Moonlight to an easy walk. The way the horse had taken to the fields earlier, Brianna guessed that Moonlight had missed her just as much as she had missed the mare.

  Grabbing the front of her form-fitting jacket, Brianna tried to fan a waft of air onto her chest. In only a few minutes, her wet shirt had matted to her skin, hot in the warm weather. It had been worth it, though, cooling off by the stream.

  Her eyes flickered to the sky. Hopefully, she still had a few hours before Lily would be awake and moving about, and she could change and be ready before she needed to start trailing her sister.

  The flurry of traveling here to Notlund and of their first guests arriving had consumed too much of the last week, and Brianna had far too much to do.

  Of all of her sister’s suitors, Lord Newdale was still the biggest mystery to her. She wished she had directed the bow street runner she had hired to investigate her sister’s final three suitors to gather information on Newdale first, as society was very tight-lipped about him.

  So far, Newdale was the biggest risk as a husband for her sister. And Brianna was not about to allow her sister a risky marriage.

  Nonetheless, Newdale was now here at Notlund, arriving with his mother and two sisters the day before. Brianna would just have to be extra vigilant when Newdale was near Lily.

  The sound of horse hooves broke through her thoughts, and Brianna turned just in time to see a man on tall black horse slow and fall in line with Moonlight’s gait.

  Her spine instantly straightened.

  No. This would not do.

  “Hello. I do apologize for interrupting your thoughts, miss, but are you on your way to the Notlund stables?”

  Brianna tried to ignore him, her eyes straight ahead while keeping Moonlight at a steady pace.

  What was a strange man doing in this area of the Notlund estate? She had never encountered anyone on these grounds, save for the gamekeeper that once.

  “Again, miss, I do apologize. Approaching a lady such as yourself is not done, but you are riding without a groom, and I warred between slowing to chat with you, or rudely moving past you without acknowledging your presence.”

  “You may still choose to move rudely past me, sir. That would do us both well.” Brianna did not let her eyes even flicker in his general direction. The duke had always said the grounds were quite safe, and she had believed him until this man just appeared out of nowhere.

  The man chuckled. “I am afraid it is too late for that, Miss Silverton.”

  Her face snapped to him. “You know who I am?”

  The man smiled at her. Handsome. Dark brown hair. Warm chocolate eyes. A devil grin.

  He nodded.

  Brianna swallowed a groan, giving him her coldest eyes. “Then I am at a distinct disadvantage, sir, as I do not think I know you. And I am finding this conversation vastly ruder than it would have been to taste your horse’s dust.”

  “Forgive me.” His head bowed to her. “Since there is no one present to introduce us, I will have to do the honors. I am Sebastian Rallager, Earl of Luhaunt. I am a good friend of the duke’s.”

  “Lord Luhaunt?” Brianna’s panic at a rogue man appearing beside her subsided. She had been preparing to bolt, as she knew she could outride just about anyone on Moonlight if she needed to. So while she wasn’t particularly worried about bodily harm from the man, she was unnerved—but then she recognized the name Luhaunt. At least this man was a known rogue, even if she had never met him.

  She glanced at Lord Luhaunt again. He had settled his horse into Moonlight’s easy pace quite comfortably. Too comfortably.

  She gave him quick, flat smile. “I have heard your name, I believe. You are the one that produces the many fine horses for the stables?”

  “Yes. Such as the very one you ride.”

  “Moonlight? You brought her here?”

  “Yes.” He shrugged. “Though the name is new to me.”

  “The duke asked me to name her since we have gotten on so well.” Brianna glanced down at Moonlight’s twitching ears then back to Luhaunt. “She is fine. And fast. Very fast. Where did she come from?”

  “Hungary. The man who had her said she was displaced by the wars, but his character was suspect. I imagine she came to him through nefarious means.”

  “Did you question him?”

  “No. I thought it most important to remove her from an owner that was ill-equipped to care for her. Questioning him would not have helped to that end.”

  Brianna offered the smallest nod. “The duke has said you have uncanny instincts when it comes to horses.”

  “I do not know about ‘uncanny.’ But when I do trust my instincts, there is more often than not, great reward.”

  His eyes did not leave her.

  Brianna looked away, searching the trail along the stream for familiar foliage. Buggers. Still minutes away from the stables.

  “Do you always ride without a groom, Miss Silverton? An unmarried lady such as yourself?”

  “I am a spinster, Lord Luhaunt, and not in need of a companion.” She didn’t bother to hide the sharpness in her voice. “There is no danger here, and once the duke was convinced I knew the trails well enough, I have had his blessing to freely go about. I do prefer to ride alone.”

  She emphasized the word “alone” a little too harshly, and Moonlight reacted from her tone, springing an excited sidestep.

  Brianna contemplated giving the horse rein to run again—it would remove her from this man’s presence—but unfortunately, also be entirely rude. And she wasn’t about to be rude to a good friend of the duke and duchess. Dismissive, yes, but not outright rude.

  Luhaunt’s eyes finally left her, and he looked ahead, his head bobbing in unison with his horse’s steps. “Ahh, I had forgotten you had labeled yourself a spinster. I did hear mention of that in London. That has been vital to your sister’s successful season, has it not?”

  “You know of my sister?”

  “I know of both you and your sister.”

  Of course. Of course he was here at Notlund for Lily. It made sense. But her sister had never mentioned this man. And Brianna truly did not want to deal with another admirer to investigate.

  Her eyes narrowed on Luhaunt’s profile. “I do not recall you meeting my sister. And I have kept a very watchful eye over her. Why are you truly here at Notlund, Lord Luhaunt?”

  His gaze remained forward. “I will not lie to you, Miss Silverton. I am here for a wife.”

  Blast it. Her sister would look the fool if Luhaunt showed up, vying for Lily’s attention in front of Lord Newdale. “Truly, Lord Luhaunt, you should have inquired about proper introductions to my sister in London. The season is over and she now has a very short list of men she will be considering.”

  “I was in Lo
ndon, but I thought Notlund would be a much better place for my strategy.”

  “Strategy? You have a strategy where my sister is concerned?” Brianna shook her head. “Lord Luhaunt, you will be disappointed if you think to get to my sister through me. I do not intend to let Lily anywhere near the likes of you—friend of the duke’s or not.”

  “You do not think the duke might think differently?”

  “No, I do not. He has no say in the matter.”

  “Your father is dead, correct? Is the duke not your guardian?”

  “To the extent society needs us to have a guardian. The duke and duchess have been very generous in presenting us to society, and I am eternally grateful for my sister’s sake. But we do not need a guardian, Lord Luhaunt. I control the estate.” She looked pointedly at him. “And it is tied into trusts that are untouchable by any man my sister chooses to marry.”

  His look remained nonplussed by her words. “How did Rowe—the duke—become your guardian?”

  “My father knew his uncle, the late Duke of Letson. Honorably, the duke wanted to fulfill his uncle’s obligations.”

  She wasn’t about to admit it to Luhaunt, but honestly, Brianna still could not believe her good fortune. She had never heard of the Duke of Letson, never read any mention of him in her father’s papers. So when the duke had contacted her a year after her father’s death, informing her of her father’s wishes that the duke become their guardian, she had been more than suspicious.

  Refusals were sent, but the duke invited her and Lily again and again to Notlund. Brianna had continued her polite refusals. But the weekly letters, always with an invitation, continued for months from both the duke and the duchess.

  Brianna had resisted for months, but had finally caved to Lily’s constant haranguing to visit Notlund.

  Wary, Brianna had been preparing for a battle of control over the Silverton estate. But it never came. It took her months to trust that the duke and duchess just truly wanted to help them in any way they could. The duchess, Wynne, had become a grand friend to both her and Lily. And Brianna had grown to rely on the duke’s wisdom when it came to managing her family’s estate.

  Luhaunt watched her, apparently waiting for more words from her.

  Her guard spiked again, and Brianna realized she didn’t care for his probing questions.

  “But why ask me, Lord Luhaunt? If the duke is such a good friend to you, why not ask him? You are welcome to take your leave to go do so.”

  He shrugged, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Take no offense, Miss Silverton. I am just curious. I have known Rowe for many years, and had never heard of the Silverton sisters. Not until your sister became the darling of the ton.”

  She gave him a curt nod, her eyes going back to the trail. Only a few more minutes and she could escape this man. She would need to talk to Wynne right away when she got back to the castle to make sure Luhaunt was kept away from her sister.

  He was far too handsome, and Lily would like that—which was exactly what Brianna needed to curtail. She had had a difficult enough time getting Lily to whittle her list of possible husbands to three.

  “Tell me, Miss Silverton, I observed you in London and watched you treat a number of gentlemen with open and utter distaste. Why?”

  Her eyes flew to Luhaunt, the question flustering her mind. Open distaste? Had she really been that rude in London? So rude a complete stranger could see it? But then, if she had been, did it matter? Spinster. She was a spinster.

  The frown on her face deepened. “It is not my concern if those gentlemen did not understand the function a spinster companion serves at a ball. Their over-presumption was at fault. I never led a single one of them into, nor encouraged any conversation. They had no purpose with me, and I none with them.”

  “You do realize you are a beautiful woman, Miss Silverton?”

  Her jaw dropped. She had absolutely no retort to the comment.

  He smiled at her. Genuine. Warm. “I do not wish to offend. I just thought it needed to be spoken, Miss Silverton.” He inclined his head. “As we are near the stables, I will leave you so we do not arrive together. I would not want any untoward words spoken of you.”

  He gave a low whistle, and the tall black stallion sprang into motion, trotting ahead of Brianna.

  Staring after him, she did not close her mouth until Luhaunt and his horse disappeared over the crest of the hill in front of her.

  She had not thought of herself in that manner in a long time.

  Not since Gregory.

  Not since her father died.

  Not since the weight of her father’s secrets had become hers.

  She shook her head, clearing the air around her.

  No. She was a spinster. And a spinster she needed to remain.

  { Chapter 3 }

  Ears tuned to the conversation next to her, Brianna absent-mindedly plucked through the last few chords on the pedal harp before her.

  Where she had once taken great pride in her musical ear, the notes had rung hollow, her fingers stiff over the strings for the past two years. But Wynne had convinced Lily to sing for their guests earlier in the evening, and Lily always sang better when Brianna accompanied her.

  Before Lily was even done, Brianna realized the convenience of staying behind the harp. She could hover, monitoring Lily playing whist without being drawn into tedious conversation with Lord Newdale’s mother or sisters.

  So Brianna had plucked through every last sonata she could think of for the past several hours, fading into the background of the drawing room.

  Lord Luhaunt’s hearty chuckle caught her ear, warm and soft, and it was enough to make her glance across the card table at him. His charming smile was focused on Lady Rebecca, the younger Newdale sister, and he managed to keep his eyes well above the ample cleavage she was angling at him. Lady Rebecca’s own high-pitched chuckle joined his, and she lightly touched his arm.

  Apparently, Lady Rebecca was not heeding her sister’s earlier advice.

  Following dinner, and far from their mother’s ears, Brianna had overheard the elder Newdale daughter corner her younger sister in the drawing room before the men had joined them.

  “He is cursed, Rebecca,” the elder sister, Beatrice, had said, her voice hissing out the side of her mouth.

  The peculiar words had slowed Brianna’s feet to a crawl as she passed behind them on the settee. She had turned, facing the wall to straighten one of Wynne’s paintings—a stable boy at Notlund leaning against a pitchfork, a hidden smirk of shirking his duties curving his mouth. Brianna’s head tilted slightly to the side, her ear straining to the settee.

  “Lord Luhaunt?” Rebecca had smoothed the skirts of her teal gown, adjusting on the settee next to her sister. “Posh, do not be so dramatic, Bea. He was very charming while we were dining. And this whole stay is looking much less dull since he has arrived. We are in the middle of nowhere, for heaven’s sake. Besides, how could Luhaunt possibly be cursed?”

  “It is what they say. He uses the dark arts—it is how he knows the horses, his strange ability with them—and how he has gained his wealth,” Beatrice continued, her words still a low hiss. “It is a well-known fact he traded his family’s lives in exchange for his own gain. Both the title and the horses.”

  “But he is so dashing.”

  “Of course he is. He has the dark arts on his side, clouding his person. So set your eyes downward, Rebecca—mother would never allow it, so be done thinking on it.”

  Brianna had only heard Rebecca grumble something incoherent at her sister at that point, so she moved on past the settee, perplexed.

  She was accustomed to hearing useless gossip, but the dark arts as a cautionary tale? That was new to her. And she wasn’t so sure the elder sister hadn’t concocted the whole of it as a ruse to keep Lord Luhaunt’s attentions for herself.

  But the words had stuck in Brianna’s mind the entire night. Every time she ventured a look at Luhaunt, she tried to connect him in some way to a m
ind filled with sinister dark arts. And every time, she could not see it in him, no matter how hard she looked.

  Then again, she did have a hard time seeing anything sinister in handsome men. That much was proven.

  At the card table, Luhaunt glanced up at Brianna in the very second she was watching him, pondering once more the dark arts supposedly attached to the man.

  Her head dropped instantly, hiding from his brown eyes that still crinkled at the corners in mirth. Brianna wondered fleetingly what the humor was about. It was the one thing she admitted to missing as a spinster—easy laughter over innocent nothingness.

  “Are you positive, Lord Luhaunt, you did not just flip that card from your sleeve?” Lily leaned across the card table, her heart-shaped mouth in a teasing pout. “I do believe Lord Newdale and I were well on our way to winning. Dare I call trickery upon you?”

  Brianna quickly plucked one last chord, cutting short the sonata, and stood. The way Lily elongated the word “dare” told Brianna that Lily was already two glasses of sherry past decorum. Not to mention she had just accused Lord Luhaunt of cheating.

  It was going to be a long evening.

  Biting her tongue, Brianna moved to stand behind Lily, ready to intervene. Her eyes flickered over Luhaunt’s face. Men did not always respond well to Lily’s bold assertions when things—be it a game of cards or a dance—were not going her way.

  Lord Luhaunt gave Lily an easy smile. “I assure you, nothing of the sort. Cheating at cards is a skill I never acquired.” He held his arms straight out, manically flipping his wrists up and down. “I have absolutely nothing to hide, Miss Lily.” His eyes drifted up to Brianna.

  Brianna exhaled a sigh of relief. At least Luhaunt was a gentleman where Lily was concerned. Though she was not entirely positive if his last words were directed to Lily or to her.

  Lily laughed at his overblown antics, looking to Lord Newdale. “Do then shuffle the cards Lord Newdale. I would like to soundly beat Lord Luhaunt in the next round.”

  Lady Rebecca, the fourth in their game of whist, cleared her throat good-naturedly.