Lord of Mischief

by Sasha Cottman

  “That would be lovely. My eldest son is returning to England this week after a number of years abroad, so a visit would have to be after he has settled in at home. Would the end of the month suit your convenience?” asked Adelaide.

  Lady Rosemount placed her hands together and nodded. “The end of the month it is. I shall let Frederick know. He will be most pleased. And in the meantime, I shall head home and make preparations for your visit.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  With the matter of their visit to Rosemount Abbey agreed upon and settled, the two older women now spent several hours working through their respective social connections.

  At one stage, Eve wished she had a pen and ink to map out the interconnected families of England’s nobility. Every family had married into the other family at some point or other. Blood lines crossed over many times down the centuries. By the time she and Adelaide left Rosemount House, Eve had calculated she and Freddie were forty-third cousins, twice removed. Distant enough for her to know they shared little blood.

  Eve’s musings over her future with Freddie were set to one side as soon as she and Adelaide set foot inside their home. They were greeted by a familiar and very welcome face.

  “William!” Adelaide promptly burst into floods of tears and threw herself into her son’s arms. Will stood, eyes closed, holding his mother, while Eve watched through a veil of her own tears. Will was finally home for good. He was safe. Her brave big brother had been returned to her.

  “Francis says he is not moving out of your old room,” Eve said.

  Will chuckled. “Yes, we have already had that conversation. Now he is taller than me, he thinks he can push me around. But to be honest, I am happy just to have a room to sleep in. He is welcome to my old space.”

  “Where have you been, you wicked boy? Your father said you had some army business to attend to, but haven’t you done enough already for your country?” asked Adelaide.

  “Sorry, it was unplanned business that could not wait. It was late by the time I had finished so I stayed at Bat and Rosemary’s last night.”

  Adelaide nodded. The Earl and Countess of Shale had been undercover operatives with Will during the war; a special bond existed between Will and his cousin.

  Will and Eve embraced. “And I hear you have news of your own,” he said.

  Eve looked away, sheepish at the thought her secret love was now becoming public knowledge. “Freddie Rosemount and I have become friends. It is nothing more than that at this moment, but we shall see.”

  Adelaide said nothing, for which Eve was grateful. She wanted to keep news of the impending visit to Rosemount Abbey a secret until she had had a chance to talk to Freddie. It was all well and good to start making wedding plans, but when she and he had not even discussed the matter of possible affections held, the idea of marriage was a little premature.

  “Speaking of married people, I hear we have much to thank you for in the turnaround in Lucy and Avery’s wedded fortunes,” said Adelaide. Eve gave her brother a second hug. For Lucy.

  “I played a small part—nothing more. We menfolk can be blind sometimes to what is in front of us. It was obvious when I met Lucy and Avery in Paris that Avery was in sore need of someone to clear the scales from his eyes. Once he accepted he was already in love with Cousin Lucy, there was nothing left for me to do,” replied Will.

  His remarks were typical of Will. From Lucy’s letters it was clear he had been instrumental in putting her and Avery’s faltering marriage onto solid footing, yet he would never seek to claim the accolades he so richly deserved.

  “So, when do I get to meet this young man?” Will asked Eve.

  “Soon. Your father and I are planning on a small gathering of friends to celebrate your return. Nothing big, as per your instructions. We shall invite Frederick to the gathering,” replied Adelaide.

  A prick of worry entered Eve’s mind. Hearing her family openly discuss Freddie was becoming a little too real for her comfort. While their relationship had remained a secret from her parents, she had a sense of control. With their respective parents stepping into the picture, she was going to have to renegotiate the terms of the Bachelor Board challenges with him.

  Before he met with her family, they would need to agree on what was to be done with the Rude Rules. It was fun to be rude to strangers—and even Caroline at times—but she dreaded to think what would happen if something untoward was said to one of the senior members of her family.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Bloody hell!”

  Freddie marched in the front door of Rosemount House and swore. He had held his tongue the whole of the walk from Whites club, but as soon as he got home his pent-up rage got the better of him.

  As his voice echoed around the walls, he gave thanks his mother had left London the previous day and gone home to Rosemount Abbey. He had several other words he intended to use, none of which would be fit for his mother’s ears.

  Godwin had got the better of him in the Rude Rules this morning and he was livid. In front of a dozen witnesses, the Duke of Mewburton’s youngest son had managed to act the goat and offend the Archbishop of Canterbury, three foreign ambassadors, and a representative from the Papal delegation.

  To top it all off, he had done so while Osmont Firebrace had been enjoying a meal in the dining room of Whites club.

  Freddie’s mind was awhirl with the sheer number of points Godwin would have scored for his outrageous efforts.

  A footman tentatively offered him a tray upon which sat a note. Freddie gave it a quick glance, then seeing the handwriting, picked up the letter.

  It was from Eve.

  The thought of her brought his rage down a notch. She would understand the predicament he was in. He hurriedly opened it.

  My family want to meet you at a small gathering to welcome Will home. We need to discuss the Rude Rules. I don’t think offending my family will go down well.

  This was precisely not what he needed. With their families now aware of their relationship, Eve would no doubt be asking for him to exempt her family from the game. With Godwin’s stroke of genius now hanging over his head, Freddie was going to have to convince Eve of the opposite.

  Everyone they knew, family included, was going to be fair game from now on.

  The moment Freddie’s gaze landed on Will and her father, Eve knew her evening was going to be torture.

  He looked down at her and placed her hand on his arm. Leaning in close, he whispered, “It has to be done. There are only a handful of challenges left. If Godwin beats me, everything will be for naught. The life you want with me will be nothing compared to what we can have if I win my seat on the Bachelor Board. I need you to support me, Eve.”

  She gritted her teeth. There was nothing she could do.

  As they approached her father and older brother, she began to silently rehearse the apology she knew she would have to make after this evening. “Papa, Will, may I introduce my friend, Frederick Rosemount?”

  Freddie reached out and shook her father’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Saunders.”

  Eve let out a small breath. So far, so good. Her father would be the one to decide if she was going to marry Freddie. Offending him might be counterproductive to her plans.

  “And Will. You must be pleased to be able to speak the King’s English once more. French is a God-awful language to learn at school. I would hate to have to speak it every day,” said Freddie.

  A look of bemusement appeared on her father’s face. Charles Saunders was French-born, having only changed the family name from Alexandre after losing his father during the bloody French Revolution. He was a proud patriot to his boots.

  “Yes, I do so love English as a language,” added Eve.

  “But French is the mother of the romance languages,” replied Will.

  Freddie let out a derisive snort and pulled Eve closer. “Yes, well, we English have the edge over all those foreigners when it comes to romance. Just ask Eve here. She would
never marry a Frenchman when she can find fine English stock like myself within her reach.”

  And so, it went on. Thirty minutes of excruciating embarrassment in front of the two senior male members of her family. Eve was relieved beyond words when Freddie finally announced he was leaving.

  She followed him out to the foyer. “Did you really have to insult my family heritage? And I will have you know that not all Frenchmen are short,” she said.

  Freddie finished putting on his coat. “I’m sorry. I know that was hard for you, and believe me, I didn’t enjoy it much either. Though I have to say your brother held his temper well. I was watching his jaw while I told him that French food is terrible, and he was clearly grinding his teeth. I am certain he would love to have punched me in the face if he had got the chance.” He brushed a hand on Eve’s cheek, then bent down and placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips. As he pulled away, their gazes met. “I’m proud of you. You stood by me tonight. I won’t forget it, mon doux amour,” he whispered.

  As he walked out the front door, Eve closed her eyes. He had told her he loved her, but at what cost had those words come?

  She turned and went back into the gathering, the beginning of an apology already on her lips.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Yes, Mama.”

  Those words had become Eve’s mantra over the past few days. Anything to placate her mother’s mood.

  Freddie had played the insufferable fool in front of Eve’s parents and siblings. Eve had been forced to stand by his side and act as if nothing was amiss. His behavior had cast a shadow over the evening, and her mother and gone to great lengths to continually remind Eve of that fact.

  Adelaide was busy ordering about the servants and anyone else within earshot. A quiet family dinner with her brother Hugh and his wife Mary would not normally be the cause of such anxious behavior, but her mother had been in an odd mood all week.

  “So, Frederick knows what time supper will be served, and he shall endeavor to be here on time?”

  “Yes, Mama.”

  “And he will be on his best behavior. I do not need to remind you any foolish remarks in front of the Bishop of London will get back to Lady Rosemount. I know you think it is because he is shy and struggles in social gatherings, but you are going to have to teach him he cannot just say whatever is on his mind. People tend to take offence.”

  Remembering that part of the Rude Rules was that she was not to show any indication that there was anything wrong with Freddie’s behavior, Eve said nothing. Offending her uncle was exactly what Freddie had told her he had in mind for this evening. It was an unfortunate but necessary part of the game. They had managed to close the point gap on Godwin over the past few days, but they both knew he was far from finished.

  Under any other circumstance, Eve would have been eager to introduce Freddie to her relatives. Especially her uncle, the Bishop of London. The Radley family were a close-knit group. It wasn’t even the likely repercussions from her mother that was bothering her. These were people she loved. Hurting them was something that went against everything for which her family stood.

  She headed up to her room. It was late in the afternoon, and her maid would be waiting to set Eve’s hair in preparation for the evening. As she took a seat at her dressing table she forced herself to stop wringing her hands with worry over the impending evening.

  The Bachelor Board challenges will be over soon.

  The winner was to be announced early in the new month. Once the game was over and Freddie had won, she could take the time to make whatever amends were needed to all those whom they had offended.

  When the time came for their guests to arrive, Eve headed downstairs. She was dressed in a simple pale pink gown, with a cream ribbon threaded through the bun on her head. It was the most demure look she could muster, a balm for the harsh looks she had been receiving from her mother all week.

  Will was waiting downstairs. “Mama is in the kitchens talking to cook. I don’t recall her ever doing that before.”

  He didn’t need to mention the likely cause of their mother’s concerns. Freddie.

  I shall be so glad when this foolish game is at an end.

  “Oh, and this came for you.” He handed her a letter. It bore the crest of the Rosemount family on the outside. She opened it.

  A mix of disappointment and relief coursed through her body as she read the short note. Freddie wasn’t coming. Osmont Firebrace had arranged an impromptu four-in-hand race for the evening, and valuable challenge points were on offer.

  She folded the letter up. “Freddie is unable to attend. He has other pressing matters. He sends his heartfelt apologies,” she said.

  Will reached out and put an arm around her, pulling her into a brotherly hug. It took all of Eve’s willpower not to cry.

  By rights she should be relieved that he wasn’t coming. The Bishop of London was a kind-hearted man, but not one who would stand the antics of a foolish young man. The evening, and family relations, had escaped the antics of the Rude Rules.

  It still hurt to think he had put the game ahead of her, ahead of them. In her heart, they now existed as a couple. She was certain of her love for him, no longer in doubt that she wanted his whole heart for herself.

  “He will come to his senses, and if he doesn’t, I can assure you Francis and I shall step into the fray,” said Will.

  She looked up at him. The big, strong brother she had missed all those years was back in her life. Will would not stand idly by and let Freddie hurt her. “Have I told you how wonderful it is to have you home once more? To know that I can get out of bed every day and see you? To know that you are safe?”

  “Good to see some members of this family are able to be punctual. Now where are the others?” asked Adelaide.

  Eve turned to see her mother and father arriving in the foyer. Adelaide was clearly flustered. “Freddie sends his apologies. He is unable to attend,” she said.

  She watched as her words registered with her mother, and a look of relief appeared on her countenance.

  As soon as the game was over and Freddie had won his place on the Bachelor Board, Eve would tell her mother the truth. While the game was important to Freddie and his future plans, she still owed a great deal of loyalty to her mother. It pained her to see her mother in such distress.

  On the other side of Richmond, Freddie was doing his best to get his horses under control. He had never driven a team of horses before and had to rely on his memory of sitting up alongside the driver on the top of his father’s travel coach.

  Lord Godwin, on the other hand, was showing far more skill than he had done during their earlier race in central London. Freddie risked a look at him, only to see a self-satisfied grin plastered across Godwin’s face. He thinks he has a real shot at this now. Bastard.

  The carriage was smaller than his family travel coach and thus able to turn in tighter circles. Upon receiving Osmont’s note earlier that morning Freddie had raced out of the house and headed for the nearest coaching inn. He had eventually managed to find a willing carriage owner who would let him rent his horses and outfit for the day. Heading out to Richmond as soon as he was able, he spent the afternoon trying to best come to terms with handling a team of horses.

  The last thing he did just before leaving Rosemount House was send word to Eve. It wasn’t the ideal situation, crying off so late in the day, but he trusted she would understand. Their kiss in the foyer of her family home had been poor payment for the pain he had caused her while he stood and insulted her family and heritage. He longed for the moment when the game was over and he could be himself with her. To hold her close and indulge in showing her how much she had come to mean to him.

  It had been a shock to hear himself says the words—to call her his true love. But he was becoming more comfortable with that unfamiliar emotion.

  “She knows how much this means to me, which is why I have to win this bloody race,” he muttered.

  He pushed the thought of E
ve from his mind; he needed all his concentration focused on the job at hand. He pulled back on the reins, and his team drew to a halt. He looked across as Godwin pulled up alongside him.

  “Embry sends his apologies. Something about cakes in the oven!” shouted Godwin with a laugh. Freddie nodded. Trenton Embry had long ago given up on the challenges—it was Godwin he had to beat.

  A starting line had been roughly fashioned with a stick in the dirt. They were both to take their teams to the top of a nearby hill, then bring them down along a long winding path back to the start. The first to cross the line with his team and coach still intact, would be declared the winner.

  Freddie hadn’t seen this move coming, and he was fuming about it. Osmont knew Godwin was handy with a coach and four, and to Freddie’s mind had thrown this challenge in to make things difficult for him. If he didn’t win tonight, the points would be level.

  He pushed the worry of the outcome from his mind as best he could. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand. He needed to win.

  He missed hearing the starter’s gun go off, and only reacted when he saw the first of Godwin’s team leap into action. With a flick of his whip, Freddie’s horses started forward.

  The ride to the top of the hill was a flat-out race. Neck and neck, they battled. By the time they reached the top Godwin had managed to snatch the lead.

  “Blast!” Freddie did his best to harness his rage. Losing his temper at this moment would serve him no good. He settled over the reins and pulled his horses ready for the first turn.

  Godwin stood up from his seat and raised his whip. His team kicked away, increasing the lead over Freddie. They swept through the first turn while Freddie had to haul back on the reins to keep his horses under control.

  He was going to lose. Godwin was too strong. Freddie settled in the seat, accepting that the second-place points would have to suffice. He would have to find another way to get ahead of Godwin after today.