Lord of Mischief

by Sasha Cottman

  He had thought of Eve increasingly over the past few days, wondering how she was, and hoping she was not sitting at home alone crying over him. She deserved to be happy. “How is Eve?”

  “She is fine. The Saunders family are made from tough material. She had one or two days at home keeping indoors, but she is back out circulating in society once again. While I am unsure as to the exact reason for you calling things off with her, rest assured there are plenty of other fine young men more than willing to take your place.” Hattie finished her coffee but left the rest of her bun untouched. She pulled a handful of coins from out of her pocket and handed them to the coffee stall holder. Freddie reached for his pocket, but she waved him away. “Keep your money. Use it to buy yourself fresh carrots; they are good to eat raw if you cannot get the fire hot enough in the kitchen to cook. The offer to come to St John’s is always open to you, Freddie. You would be most welcome.”

  She gathered up her things and headed over to where her two footmen were now waiting on the other side of the cafe. Freddie watched as they walked away.

  Eve was already back in circulation. He should be pleased. But that piece of news was a double-edged sword. It was heartening to think her heart had only been bruised by his betrayal. Less comforting was the thought she hadn’t loved him as much as his ego had led him to believe. He shouldn’t care, but the sting in his heart told him otherwise.

  As he rose from the chair, Saintspreserveus stood next to the table. Spying Hattie’s unfinished bun, Freddie reached out a hand to take it, but the quick dog beat him and gulped it down in one go. The gods were still not done with punishing Freddie.

  “Come on, lad. Let’s get you some bones and then head home. These eggs won’t cook themselves,” Freddie said with a sigh.

  The eggs burnt in the bottom of the overheated frying pan and he eventually gave the whole mess to Saintspreserveus who ate it all in one gulp. Freddie didn’t particularly mind, he wasn’t that hungry anyway. Hattie’s news about Eve had stolen his appetite.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Passing through the front of the house later that morning, Freddie found a letter slipped under the door. He picked it up and turned it over.

  Lord and Lady Pole.

  He eagerly tore it open. The Poles were regular entertainers in their Mayfair mansion. Entertainment meant a break from the monotony of living alone with a dog. It also meant a warm house and servants bearing platters of hot food.

  A relieved smile found its way to his lips. It was an invitation to an informal gathering of friends and family for later in the week. An informal gathering for Lord and Lady Pole meant several hundred guests. He would make a brief appearance, eat, and then leave before he encountered anyone he knew.

  Inside his father’s study, he found paper and pen and wrote a note of acceptance. Without thinking, he picked up his father’s bell and rang it. The ring resounded in the empty house.

  “Fool. No one is going to take your note to them.” He would have to walk over to Mount Street and hand-deliver it himself. “Damn.”

  Getting back into society in order to get a hot meal also meant skirting around its edges to keep news of his current financial situation a secret for as long as possible. His pride had taken enough of a battering. “Well if I am to play postmaster general, I may as well get a few other letters out,” he said.

  He picked up a fresh piece of paper and set to work. It was a short note—there didn’t seem much point in going into too much detail. Osmont Firebrace would know the exact reason for Freddie’s resignation. When he was finished writing the letter he folded and sealed it.

  “Well, that is one first I can lay claim to for myself. I am the first Rosemount to work at the House of Commons, and the first one to resign.”

  Eve was not going to sit at home and pine over Freddie. As far as she and Caroline were concerned, the sooner she got back on the proverbial horse, the better.

  “There are thousands of other fish in the sea,” said Eve.

  Caroline handed Eve her cloak and patted her sister on the arm. “Absolutely, and you shall dance with every single one of those fish tonight.”

  Eve looked at her sister and swallowed back the lump in her throat. It was odd that it had taken a broken heart for her to realize the pain she had caused her sister. Eve rejoiced in the rediscovery of her close friendship with her younger sister. The hours they spent together, talking, shopping, and laughing, were the well-needed balm to her soul.

  Arriving inside the grand mansion in Mount Street, Eve and Caroline took their time to check their cloaks and make certain their gowns had not creased during the short trip from Dover Street. Francis took Eve’s arm and, as had become customary, Harry offered Caroline his. Eve and Caroline shared an encouraging smile. It was good to be out and socializing again as both sisters and friends.

  Once inside the main ballroom, Francis wasted little time in finding an excuse to leave the girls. As he and Harry headed off to find the nearest cluster of unmarried young ladies, Caroline turned her back on them. “Thank the heavens they have gone. If Harry looks at me one more time tonight with those puppy-dog eyes I shall scream,” she said.

  Eve was surprised to hear her sister speak in such a harsh way about their friend. Everyone knew Harry carried a flame for Caroline, but she had assumed Caroline was kind enough to tolerate him.

  “Oh, don’t look at me like that, Eve. Harry is constantly lurking around me. I was a fool to spend time with his mother and sister. He now thinks he has a real chance of making me his wife.”

  “You have told Francis to have a word with him, have you not?” replied Eve.

  Caroline flipped out her fan and held it in front of her face. Eve leant in close. “I told him myself. He was making all manner of silly remarks at Will and Hattie’s wedding about me being the next one to be married. I took him aside and spoke plainly but carefully to him. I told him there was no chance for us. That if I hadn’t fallen in love with him by now, it was never going to happen.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “He said, time wore down even the largest of stones,” replied Caroline.

  It was obvious there was nothing Caroline could say that would deter Harry. He had set his heart and mind on marrying her.

  “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be talking about messy relationships considering how things—” Caroline stopped mid-sentence and gripped Eve’s arm. She raised a pointed finger toward a space over the other side of the ballroom. A space which was currently inhabited by the not so Honorable Frederick Rosemount.

  Caroline drew in a haughty breath. “The cheek of that man showing himself in public so soon after what he did to you.”

  Eve’s gaze settled on Freddie, and there it remained. “Yes, well, his misdeeds are not well known in society, so I expect he feels he can still attend social gatherings.”

  Eve’s heart began to race. It felt like a lifetime since he had stood over her in the barn and told her he didn’t want her. A lifetime since he had ripped her heart to shreds.

  She began to walk toward the dance floor, her gaze still locked on him. He turned and caught sight of her. She saw him flinch. His discomfort was deeply satisfying to her.

  “What are you doing, Eve?” whispered Caroline beside her.

  “Nothing. Just toying with a mouse,” came the reply.

  As she moved in a clockwise fashion around the edge of the dance floor, heading for six o’clock, Freddie moved toward midnight. He was rising to the next hour as she moved down the other side of the clock face. Her gaze never once left Freddie and his remained fixed on her.

  “Ah, there you are, Caroline. Harry wants to put his name on your dance card.”

  The girls ignored Francis. He fell in beside them and was soon appraised of why they were slowly circling the dance floor. “The cheeky blighter. Must be out seeking a free feed,” muttered Francis.

  His words broke the spell that held Eve within its power. She stopped and turn
ed to Francis. “What do you mean?”

  There were rumors that Freddie returned to London only a day or so after her, but until tonight he had managed to keep a low profile. For someone who had been living large on the London social landscape only a matter of weeks before, Freddie had suddenly turned into a ghost.

  Francis raised an eyebrow and leant in close. “There is a reason he has been keeping a low profile. A rumor is spreading like wildfire that his father has cut him off. Word is, he and that large, mangy dog are the only ones in residence at Lord Rosemount’s townhouse. All the servants were called back to Rosemount Abbey. Freddie is having to make do for himself.”

  “The perfect punishment,” said Caroline, chuckling with delight.

  Eve, meanwhile, had other concerns. If it was common knowledge that Freddie was being punished by his father, there would be questions asked as to the reason why. The last thing she wanted was for her name to be caught in the mix. Her reputation would be in ruins.

  “So, what is the story about why his father cut him off?” replied Eve.

  “A friend of a friend spoke to him earlier tonight and asked about the story. He was none too pleased word had got out. He told this friend he had gambled heavily and his father is determined to make him pay back all the money he lost. But there are others who are beginning to whisper otherwise,” replied Francis.

  She turned to her brother. “Who else and what are they saying?” A cold shiver of dread chilled her body. Was someone playing games?

  Francis pointed toward another young gentleman standing a few feet away from them. As Eve looked at him, the young man bowed.

  “He is the Honorable Trenton Embry, second son of Viscount Embry. He is another of the young men who are cadets at the House of Commons with Freddie. He would like to have a private word with you.”

  She feared whatever news Trenton Embry had to impart would be bad, but still, she had to know.

  Trenton Embry stepped forward at Francis’s beckon and offered her a formal bow.

  “Miss Saunders.”

  “My brother tells me you wish to speak with me,” she said.

  He looked over to where Freddie had been, and then nodded. “I take it you are aware Freddie Rosemount is here this evening?”

  Eve nodded.

  “I know something of matters which transpired between the two of you, having also been a cadet at the House of Commons this year,” he said.

  Eve waited. Trenton met her worried gaze, then leant in close. “What I really wanted to tell you was that Freddie is not a bad chap. I know by throwing you over he behaved abominably, but he did so because he is under the influence of a very evil gentleman named Osmont Firebrace. I don’t know if you are particularly interested, considering all that has happened, but Freddie is in a bad place at present. His life is a disaster and he has much of the blame to wear himself. That said, if you do still hold any sort of affection for him, I would counsel you to find it in your heart to forgive him,” he said.

  Her mouth dropped open with shock. She had no intention of ever speaking to Freddie again, let alone forgiving him. “Thank you, Mr. Embry. Your words bring comfort to me. To know Freddie Rosemount’s life is in complete shambles truly gladdens my heart. Feel free to convey those same sentiments to him when next you speak.”

  She turned and left Trenton Embry alone.

  Francis took hold of Eve’s arm. “Bloody coward. Fancy sending a friend over to talk to you in the vain hope you would feel sorry for him.”

  “Yes, well, it’s all over with now. Whatever mess Freddie has gone and got himself into is none of my concern,” she replied.

  Freddie may have given up on any pretense of shame, but her pride had been somewhat restored. However, the sight of Freddie and her conversation with Trenton had rattled her nerves. She needed time alone to gather her composure.

  “I might just go outside for a moment and get a spot of fresh air.”

  A reluctant Caroline let Francis accompany her to find Harry and give him the dance he had requested. Eve accepted Francis’s condition he would come and find her after a short while and that she was not to wander off anywhere on her own.

  As soon as she stepped out into the cold night air, Eve felt relief. The heat in the large, crowded ballroom had been stifling. The night garden afforded her the peace and quiet her rattled brain so desperately craved.

  She found a small stone bench in a quiet corner and sat down. A footman offered her a glass of wine and she took it. The cool, sweet wine helped her to focus on the here and now.

  A shadow crossed the light from the house, leaving her in darkness. She looked up, squinting as her eyes tried to find focus.

  Her gaze found Freddie standing over her.

  “Eve.”

  A sickening flash of memory hit her brain. The last time she had seen him, he had been standing over her in very much the same fashion, telling her that she didn’t love him and that they would never marry.

  The one saving grace on this particular occasion was that she wasn’t lying partially clothed in a horse stable, having just offered him her virginity.

  “I have nothing to say to you, Freddie. Your friend Trenton Embry has already spoken for you. Please go away.” She looked past him as she took a slow slip of her wine.

  “Yes, I saw you and Trenton Embry greet one another in the ballroom. Though I wouldn’t say he and I were friends, more acquaintances. What did he say about me?” he asked.

  Eve’s blood began to boil. Freddie was far more self-centered than she had fooled herself into believing. She got to her feet. “Something or other about you keeping the company of evil men. I can’t remember all that he said, because I wasn’t really paying attention. My mind tends to go blank whenever it registers mention of your name.”

  He nodded. “I deserve that and much more. I just want to say I was …” Freddie didn’t get the chance to finish the rest of the sentence. Francis had arrived and immediately grabbed a hold of him, spinning Freddie around to face him.

  “You bloody bastard. You broke my sister’s heart. Well, here is something for you to go and get fixed!” His fist landed in the middle of Freddie’s face with a sickening thwack.

  Freddie staggered back, his hands held to his face. When he took his hand away, blood streamed from his freshly broken nose. Francis shaped up to hit him a second time, but several other male guests rushed forward and restrained him.

  “There are plenty more where that came from, Rosemount. The next time I see you, I shall add a couple of broken teeth to your collection,” growled Francis.

  Chapter Thirty

  Freddie managed to find a servant who brought him a large handkerchief with which to stem the blood. With the handkerchief covering his broken face, he left the party via a side entrance, and staggered the short distance home to Grosvenor Square.

  He found his way into the kitchen, and after grabbing a jug, filled it with cold water from the pump outside. He rinsed the handkerchief out several times before finally managing to stem the flow of blood from his nose. Saintspreserveus stayed uncharacteristically on his bed in the corner, watching Freddie’s every move.

  Freddie ran his finger tentatively along the length of his nose, flinching when it got to the break at the bridge. For all his foppishness, Francis was possessed with a hell of a punch.

  When he had seen Trenton greet the Saunders siblings at the ball, he had been filled with fear. He had intended to find Trenton and ask what the devil he was up to, but Francis Saunders’s fist had interrupted his plans.

  Dealing with Trenton would have to wait. Freddie’s nose needed attention.

  Saintspreserveus finally rose from his bed and wandered over to Freddie. He nuzzled Freddie’s leg.

  “Always my loyal boy,” he said, giving him a pat.

  The dog pushed harder against his leg, before finally wandering over to his food bowl and standing beside it.

  Freddie groaned. He had been so wrapped up in his worries about feeding
himself, he had forgotten about the dog. On the high shelf about the stove, a dog bone was wrapped up in cloth.

  “Here you are, lad,” he said, retrieving the bone and placing it on the floor.

  As the dog leapt upon the bone with unrestrained relish, Freddie remembered he had not made it as far as the supper table at the ball. The meat on the dog bone looked more appealing than it should.

  “Looks like bread and cheese again tonight for me. Enjoy your meat,” he muttered.

  Setting his nose again could not wait. Once it became swollen, he would not be able to do it properly.

  Using a stack of books, he stood a small hand mirror up on the kitchen table, then took a seat and made himself as comfortable as he could. Having played rugby at school, he had seen plenty of others take a broken nose in hand and set it straight. The thought of moving his bones back into place made his stomach turn.

  “Come on, get it done,” he urged himself.

  Placing his hands either side of the bridge of his nose, he felt where the nasal bones were out of alignment. He held his breath and pushed hard to the left. Pain shot through his brain.

  “Ooh,” he winced.

  He sat back and waited for the pain to subside, then leant forward and inspected his face in the mirror once more. His nose looked a lot straighter than it had been a moment earlier. He took a deep breath of relief, then sighed. He could breathe properly once more.

  At least I have been able to fix something this evening.

  With his face sorted, Freddie could consider the other problem this evening had created.

  Eve.

  He had only seen her briefly exchange greetings with Trenton, but he doubted Trenton was simply making small talk.

  He washed his face and topped up Saintspreserveus’s water bowl. For a moment he stood and looked at the dog as it lapped at the water.

  “Hattie was right. You have a ridiculous name.”

  With his membership of the Bachelor Board no longer an issue, he didn’t have to inflict such a foolish name on the loyal beast. He bent down beside the dog.