Lady X

.

His lordship suddenly clamed up. He eyed Jacob and waved it off, “Do what ye must, lad.”

Jacob sighed. Do what he must? Was it ever so simple?

* * *

PART TWO

~ Chapter One ~

The purpling ocean owns the coming sun.

But ere he break—a deed is to be done.

Lord Byron

EXERILLA WAS OUT for a walk, but not just any walk. It wasn’t for exercise or fresh air. She was hoping she might bump into Lord Blue Eyes, because the sorry truth was she was hopelessly in love. In love with someone she could never have. She was in love with a man from another time. She was a mess.

Hunter had not stopped by for a morning visit and the afternoon seemed to be on its way out with no sign of him. She gave up hope that he was coming and decided to go out and about. She thought that she might see him on his way to or from Cressly Towers.

What was he doing? Why hadn’t he been to see her?

Sir Jacob had stopped by for a short morning visit and she had been unable to illicit any information about her Hunter. Instead, she had been shocked by Sir Jacob’s announcement that he had been given permission to court her.

They were friends and she was sure he had no romantic inclination toward her at all. He just suddenly decided to court her. It made no sense whatsoever and so she told him.

He said, “Exerilla, it is because we are friends that I think this will work. I would like to have a wife and carry on the name. You need to get out of this house and have one of your own. Without a dowry, well…even here in Dover, your expectations, well…” he had allowed his voice to trail off.

She had laughed and thrown her arms around him and told him, “You are a wonderful, kind hearted dear boy, but that is not enough. You should be with someone who loves you and I can’t be that person. I also think I should be with someone who I love and loves me. I’m holding out for that.”

It was ridiculous. Even if she wasn’t about to hop a train to the future a few months down the road, she would never contemplate marriage with someone she didn’t love.

He had hemmed and hawed and came at her for a while with some nonsense about being comfortable together. She finally made him see it just wouldn’t work for her and that she wasn’t going to be cajoled, or sweet-talked into such a marriage.

It was sad to think about. A young woman, stuck in the situation she was in, with little or no prospects. No way out and she might have to marry for convenience, get a life of her own, and to have children just to get away from someone like Horwich. She had an out, but she didn’t want to take it.

Jacob hadn’t taken offense at her refusal, and even said he would try and stop by on the morrow.

As she walked, daydreaming took over and she sighed contemplating the uncertain future.

All at once, she was aware of seagulls flying with a sudden rush. She listened as she stood perfectly still.

She was on a wooded bridle path and one that was the shortcut to Cressly Towers. She heard the unmistakable sound of one horses’ hooves pounding a well-worn dirt path. It was being ridden not so very far behind her, unseen because of the bend in the trail.

She turned, and felt a wave of dread as the horse and rider appeared. David Horwich.

He was off his horse and striding hard toward her so fast that she blinked and then coughed at the dust his hard ride had created.

When she saw his fixated eyes, Exerilla had a sudden urge to call on her wand and stop him dead in his tracks.

What he needed was a good lesson. She would be leaving, but he would remain and no doubt terrify and stalk some other poor woman.

“Exerilla,” he said as he approached. “My father just told me. I can scarcely credit it. Sir Jacob has offered for —to court you?”

She waved this off. “Not that it is any of your business, but yes, he has.”

“You will not accept his offer,” David said and his eyes looked wild with frenzy.