The Viscount's First Love (The King's League)

Chapter One

Two Years Later

Daisy’s heart sank low as she walked into the cemetery. It was early enough in the morning for her to see her way clearly, but to also ensure that there were very few others about. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she approached her father’s grave, remembering with great clarity exactly what had happened that night.

“Papa.”

Sinking down onto her haunches, Daisy reached out and traced the letters o

f her father’s name on his headstone. Nearly two years later, the pain had not yet gone from her. She had no peace, no easy sense of reconciliation. There were still too many questions, too many answers not yet given.

Closing her eyes, Daisy let out a long, heavy sigh. The night of the fire remained firmly fixed in her memory. She and her mother had stared at it, aghast, whilst the footman had held back Lady Harrogate from rushing back towards the house. Daisy had been horror-struck, wanting to save her father but knowing full well that there was far too much danger for both herself and her mother should they return inside.

From all around her, people had suddenly appeared, emerging out of the darkness. They had begun to muster enough people to throw buckets of water on the flames, although Daisy had feared it would be much too late. She had tried to help, had tried to join in, only for the footmen to insist that they continue on their path.

Lady Harrogate had been almost too overcome to put one foot in front of the other and, indeed, had needed to be supported by the footman as they had walked. Daisy had not wanted to leave, had not wanted to move from the sight of their burning townhouse, but the footmen had insisted. Lord Harrogate had put them in charge of both Lady Harrogate and Daisy’s safety, and they fully intended to fulfil what had been asked of them.

By the time they had reached Lord Northgate’s townhouse, Daisy had been so overcome with shock and fright that she had barely been able to climb the steps. Her sister and Lord Northgate had been roused at once and had come to Lady Harrogate and Daisy’s side almost immediately. Daisy could still recall just how frightened her sister had been and how she had clung to her, too afraid to tell her just what she had seen.

Lord Northgate had ridden away almost at once, only to return some hours later, weary to the bone and streaked with dirt and soot. It seemed he had given all he could to the effort to save the townhouse and that, thankfully, it seemed to have been successful. The study had been almost completely destroyed, with the drawing room next to it being badly damaged also, but the rest of the house had been saved from the fire. Her heart had leapt with hope, her hands clasping together tightly as she looked at her brother-in-law’s face, only to hear the words that she had dreaded coming from his lips.

Her father was gone. Caught by the fire, Lord Northgate had said – but there had been something in his eyes that she could not quite understand. It had only been a day or so later, when she had demanded to know precisely what Lord Northgate had seen, that he had told her the truth.

Her father had been burned badly, yes, but there had been a dagger found close to his body. When she had pried even further, desperate to find out the truth, Lord Northgate had reluctantly told her that it seemed as though her father had been stabbed first, dying from that injury rather than from the fire itself. Whether or not he had been overcome by smoke beforehand, no one could tell – but Daisy almost prayed that it had been so, in the hope that her father had been spared some pain.

“I will find the truth, Papa,” she murmured, closing her eyes and pushing her tears back. “I will not fail you in my search for justice.” Her heart ached with sadness as she thought back to her last two years of struggle. After her mourning period, she had gone back to London and stayed with her sister and Lord Northgate. Her sole intention had been to speak to Lord Templeton, to find a way to convince him to tell her the truth about the League and her father’s role within it. She had done all she could, only to find herself turned away again and again by Lord Templeton.

The first time she had met the Earl of Templeton, she had been filled with such grief and pain that she had barely been able to speak one word to him. The Earl of Templeton had been very surprised that a young lady had appeared on his doorstep some days after the fire and was insisting on seeing him just as soon as she could, but he had allowed her in and had given her time to express herself carefully and, in time, had listened to what she had needed to say. He had expressed sympathy, had thanked her for her diligence in doing what her father had asked, and had then attempted to turn her away – but Daisy had refused to do so. She had refused to even remove herself from his chair until he told her precisely what her father had been involved with.

That had been some two years ago. Lord Templeton had said he could not say much, but if she returned after her year of mourning, he might be in a position to say more. With no other choice, she had endured her mourning period alongside her mother back at their father’s estate, which had been then occupied by Daisy’s much-elder half-brother from her father’s first marriage. Charles was not a bad sort, for he had never expressed any wish for either Daisy or Lady Harrogate to depart from the house and find a new situation but had rather encouraged them to remain for as long as they needed. That year had given Daisy all the time she had required to consider her future. The idea of returning to London for the next Season and to put herself back into glittering society had turned her stomach. She could not do such a thing when there was so much grief and so much pain over her father’s death.

And so, she had determined that a life of a debutante was no longer something she wished to pursue.

“I have tried my best to find out what happened to you,” she whispered, miserably. “But Lord Templeton is determined to keep it all from me. I returned after a year as he asked, but he could give me very little information.” She sighed heavily, reaching out and pressing against the cold headstone, as though she might be able to find some answers simply by touching it. “He told me of The King’s League and your role within it, and I am truly in awe of your courage and your fortitude – but Lord Templeton will tell me nothing more. He will not state who he believes brought you to your death, nor will he state why such a thing occurred. Any request I have made has been firmly denied. The League does not include young ladies, it seems.” A wry smile touched the corner of her lips, but she shook her head and closed her eyes again, tears still coursing down her cheeks. “But I will not give up.”

Lifting her head, she took in three long breaths and forced herself to steady her composure. She would be returning to London within the hour, and her mother would, no doubt, do all she could to convince Daisy to behave as a proper young lady should, even though she knew very well that Daisy had no intention of attending any balls or the like. Daisy had made it quite clear to her mother, her half-brother, and to her sisters, Susanna and Rachel, that she was not to be pushed towards such a thing. Even Lord Northgate, who was very strict and not to be trifled with, had been unable to stand against Daisy’s determination. She would not allow anyone to tell her what to do. The only thing she wanted was to find the truth about what had happened to her father and to seek out justice for it.

Rising to her feet, she turned and, with her head held high, moved out of the cemetery. The carriage would be ready by now, waiting for her. She did not much like taking the carriage, but it was necessary, she supposed. Traveling back to London was difficult and arduous enough without worrying about comfort. Besides which, she would have the time to ensure that her plans were fully formed, without even a flicker of uncertainty or confusion.

“Daisy, there you are!”

Daisy looked to her left, astonished to see her mother hurrying towards her, a note in her hand.

“Mama!” Daisy exclaimed, catching her mother’s hand. “It is much too early for you to have risen. Whatever is wrong?”

Lady Harrogate swallowed hard, her eyes filled with tears. “I could not sleep, knowing that you intend to return to London again,” she answered, sending a jolt of guilt through Daisy’s heart. “And I have only just now received a letter from your sister, telling me that, now that the ton have returned to London, there are questions and rumors about you spreading throughout the city!”

Daisy frowned, finding that she cared very little what the ton thought of her. “That is not something to concern me, Mama.”

“It should be!” Lady Harrogate exclaimed, waving the letter in front of Daisy’s face. “There are whispers that you are no longer of this earth, that the grief and the pain was too much for you to bear! Susanna thinks it is entirely her fault, since she made some remark about you being lost in darkness – due to your grief, of course, but it seems that some of the beau monde believe that you are dead, Daisy! They think that since you have not been seen since that day two years ago, that you have been taken to heaven and we have buried you quietly, without pomp or ceremony.” She shook her head, her eyes still glistening with tears. “You must return to Society, Daisy. You must quash this rumor at once.”

Daisy sighed, took the letter from her mother’s hand, and read it quickly. It was precisely as her mother had said. Susanna was greatly concerned about this rumor and, whilst she had done her best to state that it was not so, she could not find the strength to overcome it completely.

Daisy felt no anxiety whatsoever. She had been in London the previous year, but not in an attempt to rejoin the ton, so it was quite understandable that so many had not seen her since the death of her father. When she had gone to London, it had been solely to meet with Lord Templeton and to do as he asked, so that she might join The King’s League and find out the truth about her father. In fact, she mused, considering things quickly, it might do her very well if people thought she was also gone from this earth. She might be able to convince Lord Templeton that she was more capable than he thought her, more willing than he imagined, and more determined than ever to find out the truth.

Looking back at her mother, Daisy felt her heart squash down hard against her chest, feeling such a sense of guilt that she was forced to take in some long breaths before she answered. Lady Harrogate had endured a great deal these last two years and, whilst

Daisy did not want to upset her mother in any way, she could not allow such a sense to keep her from doing what she must.