Lord Castleford's Fortunate Folly (Fortunes 0f Fate Book 2)

by Tabetha Waite

  And maybe another kiss or two.

  As their dance drew to a halt, Fanny breathed in his clean, male scent, with just a hint of spicy cologne as he moved away.

  He offered a brief bow. “I’ll pick you up at your house. Shall we say eight o’clock?”

  For a moment, she had to remind herself to what he was referring. She nodded, but then realized she didn’t know what kind of outing she was agreeing to. “Where is it that we’re going exactly?”

  His eyes shone with a certain, wicked glimmer that caused her lungs to catch. “If I told you, then that would ruin all the fun of a surprise, now wouldn’t it?”

  Fanny merely smiled, but inside she was thrilled.

  Tomorrow couldn’t get here quick enough.

  Chapter Six

  Fanny had just pulled on her gloves and begun tying the ribbon of her bonnet when her mother came up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Have a good time today. It’s not every day that you get the chance to go on an outing with a handsome nobleman like Lord Castleford.”

  Warmth rushed to Fanny’s cheeks. “We’re only friends, Mama.” Just keep telling yourself that…

  The older woman smiled knowingly. “Of course.”

  Her father was getting ready to head out on the water for his daily pilchard catch when he turned to her. “While I appreciate your diligence in distracting Lord Castleford, I assume you have a proper chaperone for this little trip?”

  “Yes,” Fanny replied with a small smile. “Before I left Killigarth Manor yesterday, Lord Castleford said he was going to speak to Lady Marwood and see if one of the housemaids might accompany us.”

  “I don’t see why I couldn’t have gone,” Agnes piped up with a delicate pout.

  “Because you need to help me at the market,” Lilah pointed out from where she sat beside her on the settee. “Besides, I thought you were looking forward to seeing — Ow!”

  Fanny held back a grin as Lilah rubbed her shin and Agnes shot her a murderous look.

  “On that note…” Their father chuckled as he shoved on his cap and headed for the door. “I’m heading out to sea where a man might get some rest from such high-spirited daughters.”

  Moments after his departure, the Marwood carriage pulled up in front of the house.

  Agnes’ eyes instantly lit up. “Oh! He’s here, Fanny! Perhaps I should—”

  Fanny rushed outside and shut the door firmly behind her.

  Lord Castleford stepped down from the black, lacquered coach and opened the door. He doffed his hat to her, and Fanny felt her stomach flip anxiously. He looked infinitely appealing today in a pair of black breeches and a sapphire blue waistcoat and jacket. She felt drab in comparison in her plain, cornflower blue muslin.

  But when he turned that heart-stopping grin on her those insecurities melted away. “Are you that eager for our outing?” he teased.

  Her cheeks instantly warmed. “Annoying siblings,” she corrected.

  He laughed, his green eyes twinkling in merriment. “Ah. In that case, it makes me thankful I only have one brother.” He waved a hand, so Fanny climbed inside. He entered after her and shut the door behind him.

  Fanny’s gaze shifted to him. “Are we riding… alone?”

  “Afraid I might take advantage of you?” he purred, and Fanny’s cheeks heated even more. His lips twitched as he explained; “Mary and John Coachman are courting so she asked if she might ride up top with him. I didn’t see a problem with it, but of course, if you are uncomfortable then I can insist—”

  Fanny waved a hand. “No, it’s fine. I daresay they don’t have many opportunities to converse in private.” She didn’t wish to sound like a prude and demand that the maid ride with them. Besides, it wasn’t as if Lord Castleford would go so far to defile her in Lord Marwood’s carriage.

  Unfortunately.

  Fanny was quite sure that her face was flaming at this point, even before Lord Castleford gave her a particularly devilish wink. “Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “I promise to be the perfect gentleman.”

  She folded her hands in her lap, and offered him a slight smile as the carriage began to roll away. If you only knew…

  ***

  If Jonathan thought he’d been in hell at Killigarth Manor, then he wasn’t sure what to call this torture. He’d purposely put himself on the rack, being in such close proximity to Fanny, yet unable to touch her. In her dark blue pelisse and straw bonnet with its charming, white ribbon, she looked perfectly adorable.

  And perfectly innocent.

  Jonathan sighed inwardly. While the taste of her lips was burned into his memory, he had to refrain from acting on any further impulses. He would only be in this desolate area of England for another week. After that, he would go back to London and resume his life, as he knew it. While he intended to curb some of his wilder tendencies, first he had to purge these licentious thoughts about Fanny.

  Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if anything — or anyone — would ever remove Miss Grouseman from his mind.

  He wasn’t even sure why he’d offered to take her to St. Austell to visit with the men he’d hired to look into the old tin mine, but some inane part of him wanted her approval. He yearned to show her that he wasn’t just some notorious rake who cut a swath through town, even if that’s what he’d been. For years, that was the side of him that anyone had ever seen. Even his father. It was one of the many reasons they had always been at odds.

  But no one knew the man beneath that veneer who desired something more, something worthwhile.

  Today, Jonathan intended to let this new persona shine through. And for some odd reason, he wanted Fanny to be the first to see it.

  ***

  “We’re here.”

  As the coach rolled to a stop, Fanny peered out the window to see a crumbling pile of stones with a few men milling about the structure. A frown touched her forehead. “You brought me all this way to show me some old ruins?”

  He laughed deeply. “Well, that is what I thought at first as well, but I’m hoping that today will prove me wrong.” He opened the door of the coach and stepped to the ground, holding a hand out to her to assist her down.

  Fanny hesitated for only a moment before she exited. The wind had strengthened from this morning. As her dress whipped around her legs, she had to hold on to her bonnet to keep it from being ripped from her head. In turn, Lord Castleford removed his hat and tucked it under his arm. In that moment, his dark hair, a tousled mess about his head, and those twinkling, mischievous green eyes, with his black greatcoat flapping in the wind, he rather took on the appearance of a highwayman.

  And just as dangerous.

  She quickly pushed such disturbing thoughts aside as a burly man walked over to them. He might have been particularly intimidating with his grizzly beard and stocky build, if it wasn’t for his kind smile. As he approached Lord Castleford, he stuck out his hand. “My lord,” he said. “I’m glad you were able to reply so promptly to my message.” He turned his attention to Fanny and inclined his head. “Good day, miss.”

  Fanny murmured a greeting as Lord Castleford made the introductions between her and the foreman. Afterward, Jonathan set his hands on his narrow hips. “I must say I’m curious as to what you’ve found, Mr. Santon. That is, if there is truly anything to salvage from this heap.”

  The other man grinned broadly. “I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.”

  “Then by all means.” Jonathan waved a hand. “Lead the way.”

  After a round of friendly acknowledgements to the five other men assembled, Fanny observed the area around her in a new light. What she had originally thought was a pile of broken remains was actually a rundown mine. It appeared that new excavation had recently begun.

  She looked over at Jonathan curiously, as he conversed with the men, his enthusiasm apparent. This place seemed too dilapidated to reasonably restore operations. Then again, if something like this could be salvaged, it would mean new jobs for some of the villagers
in the area. But then, why he would try to bring something like this back to working order when he didn’t even live in the area?

  Was it honor or some other motivation that spurred him to act?

  For a man like Lord Castleford, who had been given the best that life had to offer he appeared to have a keen knowledge of business. Usually, such matters were taught to the heir of a grand estate, while the spare was left to his own devices. But it didn’t take long for her to figure out that Jonathan was a rather intelligent man. He obviously wasn’t the ne’er-do-well that he portrayed.

  Drat. Not only was she attracted to Jonathan, now she was actually intrigued by him.

  “I’ve very pleased to hear that, Mr. Santon. Very pleased, indeed,” Jonathan said, bringing her attention back to the conversation at hand.

  “If all goes well, meaning no unforeseen pitfalls, you should be gaining a rather tidy return on your investment within just a few weeks,” the foreman returned proudly.

  Fanny’s eyes widened. Until this point, she had thought Jonathan was working with the villagers. This information shed an entirely new light on the matter. “Wait.” She held up a hand as the two men turned to her. “Are you saying you actually own this mine?”

  Jonathan’s lips twitched. “As of recently, yes.”

  She frowned lightly. “But I didn’t think that you had ever been to our little corner of England.”

  “I hadn’t until just a few days ago,” he admitted. She must have looked lost, for he offered his arm to her. “I’m starved. How about we discuss this further over a bite to eat?”

  They were about to depart when Mr. Santon cleared his throat. “Only one more thing, my lord. Did you wish to keep the name Wheal Austell?”

  Jonathan spoke to the foreman, although he never took his eyes from Fanny, that glittering green gaze speaking volumes. “I don’t believe so. Since it is no longer a tin mine, then I feel the name needs to be altered as well. From henceforth it shall be named Wheal Lady.”

  ***

  They had lunch in a private dining area at the local inn upon Lord Castleford’s request. As the innkeeper’s wife brought them each a pint of ale, she withdrew to prepare their meal. Fanny normally didn’t imbibe spirits, but she needed to do something to calm her nerves. Ever since they’d left the mine, Lord Castleford had barely taken his eyes from her. It was unsettling, and not because she didn’t like being the center of his attention — but because she did.

  She took a bracing sip of the ale and grimaced as the bitter brew slid down her throat. To try to distract her body’s responses to him, she returned the conversation to where they’d left off. “So tell me how you came to be in possession of Wheal...” She faltered over the name, knowing that it was in reference to her, ending with, “…the mine?”

  Those green orbs caressed her over the rim of his cup as he drank deeply. As he set it back on the table, he slowly licked the stray droplets from his lips. “It was a gift from the Marquess of Shropshire.”

  “That was very… generous of him.”

  Jonathan snorted. “Not really. It was just his way of getting me out of London.”

  “Why would he wish that?” Fanny usually wasn’t so bold, but she was curious. She imagined all sorts of torrid scenarios based on his reputation — a cuckold husband, for one.

  “He owed me money for a gambling debt,” Jonathan returned smoothly. “Nearly five thousand pounds.”

  Fanny nearly spewed her drink across the table. “That is quite a sum.”

  He lifted a brow. “Indeed.”

  “So instead of sending the man to debtor’s prison for failing to pay, you decided to take a chance on our desolate part of the country and the investment he offered?” she guessed.

  He grinned. “It would appear so.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure I would have accepted such an offer.”

  “I nearly didn’t,” he admitted.

  “What changed your mind?”

  For answer, his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Perhaps I knew I would find something worth fighting for.”

  Fanny’s toes curled delightfully in her slippers. Her breathing deepened, and she felt a decided heat between her legs. She licked her lower lip just remembering his mouth on hers.

  His grip instantly tightened on his mug, causing his knuckles to turn white. “You shouldn’t do that,” he said quietly, seductively.

  She exhaled shakily. The dangerous highwayman had returned.

  “Do what?” she asked softly, as she repeated the gesture.

  His nostrils flared as he tapped a finger against his mug. “Tempt me.”

  Fanny could hardly take a full breath, so she was thankful when the innkeeper’s wife chose that moment to return with their food. She forced herself to tear her eyes away from Lord Castleford and offer a smile at the woman. “It looks delicious.”

  “That it does,” she heard Jonathan purr.

  A shiver coursed down Fanny’s spine, for something told her he wasn’t referring to the meal at all.

  ***

  Jonathan was about to break the promise he’d made to himself that morning — to keep his hands to himself. Yet with every minute that passed, he was hard pressed to remain distant. His manhood was as stiff as iron beneath the table, and Fanny’s actions were quickly sending him over the edge of self-control.

  The handkerchief from the fortune teller was practically burning a hole in his jacket pocket in warning, so he quickly grasped on to the only thing that might divert his attention from all the delightful things he would like to do to Miss Grouseman.

  He removed the linen from his pocket, and rubbed his thumb over the gold emblem. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, handing it across the table to Fanny.

  As their fingers brushed, he had to hold back a hiss, and shift to a more comfortable position in his seat.

  She studied the design for a moment, and then shook her head. “I’ve never seen it before, except for that day in the market, of course.” Her cheeks colored slightly, as if bringing to mind the memory of their first meeting when she’d fallen headfirst into the mud. “What is it?”

  Jonathan ignored the food before him as he set his elbows on the table and threaded his fingers together. “I’m told it’s called The Path of Life. A fortune teller gave it to me after I stopped to free one of their traveling wagons from the mud.”

  “The Path of Life?” Fanny’s brow creased adorably as she gave the square of cotton back to him. “Sounds rather cryptic,” she murmured.

  Jonathan recalled his conversation with the mysterious woman with vivid clarity. The entire encounter had been cryptic to say the least. And while he hadn’t spoken of that day with Elliot, his closest friend, he found the words spilling forth to Fanny now. “She told me that sometimes our paths are intertwined on this journey through life, and that the road to self-discovery has much travail, but how we prosper depends on our determination to succeed. Then she gave me this handkerchief and said that whatever it was I might seek, I would find it if only I was true to myself.”

  “She sounds very wise,” Fanny said softly. “And like someone who has been forced to deal rather harshly with life.” She traced a thoughtful circle on the rim of her mug with her fingertip.

  Jonathan tucked the handkerchief away. “The cynical side of me believes that she was just very talented at her profession. But I confess it’s caused me to reevaluate my current circumstances.”

  Her movements paused. “Is that why you’re trying to revive the mine — because you’re on some sort of quest to redeem yourself?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose so. In a sense, at least.”

  Jonathan felt he’d said the wrong thing, for he saw Fanny stiffen as she sat back in her chair and allowed her eyes to fall back to her plate. “At least you’re considering her advice,” she replied evenly. She picked up her fork. “We should be getting back on the road before it grows dark.”

  He cleared his throat. “Of course.”
<
br />   After that, they fell silent.

  Chapter Seven

  Fanny felt as if a permanent scowl creased her forehead as they rode back to Polperro. She kept her attention on the scenery outside while Lord Castleford attempted the pretense of sleeping after his attempts to engage her in polite conversation had failed. But considering she was rather unsettled, it was likely for the best. She was afraid she might actually speak her mind should he push her too far.

  She had been a fool to think that Jonathan was actually trying to do something for the good of the people by reopening the mine. They needed those profits to survive, yet would he even think twice about pocketing the return on his investment, funds that he likely didn’t even require?

  Not likely.

  She still couldn’t believe that all of this was because he was only acting on the suggestion of a fortune teller he’d just happened to encounter on the road! Did he have no mind of his own? She had known all along that Cornwall held no appeal for him, so of course, this project was merely the perfect solution for a bored aristocrat to collect on a gambling debt gone awry. If it began to prosper, he could return to London and his indolent ways and accept the praise of his good deeds with a clear conscience. But no doubt at the first sign of discontent, he would abandon the project and flee as fast as his horse could carry him there without looking back, leaving the people of St. Austell once again in the lurch without hopeful employment.

  Fanny clenched her fists in her lap. She had believed that, after getting to know Lord Castleford a bit better over the past few days, that he might truly be honorable at heart. But after what he’d revealed today, she realized her faith had been misplaced. He was no different from the revenue officers that patrolled the shores around Polperro hoping to place hard-working men under arrest for smuggling. They didn’t give a thought that for some, this trade was the only thing that kept certain families from falling into abject poverty. They only focused on their own glory and how the Crown might reward their efforts.