Fortune's Bride

by VICTORIA MALVEY

  "The Gypsy emerges."

  Startled, Alyssa spun around to face Lord Hammond. "Your grace," she murmured, "I hadn't noticed you when I came out for a breath of fresh air."

  "I'd say not," he retorted. "You rushed outside as if the devil himself were on your heels."

  "No, merely one of his disciples."

  The duke's lips twitched. "I've always admired your spirit, gel. You would have bred strong sons and strengthened the line... if only you hadn't gone and ruined all of my well-crafted plans," he finished on a gruff note. "Now I shall have to begin my search for a suitable bride all over again." He glared at Alyssa. "You've made my life exceedingly difficult."

  "Your life?" she repeated, incredulous. Suddenly, it all seemed too much to take. "How dare you!" she raged, stepping forward to glare at the duke. "First you try to trick me into a marriage by proxy and be-cause of you, I am forced to curse Ian." She waved her finger at him. "Those curses cause people to fear me. And, as if that isn't bad enough, I've been cornered and grabbed by gentlemen wanting me to tell their fortunes." She shook with anger as she cut off her tirade. What she refused to tell the duke was that worst of all, she'd gone and fallen in love with Ian, who would have nothing to do with her because of the pompous, controlling man standing before her.

  Stepping forward, she poked the duke once with her finger. "So, don't tell me that I've made your life difficult, your grace, for you've completely turned mine upside down."

  "Yes, I can see that your life was so much better before I offered the marriage by proxy," Lord Hammond said dryly, looking pointedly at her new gown. "You have no idea how much effort I must expend in order to find a suitable bride."

  And as quickly as the fight consumed her, it left her. Alyssa allowed her hand to drop to her side. "Why bother then? You should trust your grandson to make a suitable match for himself. Ian is a fine man; he'll choose well," she said, ignoring the pain sparked by her reassurances.

  "You don't know what you're talking about," the duke retorted.

  "Indeed, I do. Your grandson entered society in order to find a titled bride." She smiled sadly at the realization that it would never be her. "If you'd only left him alone, he undoubtedly would have already chosen one."

  Lord Hammond scowled fiercely at her. "Perhaps, but would she have been suitable?"

  "I assume so." Wrapping her arms around herself, Alyssa smiled at the duke. "Ian is so much like you in so many ways," she whispered. "Think of what you would do if someone tried to manipulate you into marriage."

  The answer reflected clearly in the duke's stiffened carriage.

  "My point exactly," Alyssa said with a firm nod. "So, by trying to order Ian to marry the person of your choosing, you are in essence encouraging him to do exactly the opposite."

  Tapping a finger against his cheek, the duke seemed to be considering her arguments. "So what you're saying is that if I wish Ian to marry one type of lady, I should try to get him to marry the exact opposite."

  Lord, but the man was bullheaded. "No, your grace, dial's not what I'm saying at all. You should talk to your grandson," she urged. "I'm quite certain that through loving guidance, you would be able to help Ian choose his bride."

  For a long moment, the duke was silent... then he let out a bark of laughter. "Loving guidance, indeed," he sneered coldly. "I assure you I will find a way to get my grandson to honor his familial responsibilities as well as pick a suitable bride."

  At least she'd tried, Alyssa consoled herself. "You shall never force Ian to your will," she warned him, her voice sad. "Your only hope is if you finally begin to listen to what he has to say."

  Wearily, she made her way down into the darkness of the garden.

  * * *

  "Have you seen Lady Alyssa?"

  Lord Allerby looked askance at Ian's question. "Lady Alyssa? Good God, man, haven't you had enough curses to last your lifetime?"

  Annoyed, Ian hid his feelings beneath a polite smile. "I believe I'm safe, as Lady Alyssa has announced she no longer intends to curse me."

  "Oh, yes, that's right," returned Lord Allerby.

  "Now, have you seen Lady Alyssa?"

  Nodding, Lord Allerby gestured toward the glass doors that led onto the terrace. "When I last saw her she was conversing with Lord Hammond."

  "My grandfather?" Ian didn't even wait for a response. Instead, he stepped outside onto the terrace, but found only the duke. Without preamble, he asked, "Have you seen Lady Alyssa?"

  "Lady Alyssa?" murmured the duke, pausing to study the end of his cigar. "Do I know that young lady? Ah, yes, I believe she was the one in which you expressed no interest." He lifted a brow. "So tell me, Ian, do you now wish you hadn't been so hasty in dismiss-ing the marriage proxy?"

  Yes.

  The instinctive response quivered on the tip of his tongue, but he wouldn't give voice to it. Instead, he shook his head. "I don't have time to play games with you this evening," Ian said, dismissing his grandfather. "I need to find Lady Alyssa." Heading back into Atherton's house, Ian had his hand upon the door handle when his grandfather spoke.

  "She went into the garden," he said gruffly.

  Help from the duke was the last thing he'd expected. Striding across the terrace, Ian paused on the top step, glancing back at the man who had unknowingly shaped his life. "Thank you," he said, realizing they were the first nonhostile words he'd ever spoken to the duke.

  Luckily, the Athertons' garden was small, so it wouldn't be difficult to locate Alyssa. He walked around the perimeter of the yard, yet he'd seen no sign of her. On a second time around, he noticed the garden door slightly ajar. Peering out to the street, he saw Alyssa being tugged into a carriage. Shoving open the door, Ian burst through as the carriage pulled away. , Unable to follow on foot, Ian rushed back into the Athertons' yard to find help. The first person he came upon was his grandfather. Looking at the duke, Ian tossed aside his pride.

  "Grandfather, I need your help."

  22

  W ithin a few minutes, a group of men had gathered upon the terrace. "Thank you all for your help," Ian began. "I have no wish to alarm everyone, but I just saw Lady Alyssa pulled into a carriage and taken away. I was hoping one of you might have seen something."

  Most of the men shook their heads. Only Lord Hamilton stepped forward. "You are asking the wrong people, Fortune," he remarked. "After all, we were all inside the house. Perhaps if we questioned our drivers, they might have seen something."

  "Splendid idea," Ian replied. Following the group of men as they headed toward their carriages, Ian fell into step beside his grandfather. "Thank you for help-ing me round up the men who had arrived late."

  "Ian, I would do anything to help."

  That made two civil exchanges with his grandfather in one evening. Ian would have to tell Alyssa... when he found her, that is.

  Various carriages lined the streets and drivers sat atop them. Calling to his man, Lord Hamilton beck' oned him down from his perch. "Did you see a carriage leave in the last few minutes, Beck?"

  "Quite a few," replied die driver. Beck's eyes narrowed as he thought back. "But one struck me as being odd."

  Stepping forward, Ian asked, "Odd in what way?"

  The carriage was a hackney, but the driver works for Lord Covington," Beck explained.

  "Are you positive it was Covington's driver?"

  Beck nodded at Ian. "Indeed, I am, my lord. Jim and I play cards every other Saturday, so I recognized him right off."

  "What in the blue blazes would Covington want with Lady Alyssa?" demanded Lord Hammond.

  "I don't know," Ian returned, his voice darkened with anger, "but I intend to find out."

  Striding toward his carriage, Ian was surprised to find his grandfather had once again fallen into step beside him. "My carriage is closer," the duke offered.

  Not wanting to quibble at a critical time like this, Ian nodded and veered toward the duke's carriage.

  Once ensconced within the shadowed confines o
f the Hammond carriage, the duke ordered them to be off. As the conveyance rocked to a start, silence fell between the two men. Concern for Alyssa pulsed through Ian and he fought the urge to shout at the driver to go faster still.

  "She'll be just fine," his grandfather said in a low voice. "That girl is a tough one."

  Ian nodded in agreement. "Indeed she is."

  "Besides, Covington is a harmless old bird. He wouldn't harm a hair on her head."

  Surprisingly enough, the duke's blunt reassurances made Ian feel much better. When the carriage pulled up in front of the Covingtons' town house, Ian didn't even wait for it to come to a complete stop before he opened the door and vaulted out.

  Clapping the knocker a few times, Ian waited impatiently for a servant to open the door. While he waited, Ian felt the duke move to stand next to him. After what seemed like an interminable wait, the door creaked open.

  "May I help you, my lord, your grace?" the butler asked coolly, but Ian had seen the flash of awareness in the man's gaze.

  "We need to see Lord Covington on a matter of urgency," Ian said firmly, placing his hand upon the door.

  Panic flittered across the butler's expression. "I'm afraid that is quite impossible, my lord."

  "And I'm afraid I shall have to insist." With one push, the door opened enough for Ian to step past the butler.

  "My lord," exclaimed the butler, rushing after Ian as he strode into the house and headed straight for Cov-ington's study. "You can't go in there."

  "Watch me." Sweeping the servant away, Ian entered the study... and came up short at the sight of Alyssa, smiling gaily as she laid cards upon Coving-ton's desk.

  "Ian!" she exclaimed, completely unaware of the relief rushing through him. "What brings you here?"

  "You," he replied in a clipped tone as anger pushed aside the feeling of relief.

  Pleasure brightened her gaze as she pressed a hand to her chest. "You were worried about me," she whispered.

  "Silly of me, I know," he replied dryly. "I don't know how I could have been so foolish as to be concerned after seeing you yanked into a carriage and carried off into the night."

  Her eyes widened as the duke stepped into the room, moving to stand next to Ian. "Your grace!" Immediately, she turned her gaze onto Ian. "You brought your grandfather with you."

  Ian could see the conclusion Alyssa was drawing. "He assisted me in locating you," Ian said briskly. "But what I want to know is what are you doing here?"

  "Lord Covington has asked for my assistance."

  Eyeing the cards, Ian knew perfectly well why Covington had wanted to see Alyssa. "He wanted you to tell his fortune." He leveled a stern look at Alyssa. "I thought we agreed—no more fortunes."

  "I know," Alyssa returned, "but Lord Covington hasn't felt well these past few days due to lack of sleep. He's been anxious about an investment he made that has taken a turn for the worse."

  "It's true," Lord Covington said, wringing his hands together. "I know I was a bit.. .overenthusiastic in my efforts to have Lady Alyssa read my fortune. I was hoping she might be able to tell me if the mining com-pany would turn around again."

  "The Electrolytic Marine Mining Company?" Ian asked briskly.

  Lord Covington's brows drew together. "Yes, how did you know."

  "That company's name seems to be coming up a bit too much for comfort," Ian remarked, before shaking his head. "Still, that has no bearing upon why you felt the need to remove Lady Alyssa from a ball, Covington."

  "I know.. ." Lord Covington looked at Alyssa. "And I'm sorry."

  Reaching out, Alyssa patted his hand. "It is quite all right, my lord, but in the future why don't you send me a note asking me to visit? It is far preferable... not to mention less shocking to my system."

  Suddenly, Ian remembered the reason he'd sought Alyssa in the first place. "Were you the one who accosted Lady Alyssa the other night?"

  Frowning, Lord Covington shook his head. "Absolutely not. One night quite a while back, I saw her on the streets and called to her, but she ran away from me and I was unable to catch up with her."

  Ian remembered the incident clearly. "Very well, Covington, but I don't ever want you taking liberties as you did tonight." He gave Covington a hard look. "Do we understand each other ?"

  "Perfectly," Covington hastened to say. "You have my word of honor it won't happen again."

  Holding out his hand, Ian beckoned to Alyssa. As he led her from the house, she murmured, "Really, Ian. There was no need to be so... forceful with Lord Covington."

  "Sorry if I displeased you, my lady. Perhaps next time I should look the other way when I see you being abducted."

  Behind them, the duke made a strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

  23

  The carriage ride back to the Athertons' ball was a tense one. Alyssa shifted on her seat as Ian glared at her from the opposite seat. Looking toward the duke who sat next to Ian, she saw he wore a foreboding expression as well. Delightful, she thought with an inward sigh. Ian and his grandfather finally agreed upon something—to be thoroughly annoyed with her.

  "You shouldn't be so upset with me," Alyssa said, unable to stand their silence any longer. "It's not as if I had a choice in the matter. As you noticed, Ian, I was put into Lord Covington's carriage rather forcefully."

  "True," Ian conceded, making Alyssa believe he was ready to be reasonable, "but then I ask myself what you were doing out on the road in the first place."

  There went that hope. "I heard people arguing."

  Lifting his brows, Ian waited for her to continue.

  "That's the reason I looked out the rear gate. I heard two men arguing about how they were going to get inside, so I thought I should look to see what the problem was." She lifted her chin. "There was no way I could have known that those gentlemen were there for me. It was an unfortunate coincidence."

  "One that would not have occurred had you remained at the party," Ian retorted sharply.

  The vehemence in his voice startled Alyssa. "I truly don't understand why you are so annoyed with me, Ian."

  While Ian remained silent, his grandfather didn't. "As well he should be upset with you," the duke snapped. "Good Heavens, girl, you hear two men arguing and you decide to investigate the matter!" He shook his head. "Have you no sense?"

  Crossing her arms, Alyssa glared back at the two men. "I refuse to explain myself any further," she said firmly. "Might I remind you that nothing untoward happened to me?"

  "Only by a stroke of fete, as your behavior was positively reckless." Leaning forward, Ian held her immobile with his penetrating stare. "Don't forget, Alyssa, that we still don't know who tried to grab you at the Wirths' affair the other night."

  She waved her hand. "It was probably someone who simply wished to have their fortune told." Breathing a sigh of relief as the carriage came to a stop, Alyssa moved to the door and held out her hand, allowing the footman to hand her down. Pausing at the door, Alyssa glanced back into the carriage. "The two of you are for too much alike for comfort."

  As soon as she walked away, Ian looked at his grandfather who was looking right back.

  "Rubbish," Ian pronounced.

  The duke nodded firmly. "Utter nonsense."

  Leaning his head back against the cushioned seat, Ian closed his eyes. "I suppose I should follow Alyssa to ensure she reaches Aunt Eleanor safely."

  'True enough," the duke agreed. "With that girl, you're never quite certain what will happen, are you?"

  "Never." Ian rubbed a hand against his forehead. "I'm just so infuriated with her at the moment I'm afraid I won't be able to control my temper if something does go awry."

  "If that's how you feel, then I'll go," the duke said tartly. "Lord knows the last thing we need is yet another scene."

  Whatever the reason, Ian was glad for his grandfather's help. "Thank you," he said as the duke stepped out of the carriage.

  With a regal tilt of his head, the duke accepted Ian's thanks befor
e turning on his heel and following Alyssa. After ordering his driver to head home, Ian wondered at the fury still pulsating within him. While Alyssa's actions had been foolhardy, they certainly hadn't warranted the level of anger he felt.

  Slamming his fist against the leather seat, Ian imagined what could have happened to Alyssa. How could she take a risk with her life like that? Didn't she realize how much danger she put herself in every time she roamed the streets? Lord, if anything had happened to her, he'd ...

  Ian straightened on his seat as he finished the thought. If anything happened to Alyssa, he'd lose part of himself. Stunned, Ian pressed a hand against his chest.

  He loved her.

  From the moment he first saw her, she pulled at his senses, teased his emotions, and made him yearn for more. His grandfather's words taunted him as Ian real' ized that he wished he hadn't been so hasty in rejecting the proxy.

  Now he faced even bigger problems. Not only would he have to endure his grandfather's gloating, he'd first have to convince Alyssa that he wanted to marry her. Since he'd just expended so much energy trying to convince Alyssa and every member of the ton that he didn't want to marry her, he would have a devil of a time assuring her he'd fallen in love with her.

  One thing was for certain: around Alyssa, life was never easy.

  * * *

  Unable to sleep, Ian decided to lose himself in his work, so he headed to his offices at first light. Unlocking the door, he stood on the threshold... unable to believe his eyes. Papers lay strewn all over, his chair listed to the right, and his books had been tossed onto the floor.

  Why would anyone want to ransack his office? It wasn't as if he kept money here. Perusing the room again, Ian noticed a piece of paper pinned on the wall with a large knife. Stepping gingerly around the mess, he made his way toward the missive.

  Convince the Gypsy to tell her fortunes and play at curses or when next we grab her, we'll keep her.

  Ripping the page off the wall, Ian ran from his office.

  * * *

  Alyssa awoke to the sound of knocking.