Destiny of the Heart (Viking Destiny)

by K. Young

  Mel lit up. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting Derrick to say, but the fact that he didn't just blurt out 'no' meant that he had at least considered Kristen as more than just a mistress. And, it really was too bad of him to make such a suggestion. Mel was afraid Kristen wouldn't be able to get that out of her head. And, stubborn as Kristen could be, once she was of a certain opinion, it was the devil's own time trying to get her to change it.

  "Derrick, may I offer you some advice?" She asked.

  He knew he would get the advice either way, so he figured it was just easier to go along with it. But, he took a sip of wine to bolster himself first. "Go on."

  "Kristen is special, I think you know that. It won't take long for the other lords to notice that either. It would be in your best interest to come to terms with what you want from her instead of trying to intimidate the men who show an interest in her. You will only run her off that way."

  Mel couldn't help it. She honestly wanted to stay out of it since Kristen had gotten so angry last time, but damn it! The two of them liked each other, and they were both being stubborn asses about it. Truly, it was enough to drive her mad. But, she decided she wouldn't say anything further on the subject. She turned her attention to the food in front of her and dug in. Playing matchmaker was quite exhausting, and she was pregnant to boot.

  But, a little ways down the table, Kristen wondered if Derrick and Mel had been discussing her. There had been so many emotions that flitted across Derrick's face she couldn't catch them all. And, when Mel's face lit up, Kristen was ashamed to admit that she got a little jealous. Kristen always believed that Mel was much more beautiful than Kristen could ever be, and when Mel smiled as she had at Derrick, her beauty was much more pronounced. Kristen wondered if Derrick found Mel attractive. Not that it mattered in the least since Mel was quite madly in love with Derrick's best friend. But, Kristen wondered how Mel had such complete faith in Guy's fidelity when Kristen had a hard time trusting Derrick, and they weren't even involved.

  Fat lot of good it did her to think about Derrick, she scolded herself sternly. If she kept that up, she would waste what precious time she had left in trying to secure a husband. And since she was finding that the men available to her were rather lackluster as it was, it simply wouldn't do to compare them to Derrick. Kristen suddenly wasn't very hungry so she pushed the food around on her plate. Perhaps she could escape to her rooms for awhile that evening when the gentleman went for their hunt.

  ***

  Later that evening, Kristen did manage to sneak away and find solace in her rooms. She wished Lord Bentley good luck during his hunt, offered similar words of encouragement to the other gentlemen she had met, and downright ignored Derrick. Her heart ached from it, but she supposed it was better to be a little sad now than to wake up in five years and realize her whole life had been a lie. Derrick Shane would break her heart, she was sure of it.

  As she lay there contemplating the events of her life and how she'd come to be in so much trouble, there was a soft knock on her door. Kristen smiled, thinking it was Mel coming to check on her. She slid off the bed and walked to the door, opening it.

  "Mel, I'm fin - " Kristen stopped mid-sentence and the smile faded from her lips.

  It wasn't Mel, but her stepfather. He shoved past her and into the room, then reached around her and shut the door. Kristen moved away from him as quickly as she could. Only when she was a safe distance across the room did she turn and glare at him.

  "What do you want, Ashby?" She demanded.

  "Come now, I should think that was obvious."

  "I'm not marrying you."

  "Oh, I've moved beyond that scheme. You are worth more dead than alive, m'dear."

  Kristen laughed. "Is that so? And, are you the one who is going to kill me?" She asked in haughty disbelief.

  Ashby laughed through his nose. "I underestimated you once. I won't do so again."

  He leaned over and opened the bedroom door allowing two extremely large men to enter the room. Kristen's eyes flicked between them nervously, and she glanced back at Ashby. His gloating smile made her want to punch him in the face.

  "And how do you propose to get me out of here quietly? There are plenty of witnesses around."

  Ashby's smile grew wider as a third man walked in her room carrying a decidedly unconscious Derrick. Kristen's nostrils flared slightly, but she gave nothing else away. She thought it best if Ashby believed she didn't care for Derrick.

  "You bring an unconscious man in here and expect that to be enough to prevent me from screaming my bloody head off?"

  "My dear child, you can be obtuse if you would like, but I've watched the two of you over the last few days, and I know that you do very much care for him. Now, you will come along quietly, and no games, or we'll slit his throat. The choice is yours."

  Kristen was stuck in a precarious situation, and Ashby knew it. If she didn't go quietly, Derrick would die. If she did, then she could die. But, at the end of the day, she wouldn't put Derrick's life at risk to save her own, so there was no choice in the matter.

  "Fine. Lead the way. But, if one hair on his head is out of place, I promise you will regret it."

  "No need for threats. Once we're in the carriage, we'll drop him off somewhere. He won't be harmed, I assure you."

  His wolfish grin told Kristen otherwise, but for now she went along with the plan. Ashby held his hand out to her and she stepped forward, but stopped just out of his reach. He kept his hand out a moment longer, a sort of challenge, but Kristen wasn't interested in proving anything to him and she wasn't about to touch him. He laughed softly as he lowered his hand and looked up at his thugs.

  "Let’s go."

  Ashby led the way, Kristen followed, and the thugs brought up the rear. The two for Kristen stayed close to her while the one holding Derrick over his shoulder was the last to leave the room. Ashby led them down the hallway to the back staircase that went down to the servant's entrance. As they quickly made their way down the stairs, Kristen hoped they'd run into at least one maid. Perhaps she could get a message to Mel about what had happened.

  But, Kristen was to be disappointed. Whatever Ashby's plan, he had timed it well because there wasn't a servant in sight. Kristen's stomach twisted over itself and she suddenly felt terribly nauseous. She could have handled Ashby on her own, but with Derrick there, she had to be careful. Any misstep and they would kill him. He was merely an expendable pawn in Ashby's plan. But, if Kristen got out of this, she planned to break Ashby's scrawny neck.

  When they reached the landing, Ashby took a sharp right, and they headed through a small back door that lead to the side of the house. They all filed out and followed Ashby into the shadows. Kristen didn't think he would use his own coach for this kidnapping, so she assumed he had a hired hackney waiting just down the road. But, since it was a country house, that meant they would be walking a little ways.

  That thought gave her a moment of hope. If they had to walk a little, perhaps Derrick would wake up and they could escape together. But, when she glanced back at the thug holding Derrick, she got the distinct impression he wouldn't be waking up any time soon. Kristen ground her teeth and returned her gaze to the back of her stepfather's head. If they hurt Derrick, she would make Ashby's life a living hell.

  They walked the length of the road with a surprisingly quick pace. When they reached the end, an unmarked black carriage was off to the side of the road. Nonchalantly, as though he weren't kidnapping two people, Ashby looked around. Kristen supposed he wanted to make sure no one had followed them, but she wondered if he genuinely thought he'd be able to see anyone if they had. The trees were incredibly dense at this section of the road, providing the perfect hiding place.

  But, it wasn't something she worried about for long. Ashby grabbed her arm and yanked her across the road until they reached the carriage. He opened the door and shoved her inside, where she landed on a cloaked figure who shoved her off, then Ashby followed her inside. It w
as immediately apparent that not all of them would fit in the carriage and Kristen looked around, concerned.

  "Get rid of him, now." The cloaked woman commanded.

  Ashby stuck his head out the door.

  "Leave him there on the side of the road and meet us at the rendezvous point. One hour. No dallying."

  Kristen saw the thugs nod their consent and Ashby slammed the door closed, giving the roof a good knock. Kristen frowned. She started to move, but before she could even finish the thought, the cloaked woman had a dagger to her throat. Kristen inhaled sharply and looked at Ashby. His eyes were gleaming in the dull light of the carriage.

  "One move from you, your highness, and I'll slit your throat."

  Kristen's mind was racing. She had no idea who this woman was, but the voice sounded remarkably familiar. She racked her brain trying to remember.

  "What difference does it make if you slit my throat now, or later? It's your intention to do so either way."

  "On the contrary. I have a much different end in mind for you." The woman said with some amusement.

  Ashby leaned forward. "Now then, let's discuss the terms of our agreement."

  Kristen saw the hood of the cloak slip back a little from the woman's face. What Kristen could see was very beautiful. She was again struck with the sense that she had met this woman before, but she wasn't sure where.

  "There is no longer an agreement, Ashby. My terms were clear. She was to be dead within one week, and you have not met that objective." The woman stated coldly.

  "My week is not up." He insisted.

  "Quite nearly. And, I've been watching. Nothing but one botched attempt after another."

  "Excuse me, but what the hell is going on?" Kristen demanded.

  The woman dug the knife into her neck. "Nothing that need concern you, m'dear."

  "If you insist on cutting me out now, then I see no reason to keep her in the dark. This woman is respon-"

  A pistol shot fired in the carriage. Kristen cringed, though she couldn't move with the knife still to her throat. She looked at Ashby and begrudgingly had to admit the woman was a damn good shot. He was shot between the eyes, and Kristen noted that at such a close range, it would be exceedingly difficult to clean the carriage out. But, whoever this woman was, the driver was either familiar with her, or he was extremely well paid because the carriage never missed a beat.

  "Well, that was dramatic." Kristen said dryly.

  The woman chuckled. "He was a waste of a human being. I did the world a favor."

  "Indeed." Kristen agreed.

  Chapter 19

  When Derrick awoke, he had a splitting headache and couldn't remember much. He was surrounded by many of the hunting party and several of the ladies. Mel handed him an ice pack for his head. From what Derrick could remember, he had been hit over the head and knocked unconscious, but there must have been a drug used on him as well because he was groggy and slow to understand what everyone was saying. Finally, Mel knelt beside him and quieted the others.

  "Derrick, Kristen is missing. Have you seen her?" She asked quietly.

  "Of course he saw her! It's obvious he is the one who abducted her, and she took him by surprise and hit him over the head. I'm sending for Scotland Yard!" Lord Bentley announced.

  Derrick furrowed his brow, not at all sure what Bentley or Mel were talking about.

  "What in blazes is he on about?" Derrick asked Mel.

  "Kristen. She's gone."

  It finally sunk in, and Derrick's face dropped in surprise. He tried to stand up, to go look for her, but was dizzy and fell back in his seat. Oliver laid a steadying hand on his shoulder.

  "What happened?"

  "Well that's what we'd all like to know, Shane. What did you do to her?" Bentley shouted.

  "Me? You think I had something to do with this? That I'd hurt her?"

  "You were jealous that she liked me more than you." Bentley insisted.

  Mel and Oliver rolled their eyes, both thinking that Bentley was a hot-headed moron if he believed that. Derrick glared at him, his eyes glowing brightly.

  "Let me be clear, Lord Bentley, as you seem to be laboring under an ill-informed assumption. I am not jealous of you. I have no cause to be. Lady Kristen, while certainly a woman with her own agenda, does not like you anymore than she would like a toad in her morning tea." Derrick said evenly, causing a few sniggers from others standing near them.

  Bentley pulled himself to his full height and puffed his chest out like a peacock. Derrick sighed through his nose, knowing exactly what was coming next.

  "Lord Derrick Shane, I issue - "

  "I suggest you think very carefully about the next words that come out of your mouth, Lord Bentley." Oliver interrupted, disgust evident in his tone. "As Derrick's second for every duel some idiot lord has challenged him to, I can tell you he is a superb shot and you have no hope of winning anything but a doctor's visit. That is, if he lets you live."

  Bentley paled a little, and Derrick couldn't help but pity him. Most men had enough sense to stop challenging the Shane brothers to duels. It never ended well for them. The Shane's backed their notorious reputations with the skill and willingness to do what was necessary to protect themselves. Still, this Bentley fellow was determined to ignore the warning.

  "Be that as it may, I still issue challenge. If you are his second, I'll be sending mine 'round to give the place and time." Bentley turned on his heel and marched off.

  "Well, that was pretty stupid, wasn't it?" Mel asked, rather annoyed.

  Derrick shook his head, but thought better of it as the pain lancing through his head caused tears to sting the back of his eyes.

  "What happened, Mel?" Derrick asked again.

  Mel frowned. "We don't know. Kristen went to her rooms early because she wasn't feeling well. Her maid went in a little while later to check on her and she wasn't there. The grounds have been searched and she wasn't found, but they found you on the side of the road near the entrance."

  Derrick frowned, trying to remember anything that might help them locate Kristen. He was more worried than he cared to admit. If something had happened to her, and he wasn't there to protect her, well that just didn't sit well with him. Not that she couldn't take care of herself, but whoever had her had knocked Derrick unconscious and drugged him.

  "I can't remember anything past dinner. It's a complete blank." Derrick admitted.

  Mel patted his hand reassuringly, but she was just as worried. Derrick looked at Oliver, and the look on his face didn't instill confidence in him either.

  Derrick turned back to Mel. "Do you think it could be the trouble she's in?" He asked.

  Mel shrugged. "It's possible, but I'm not sure."

  Derrick sighed in frustration. "Mel, I know you want to protect your friend, but I need to know what's going on. I can't help her if I'm in the dark."

  She chewed on her lower lip and looked around. Mel was not keen on telling anyone Kristen's personal affairs, but at the same time, she was dreadfully worried that Ashby had her, and what could happen if they didn't help her. What's worse, it could be someone from her mother's past. Mel worried the reason Kristen's family kept dying so suspiciously was because they were being hunted by the man who had run them out of Norway in the first place. But, Kristen thought that theory was nonsense. She believed it more likely that Ashby was involved. Still, Mel decided it was best to tell Derrick what was going on, but before she could, Bentley arrived with a detective from Scotland Yard.

  "I need everyone to clear the room, except for you, Lord Shane." He gave Derrick a hard stare, no doubt trying to intimidate Derrick.

  The guests who weren't involved were quick to file out of the room. This was going to be the juiciest bit of gossip any of them had witnessed in some time, and they were eager to discuss it. But, Oliver, Mel, and Bentley remained. The detective looked at each of them.

  "I said Lord Shane was to stay. The rest of you may go."

  Oliver started to protest, b
ut Derrick held up his hand. "It's alright Oliver. Send a missive off to Scott and tell him what's happened. He will want to be informed."

  Oliver nodded and offered his arm to Mel. She accepted and they left, but not before both giving Bentley a cold stare as they walked past. He was unfazed. The detective looked at him again, a bit annoyed.

  "You too, Lord Bentley."

  "But, I'm the one who sent for you. I should be present during your questioning."

  "I'm afraid that is not necessary. Now, please leave."

  Bentley clamped his jaw shut, clearly unhappy about being dismissed. He glared at the detective. "Make sure you find out where she is." He shouted, then took his leave.

  The inspector turned back to Derrick and lifted a brow. "A bit anxious, isn't he?"

  Derrick shrugged. It wasn't the nobility's way to speak ill of each other in front of those not of the nobility. Much as Derrick didn't like Bentley he wouldn't be that dishonorable. The inspector nodded and then pulled up a chair to sit in front of Derrick.

  "What can you tell me about the missing lady - " He consulted his notes. "Kristen Ashby."

  "Not much." Derrick said with a bored tone.

  Derrick thought it best not to appear too emotional as that might make him look guilty. Not that it mattered. When Scott heard of this, he would be down at Scotland Yard giving the head of the department an earful, and if this inspector still had a job, Derrick would be quite surprised.

  "Lord Shane, it would be better for you to cooperate with me." The inspector said, not unkindly.

  "Who says I'm not?" Derrick asked.

  The inspector nodded and scribbled something in his book. "And when was the last time you saw the Lady Kristen?"

  "Dinner."

  "Did the two of you argue?"

  "No, she ignored me and I sat across the table with her friend Meloney Atchkinson."

  "And what did you and Meloney Atchkinson discuss?"

  "My temperament mostly. Seems I'm causing quite a stir when I make an appearance to these social events."

  "Why is that?"

  "I imagine it's because I don't normally attend them."

  "And what has prompted you to attend them now?"