An Inconvenient Arrangement

A Midnight Encounter

1809

There was nothing quite like a ride at midnight on a night when the moon was full. Their estate in Carlisle certainly had its perks. While Raphael had taken to spending his summers in London with his friends from university, he did miss the open air of the countryside. The way the crisp air stung his nose yet cleansed his lungs, the way every color seemed more pronounced when not obscured by the smog from factories and chimneys. Cook's food, which Raphael had grown up on, always satisfied him better than meals he and his friends had at clubs and balls.

He had come after the end of his second year at Cambridge because his father had singularly refused to even entertain the idea of coming to London to stay with him. Granted, his bachelor's lodging was nothing fit for a Marquess, but they had a perfectly serviceable townhouse in Mayfair that was being rented to people!

On the other hand, Raphael was not particularly keen on having his father learn of his....hobbies. Raphael was certainly a regular feature on the scandal sheets, the latest for the fact that he had arrived at a ball sporting an earring as a result of a lark. And then he had been caught in the embrace of a particularly merry widow.

Well no, he was not entirely selfish. If his father would simply stop being a coward, bear the brunt of the gossip once, he could start to reassemble his old life. Maybe find a nice matronly widow and get remarried. Raphael would make sure to be on his best behavior to guarantee he did not embarrass his father.

It was not as if he feared being cut off; for one, his father would never do that and for another, Raphael now had his own tidy income from various investments he had made over the years. He had always had a talent for being able to identify trends and patterns that coupled with his head for mathematics made him fiscally responsible. That way he did not have to answer to his father's man of business if he ever got carried away on a night at the Hazard tables.

As Raphael rode through the grounds, he caught a glimpse of a horse tied to a tree in the distance. Raphael slowed his horse down to a cautious trot and then decided to dismount and investigate for himself. Leaving his mount near the other horse in case he needed to chase after trespassing ruffians, Raphael moved forward cautiously.

Who would be out at this time of night? Poachers? They were a steady problem on this estate because they had excellent game. Raphael looked around for a stick or some sort of weapon to defend himself in the case he did come across some ruffians for he doubted they would follow the rules of gentleman boxing. As he ventured forward, cresting a small hill that would have been an ideal hiding place, he found that his worrying was for naught. At the foot of the hill stood a lone figure draped in a midnight blue cloak, dark blonde hair falling down her back in a simple braid, hunched over a telescope.

Irritation surged through him, making his blood boil.

Was she bloody stupid? All alone, out in the middle of the night?! There could be poachers out here for God's sake!

On silent feet, he marched as close to her as quickly as he could without making a sound. The bloody fool was so engrossed in her stargazing that she did not even notice his approach until he was right next to her. His arm clasped onto her arm in a vice grip and then she was screaming in alarm. The next thing Raphael knew her fist collided with his face, causing him to stumble backward but because he was still holding her arm, he took her down with him.

His body collided with the ground and then a split second later she collapsed on top of him, knocking the breath out of him. He heard the muted clatter as something fell onto the soft grass below. Her spectacles undoubtedly.

"Unhand me you, dastardly knave!"

"Dastardly knave?!" He asked in disbelief. "You are accosted by a stranger in the middle of the night and you can't come up with something better than that? Really, Sylvie, Shakespeare is proud of you."