Dangerous Recollections

Chapter One

Chapter One

1880

The Duke of Martine sat in his office reviewing the ledger with a mind wandering from the tedious and bothersome political matters that seemed to constantly nip at his ears. The chatter of voices echoing through the often-empty halls brought his attention to his brothers, who were home for the season. The winter ground was thawing, and the delicate green stems of tulips peeked out from the grounds as a sign that life would soon breath its essence into the gardens again. The grounds were filled with such aesthetic beauty during the warm months. After the buds had bloomed into vibrant flowers, the brown trees would sigh into green. The rolling mounds and hills would begin to pulsate with life, and the frozen streams would thaw themselves from the ice and begin to slowly trickling down the chest of the earth.

The winters; however, were desolate. The Duke, William Dalton, despised being confined to the indoors- a punishment that winter enforced. Winter was the warden and Martine would grow into William's frigid prison. He was often alone in the confounds of his home. Sebastian would flee to the city to amuse himself. Maverick was never one to socialize or emerge from his chambers on the odd chance he was home. He often stayed in their mother's family home some miles away on the rocky cliffsides.

Maverick was the eldest brother- the true heir to the Dukedom, but he had thrown the responsibility down to Will and became the most mysterious, gloomy, unconventional, and odd man anyone had ever met. He would sweep through the halls in his night clothes and barefoot and say nothing to anyone, scribbling in his notebooks and reading the plethora of textbooks and novels that filled their library. No one could bring themselves to blame or judge him though, with what Maverick had gone through a decade or so ago, it was no wonder he was a bit loony.

Sebastian was next, a complete womanizer since he knew what bosoms were. He'd had his way with many a maid and as he grew older, found unhappy wives a perfect target as well. Though the women were hardly victims. The wives, daughters, and Ladies of the town were practically drooling over Bash. He had many tripping out of their skirts after a simple wink and smile. But while he seemed to have no interest in monogamy, William knew Bash had a heart of pure gold. If any of his mistresses were in any trouble, Bash would go to the ends of the world to ensure their safety and to uphold their good name. Will had witnessed it himself on many occasions.

Benjamin at twenty-six had managed to run through his brother's shadows undetected by the gossip in town. He was often lurking in shadows and was quick to put an end to any gossip of his family. The man, while the youngest brother, was a towering beast who was fiercely loyal and fiercely protective. He would put his own life on the line if meant the preservation of the Dalton name. He was often away though, on errands for William to send messages or conduct meetings. Will's life as a Duke had worn him down and there was only so many places one man could be.

Then there were his two sisters who were meddlesome and obnoxious. Felicity, the second youngest, twenty-four and going against the dying demands of their now deceased father by running off to hunt treasure and study the ancient cultures in Egypt. Since she could walk, she had been sprinting away from the duties of a Lady. Felicity would drive her mother insane, getting grass stains on her new dresses, ripping her stockings after tackling her brothers, speaking out of turn and often, she also took pride in correcting their father- never smart to do. She always made a scene when she came back- which was very little nowadays. But while one Dalton girl's presence was loud and known, the other was quite the opposite.

Little Georgette who was eighteen and struggling to find her footing in the world. She was completely naive to the world. While her sister enjoyed the study of archeological texts, Georgette was a studious pupil of romance novels. Her eyes were always filled with hearts and William had his suspicions she was constantly swooning, yearning for a night, and shining armor to give her a purpose in the world. He wanted to explain her presence alone kept the wily Dalton children afloat. She gave them purpose, doting on her and striving to set a good example. She was the one Dalton who still had a chance at not winding up a complete public spectacle, or failure to their father.