THE EARL & THE LADY. ( Sample Only)

CHAPTER ONE

         Lady Isobel stared at the antique fireplace in her new drab room which was not even  fitting for her arm maid. How did the royal chief accountant only daughter end up here, a house with little decorations ?  good question.

        Her father embezzled from the royal empire and plotted treason against  the crown prince and contributed to the death of the king and worse of all, she was the one who caught her father then reported him to the guard force and what did the crown prince who is about to become king do? 

           He married her off to the commander  of the guard force and if she was lucky he would not be up to sixty years of age. Maybe she should have let her father have his way ... No, she can't think like that, that's treason.
           
          As soon as the thought  entered her head she stood up and began pacing the room in long obvious strides that no lady should take. ‘my Lady ’ her new maid said.
 
          Turning, she thought she could scandalised her maid then bully her into giving up then quitting but as she turned she discovered that  her maid had a serene look on her face, the same annoying and controlled look that she wore since the seconds they were introduced.

           ‘ yes Agnes’ Isobel said thinking that  the maid would  be scandalized by her actions instead, the maid still had that annoying look on her face.
    
              ‘ would you like for me to warm water for your bath or would you like me to shift the table so you can have more space to pace around.’

          ‘ are you mocking me? ’ Isobel asked in an unbelieving tone.
 
           ‘ no, your grace, I just prefer to do something other than sit here and watch you pace’ Agnes answered then asked in soft tone ‘ would you have preferred if  I mocked you.’

          ‘ no, ’ Isobel answered drained of fight. ‘ were you related to the prince.’

          ‘ no your Grace, I was only his sister hand maiden all my life. ’ Agnes answered uncomfortable about the direction of the questions .

            ‘ never mind, draw water for my bath and put out the most complicated dressing grown that would be difficult for taking off. I don't feel like doing my wifely duty tonight.’ Isobel ended with a sign as Agnes bows and left her. If the Prince wanted to send a maid to watch her every move, the least he could do was send a chatterbox who will keep her company when her mysterious husband was no where to be seen.

        ‘ my lady your water is ready ’ Agnes said when she returned from her tasks.

          Silently Isobel moved to the chamber room to take her bath, her freedom and life as she knew it, was over  .

******

           ‘  lord Andrew, it is your wedding night, what are you doing in my study drinking one of my finest brandy as if it is gin ?’  crown prince Anthony asked his best friend with raised eye brows.

       
         ‘ trying to get drunk enough that when I bed my wife she will not see the look of disgust on my face, it's not working I can still see straight and am still clearheaded.’ Lord Andrew, duke of northshire and earl to wistonbrug  said with a grimace not looking at the face of the man who is his brother in every sense of the word except blood. The man whom his wife father came so very close to killing.  ‘ who informed you of the plot’ lord Andrew tried although him knew that his friend would not say a peep on the subject.
 

       ‘ am sure you understand the fact that I sworn an oath of secrecy and I don't betray my word Andrew, please speak nothing of the subject again.’ Prince Anthony said in a firm authoritative tone.
      

          ‘ yes your Majesty’ Andrew answered automatically with his head bowed.
     
        ‘ you should go home to your wife she will be worried either she knows you or not.’ Prince Anthony said as he moved to leave the room. ‘ shut the door behind you. ’ he threw over his shoulder as he left.

          If she is naive she will stay awake but these days ladies are no longer naive.    He had a feeling that she is going to be a young naive sweet girl, just the type he stays away from.

      Too bad that the biggest distance that he is allowed to keep is the space on their bed.