The Earl's Childhood Nemesis

Prologue

No matter what was going on in her life, it was rare for Alice Fairfax to allow her worries to accompany her on her solitary morning ride.

Going out before she breakfasted ensured none of her noisy and later-rising siblings would want to accompany her, and allowed her a peaceful respite at the start of the day.

Today, however, her mind was full of her family’s trials and tribulations, and she felt like she might have appreciated some company. Not to talk through things though; she wasn’t ready to share her plans with them just yet.

Alice urged her gelding into a gallop, encouraging him to go faster and relishing the cool air on her cheeks.

When she felt him start to flag, she eased off and gave him a sympathetic pat on the neck as he slowed to a trot.

He was a good horse but she still couldn’t help thinking about Lucy, the chestnut mare she’d lost right at the worst period of her life.

She missed having her own mount, but, for the time being at least, she had to make do.

Distracted by a sudden onslaught of emotions, she realised they’d wandered off her family’s land and onto the neighbouring estate.

Not that it mattered, she’d spent her whole life going back and forth between the two properties, but the last person she wanted to see right at this moment was its owner, Anthony Worthing, whose beautiful home she could just make out through the line of trees before her.

Then again, she doubted he would be up at this time.

He might not even be in residence. He was more likely to have spent the night in some London gambling hell or a random woman’s bed and crawled back to his house there around dawn…

Still, Alice scanned the parkland with narrowed eyes, half expecting to see his tall figure lounging against a tree, watching her with that lazy, knowing smile. Ridiculous rake, she thought.

She drew the gelding to a halt on the rise above Fairfax Hall and looked down at the mellow brick house nestled in its valley.

Her gaze swept over their estate, an estate that had been held by her predecessors for hundreds of years.

How long would she be able to ride it? She shook her head sharply before squaring her shoulders.

Her plan would succeed. It had to. She turned the horse for home.

“Come on, boy,” she murmured. “We've got work to do.”