Not Your Average Countess

Leicestershire, England.March 1814.COLE FLETCHER sneaked out of the house and into his father's stable. At age twelve, he was already as tall as a young man. A trait that runs in the family.Some days ago, his father had brought in a new horse and the instructions had been it shouldn't be mounted. But being the stubborn lad that he was, he disregarded his father's warning and sneaked in. There had been no horse in their stables he hadn't mounted before. Honestly, he didn't know why his father like to fret about frivolous things. He was as capable as any stable master his father had, if not better, the boy thought as he pulled the stable door open and stepped inside. The cool morning air following him inside.He knew where the stallion had been kept, in the last stall, separate from the other horses. Cole was excited. The thought of stealing his father's new h

THE STRANGER had lingered on by her side in silence for so long and was beginning to make Emily nervous. When she had staggered into the library with the sole intention of crying her eyes out. She hadn't expected to find someone inside, let alone a gentleman who looked at her as if she was a beautiful woman. Not that she didn't enjoy the prospect of being stared at by him or being considered pretty she relished every moment of it. Because It wasn't every day that men of the ton stared at her like that. She had always thought it had something to do with her face she was so certain it was her face. She hadn't the type of face men were enamoured by, or so one of them had told her at one time, the worst something about her height seems to put them all off, but as she watched the man in front of her stare at her as if she was a dashing woman, even with the knowledge of how tall she was.  Against her better judgment, Emily's cheeks flushed ho

“Would someone care to tell me what the hell is going on in my library!” Sebastian, the Duke of Hanton, gritted out through clenched teeth.Sighing, Julian rubbed his brows. This was what he was afraid of. It was already enough that the four of them knew what was going on, and now the bloody Duke too? This was too much.From his peripheral vision he saw George step forward regardless of his necktie which has gone askew and his blond hair which seems to be everywhere, he seems not to notice for he walked with an arrogant step, he might as well be the King of England, for the way he walked, ruthless, and fierce as if he owned the bloody world.George stood in front of the duke and levelled him with an equivalent irritated expression. “Well, if you must know, the Earl has compromised my sister, both of them were found in a compromising position.”The Duke's eyes shifted to her and Emily winced. She cowered her head in

COLE SPARED a brief glance along the long field at the brothers, and noticed they were swiftly making arrangements, he noticed the one they called Lucas briefly aimed to his right before he thrust the pistol into Vincent's waiting hands, who quickly turned away and tended to the pistol with his head bent and his hands working intricately as he wiped over the pistol. Lucas patiently waiting by his side.The other two were lunged a few feet behind the others talking about something, and as he watched one of them stopped, and turned his way and then slowly start towards him. Cole turned away and let his eyes drift from the man and onto Sebastian who had just descended from the carriage cradling in the crook of his arm the box that housed his pistol.Turning back again, Cole noticed the brother who had headed his way had reached him. It was Julian, the eldest, staring down at him from eyes set in that crooked face of his.He bobbed on h

Few minutes later the carriage door opened, and his wife stepped in from the other side. It was customary to have a meal after a ceremony like this, but Cole would have none of it. He wanted to leave, and he wanted to leave now!As soon as she had bundled herself unto the carriage seats, he roughly knocked on the roof, signalling the driver to get going, breaking off her small talk with her brothers.“Bloody hell Tonfield!” Lucas yelled as the carriage tipped forward, bringing Emily who was unaware of the sudden movement crashing back to the carriage seat.She gasped and threw a horrified look at him, but Cole ignored her and looked out the window. As they gradually left the remnants of the manor behind, he could still hear the insistent voices of the Bertram brothers profusely cursing him. He smiled a sardonic smile and twitched the curtains closed. Then turned in his seats and faced his conniving wife.“Pray tell