Chapter One
England, 1813
Harred Woodville, Marquess of Kendal, had a no good, terrible louse of a brother. William had managed to squander through his own inheritance and now he was spending money that he didn’t even have.
He held up the bills from the establishments that were demanding to be paid. It was not surprising that they were all from disreputable places, such as brothels and gambling halls. The sum totaled nearly five thousand pounds. If he didn’t act quickly, his brother would empty out the coffers and he would be left with a bankrupt estate.
Why had he promised his father that he would always look after William? It was a promise that still haunted him to this day. He was nothing like his brother. He valued duty above all else and William only cared about himself.
They couldn’t keep going on as they had. His brother would ruin him, alongside his tattered reputation.
“Mitchell,” Harred shouted as he sat behind his desk.Perhaps the butler could provide him with some insight into where his brother was at this early hour.
The white-haired, narrow-shouldered butler stepped into the study. “What can I do for you, my lord?”
Harred dropped the receipts onto the desk and asked, “Do you know if Lord William has returned home?”
“Yes, he only just arrived and headed straight to the dining room for some breakfast,” Mitchell informed him.
He welcomed this news since he had spent the last few days trying to track down his brother but to no avail. With any luck, William would be in the right frame of mind to have a frank conversation. He was never quite sure what state his brother would be in when he returned home.
Rising, Harred said, “Thank you. I think some breakfast will do me some good, as well.” He came around his desk. “I intend to go riding after breakfast. Will you see to my horse being prepared?”
Mitchell tipped his head. “Yes, my lord,” he responded before he left to do his bidding.
Harred exited his study and headed towards the dining room on the main level. He had no doubt this conversation would be difficult, but it had to be done. His brother couldn’t keep going on as he had been. Quite frankly, neither could he. He had more important things to see to than chasing after William.
As he stepped into the dining room, he saw William was seated in a chair but his head was face down on the table. A slight snore escaped his lips as the plate full of food went untouched next to him.
Harred sighed. His brother couldn’t possibly be happy with this life, he thought. Drinking, cavorting with women, and gambling were acceptable pastimes for a gentleman for a period, but then at some point, they were forced to grow up and take on some form of responsibility. Clearly, his brother had not reached that point yet.
Coming to a stop next to his brother, Harred placed a hand on William’s shoulder and slightly shook him. “William, wake up,” he urged.
His brother grunted. “Leave me be.”
“We need to talk,” Harred stated as he let his hand drop.
“Can’t it wait until later?” William asked, not bothering to open his eyes.
“No, it can’t,” Harred said firmly.
It seemed to take a considerable amount of effort on his brother’s part, but William eventually sat up and opened one eye. “Why is it so bright in here?” he demanded.
A footman moved to close the drapes but Harred put his hand up to stop him. “Leave them open,” he ordered. “It is hardly bright in here.”
“Why are you insisting on being difficult?” William asked with a slight slurring of his words.
“Me? Difficult?” Harred clenched his jaw at that ridiculous question. Did his brother not know how truly infuriating he was? “I have been looking for you for the past few days, but no one seemed to know where you were.”
William seemed amused by the smirk that appeared on his face. “That is because you do not frequent the places that I do. In fact, they wouldn’t even let you in looking like that.”
Harred glanced down at his finely fitted clothes. “What is wrong with how I dress?” he asked. His tailor made sure he was dressed in the height of fashion. Not that he cared about such trivial things.
“You are no fun, Brother,” Wiliam replied. “You need to relax and start living life how it is meant to be enjoyed.”
“Like you do?”
“Precisely,” William said as he turned his attention towards the food on his plate. “I am famished. I don’t think I ate dinner last night.”
