Page 2 of The Beastly Earl

“Where are they? Where’s Caleb? Devin?”

Her demands for an answer were met by silence as Sebastian closed his eyes for a moment then shook his head. She took several quick steps back from her oldest brother as shock pounded its way into every cell of her body. She whirled around to face the manor and the fire consuming it. The flames had now begun to spread to the opposite side of the house. The sting of guilt and pain lashed at her as if someone were striking her with a whip. Without thinking, she rushed toward the front door and the flames shooting out into the night. She barely heard the shouts and cries of fear behind her as she raced toward the burning house. The fire roared in her ears like an angry animal as a strong hand yanked her to a halt.

“Stop, Louisa.” Sebastian’s voice was harsh and commanding. As she stared up at him, her brother’s face darkened with a deep sorrow. “There’s nothing more we can do. Caleb. Devin. They’re gone. Both of them.”

“You’re lying,” she screamed as she struck out at her brother. “Let me go. We can’t just leave them in there.”

She twisted her arm trying to break her brother’s grip on her arm as she looked back at the house and screamed Devin’s name again. She heard Sebastian speaking quietly in her ear, but not his words. Fighting like a madwoman, she broke free of her brother’s grasp and ran back toward the house. A second later Sebastian’s arms wrapped around her to hold her close against his chest. Still fighting his embrace, she screamed Devin’s name over and over again. Her wild cries shattered the night as guilt slashed into her very soul then swallowed her whole and everything went black.

Chapter 1

November 1899

“Madison said you wanted to see me?”

Louisa smiled at her eldest brother as she closed the door of his study behind her. As she sank down into one of the chairs facing his desk, she frowned at the serious expression on his face as he turned away from her to stare out the window. After several moments of silence it was impossible not to prod him into speaking.

“What’s wrong, Sebastian? Has something terrible happened?” Fear rose up inside her as she tried to remember where the boys were. A second later she began to breathe easier as she remembered they were in the nursery doing their lessons. Sebastian cleared his throat then circled the large mahogany desk to sit in the chair next to hers.

“Louisa, as the head of the family—”

“Clearly you’re about to lecture me on some transgression.” She smiled at him, despite her sudden sense of unease.

The instant Sebastian grimaced, her heart sank. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with whatever he wanted to discuss with her. It was unlike him. All her life she’d looked up to Sebastian. Where she was impetuous and prone to fits of anger, her brother had been the exact opposite.

With the exception of when Helen had been kidnapped by the Marquess of Templeton, the oldest Rockwood sibling was always controlled and unflappable. Although in recent years he wasn’t quite as rigid as he’d been before Helen came into his life. To see him hesitate now only increased her tension.

“No, I have no intention of lecturing you.” A frown furrowed his brow as he dropped his gaze to study the floor for a long moment then raised his head to look at her with a resolute expression. “It’s time to let go, Louisa.”

“Let go of what?” she replied innocently, although she knew precisely what her brother meant.

“Do not pretend to be obtuse, Louisa, it doesn’t suit you,” Sebastian snapped before he released an oath beneath his breath.

“What is it you really want to say, Sebastian?”

She was now certain she knew what the discussion was about, but she refused to make it easy for him. His status as head of the family didn’t grant him carte blanche to question her behavior. It was a Rockwood trait to meddle in the affairs of loved ones with the goal of ensuring happiness for their family. But this was different.

Hers wasn’t a wound of the heart, it was the guilt that crushed her with every waking moment. Even in sleep she wasn’t completely free from nightmares. As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, he narrowed his eyes at her.

“It’s time to start living again. You’re far too young to grieve in the same manner as the Queen has done for years. You cannot give up on life when it has so much to offer.”

“And what does it have to offer?” she said as she heard the bitterness in her voice.

“A great deal if you would simply visit us here in London more often and reenter society.”

“I do visit you here. In fact, I’ve been here for almost two months,” she snapped as she glared at him. Sebastian scowled back.

“And in that time, you’ve rarely gone out. Other than Helen’s and my anniversary party, working at White Willow House, and attending the occasional opera or theater with Percy and Rhea, you're practically a recluse,” Sebastian growled in obvious frustration. “You don’t receive callers, you don’t make social calls, and you don't accept any of the invitations that have been delivered to the house. You’ve even refused to go for a drive in the park with Helen or Constance.”

“Is that all that’s troubling you?” Louisa released a soft noise of disgust. “My lack of inclination to attend frivolous events?”

“They didn’t used to be so frivolous for you.”

She shook her head as she struggled with Sebastian’s words. It was true she’d always loved going to parties, but she’d been younger then. Now her shoulders bore the heavy weight of anger, pain, and guilt. When she didn’t answer him, Sebastian released a sound of irritation.

“Damn it to hell, Louisa. The fire was an accident. A terrible, unfortunate accident. No one is responsible for that damn log knocking over that fire screen and setting the manor on fire.” The ferocity of his reply startled her, and she jumped as his words settled in her brain.

“I know that,” she said softly as she looked away from him.