The Earl's Mission: Defiant Brides Book 4

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Defiant Bride Series

  Newsletter Information

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  Author's Note

  The Earl’s Mission

  Defiant Brides

  Book 4

  Jennifer Monroe

  Copyright © 2018 Jennifer Monroe

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  The Defiant Brides Series

  The Duke’s Wager

  The Spinster’s Secret

  The Duchess Remembers

  The Earl’s Mission

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  Chapter One

  Joseph Linfield, Earl of Brunsford, assessed the servant girl before him, Beatrice by name, and tapped his lips with a finger. The woman stood in her simple uniform with her arms clasped behind her as she faced the floor. He had a strict rule that everyone in the household, servants included, were to keep their appearance neat and tidy. It was not a difficult request, and although the girl had worked for him for several weeks, he had caught her with her hair disheveled once again. If a visitor had arrived to see one of his servants in such a state, he would have been shamed beyond belief, for the appearance of one’s servants reflected highly on the master of the house, and Joseph was extremely careful about his standing in the peerage.

  “My Lord?” Beatrice asked quietly.

  He gave her one last bit of scrutiny and nodded. “Yes, your hair is much more acceptable now. This will be your final warning; if Mrs. Longhorn must come to me again about your appearance, or any other infraction for that matter, you will be dismissed. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, My Lord.”

  “Very well. You may return to your duties.”

  The woman gave him a quick curtsy and left the room just short of a run. Granted, others might see his expectations to be extreme, after all, it was only her hair. However, if he did not keep a clear hold on even the most minute aspect of his estate, turned a blind eye to the disheveled hair of one servant, he could easily become a laughingstock of the ton, the subject of rumors, which was something he most definitely did not want.

  Lightning flashed, causing a shimmer of light across the carpet, followed by thunder that rattled the windows. Rain pelted against the panes as Joseph looked out over the gardens. He was on his way to becoming one of the richest men of the ton, and he would not be stopped by the carelessness of a servant girl, or any woman for that matter.

  The door opened and Joseph turned to admonish Beatrice for her intrusion. However, instead of the young servant girl, Henry, his stout butler, stood with a silver tray holding a letter.

  “My Lord,” Henry said with a bow. “A messenger just arrived. He said it is of the utmost importance you read this immediately.”

  Joseph took the letter from the tray and gazed at the black wax that held the letter closed. It was with great trepidation that he broke open the correspondence.

  My Lord Linfield,

  Mr. Richard Templeton requests your presence at his home as soon as possible.

  Yours,

  Mr. Horace Sherman, Butler, Elford Estates

  Such a short, but furtive, note. Joseph could not ignore the urgency behind the words. Richard was a business associate, a mentor to Joseph after his father died, a man who never once refused the endless questions or counsel Joseph sought. Upon receiving his inheritance, Joseph knew little in the ways of business; however, the man had taken Joseph under his wing, never once taking advantage. Without the man’s advice, Joseph and his mother and sister would have been out on the streets in a matter of a few years. That made Templeton more than a business associate; it made him a friend, the dearest of friends. The last Joseph had heard, Richard had become gravely ill, so there was no doubt that the man’s condition had worsened.

  “Henry, see that my horse is saddled at once,” Joseph ordered. “I may be gone a few days. If anyone comes calling after me, tell them I am away on business.”

  “Yes, My Lord,” Henry said, then he bowed and left the room.

  Joseph made his way to his bedroom and threw a change of clothes into a bag. Samson, his valet came rushing in, more than likely having been sent by Henry. “I will need my heavier coat and cloak, as well as my brown breeches.” Thunder boomed once more and shook the house, but Joseph paid it no mind. He would ride a hundred miles to see the man before he died.

  Samson helped Joseph into his warmer clothing, his aged hands deft as they worked the buttons on his shirt. Then the man finished packing the remainder of Joseph’s clothes as Joseph made certain he had everything he would need. It was not as if he would be on the road for days; Elford Estates was located only half an hour from Abberton House. Perhaps it was the nervousness that befell him that had him double and triple checking his bag. The most difficult part of his readying himself was keeping back tears that threatened to fall. A man did not do such things, but more importantly, he did not do so in front of servants, no matter how close he felt to old Samson.

  Once everything was ready, Joseph slung his pack over his shoulder and bounded down the stairs. He was uncertain how much time he had, but he would not linger too long; it was much too important he arrive quickly. Henry stood at the door with Joseph’s heavy brown coat and hat.

  “Remember, if anyone comes calling, I am away on business. I doubt that Mr. Templeton wishes anyone to know his condition before they should.”

  “Yes, My Lord,” Henry said in his nasally, formal tone as he helped Joseph with his coat. “And the Dowager Countess, My Lord? She is scheduled to arrive in three days’ time. What shall I tell her if you have not returned by then?”

  Joseph sighed. He had forgotten about his mother’s arrival. Thinking for a moment, he turned to Henry. “Tell her the truth, that my friend has fallen ill and that he summoned me to his home. But tell no one else.”

  “Of course, My Lord.”

  With a quick nod, Joseph opened the front door and stepped outside, the blowing rain instantly pelting him. Pulling up his collar, he grabbed his bag and hurried to the stable, where he tied his bundle behind the saddle. It was less than six miles from Abberton House and Elford Estates, but judging by the collecting water on the ground, he knew the journey would not be fast.

  He snapped the reins and the horse moved forward, the ride to see his friend and mentor now starting. As he traveled down the drive, he thought on his old friend and had to once again
fight the tears that threatened to fall. Lightning flashed around him, lighting the darkness that hung under the trees on either side of him. Night had not fully fallen, but the dark clouds blocked most of the sunlight that would have illuminated the road ahead. However, he had ridden this path on so many occasions, he could have easily done so with his eyes closed.

  Joseph smiled, remembering a young man of fourteen, ten years earlier, when his father had died, and the wealthy, but kindly, man who had taken him under his wing.

  “You are no longer a child,” Richard had told him. “It is on this day you are to become a gentleman, and of equal importance, a businessman.”

  Joseph smiled again, ignoring the rain that pelted his face. He had become both of those things, a gentleman and a businessman, and he owed it all to that man, who had taught him everything he knew. He hoped he would be able to express his gratitude for his friend once again before the man left this world. Digging his heels in, he urged the horse to a gallop.

  ***

  Elford Estates sat on a hundred acres of land, with riding stables, gardens and a large wooded area. Although Richard Templeton had made most of his fortune in the shipping business, he had also acquired numerous cottages and buildings from which he collected rent, which was just one more way the man made money.

  When Joseph stopped in front of the house, a young man hurried out and collected the reins from Joseph. “I will bring your belongings in, My Lord,” the man said with a quick bow.

  “Thank you,” replied Joseph. He hurried to the door where Sherman, the butler of the house, stood waiting.

  “Allow me to take your coat,” Sherman said.

  “Have I arrived on time?” Joseph asked as he shook out of the dripping coat.

  “Indeed, My Lord,” Sherman replied. “He is in his rooms. The vicar left only half an hour ago. If you wait, I will…”

  Joseph did not wish to wait, and much to Sherman’s chagrin, he took the stairs two at a time and hurried down the hallway until he stood outside the large lacquered doors that he knew led to Richard’s rooms. He paused to calm his breathing and then tapped lightly on the door.

  “Come.” The voice behind the door was weak and barely audible, but Joseph instantly recognized it as belonging to Richard Templeton.

  The room was warm, almost stifling, due to the large fire that roared in the fireplace. As Joseph approached the bed, he felt his heart drop when he saw the motionless man on the bed. Had he truly heard the man invite him in, for what he saw was a man who appeared much older than his late forties. His illness had aged him by at least another twenty years; the once vibrant smile and the sparkle in the man’s eyes were now gone.

  “You came,” Richard said in a hoarse whisper as he turned to face Joseph. That simple movement seemed to be difficult for the man to do and it tore at Joseph’s heart.

  “Of course,” Joseph said. “I came as soon as I heard.”

  Richard gave a weak smile. “Bring a chair over,” he said as he pointed a thin finger toward a place behind Joseph. Joseph did as the man bade and pulled a high-back chair beside the bed and sat down in it. Richard continued, “It appears my journey in life has come to an end, my young friend.”

  “Can I do anything for you?” asked Joseph, although he had no idea what more could be done before the man expired. When Richard cringed in pain, he quickly added, “Shall I call for the doctor?”

  “No, son, I am beyond what a doctor can do for me. I do have a request, however.”

  “Yes, anything,” Joseph intimated. He owed this man much and would do what he could to make his last moments as comfortable as possible, no matter the request; their friendship was that great.

  “When Helen left this earth,” Richard said, speaking of his wife, “I understood two things at once. One, I was without an heir. The second was that I missed so much time with her. Which was a shame, for she was a beautiful woman and brought me peace when I was around her.”

  “She was a lady above all ladies,” Joseph replied with honesty. What more could he say?

  Richard nodded. “I have left…all of my estates, my holdings…my businesses in your care,” he said in short gasps. “For I trust you. You are the son I never had, the son I always wanted.”

  Joseph gave the man a smile, his words as warming as the fire behind him. “I am happy to do so,” he said. Having all that the man owned would make him a very rich man, indeed, which made him happy despite the sadness that rested on his shoulders as to how he would receive those riches.

  Richard reached out and took Joseph’s hand. “I have a confession to make,” he wheezed. Joseph felt an uncomfortableness settle on him. He was no vicar; how could he accept this man’s confession?

  “Do you wish I call back the Vicar?”

  “I have a child.”

  Joseph leaned back, his mind racing. Richard had no children; his wife having lost a child during childbirth and then unable to conceive others. Was the man finally losing his mind as can happen when death comes knocking? “Who is this child of whom you speak?” If the man had an illegitimate child, it would not change to whom he left his fortune, but there had to be a reason the man wished to give him this information.

  The man began to cough, the rattling in his chest loud as he tried to catch his breath. When the fit finally subsided, he replied to Joseph’s question, “My daughter.”

  Joseph could do nothing but stare at Richard. Perhaps the fever was making the man delirious.

  Richard made a sound that could have been a chuckle. “No, I am not mad,” he said. “You give yourself away much too easily. You know of a small village far west of here called Falmouth in Cornwall, do you not?”

  “Yes, of course,” Joseph replied.

  “Some twenty years ago, I was there on business and I met a woman who was more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen before. She was from a family with some money but with little notoriety. I was with her for only a week before I was made to leave, and although I wished to marry her, my father would never have allowed it. He had pressured me into marrying Helen. I do not regret the time I had with Helen, but when I heard that the woman in Falmouth was with child, I immediately sent a man for information. It was through that investigation that I found that the child was mine and that she was a daughter.” The man began to cough once more and Joseph could do little more than wait for the fit to subside once again. “The only time I saw her, she was perhaps five at the time, with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes just like her mother. I did not approach her, but my heart soared that day. Though I wished to take her into my arms and hold her as a father would hold his daughter, I could not, for I was already married to Helen, and you realize that to make such information public would have ruined me.”

  Joseph nodded. More than one man had hidden a relationship that existed out of wedlock, and on most occasions, if a child resulted from such a union, the mother was paid off in some way. Joseph wondered if that was what Richard had done. For some reason, he suspected the man had not, but not because he did not think the man had no honor. Instead, he knew that, since no attempt had been made by the girl’s mother to extract money from her father, it was better left alone.

  “Her mother,” Richard continued, his eyes taking on a faraway look, “was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her daughter looked very much like her, even at a young age. I imagine she has grown into a woman that turns men’s heads.” His chuckle bought on another coughing fit. When he was back under control of his breathing again, he reached for a small box that sat on the side table and handed it to Joseph. “I would like you to give the girl this ring,” he said. It was a gold band with blue stones, more than likely sapphires, if Joseph guessed correctly. “It was my mother’s, and I want her, my only child, to have it.”

  It grew quiet, the only sounds the crackling of the fire, the rain pattering on the window, and Richard’s shallow breathing, but Joseph waited patiently for Richard to continue. Several minutes ticked by before Richar
d spoke again.

  “I have a quest for you,” he rasped.

  “A quest? What kind of quest?”

  “Find my daughter,” Richard said. “When you find her, bring her back here to Elford Estates. Allow her to roam the halls as she rightfully should have if I had been able to marry her mother. I have left instructions with Sherman as to which items I want her to have. Then, my son, my request to you is simple: watch over her and let her know that every day of my life, I thought of her, and though we never met, I did love her. However, society dictates what can and cannot be allowed. I wish I had not listened to society’s rules, but regardless, I cannot change the past. She will be given an allowance, and I want you to see that she receives whatever training she needs to become a lady who can be accepted by the ton. Will you do this for me? Can you complete this mission to bring her the happiness I failed to bring her?”

  Joseph did not know what to say. His heart beat against his chest as his mind raced. He had no idea who this woman was, besides where and when she was born. What business did he have traipsing around the country in search of an illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man? However, as these thoughts entered his mind, he looked into the eyes of his friend, the man who was like a father to him, the man who had never refused a request Joseph ever made of him, and he knew he would do this, if only to repay him for all the man had done for him.

  “You have my word,” Joseph replied firmly. “I will seek her out and will not rest until she has returned to these halls, and I will see that she is cared for as per your instructions.”

  Richard gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”

  “It would be my honor,” Joseph replied while pushing out that bit of doubt that tried to make its way into his consciousness. “What is her name, and where might I find her now?”

  “I know very little of her,” Richard said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Her name is Rachel and she would be twenty or so years of age now. I would inquire at the finest establishments; start there. Her mother would not be found anywhere less.”