They were met partway back to the castle by an angry Harry. Francis and James were nowhere to be seen.
“Where in the devil have the two of you been? You didn’t come to breakfast. Frightfully indecent of you, Newhall, to spirit Caroline away from her chaperones without their notice,” he said.
Julian ignored the underlying accusation in Harry’s words. “We took the birds down to the kitchens and then decided to go for a short stroll before coming in to join the rest of you for breakfast. I was merely showing Caroline around the grounds; there is nothing indecent in taking a walk.”
Harry huffed in disgust, then turned his attention to Caroline. “You know you should not go anywhere without one of us accompanying you. What would your mother say?”
“My mother would say, ‘One should avoid pompous asses by whatever means necessary.’ Harry, you are not my chaperone, and I do not answer to you,” she snapped.
It took a great deal of self-control for Julian not to applaud Caroline’s entirely suitable response to being chastised like a child. She stepped past Harry and headed toward the front door. Julian gave Harry a curt nod as he followed Caroline.
“Stay away from her,” said Harry in a low, angry tone.
Julian didn’t immediately respond to the threat, and was still considering his options when Francis and James appeared.
“Ah, there you are. We were looking everywhere for you,” said Francis.
Julian chuckled and gave Harry a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Yes, I was just telling Menzies here that Midas needed a few more minutes outside before we came in for breakfast. All the excitement of the hunt had him stirred up. No harm done. I hope you left us some bacon.”
The look on Harry’s face was a study in perfect frustration. Julian gave him a second pat just to confirm their unspoken understanding. He silently dared Harry to make mention of the fact that Midas was nowhere in sight. Neither man would want an escalation in hostilities to take place in front of Caroline.
“It’s always hard to keep Caroline inside during the winter. She is the first to offer a ramble through the woods on Strathmore mountain. Give her a pair of solid boots and my sister will wander the hills for days,” said Francis. If he had noticed any tension between Julian and Harry, he was keeping it to himself.
Harry, in turn, mumbled something about it not being ladylike, but only Julian seemed to catch the disapproving comment.
After following his guests back inside, Julian excused himself. If Menzies thought his words would keep the earl from spending more time with Caroline, he was gravely mistaken.
Julian found the butler and instructed him to go through the cupboards and locate some ice skates. Only two pairs would be needed. One for him, and one for Caroline.
Later that afternoon, Francis, Harry, and James headed into the local village to have a drink at the tavern. With Caroline and Lady Margaret settling in for a ladies-only embroidery afternoon, Julian found himself with welcome time alone.
Outmaneuvering Harry Menzies had taken much of the humor out of him over the past day. Added to that was the undisputable fact that not only were he and Caroline Saunders no longer enemies, but he was falling for her.
He had been so close to her when they were at the ice pond that the heady scent of her perfume still lingered in his mind. His interest in her had turned to simmering desire.
Leaving the castle, he sought refuge at the small stone cottage which sat at the edge of the frozen lake. A grove of trees had been planted at the back of the cottage and over the years they had grown and now created a green frame around three of its sides. The cottage was hidden from view from the main part of the castle grounds, and Julian liked it that way.
It was a place of solitude and comfort. His father had come here often in the final years of his ill-fated marriage. It had been somewhere for him to hide away from the blistering rows he and Julian’s mother regularly conducted.
With his father now gone, Julian had kept the standing order for a fire to be kept burning in the fireplace of the old cottage whenever he was in residence. It was a place to retreat and think on his life and the choices which now stood before him.
The welcoming crackle of logs burning on the fire greeted him as he stepped inside the small stone cottage. He closed the door behind him and immediately felt the comforting warmth.
He peeled off his gloves and threw his hat onto the nearby bed. Without thinking, he picked up a brandy bottle from the table, and poured himself a generous glass.
“What a week it’s been,” he muttered.
He made a beeline for his favorite chair by the fire and slumped down into it, swearing as he splashed brandy on his waistcoat. With one smooth motion, he downed his drink. He looked over to the table where the brandy bottle sat, but decided it was not a wise move to indulge in a second glass.
He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.
Large bright circles danced before his closed eyes. From a young age, he had been plagued by stress headaches, usually brought on by one of his parents’ legendary rows.
Today’s headache had a different name. Harry Menzies. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists, wishing he could squeeze Francis’s interfering friend by the throat. He had gotten under Julian’s skin like a weeping rash.
He hated him. Not just because Harry thought himself Caroline’s self-appointed protector. It came down to pure inelegant jealousy. He knew the look that Harry wore whenever he was close to Caroline; it was the very same one he knew sat on his own countenance when in her presence.
He considered the ludicrous situation he found himself dealing with. Instead of a castle full of young ladies all vying for his attention, he was now locked in a battle for the affections of the only woman he had not invited to his house party.
He picked up his hat and gloves, and after downing another half glass of brandy, he headed for the door. Closing it behind him, he stepped back out into the freezing air.
Shoving his hat down hard on his head, he began to march purposefully back toward the castle. He was at one with the previous fighting lords of Newhall. But instead of taking to the bloody field of battle to win against a skillful opponent, this lord of Newhall was set to go into battle against a foe he knew he could beat. When the war was over, he would be the one who had won Caroline’s heart.