A Duke and A Damsel

A Duke and A Damsel--Chapter 1

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A Duke and A Damsel

Chapter 1

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Lord Blake Percival Carstairs sat in his favorite chair nursing his fourth glass of whiskey. He wasn't drunk yet but it would have been better if he had been. Then his mind would sink into oblivion, and he wouldn't be able to think. Right now, he was thinking too damned hard.

The day had started off marvelously. First, Blake had taken a tour of the grounds, as was his custom every morning. Then, because it was market day, he had ridden into town to pay his respects to the vicar and browse around the market. It was quite lonely at Sherwood Manor so he looked forward to market days, when he could ride into town and converse with all the vendors. The shopkeepers were not very friendly unless one bought something in their shops every time they went in. Finally, he had ridden to the next town over to check if he had gotten any mail, as he did every Friday. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Once at the post office, if one could call it that, he had been pleased to find that he'd finally received another letter from his best friend in India, Arjun Sen. Life in Devonshire was mundane, to say the least, compared to life in Calcutta. For one thing, there were a lot less people. For another, there seemed to be nothing to do or see. Everything was quite predictable. He was sure that there were people who would kill for such a relaxing, or in his opinion boring, lifestyle. He was not one of those people.

To his utter surprise, he had also received a letter from Stockholm and Sons. This was most perplexing, as he did not recall Stockholm and Sons to be his solicitors. But the letter was clearly addressed to him. Then he remembered that they were his uncle's solicitors.

They had first contacted him in October of last year, stating that his Uncle Horace, his father's third cousin, had passed away and left the title of Duke of Devonshire to him since he had no other children or remaining relatives to pass it on to. Though he had been greatly honored at the time, he was not sure that he wanted to assume a position of nobility, seeing that he had lived in India for most of his life and knew nothing of the customs. His father had been quite adamant about his acceptance, but was not keen on letting Blake go back to England before his assignment in India was over. There was no telling when that would be; they had been here for almost twenty years already, and his father seemed in no hurry to go back. Because the solicitor's had said that his presence in London was required to legally transfer the title, Blake had left his family against their will, saying that it wouldn't be fair to keep the solicitors waiting if indeed he was going to accept the title. This had led to an estrangement between him and his family, because in his father's mind, he had chosen nobility over family. He frowned. What could they possibly want from him nearly 6 months after his acceptance of the title?

His curiosity getting the best of him, he rode back to Sherwood Manor, without pausing to take a stroll by the Channel as he usually did. He greeted his butler and housekeeper, then locked himself in his study, not wanting to be disturbed. He opened Arjun's letter first, eager for news of the place he still considered home. He was slightly disappointed to see that the letter was not too long. Settling down in his favorite chair by the fireplace, he began to read, shuddering slightly when he got the part about matrimony with Cecilia Bishop. He thanked his lucky stars that he had escaped that match. At six-and-twenty, he considered himself too young to be married or to start a family. However, he perked up when he read of Arjun's upcoming arrival in England. It would be wonderful to see his best friend again. Quickly but carefully, he folded the letter and pocketed it, so he could put it in the box in his bedroom later. Then he opened the other letter.