Page 1 of The Earl’s Inconvenient Nemesis

Prologue

No matter what was going on in her life, it was rare for Alice Fairfax to allow her worries to accompany her on her solitary morning ride. Going out before she breakfasted ensured none of her noisy and later-rising siblings would want to accompany her, and allowed her a peaceful respite at the start of the day.

Today, however, her mind was full of her family’s trials and tribulations, and she felt like she might have appreciated some company. Not to talk through things though; she wasn’t ready to share her plans with them just yet.

Alice urged her gelding into a gallop, encouraging him to go faster and relishing the cool air on her cheeks. When she felt him start to flag, she eased off and gave him a sympathetic pat on the neck as he slowed to a trot. He was a good horse but she still couldn’t help thinking about Lucy, the chestnut mare she’d lost right at the worst period of her life. She missed having her own mount, but, for the time being at least, she had to make do.

Distracted by a sudden onslaught of emotions, she realised they’d wandered off her family’s land and onto the neighbouring estate. Not that it mattered, she’d spent her whole life going back and forth between the two properties, but the last person she wanted to see right at this moment was its owner, Anthony Worthing, whose beautiful home she could just make out through the line of trees before her. Then again, she doubted he would be up at this time. He might not even be in residence. He was more likely to have spent the night in some London gambling hell or a random woman’s bed and crawled back to his house there around dawn… Still, Alice scanned the parkland with narrowed eyes, half expecting to see his tall figure lounging against a tree, watching her with that lazy, knowing smile. Ridiculous rake, she thought.

She drew the gelding to a halt on the rise above Fairfax Hall and looked down at the mellow brick house nestled in its valley. Her gaze swept over their estate, an estate that had been held by her predecessors for hundreds of years. How long would she be able to ride it? She shook her head sharply before squaring her shoulders. Her plan would succeed. It had to. She turned the horse for home. “Come on, boy,” she murmured. “We've got work to do.”

Chapter One

Alice stood by the open door of her brother’s study watching him work. It was still strange to see Henry seated at their father’s huge mahogany desk as Viscount, even though he had been doing so for the last six months.

The furrows in his brow deepened by the day as he struggled to make sense of the numerous ledgers surrounding him. She had never seen her fun-loving brother so careworn. His dark hair stood on end, exactly as it did whenever he was wrestling with a problem, and a fresh wave of resolve filled Alice. She could not continue to let him struggle like this. She was so close to the final hurdle: persuading her brother, her legal guardian, to agree to her plan. He would not be pleased, but it was the only way she could think of to rescue them from their present dire financial straits.

Duchess gave an indignant meow from Alice’s arms, drawing Henry’s attention. He glanced up as she set her beloved tortoiseshell cat on the floor.

“Breakfast is being served in a few minutes,” Alice said, noting the shadows beneath her brother’s eyes. It broke her heart to see him like that. “Shall I ask Williams to bring you a tray, or will you join us?”

“I had better have a tray,” Henry replied, lifting Duchess off the pile of papers she had decided to claim. “I must get through these accounts before I speak with the tenants later this morning.”

Alice turned to leave.

“Do not forget to take that animal with you!” her brother added. “Oh, and make it two trays. Anthony will be here directly to help me with this.”

Animal, indeed! Alice glared at him but held her tongue. He was under enough pressure already. “I cannot imagine Lord Tonbridge will be much use,” she muttered as she scooped Duchess up again, “especially at this hour of the morning.”

“Discussing me again?” said a deep male voice behind her.

Alice sighed before turning to face her arch-nemesis, Lord Anthony Worthing, the Earl of Tonbridge. She tilted her head to meet his stare.

Irritating as her brother’s best friend was, there was no denying he was handsome. Well over six feet tall, with blond hair and piercing blue eyes, his powerful frame made him look more like a Viking warrior than an English earl. He towered over Alice’s diminutive figure, radiating masculinity and self-assurance. And he knew it. Alice found him utterly ridiculous as he swaggered about, full of his own consequence, wasting his days in idle dissipation and still teasing her as though she were an annoying eight-year-old. She could not fathom how she had ever imagined herself in love with him.

“It is impolite to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations,” she retorted.

“It is also impolite to block a gentleman’s path when he is clearly trying to pass,” Anthony countered.

“Must you two begin bickering the moment you clap eyes on each other?” Henry cut in, impatiently.

Alice and Anthony glared at one another. Reluctantly she stepped aside so he could enter the room.

“Thank you, Miss Fairfax,” said Anthony, bowing with exaggerated courtesy.

“My pleasure, Lord Tonbridge,” Alice replied, dropping a curtsy that allowed Duchess the perfect opportunity to swipe at her mistress’s adversary.

She was forced to admit that Anthony hid his reaction to the cat’s attack rather well as he swept past her and took the chair opposite her brother.

Alice stomped down the panelled hallway toward the breakfast room. Duchess promptly escaped her hold and vanished down the stairs, no doubt intent on terrorising the cook.

It was astonishing how quickly that infuriating man could ruin her mood. He was always so insufferably smug. She hoped he was suffering the headache he so richly deserved after whatever debauchery had likely kept him out until dawn. Why her brother had chosen Anthony as his closest friend, and why the man had to inherit the estate next door, she could not imagine. What use Henry thought his feckless neighbour could possibly be with their money worries, she had no notion. She only hoped he would not allow himself to be talked into anything foolish.

The arrival of Williams with pots of tea and coffee interrupted her thoughts.

“Good morning, Williams,” Alice said. “Would you be so kind as to take trays through for my brother and Lord Tonbridge?”

“Of course, miss.” The footman bowed and withdrew.