Chapter 1

 

There were very few times in the Earl of Southwark's life when he found himself lost for words. He had not expected today to present him with one of these moments.

When he had left his estate in the afternoon to come calling at his gamekeeper's door, his mind had been completely focused on the job at hand, having to deliver what he knew would be difficult news for his employee to hear.

He had been unprepared for the gamekeeper's door to open onto the beautiful vision of a red-haired woman looking up at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity in her deep green eyes.

The Earl could see her eyes widen with recognition of who he was after staring at him in close inspection.

'My Lord, we weren't expecting you. I was going to send word to your steward regarding my father's absence,' she curtsied awkwardly, bowing her head as she spoke nervously.

'Is Duncan here?' The Earl reluctantly dragged his gaze from her small oval face and looked inside the little cottage from the doorway. He tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, attempting to forget just how full and soft the woman's lips looked; they appeared ripe for the taking!

'My father is here, but you can't see him right now . . . he's sick.'

Her plea was cut short by the sound of heavy coughing as the gamekeeper walked slowly and clumsily to the door to stand beside her.