Destiny of the Heart (Viking Destiny) (2 page)

Derrick trotted up the front steps of his London town
home, and his butler had the door open before he reached the
top. Derrick lifted a questioning brow at the butler's agitated
manner as he handed his things over.

Williams' nose twitched and he cleared his throat, a
stalling tactic Derrick was quite familiar with as it was usually
preceded by news Derrick wasn't likely to enjoy. Since he had
already had one hell of a morning, he couldn't imagine it
getting any worse.

"M'lord, I do beg your pardon, but there is a young lady
in your study who was rather pushy at the door this morning.
She arrived shortly before you did." Williams bowed.

Derrick was annoyed. A woman usually meant trouble,
and he'd had plenty of that for the day, thank you.
"Well, who is she?"
"She wouldn't say, m'lord. Only that she needed to
speak with you on a matter of great urgency."
"Unbelievable." Derrick rolled his eyes.
"Shall I have her thrown out, sir?"
"It would have been better not to let her in at all."
"Forgive me, m'lord, but as I said, she's rather pushy."
"Very well. I will deal with her."
"Yes, m'lord." Williams bowed formally and walked
away stiffly.
Derrick felt a twinge of regret at the tone he had taken
with Williams. It wasn't the old man's fault Derrick was having
a terrible day, and Derrick wasn't normally the type to take it
out on his staff, either. He would have to find a way to make it
up to the old man. In the meantime, he strode over to his
study to see what the lady wanted. But, when Derrick opened
the door, he was not expecting the person standing there to
be the same woman who had come to his rescue less than an
hour before.
Kristen turned at the sound of the door opening and her
heart stopped in her chest. She had always seen Derrick from
afar, never up close, and even this morning she had been
preoccupied with her rescue. But, up close, she was treated to
a vision she was sure no woman on Earth had any right to. He
was tall and broad of shoulder but not so large as to be
brutish. His legs were powerfully built and molded to his
breeches perfectly. His hands hung by his side, but the fingers
were long and graceful. Kristen was certain those hands could
be warm and just as powerful as the rest of his body.
His hair was the color of a raven's wing, and he wore it
fashionably long so that it curled around his ears at the end.
One lock fell over his equally dark brows into his eyes, and
made his sun-tanned skin seem golden by comparison. But,
the most compelling feature about Derrick Shane was his
eyes. They were the color of brandy by firelight; an amber so
rich and vibrant that they seemed to glow from within. Kristen
had heard rumors that he was born of the devil, and had a
terrible temper to match. She had always shrugged the rumors
off, not believing them for a second, but standing there in his
study, there was a moment in which she began to wonder.
Kristen licked her parched lips and cleared her throat to
bring their attention back to what needed to be discussed.
"Forgive my staring, Lord Shane, but subtlety has never
been my forte." She curtsied her greeting and stood with her
hands behind her back.
Derrick was taken aback. He had never laid eyes on a
more beautiful woman. He took his time and admired her from
head to toe, taking in every detail and committing it to
memory, certain that it would never do the original justice. She
was tall for a woman but perfect for his towering height. He
liked them rather tall and didn't understand why a man would
prefer someone he had to bend over to kiss. Her body was
slender, but curvy in all the right places.
Her breasts were full and perky, and he could just tell
they would be quite the handful, a thought that gave him a
good deal of pleasure. Those magnificent globes gave way to
a tapered waist and slightly flared hips. After admiring her
body for what was too long to be polite, he lifted his gaze to
her face and his heart nearly stopped. He was certain it took
him a full minute to recover his breath, and only then because
he felt the pressure in his head. Beautiful is the only word that
came to mind, though even that wasn't a sufficient description.
She had honey blonde hair that fell gently down her
back in soft curls with wisps delicately framing her face.
Derrick was certain it would be just as fine as any silk, and he
suddenly wanted to reach out and touch it. Her eyebrows were
finely manicured, and a shade darker than her hair. Her lashes
were long and rather alluring, and they framed clear, oceanblue eyes that seemed to be just as mysterious as the depths
they resembled. Her ivory skin and striking cheekbones
suggested that she was a lady, though he still hadn't figured
out what she was doing in his study. He would have to
remember to ask her that question when he was done looking
her over. At the moment, her full, pink lips were demanding
his attention. He watched as her tongue darted out to lick her
lips and was nearly undone.
"Think nothing of it." Derrick said, amused as he looked
her over once more.
"My lord, now you are staring." Kristen pointed out as
she felt the blush creep up her neck.
"I know." He said wickedly.
Kristen cleared her throat. It would do neither of them
any good to get distracted from the business at hand. "Lord
Shane - "
"Please, call me Derrick."
"Derrick. My name is Lady Kristen Ashby. Since we're
dispensing with formalities at this point, you may call me
Kristen."
Derrick grinned and inclined his head politely. "It's a
pleasure to meet you, Kristen."
"Likewise. I have some rather shocking news to discuss
with you, and then a proposition if you're interested. It might
be best if we sit down to discuss this."
He lifted a brow but walked around to his desk all the
same, lowering his large frame into his chair, his eyes never
leaving Kristen's. She gracefully sat in one of the chairs across
from him and promptly laid some documents out on the desk
before him. Derrick began a cursory glance through them as
she launched into her explanation.
"I do not know the how or the why of it, but it seems my
mother and your eldest brother have betrothed us."
"I beg your pardon?" Derrick asked in disbelief.
"The contract is there. That is your family seal, is it
not?"
Derrick looked. It was, and it bloody well was his
brother's signature, too. Derrick read through the contract as
Kristen continued.
"As I was saying, for reasons apparently unknown to
either of us, our respective families wanted us to marry. My
mother has passed away recently, and I need to fulfill the
contract rather quickly."
"Is this some sort of joke?" Derrick demanded angrily.
"Not that I'm aware of."
"You cannot honestly expect me to agree to some
supposed contract on your word that these documents are
legitimate. I've never heard of this arrangement, and my
brother is a fool in most things, but he has never meddled this
much without my consent."
"Lord Shane - "
"Derrick."
"Fine. Derrick, you are implying that my mother, and by
extension me, are trying to trick you into marriage. I am a
great many things myself, but I don't need to trick you into
marriage. Perhaps you should listen to my entire purpose for
being her before you make such a judgment."
Derrick nearly squirmed under her hard stare. He had
thought he was the one doing the intimidating in this meeting,
but he was clearly mistaken. This woman, whoever she was,
was a vixen, and she had teeth. Derrick waved his hand for
her to continue, intrigued despite himself.
"Thank you. Now then, my mother has recently passed
away leaving me in the very precarious situation of needing to
find a husband. Given the circumstances, I am willing to
accept the contract if you are; however, I understand if you
would rather not. I won't hold you liable to me based on a
contract our guardians signed, but I need an answer rather
quickly. If you're not interested, I need to take my offer
elsewhere."
Kristen took a breath to give Derrick time to respond,
but since he was removed from speech, she continued.
"That brings me to the marriage contract. My family was
not without money and titles, if those things matter at all. I can
provide you with more than a satisfactory dowry, as well as
land and additional titles to accompany your own."
"Stop."
"Is something wrong?"
"Well, your very matter-of-fact tone about it all is a little
distressing, yes."
Kristen sighed. "Derrick, I don't have time for games.
Either you are interested in my proposal, or you are not."
Derrick couldn't breathe. Surely there was some
mistake. Surely his brother had not been foolish enough to
sign a marriage contract on his behalf. Well, he was talking
about Scott, so yes he was probably foolish enough to do just
that. But, it didn't change the fact that Derrick still felt trapped.
He was sure there was a reasonable explanation for this
whole affair.
"I need time to speak with my brother, to - "
"I'm afraid there is no time. My stepfather is waiting
outside. If you do not agree to uphold the contract, then I'm to
return home with him and choose from the suitors he has
arranged for me. I'd prefer not to do that, but I will not hold you
to a contract that you did not personally sign. So, what's it to
be?"
Derrick looked at Kristen. She was quite beautiful, and
he was most certainly drawn to her in a strange way, but
marriage was a bit sudden for someone he just met. He barely
knew her name, though he did give her credit for her
willingness not to hold him accountable for the contract.
Nevertheless, he couldn't marry her. He was certain Scott
hadn't told her about their family, and when she found out, she
would turn away in disgust just as every other woman with an
association to his family had. There was a reason, despite his
willingness to marry and start a family, that he had not.
"Kristen, I'm sorry. I'd like to - " He stopped when her
head fell and her shoulders slumped forward. Derrick got the
uncomfortable feeling that he had just let her down, and that
did not sit well with him.
"Lord Shane, I'm very sorry to have wasted your time.
You may keep the paperwork to dispose of as you wish."
Kristen stood up from her chair and walked to the door,
her skirts swishing briskly behind her. The knot in her throat
expanded and it was devilishly difficult to breathe, but she
squared her shoulders as she opened the door and crossed
the foyer to the front door. She would be damned if she would
let her stepfather see her cry.
Derrick stood from his chair and watched as Kristen
walked out of his house. She hadn't been angry, only
disappointed. Whatever she was trying to escape must be
pretty grim indeed to cling to an arranged marriage. Derrick
scowled. He didn't know why he should feel guilty for letting
the girl down since he wasn't the one who signed the contract
in the first place, but he bloody well did. And, since he had no
idea what the hell was going on, he felt like the biggest cad for
letting her walk out the door. He knew just whom he needed to
take his frustration out on, though.
"Williams!" Derrick bellowed.
The old butler wasn't far and stepped into the room with
all due haste.
"Yes, m'lord?"
"Have the stable boy fetch my horse and bring it 'round,
then send a missive off to Scott telling him I'll be stopping
by...again."
"Yes, sir." Williams bowed and left the room to do his
bidding.

Kristen climbed into the carriage. Her stomach was
twisted in knots, and it didn't help that her stepfather,
lecherous git that he was, sat there smiling at her.

Kristen wrinkled her nose in disgust at him, hating to
admit that he was right about Derrick Shane. "Just as you said
it would."

"Then he said no?"
"Yes, he bloody well said no."
Stephen Ashby leaned back and regarded Kristen with

calculating eyes. Truth be told, he couldn't abide the girl, but
she was Marie's daughter and that meant she was his way to
Marie's money. He had worried over the marriage contract and
how he was going to get Kristen out of it, but then she went
and solved that problem for him. She had been appalled to
find out her mother had done such a thing, and she would not
force a man to marry her without his consent. Ashby, knowing
Marie as he did, thought she'd done it to protect Kristen from
him, but that hadn't worked out quite as planned.

Kristen looked at Ashby knowing this was a trick. She
knew he wanted her mother's money, and since Marie hadn't
been inclined to give him anything, Kristen wasn't either.

"I will meet your gentlemen, Ashby, but nothing more. If
I do not like them, I will not marry them."
Kristen leaned back and stared at Ashby. She had no
idea what game he was playing, but she was certain it wasn't
one she was going to like. She watched as the muscles in his
jaw ticked violently several times before he relaxed. The one
thing on Kristen's side was that Ashby, while resourceful and
cunning, was an utter coward. She was certain she could
handle her own with him.
Ashby rapped sharply on the roof of the carriage, and it
rolled down the street. The two occupants were both lost in
their own thoughts, so the ride back to Ashby manor was
fraught with tense silence.
Chapter 3

Derrick trudged up the front steps of the Duke of
Hollingsworth's home. Actually, Scott Shane, as he was more
casually known, was Derrick's older brother. But, that wouldn't
help Scott when Derrick got his hands on him. The nerve of
him actually signing a marriage contract without at least
consulting Derrick first was inconceivable. Derrick wanted to
smash Scott's face in, and that was saying something since
the only brother Derrick ever fought with was Tristan.

Scott, being the oldest of five brothers, was left to run
the family and the dukedom when their parents had died
nearly thirteen years ago. Scott had taken the responsibility
seriously and made it a habit of involving himself in this
brothers' lives, however much they wished he wouldn't. They
knew Scott meant well, but sometimes he was too involved, at
least that's how the others felt. Scott felt he wasn't involved
enough.