Page 1 of Good Duke Gone Far

Chapter 1

1816, England…and just a wee bit further North

IF KAT SAID EVERYTHING that was on her mind, she would have no friends. As it was, she said about half of what was on her mind and had few friends. Fewer if one didn’t count her siblings, which she did out of loyalty and a hint of desperation.

But she was working on all that. Really, she was. Just not at this exact moment.

“What a lovely day for travel,” Lady Anna, her chaperone, eyed the countryside and basked in the summer rays floating through the carriage window.

“It’ll be lovelier when we get there.” Kat had always thought her sister Charlotte was the loyal one. But here she was, on the most scandalous adventure of her life, all in the name of sisterhood.

“That will take some time. Days.”

“Yes, well, faster is better.”

“Sometimes.”

“Always,” Kat flipped her hair off her face. She didn’t mean to be contrary. It just came out that way.

Thundering hooves beat the ground beside the carriage, stirring up a commotion with their own animals.

“What is that beastly racket about?” Kat pushed the curtains back from her own window. Before she could see out of it, a fully clothed chest blocked her view.

RAP. RAP. RAP.

“Stay back, Lady Anna. It could be trouble.” Kat reached for her boot where she had deposited a small blade while packing her things. Even being the daughter of the Earl of Winchester did not guarantee safety, so she had prepared in every way she could with as little time as she had.

The door swung open.

“Lady Kat? Lady Anna?”

Kat righted herself on the seat. “Yes, I am Lady Kat. What is the meaning of this?”

“This is for Lady Anna?” The messenger extended an arm to Kat’s friend on the other side of the carriage.

Kat smacked the arm down and the letter fell to the ground of the carriage. “By George, what do you think you’re doing? Give me that.” Several thick blond waves struggling to stay put in their bun cascaded down the side of her face. Kat blew out a puff of air ignoring her embarrassment for her overly cautious error. “I’ll give it to her.”

As Kat passed the note to a wide-eyed Lady Anna, she muttered, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Thank you, dear.” It took a mere moment for Lady Anna to read the entire note. And it took several more moments of, “Oh my… oh my… oh my…” before Kat interrupted.

“What’s going on?”

“I have to go.”

Nothing else. Just four words. These were the moments where Kat was working to be more empathetic and less…demanding…opinionated…ruthless. While she wasworkingon it in the general sense, she wasn’tworkingon it in the present sense.

One thing Kat knew without a doubt: there was no point in arguing with Lady Anna. As soft as she was–and her previous chaperoning skills ending in engagements attested to it– if she had made up her mind on something, then the deal was done.

“If you have to go, you have to go,” Kat announced to her flaky travel companion. What she meant was,Some things in life are more important than me, and I understand that.Kat brushed a tiny spec of dust from her sleeve. “I can’t force you to stay.” What she meant bythatwas,You’re a free woman, and I respect that.The sharp inhale from her companion didn’t deter her tirade, “Please take your leave so I can be on my way.” And what sheactuallymeant was,I don’t hold it against you, but I really must be going. Time is of the essence.

Fortunately for Kat, though Lady Anna couldn’t read her mind, the older, more mature woman knew something of her heart and gave her the benefit of the doubt. So Lady Anna’s own words were apologetic and kind.

“I really must. You know, dear, I wouldn’t abandon you at such a time as this if it were not of the utmost urgency. It’s my daughter. She’s in trouble.” Lady Anna ruffled her once smoothed skirts to match her wrinkling brows. “It was a miracle the messenger found me as it is. We’re lucky we haven’t left England yet. Who knows if he would have been able to track us down.”

“It’s quite alright.”

“I have to leave you on your own,” the older woman’s tone increased in volume and pitch.

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