Page 1 of Forbidden Earl

Chapter 1

Absolutely not.

Cassidy Bright wrote the letter of refusal and put it in the mail pile to be delivered. There was no way she’d ever tell Remington Burke the name of his true love, according to her computer program. His report was as wrong as hers—it had to be.

Cassidy removed her blue frames to admire the garden view from her office in the Royal Palace of Avce, then closed her laptop. Today was payday—a day that always brought mixed feelings. She’d go home to Astori Manor where her parents and sister expected her to pay the bills, her mother, as usual, claiming it was only temporary. The fact that she’d managed the palace computers forfive yearsnow meant nothing to them.

Since moving to Avce after the return of power, other nobles had prospered, but her family didn’t know the words “save” or “work.”

Her boss appreciated her, at least, and Cassidy had received a gift card for a local restaurant as thanks for her hard work.

She slipped her gift card in her pocketbook, determined to keep this treat for herself when she saw missed calls and two messages.

Cassidy read them and her heart nearly stopped. Gigi Burke wasn’t expected to live through the week? Though not related, Gigi was the closest thing she’d ever had to a grandmother. She slipped her laptop in its bag and took off running in the fastest direction to the parking lot. No one in the servants’ quarters asked her questions as she dashed toward her old brown Renault.

The engine purred to life for once and she drove quickly through the servants’ entrance. She reminded herself that it was time to be Lady Cassidy again. Sort of. At the Burke household, no one cared that she worked on computers, unlike her own home, where it was considered less than noble.

She shook her hair free of the messy bun and let it fall in her face.

Just in case somebody else was around, Cassidy would be the walking disaster they all thought. Remy had poked fun of her for years now and she expected he’d continue—despite what the computer program predicted.

It had been her program that had found the royal princes’ true loves. She worried that this latest development indicated a glitch in the system because the last person she’d ever kiss was Remington—not that he’d indicated an interest, but her messy hair was just one more shield against the impossible.

Right now, his grandmother’s health mattered most. Cassidy drove onto his massive estate, parking at the front door. She didn’t work for him and never would.

The Renault sputtered to a stop and she kicked her door open, as that was the only way it unlocked, and hopped out, ignoring the decadence of Remy’s finely manicured lawn and gleaming windows.

Her own family estate was outdated in comparison, but upkeep was not as big a priority for her as food for them all.

Cassidy entered the house. From the foyer, she could see the blue room where Remington brought visitors to wait with tea and she heard him talking to a woman dressed in black. First goal was to see Gigi; second goal was to avoid Remy. Would Gigi be in the sunroom, with her view of the roses she loved?

He wouldn’t care that she was here for Gigi, he’d even understand, though her nerves grated. Cassidy had seen the marriage proposal on her father’s desk from Remington, asking to marry her sister.

The five years of tuition payments Cassidy had paid for her sister’s education would now benefit the already rich Burke residence, if Chelsea accepted. She probably would. Cassidy fixed her glasses and waited outside the blue room to listen to Remington’s conversation with the lady in black.

“Blackwell and I are getting married,” she said.

Cassidy deduced that the woman was Donna Smith. Her computer program had been flawless for everyone else so far. Why not her? Maybe because she was too close, emotionally. She heard heavy, masculine footsteps on the polished Maplewood floors leading down the hall and quietly opened the side door.

The brunette wore a flattering Chanel skirt and when she saw Cassidy, she immediately introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Donna Smith.”

Cassidy immediately offered to shake her hand, but waited by the pocket door. “Is Remington gone?”

The young woman nodded. “I think so. He went to see his grandmother. Who are you?”

Remy was with the one person she didn’t want to see—why couldn’t he have gone riding? She couldn’t lie to him and so it was better to avoid him until this marriage business was sorted out. She let out a small huff, and held out her hand to Donna, who shook it. “Cassidy Bright, technically Lady Cassidy.” The title sounded stupid, and she rolled her eyes. Then she pushed her mop of hair backwards. “I’m trying to get in to see Lady Sky without running into Remington.”

The American, who had only been in Avce a few days, stared at her like she made little sense. “Why? He seems pleasant enough.”

To everyone else, he probably was. To her, he was the jerk who tugged her hair or laughed when she fell off a surfboard. Remington was nice to everyone, except her. She made apfftsound and ignored the comment. “Let’s just say that Remington and I don’t get along, though his grandmother more than makes up for his bad manners.” Cassidy had an open invitation to visit Gigi but she’d been so busy the past week she hadn’t realized that Gigi was so ill. How are things with you and His Grace, the Duke of Oakley?”

Donna stepped away and her face went white. “Blackwell and I are engaged.”

Good. It seemed her work held together. It was tragic fate that the computer program listed her true love as the one person it could never be. She gave Donna a thumbs up. “I told my sister not to bother going to the estate yesterday as Oberlin had met someone else. She hoped I was wrong.”

Donna snapped her fingers and smiled like she’d put a puzzle together. “Chelsea is your sister.”

Her perfect ladylike sister who would be the perfect Lady—ofanyestate. She swallowed and ignored the buzz in her brain when she thought about her sister and Remy. “My little sister, yes. She’s taken her place in society and intends to marry well.” Another image of her sister standing at the altar in a white dress holding Remy’s arm made her hand shake. She hid it behind her back. “Guess this means she’ll accept Remington’s offer and they’ll both be insufferable—together.”

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