Page 1 of An Earl Unmasked
Prologue
Chestwick Hall
The candlelight flickeredand specks of forest green paint caught Lady Diana Malbury’s eye. “Either the painter you commissioned for this portrait dipped their brush into the wrong color or your heir has rather unusual colored eyes.”
The silver-haired Earl of Chestwick chuckled. “Nothing strange about Randal’s eyes. They are simply hazel.”
“Hazel?” Diana rolled to the balls of her feet and peered closer at the man’s eyes in the painting, “Hmm…medium to light shades of brown, multiple variations of green, and…is that specks of gold?” She blinked twice to clear her vision. Intriguing. Definitely, no one of her acquaintance had such unique coloring. Her friends and family all possessed either blue or brown eyes of various shades; however, they easily fell into one of the two categories.
“Aye, well mayhap Mr. Graystone emphasized the yellow shards in the boy’s irises a tad.”
Diana’s brows creased at the earl’s remark. Artists were commissioned to paint their subjects with accuracy to provide future generations a glimpse into the past, not elaborate or embellish a person’s features. Shifting her focus to the image of the younger man in the painting, Diana noted the strong familial similarities between the two strapping lads in the portrait. Both men had their papa’s square jaw and defined brow line.
“Your younger son appears to have dark brown eyes.” She turned to face her host and squinted. “Like you.”
“The late Countess Chestwick was a beauty. Golden tresses with sky-blue eyes.”
She tapped the toe of her foot as she studied Randal’s image once more. Thinking out loud, Diana mumbled, “How is it that the future Earl of Chestwick, inherited neither brown nor blue eyes? Instead, Randal’s eyes contain an arresting blend of warm forest colors that even includes rays of sunshine.” It was a good thing none of her siblings were present while she had uttered such a poetic description. They would have certainly laughed at her choice of adjectives, and no doubt provided some long-winded, scientific explanation for their neighbor’s eye coloring.
With no clear memory of the boy she had only occasionally caught a glimpse of from a distance, Diana examined the man in the portrait. Symmetrical facial features were scientifically proven to appeal to the majority; combined with the man’s unique eye coloring, Diana was captivated by Randal’s image. It wouldn’t be a hardship to gaze into those eyes, ball after ball, or across the supper table. She shook her head slightly. Now was not the time for fanciful fantasies. Randal Wilson, heir to the earldom, the man destined to own her dream residence, was not likely to pay her any attention during the upcoming Season when she was to make her debut into society.
The gold flecks of paint reflected in the light, capturing Diana’s attention. “Hmm. I believe I shall need to research the matter more.”
“Grand. However, Randal has chosen to go and fight in the war. It could be years before…”
She interrupted the earl, “Oh, not the matter of your son. The science behind our heredity.” Ready to view the next portrait along the walls, Diana stepped around the Earl of Chestwick, who she left staring at the images of his two sons.
Meandering down the long hall, Diana studied the various portraits. She mentally took notes, observing the high frequency of the Chestwick square jawline appearing throughout the generations. Diana paused in front of a painting of a woman that could be no other than the late Countess of Chestwick. The earl had described his wife in detail with much love and devotion in his tone that Diana believed Randal was the product of a love match. A rare occurrence amongst their set.
Staring up at the lady in the painting, words like genteel and poised entered Diana’s mind. Neither of which Diana had managed to master, despite her mama’s best efforts. Instead, Diana was often caught sprawled upon a rug in front of a fireplace with a volume full of poetry or a tome full of philosophic theorems laid out before her. It was her thirst for knowledge and access to such works that had led Diana to boldly introduce herself to the earl. The earl. Where had he disappeared to? “My lord?”
The old man’s deep voice echoed down the hall. “In the study, my dear.”
How long had she been dawdling in front of the fine reproductions of the Chestwick line? Picking up the hem of her skirts, she marched toward Lord Chestwick’s private study. She slowed her pace as she approached the doorway. Smiling at the footman who stood guard at the entrance, Diana said, “A good afternoon to you, Paul.”
The footman bowed. “My lady.”
“Would you mind fetching Annie? It’s time for us to head back home.” Annie wasn’t her lady’s maid, but it was known between households that Paul had a hankering for Annie, who was one of the Malbury housemaids. Diana wasn’t a matchmaker, but she was always happy to involve herself in such schemes if it brought harmony between the two estates.
“Stop loitering in the doorway. Come in. Come in.” The earl’s quill was flying across the parchment before him. Not bothering to look up, the man that was more like a papa to Diana than her own said, “I’ve devised a new treasure hunt for you.”
Diana raced over to the desk and flopped into the seat facing the earl. “Am I to decipher a section of prose, or shall it be a poem this time?”
Exploring the extensive library in search of clues to solve the earl’s puzzles was her favorite pastime during the summer months. The man was extremely clever. Most of his schemes required Diana to visit multiple times in order to solve one of his ingenious word searches. Brows creased, Diana counted the number of days remaining before she, along with her sisters and mama, were to return to London. Three blooming days is all she would have to solve the dear man’s latest puzzle.
“Neither.” He folded the parchment in half and half again before reaching for wax and his seal. “If you remain unmarried after your first Season and return to your family estate unbetrothed, you may come back and attempt to find my most treasured verses.” He waved the sealed paper back and forth in between them.
“And if I miraculously find a suitable gentleman to marry?”
“Burn it.” He placed the parchment on his desk and pushed it forward to sit right in front of her. “You will be far too busy taking up residence in your husband’s abode.”
She leaned forward and picked up the parchment. “Why give it to me now?” Diana studied the design stamped into the red wax. The capitalized C was backward. She rotated the note.
“Our family crest created by my forefathers utilizes the ancient italic alphabet.” The earl answered her unspoken question before addressing the one she had vocalized. “Perhaps as a litmus test.”
Diana lifted her gaze to stare into the old man’s astute but cloudy irises. “Is it your hypothesis that I shall only forgo this…” she waved the note in the air, “my love of inquiry for the love of a man.”
“Indeed, it is.” He stood, slowly rounded the desk, and winged his arm out for her. The earl’s fragile form leaned lightly into her as he escorted her out to the foyer, where Annie was patiently waiting by the front door.
