Page 39 of An Earl Unmasked
Both Diana and Drake examined the chessboard. Diana turned to Drake, and Randal read the woman’s lips—Ye of little faith.
A flare of hope pumped through his veins. Did Diana want Minerva to win? Randal leaned forward to study the board once more. What possible move did Minerva have? Did Diana know of her sister’s terms?
Mentally moving each piece, Randal worked every angle, but with every move, the outcome was the same—he won, which would mean he would be bound to offer for Minerva’s hand. He squinted at the wooden pieces, not to maneuver them in his head but to take a moment to contemplate his future. Marriage had been on his list of tasks to accomplish. Love had not been a requirement.
Who would love a man who had seen to the death of hundreds of men? He was referred to as the cold-hearted Beast of Chestwick countless times. So many times, in fact, that he began to refer to himself as such. He led and organized armies, leagues of men into battle, all with one purpose—to kill the enemy. How could a woman love a man who was responsible for such bloodshed? His soul was blackened by his deeds. He wasn’t worthy. He wouldn’t sentence either of the Malbury ladies to a loveless life. Like all problems he had in the past, he would find a solution—a way to release them both.
*
Diana’s mind reeledas she waited for Randal to make his next move. She squinted at the white and black chess pieces. As far as she could determine, Randal was two moves away from winning. She should feel elation or, at the very least, relief for her sister, yet the ache in her belly had spread to her chest. Minerva would be the Countess of Chestwick.
Drake shifted in his seat and leaned closer to whisper, “Faith has naught to do with this situation. She has forfeited the game—to Chestwick.”
“Isn’t this the outcome we hadallwished for? For Minerva to find a gentleman worthy of her hand?” Diana flinched, hearing the biting tone in her voice. She had spoken nothing but the truth. However, she had failed at masking her anger at Drake’s glaring failure to declare his true feelings for her sister.
Nostrils flared, Drake crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Three bloody Seasons, andnowshe decides to concede to a man none of us really know.”
“At least Minerva shall remain close by.” Diana covertly glanced at Randal. Raw power and determination radiated from his tense form. Her heart faltered for a moment.
“Mayhap I should take Chestwick’s place on the battlefield.”
Diana whipped about to face Drake. “You will get yourself killed!”
Drake shrugged and returned his gaze in the direction of the chessboard, but his eyes remained blank. She wanted to shake Drake by the shoulders. The man was a fool if he believed no one could see how much he cared for Minerva. Diana glared at her brother Kent. Why were men such dullards?
Instead of repositioning his queen, Randal reached for his knight.
Seated on the edge of his chair, Mansville crowded the board. “Opting for the safe defensive play again, Chestwick?”
Randal ignored Mansville’s question and set his knight in position, placing Minerva in check. If he had simply moved his queen, it would have garnered the same result. What was the man up to?
Mansville’s brow furrowed into a deep frown, replacing his smug smile. Before he could utter a comment, Minerva quickly captured Randal’s knight with her pawn. What were they up to? In quick succession, Randal and Minerva utterly changed the pace of the game, moving pieces in a blur so that it was difficult to follow exactly what was occurring.
Earlier, she had frequently felt his gaze upon her, except now his attention was solely focused on the game before him. The ease with which Randal was able to shut out the world—to ignore her—cut deeper than Diana anticipated. She and her sisters shared one fundamental fear—to be bound in a union that resembled their parents. The horror of being married off to a man who neither loved nor respected them, in essence being sentenced to a life with a philanderer and an absent husband like their papa, meant each of them was willing to go to great lengths to avoid marriage. The chess game being enacted out right in front of her was proof.
“It’s a draw!” Drake shouted.
Mansville countered, “Impossible!” The man jumped to his feet, his head swiveled toward Minerva, then to Randal, back down to the chessboard, and returned once again to her smiling sister. “Your luck will run out one day.”
Kent stood next to Minerva and glared at Mansville. When the man didn’t say anything more, Kent took her sister’s elbow and said, “Minerva, Diana, Greg, it is time for us to return to Malbury Manor.”
Randal continued to ignore her and remained rooted next to Mansville. He never took his eyes off the two unwanted guests. Unable to stand unassisted, Diana elbowed Drake, who gave the silent but observant Cunningham a nod. Leaning on Drake’s arm, Diana straightened and hobbled out of the library. The game had ended in a tie. The knots in her stomach should have eased. nstead they only tightened with each step she took toward the front doors. With Randal’s silent dismissal of her and her family, Diana was certain none of them would ever be invited back to Chestwick Hall. Diana masked the pain of her ankle, but the discomfort in her chest was hard to ignore.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Seated by thewindow, Randal waited for the first streaks of morning to appear over the horizon. He hadn’t seen nor heard from Diana in a sennight, and with each day, his focus waned. Without the mayhem and ruckus, Randal’s headaches had returned as if his mind needed the constant noise. The constant chatter of the Malburys was better than the constant hum of artillery. The numbness he experienced after his mama’s death was threatening to once again consume him.
Cartwright entered his chambers. “Me lord. Are ye wantin’ a shave this morn?”
Why bother?
No one was coming to visit.
No one was sneaking onto his land.
No one that he desperately needed.
He ran his hand over the three days’ growth. Randal preferred the beard that covered a portion of his marred face. “Not today.”
