Destiny of the Heart (Viking Destiny) (3 page)

As Derrick reached the top of the stairs, Harrington, the
old butler that had been with the family since before Derrick
was born, opened the door and greeted him with a cheerful
smile.

"Lord Derrick, twice in one day! I haven't seen you
round so much since you were little. We received your
missive, naturally. His Grace is waiting for you in his study,
sir."

Derrick handed his things over to Harrington and
smiled. He clapped Harrington on the shoulder affectionately
before heading toward the study.

"Thank you, Harrington."
"You're welcome, sir."
But the smile Derrick had for Harrington vanished as he

opened the study door without even knocking. Scott, who was
behind his desk with several ledgers before him, looked up
and scowled at Derrick.

Derrick strode angrily toward the desk and slammed
the papers Kristen had left him on the topmost ledger in front
of Scott.

"And you could bloody well mind your own business."
Derrick barked.
Scott lifted a brow at his brother's tone, but picked up
the paperwork before saying anything about it. As he read
through, he flushed a bright shade of red. He cleared his
throat and lowered the paperwork.
"I can explain."
"Oh, you'd better."
"We had this conversation this morning. It's time for you
to settle down. If you had any real prospects, I wouldn't have
signed the contract, but since you didn't I thought this would
be an easy solution. Besides, the girl is rather lovely, and
eccentric, which I don't doubt will intrigue you to no end."
"My future, or decision to marry for that matter, is not
your concern. My titles are not in immediate need to be
transferred, and I'm not the next eldest in line anyway."
Derrick shoved off the desk and began to pace angrily
in front of the fire place.
"Derrick, you're not even trying to meet an eligible lady
these days. You're too wrapped up in your smuggling...oh
don't look at me like that, I'm perfectly aware of the illegal
activities you participate in."
Derrick had stopped his pacing at that bombshell and
turned to stare at his brother in horror. So, this was what all
the fuss was about then? Scott had somehow learned of
Derrick's activities and was trying to tame his wild ways by
saddling him with a wife. He resumed his pacing, his mood not
at all improved with this newest turn.
"This does present you with the opportunity to marry
someone and not have to go through the social whirlwind to
do it."
Derrick scowled. "Really? Does she know our little
secret?"
"Well, no, but I hardly think that matters - "
"It matters, Scott. You know that as well as I do."
"Listen, if you just got to know this girl - "
"I've already told her no."
"I beg your pardon?" Scott asked indignantly.
"Her mother is dead and she came to me just this
morning with those documents. She said that she needed to
find a husband, but that she would not hold me responsible for
a contract that I did not sign myself."
"She what?"
"I was rather grateful for that part, actually. It was
damned uncomfortable to be told you are expected to marry
someone you have never even met." He glared at his brother.
"Like it or not, I do have the authority to make such an
arrangement for you, Derrick. I did what I thought was best."
"And whether or not you like it, Scott, I'm an adult who
can make decisions for myself. I'm twenty-eight years old,
hardly the age in which I need my big brother to sign marriage
contracts for me."
Derrick had hoped to make Scott squirm under the
pressure, but it was simply not easy to make that man
uncomfortable. Derrick supposed that was a good thing since
he was the Duke of Hollingsworth. Their family didn't have the
formidable reputation it did by being easily intimidated, even
amongst each other. However, just now, Derrick found it
infuriating.
"You'll go back to this girl and tell her you'll agree to the
contract. That's not a request, Derrick."
"Absolutely not. If I decide to marry, it'll be someone of
my choosing."
"What do you mean, "if?"" Scott asked, his temper
getting the best of him.
"It's not like it's easy to find someone willing to marry
into this family, Scott. Remember how well that worked out the
last time?"
"Nonsense. I married Nicole, didn't I? Besides, that girl
was nothing but a fortune hunter and Oliver is better off
without her. We're all better off without her in the family."
"And yet you still bought her off after that, didn't you?
What was the point of that if not to ensure she kept her mouth
shut so as not to ruin our chances?"
"Because our lives are hard enough. We are constantly
in the public eye as it is and the fact that our situation could
cause quite a stir if it came out as true would simply make our
lives that much harder. I'm merely trying to keep anyone from
having to endure that.”
“Then why not go ahead and oust Charlie as you did
Tristan? That would surely solve our problem, wouldn't it? I
mean, really. You act as if we have a murderer in the family.
Charlie likes men, big deal. The world won't come to an end if
people know about it.”
“Remind me why it is you haven't taken a wife? Didn't
you just say something about it being hard to find someone
willing to marry into this family? That's a bit to do with Charlie,
don't you think?”
Derrick's nostrils flared. "I knew coming here was a
mistake. You're completely unreasonable."
Derrick started for the door, but Scott's commanding
tone stopped him.
"We're not done here, Derrick. Sit down."
Derrick closed his eyes and counted to ten. He was
close to losing his cool with his brother. And, brother or not,
you didn't lose your cool with the duke. Once he was sure he
had his temper under control, he turned around and took a
seat across from Scott.
"First of all, there will be no more talk of ousting anyone
from the family. Tristan's situation was unique, and given the
circumstances, the best thing for him."
Derrick ground his teeth to keep from spitting out a
retort to that bit of nonsense. He'd always resented Scott for
sending Tristan away, but worse, for not telling any of them
the reason why. Something had happened, but neither Scott
nor Tristan would talk about it, and the bitterness only got
worse anytime it was brought up,. Still, Derrick refused to give
into the temptation to rail at Scott, as he normally did
whenever the subject of Tristan came up. If Scott was
surprised at Derrick's silence on the matter, he didn't mention
it.
"Secondly, since you are here, we might as well
discuss this trip you have planned to Morocco. I don't like it,
and I want you to cancel it."
Derrick found himself dumbfounded for the third time
that day, and it was a feeling he was beginning to dislike. How
the devil had Scott found out about Morocco?
"I'll sail if that is my wish to do so, and honestly, given
this new development, I think it's a great idea to get away for
awhile."
"Since when are you a coward?" Scott demanded hotly.
It was an insult meant to cut to the quick, and that it did.
Derrick was anything but a coward and Scott knew it. Derrick
loved his brother, but this business of Scott thinking he ran
their lives as he saw fit was an antiquated notion that had
caused nothing but arguments as far back as Derrick could
remember.
"You know perfectly well it has nothing to do with being
a coward. I have a business to run. And, like it or not, I'm not
answerable to you."
“There you are wrong, brother. You are answerable to
this family. What would I tell everyone if you were killed during
your fool's errand? Tell me that. Do you not care that those
who love you would be devastated?”
It was a low blow, even for Scott, but he knew the only
way to make certain Derrick would take him seriously was to
involve the family. Unfortunately for Scott, Derrick had caught
on to that game long ago.
“You know I care, Scott. This family means more to me
than anything, but it's not that simple. One does not just quit
the life they chose to lead. You obviously can't give up being a
tyrant, so why should I give up what pleases me?” Derrick
replied calmly.
"Devil take it, boy! This is not the life you were meant to
lead. It is your job to marry and produce heirs, not get yourself
killed in some foreign country producing nothing but a rotting
corpse!” The vein in Scott's forehead throbbed angrily, an
occurrence that marked the end of his patience with Derrick.
Derrick sighed. "We've been over this."
"And we'll keep going over it until you get it through
your thick skull. You're marrying the Lady Kristen Ashby,
Derrick. I don't want any arguments about it."
Derrick shook his head. “If you've nothing else to rail at
me about, I'm late for an appointment. I really must be going.”
He lifted himself from his chair and made for the door with all
due haste.
“I don't wish to hear of you sailing to Morocco again.
This madness must stop.”
“Well, we have a common interest then. I don't wish for
you to hear of my activities at all, so let's just say you didn't
and I'll be on my way. Do drop in the next time you're in
London, though. I'll take you to the clubs, introduce you to the
chaps around the way, we'll make a day of it.” The ire was
quite clear in his voice, and Scott knew he would get no more
from Derrick that day.
As Derrick rushed to the door, Scott's wife, Nicole,
came in. Concern was written all over her lovely face and it
pained Derrick to see it directed at him, but he would not be
deterred by the likes of his family. He nodded in her direction
and slid past her to the door and down the steps before
Harrington could even get it closed. Nicole turned her
confused gaze upon her husband.
“Dearest, is Derrick alright? Did you argue with him
again?” She asked accusingly.
“Never say so, my dear. I wouldn't do anything to upset
you, especially in your condition.” He said as he rose from his
desk and walked over to his wife, now three months pregnant.
Scott and Nicole had only been married for three years,
but it was the best three years of Nicole's life, as far as she
was concerned. They had a beautiful daughter, Rebekah, who
loved her father to distraction, and he her. Even still, Nicole
thought the Shane brothers could all use a more feminine
influence to soften their rough edges, but they were confirmed
bachelors due to the big family secret, which Nicole thought
was ridiculous.
Charlie's predilection for men did not seem reason
enough to her for the way Shane men tended to treat women.
Not that they were bad men, quite the opposite. But, they had
certainly built enough walls to keep interested parties out.
Why, Nicole had the devil’s own time bringing Scott around,
but around he came and they were blissfully happy. She was
certain the rest of them could do the same if they just found
the one woman who made them throw caution to the wind.
“Uh-huh, and that's why Derrick just stormed out of
here without so much as a by your leave?” She clucked her
tongue and arched a slender brow.
“Love, that particular brother will continue to hate me
until the day Tristan comes home.” Scott remarked with some
sadness.
“Oh, stuff! There is not one bone in that body of his that
hates you. He may harbor some resentment, for it really was
too bad of you to oust Tristan like that, but he most assuredly
does not hate you.”
Scott grinned at his lovely wife for she had a way of
making every situation much more tolerable. He'd refused her
advances at first; afraid that when she found out about Charlie
and then Tristan, she'd flee, and he wasn't at all certain he
could have withstood that. But, to his immense relief, and
enduring pleasure, she hadn't fled at all. In fact, she'd stayed
and vowed to be his wife. Not only that, but she had accepted
his brothers, faults and all, and welcomed them with loving
arms. He squeezed her close and kissed the top of her head.
“We'll see, darling.” He lifted her chin and kissed her
soundly, a feat that still made her toes curl.

Some time later that night, Derrick stood ashore, arms
crossed over his chest, a most agitated expression on his
face. He was watching his crew unload their latest shipment of
goods from the America's. Trade had been banned due to
war, so Derrick smuggled certain items in and fetched one hell
of a price on them. It wasn't that Derrick felt any particular
need to have these items, because he didn't; nor did he feel it
unjust that England should be excluded from the rest of the
world in having them, because he didn't. It was simply the
excitement that it brought him, outmaneuvering the royal navy,
the danger on the high seas in getting the cargo, everything at
risk. That's what had appealed to him.

However, tonight wasn't bringing him much of the thrill it
normally did. It wasn't that he was becoming bored, for he only
oversaw the process once a week to be sure everything was
running smoothly. Most times he left it to Jack, his first mate
and friend. No, his irritation tonight was a combination of
several things, one of which being his earlier visits to his
brother. Derrick was still angry over the betrothal, but mostly
he felt bad for disappointing Kristen.

He still couldn't shake that image of her slumping
forward for just a moment, and then bravely squaring
her shoulders, refusing to be defeated. It seemed his entire
ride from Hollingsworth to London had been filled with
thoughts of Kristen.

But then the conversation with his brother had turned to
Tristan, and that never failed to irritate Derrick. It amazed him
that Scott had been so cavalier about tossing Tristan out of
the family, but allowed Charlie to stay. Not that Derrick wanted
Charlie out, far from it. He just wanted Tristan back, and was
of the opinion that Scott was purposely being obtuse about it
because he didn't want to admit he was wrong. But then, none
of them rightly knew what Tristan had done to get kicked out in
the first place, so perhaps Derrick was giving Scott too hard a
time of it. But, even if that were true, Derrick didn't believe it
was fair to kick one brother out and keep another in.