Charming the Elusive Earl (Charmed By Chance #2)

Chapter 2

2

J asper Hews, the Earl of Marlin, regarded the manor’s front door for far too long.

It was just a door, after all.

His scowl deepened as he took another step back, but his gaze remained affixed to the entryway before him. It was just a door…that had been firmly shut in his face.

Not rudely, of course. The housekeeper had lovely manners. But her last parting farewell had still ended with the sharp click as the door snapped shut behind him.

He blinked and turned toward the path that led to the road, increasingly aware of the wind that whipped at his jacket and threatened to knock off his hat.

The sky had been gray all morning, but now its hue was darkening ominously. A storm was coming, and Jane…

His brow furrowed as he turned back to the shut door.

Jane…was not at home.

The message couldn’t have been clearer, but it was just as incomprehensible now as it had been the first time the housekeeper had said the words.

It wasn’t the words themselves, of course. He was an intelligent man. He’d been the top student of his year at Eton. And his brief time in the military had been marked with promotions thanks to his quick thinking and tactical mind.

And yet, here he was. Eyeing a closed door like it was a riddle issued by the sphinx of Greek myths.

It wasn’t the first time he’d felt absurdly flummoxed of late. Indeed, he’d come to feel almost comfortable with the constant sense of unease in his home.

The title was never meant for him. The manor wasn’t supposed to be his to manage, and so he’d never taken much time to learn about the running of an estate.

He’d been raised the spare, and a superfluous one at that. No one had ever doubted that his older brother would run the estate handily, and that he’d have a countess and a true heir in due course.

But then, not even the halest nor the heartiest can escape the fickle hands of fate. And so nowadays feeling out of place was a near daily affair for Marlin back at his manor.

Which was all the more reason he shouldn’t be so rattled to find himself out of place here and now.

And yet, like a fool, he was indeed rattled by this turn of events.

“Hmmph.” The sound startled a bird overhead, and made him feel like an even bigger fool.

Jane was out, and he was still standing around like a simpleton waiting for this storm to descend.

He gave his head a shake.

So she was out. It was hardly a point of concern. Perhaps Jane had merely forgotten that this was the day for his visit.

Though, he’d never taken her for the forgetful type.

Indeed, her aunt had gone on at length more than once about her niece’s quick mind.

He tipped his head to the side as he considered the closed door.

Jane was a quiet creature, but her aunt was most assuredly not. If memory served, her aunt had regaled him with at least one excessively long monologue regarding Jane’s excellent memory. He’d had a difficult time feigning interest, he’d admit, but he recalled the gist of her speech and it had been entirely centered around Jane’s marvelous ability to…remember.

“Hmmph,” he said again, this time as he turned on his heel, heading toward his horse grazing idly along the road’s edge. “Come, Roger,” he called.

The horse heeded him at once. His steed might be getting on in years, but he was still as obedient and reliant as ever.

Marlin was about to mount when he saw it.

Or, he thought he did.

He saw… something out past the manor at the edges of the property. Though what it was that caught his eye, he wasn’t certain. It had flashed in the corner of his eye.

Now, he peered into the distance with narrowed eyes to see if he could find that flash of pink near the stables. There and gone before he could fully take it in.

He was certain he hadn’t been imagining it. And the oddly bright pink amongst the pale green and browns of early spring called his attention.

He found himself standing and staring for far too long.

Again.

Blast, what was wrong with him? If anyone had been watching him these last few minutes, they’d believe he’d lost his senses.

In his defense, he was rather…addled by this turn of events. Like clockwork, he’d come to expect the same thing each time he called.

To be warmly welcomed by the housekeeper, perhaps a quick, amiable exchange with Jane’s aunt or father, if they were at home, and then a perfectly pleasant quarter hour in the presence of his bride-to-be.

He flinched a bit as the memories surfaced. Perhaps pleasant wasn’t the right word to describe his visits. But they were…amiable, at the very least.

His mind called up an image of Jane’s pretty, but pained features. No, amiable wasn’t right, either.

Perhaps…tranquil?

Yes, they were tranquil. That was it.

In truth, there was little by way of conversation. But he’d been warned from the start that Jane tended to be quiet. And if she looked pained and blushed her way through their conversations, he could overlook that.

After all, her quiet, placid demeanor was one of the reasons he’d chosen her. It would be churlish to fault her for that very same quality that had made her an agreeable candidate for his wife.

He was just about to pull his attention away again, telling himself perhaps it had been a bird that had caught his eye.

But then, from around the far side of the stables, he saw her.

Jane.

His Jane.

He’d recognize that fair hair anywhere, as well as the delicate features of her pretty profile.

It was her.

But also…it couldn’t be.

For, his Jane would never lie about not being at home. Nor would she run away. Why would she?

But that was precisely what she was doing. She was running away. Or…riding away, as the case may be. Leaning forward, in a gown not meant for riding, and without any sort of protection from the wind.

She was urging her mare into the woods that separated their two properties.

Alarm shot through him. What was she doing? She would freeze in that gown. And she couldn’t be in her right mind to be fleeing her own home like this.

His heart hammered. Was she frightened? Was she hurt?

His mind raced with possibilities.

His heart took off at a gallop before he even mounted his horse to take off after her.

Questions filled his mind, but none of them were as important as ensuring that his fiancé was safe. Because one thing was clear. If his quiet, well-mannered Jane was taking off like a spooked colt, then something was wrong.

He urged his own stallion into action, taking off after her, shoving aside useless speculation on what might have caused her to take off in such a reckless manner.

He’d get his answers when he caught up with her.

And he would. He urged his horse faster.

No one knew these woods better than he did.

And if Jane was afraid…

He leaned forward in his seat, tossing his hat off and urging Roger on until they were galloping at full speed.

If Jane was afraid…

He’d be the one to save her.