A Scandalous Entanglement

II

"My lord Seymour, I assume the trip went all according to plan and it was successful?" Devyn Seymour dismounted from his horse and the great beast swayed slightly at the instant relief its back felt, whining as it almost dropped to its knees from the exhaustion of riding for hours straight. He took note of his property and the unnoticeable changes he had requested take place in his absence and though they had been immaculately done to his liking, he still felt there was room for improvement. His leather boots which had seen better days were soaked to his toes as well as his long dark clock that stuck to his body like a second skin. The hat above his head still dripped from the slight morning rain that had suddenly ambushed him in the wee hours of the morning as he had begun his journey from high society London to his estates.

Finally, he was home.

"And here I thought I wouldnt have anyone welcoming me back to my estates this early in the morning." "Oh but my lord," the butler approached. "I had to be awake and have the house about and ready for your arrival. Good morn my lord. I hope the fresh morning air did you well?"

Devyn stared down at himself, obviously, the morning air hadnt done him well as he was wet, extremely cold, and hungry. And what made matters all the worse was the fact that he had to cut his trip short to attend to some matters that required his urgent care which he didnt trust his butler handling to his liking. "I wouldn't be here wet and sorely angered had the morning air done me well now would I?" He questioned back. "Have the horse fed and brushed down and ready me another fine beast. I shall be heading back into the estates." He marched straight for the stairs ignorant of the servants that had lined upon his arrival and through the door absent minded about the new décor his wife had recently added.

"Did any letters arrive for me Callam? I was supposed to meet with lord Godfrey last even. Though seeing as the weather decided it was best to come with a storm, I stayed in town." "Not to worry my lord," Callam replied as he followed his master up to his chamber room. "Lord Godfrey did send note that he wouldnt be able to make the short trip. Even he was worried for his fine carriages being damaged by the ill roads. But I did however assure him that you would be arriving if not later than this evening my lord."

"Good." Devyn murmured absentmindedly as he began stripping out of his wet clothes. His valet approached to help with a hand but instead he was shooed away whereas Callam attended to the slow crackling fire in the earth. "I have a few things I want you to send out for me, make sure that they reach the right doorstep by noon." Devyn moved about his room with an unbuttoned shirt and barefoot, embracing the cold discomfort the bare floor gave. "Lord Abbington fooled me once again with the lot of his fine horses, claiming they could win the race-"

"Did they not?" Callam questioned. He waited for the valet to leave the room before continuing. "I read in the papers the races were to a great success my lord, if you do not mind me saying." "Well, they would have, had they not been drugged and disqualified from the race. Those bloody judges had also been up to something suspicious supporting Abbington right from the very start and I am sore afraid, all the money I had put into the game as well as my horses was to a waste-" The sight movement from his butler forced Devyn to look up from his bent position. "What is this?" He accepted the small well folded letter from his butlers palm not entirely curious on opening it. "The most recent letter her ladyship has written to you, my lord. I found there was no need of sending it as you would be soon returning."

The first thing that caught his attention was her neatly written writing as well as the family seal, the paper on its own looked to be a random page torn out of a book and not the usual papers he used when sending out letters. Without much thought he threw it to the fire and buried his head in the open book before him. There was no need reading whatever taxing requests she had asked for, although she never seemed to demand for much. "Have you been doing what I asked of you Callam?" He questioned. "Yes, my lord. I replied to each of her ladyships concerns." "And the whereabouts of my location, did she get wind of that?" "Well," Callam cleared his throat. "The rumors stated that you had run off to London to be with a mistress-" An amused smile curved the edges of his lips. Surely the ton hadnt failed to surprise him once more. "So, they said? And how did her ladyship take such news?"