To tame an Earl (four hoydens #2)

Chapter 2

Three years later.

May, 1816
London

Ralph Orford, the Earl of Morley was waiting in the war office. He needed to speak with Wolf, his senior.

He decided to use this time to evaluate the last few months of his life. He was happy, but not precisely content. All these years, he'd had his sister to keep him company. Now she was married and he was happy for her, he truly was. But he was lonely now, utterly sad. If he had had a lot of friends, he probably wouldn't have been quite so forlorn.

Then again, he was a spy and so he couldn't afford to have friends. And he couldn't really marry either. He'd never considered taking a wife. He had been more than happy with only his sister for company. Besides, it would be foolish for a man like him to marry for he'd be putting his wife in danger as well.

But the point was moot, he was here to offer his resignation. With the Napoleonic wars over, he hadn't had much to do. Little Bonny had kept him busy these last ten years, but now it was just dull.

Ralph shifted in his chair, trying to assume a more comfortable position.

And then, a bearded man exited Wolf's office and Ralph gratefully stood up to enter.

"I'm here to resign," he said without any preamble.

One dark brow rose.

"I must say, I'm quite surprised. Aren't you too young to retire?" Wolf asked, feigning disinterest.

"I don't have it in me anymore," Ralph shrugged.

Wolf  said nothing, silently gauging Ralph's seriousness, trying to find an opening.

His face was blank, but after working with him for ten years, Ralph knew better. Wolf was angry. No...he was furious.

Ralph was unfazed. He'd anticipated Wolf's reluctance to let him go. He was one of the best agents in the war office, after all.

"We need you for the George Bates case," he finally murmured.

"William can't take my place?" Ralph asked, referring to his colleague.

"He's busy with that Russian prince."

Ralph sighed.

Wolf grinned, sensing his acquiesce, reluctant as it was.

"This will be my last case," Ralph said firmly.

Wolf nodded, but he clearly didn't care for Ralph's tone.

Wolf was a powerful man, he wasn't used to people giving him ultimatums. People both feared and respected him, for good reason.

Ralph had been confused and angry as a youth, always finding trouble. Wolf had found him when he was nineteen, brawling in a local pub. He'd seen something in him, he'd taken a chance, he'd been right.

His work as a spy had given Ralph a sense of direction and purpose. He'd loved every moment of the risk, the danger, the secrecy. But now, he only saw it as a chore. And after Rosalyn, his sister married, he knew that he had to stop. He was twenty nine, but he felt too old for this.

Ralph took his leave after collecting Bates' file.

Once he was home, he was pleasantly surprised to find Rosalyn there to greet him.

She'd finally returned after a month long honeymoon in France.

"How have you been?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

"I'm well, what about you?" He asked, searching her face.

"Splendid," she grinned and he admitted somewhat reluctantly to himself that Fortescue had indeed made her happy.

He was pleased to see her in a proper gown. Rosalyn was a fine equestrian and before she'd married, she often traipsed around in men's clothing. Ralph had of course reprimanded her more times than he cared to count. But his sister had a mind of her own and rarely, if ever listened to him.

He heard the familiar sounds of  feminine laughter from within the parlour and felt his mouth pull up in a smile. He'd missed this, he was shocked to discover.

"They're here, I hope you don't mind," Rosa said, referring to her three closest friends.

"Why would I mind? They know they're welcome to this house anytime, whether you're here or not," Ralph said gruffly, hating how formal his sister was trying to be.

"I knew it," she smiled, immediately putting him at ease.

"Hullo Ralph," the girls- Vanessa, Sarah and Alice greeted him as he entered the parlour.

"Good day," he smiled at them. Or tried to.

Because his eyes refused to obey and remained stuck on Alice.

Lady Alice Woodbury.

The most maddening, exasperating, impulsive, stubborn, brash, vocal and desirable woman of his acquaintance.

She was also a great actress. For now, she pretended as though she was happy to see him. As if she was fond of him even. But Ralph knew better.

Alice had hated him with every fibre of her being  for the last three years...ever since she'd caught him with Lady Dolby. She'd thought him the worst sort of cad.

Well, he certainly couldn't tell her what he'd been doing with Lady Dolby. She'd been a part of his assignation.

Initially, her ire hadn't bothered him in the least. But then, slowly, he'd started caring. He'd started noticing.

He'd started noticing the way her coppery hair hung about her in wild abandon. The way she looked at him indignantly with her green eyes and the way she managed to look down her pert nose at him even though she was at least a head shorter than him.

Ralph saw the sudden change in her. From being the perfect, delicate and obedient young miss that she was, she'd turned herself into a vixen. She couldn't be called scandalous or indecent, not really. But it bothered him. Every time she wore a particularly daring dress or flirted with the passel of men that always seemed to surround her, he worried about her.

She always mistook his concern for derision.

During Rosalyn's courtship, it had felt like they'd grown closer. But he hadn't seen her after Rosa's wedding.

And judging from her tight smile, they were back to square one.

He had to give her credit though, she never once showed her hatred towards him in front of her friends. Like now...

"Did you miss us, Ralph?" she smiled up at him, nearly knocking him over with her wide smile, fake as it was.

It made him angry, the way it always did.

He replied, nonetheless. And made polite conversation with the ladies despite his irritation.