'Rory, yer looking well as ever, and aye, 'tis young Willy,' Kieran Devers replied as he dismounted his horse.
'You were not in the hall earlier,' William said.
'Nay, sir, I wasn't. 'Twas out of respect for your mother's feelings, for we all know how she feels. I felt Lady Jasmine's cousin, Father Cullen, would be just about all she could handle.' It was said with good humor, and a twinkle.
William Devers laughed. 'Aye,' he agreed. He decided he liked this Maguire fellow. Of course his mother had said that once he was master at Erne Rock, his cousin, James Dundas, would be a suitable estate manager, and James was a good Protestant. Still, Fortune had given him pause for thought when she had asked him why anyone who did their job properly should be discriminated against for their religion. Besides, James Dundas knew nothing of horses, and indeed, was afraid of them. He would make a poor manager for a horse breeding estate. William slid from his saddle, saying as he did so, 'Come on, Kieran, and let us surprise mother.' Then he laughed again.
Jane Anne Devers was indeed surprised to see her stepson enter the Great Hall in his half-brother's company. Still, he was dressed respectably, and appeared in a good mood. She hoped he had not come to cause any deviltry. 'Kieran dear,' she twittered as he approached her.
'Madame, you are as lovely as always,' Kieran Devers told Lady Devers as he bowed and kissed her hand. Then he turned, and bowed quite beautifully to the duchess of Glenkirk who was sitting with his stepmother. 'I am Kieran Devers, your grace. I hope I am not intruding, but my curiosity was, as always, too great. I came to lend my brother, William, support in his pursuit of your beautiful daughter, whom I have just met a while ago.' He kissed Jasmine's hand.
'You are most welcome at Erne Rock, Kieran Devers,' she replied. 'Adali, bring Master Devers a goblet of wine. You will join us, sir?' She motioned him to a seat by the fire. He's a handsome devil, Jasmine thought. What mischief is he up to, or is he indeed just curious? She smiled at Kieran Devers. 'Have you ever been to Erne Rock before? I understand your mother was a Maguire before her marriage to your father.'
'This is my first visit,' Kieran replied. 'Thank you,' he said to Adali who offered him a goblet from a tray.
'We met Kieran out riding,' William said.
'He has already explained that, dearest,' Lady Jane said patiently. Lord! Did William have to appear such a dunce before the duchess? 'I am certain he cannot stay, especially now that his curiosity has been satisfied. Where is Fortune?'
'Nonsense! Your stepson must stay at least the night,' Jasmine replied. 'I have always been famed for my hospitality, my dear Lady Jane. It will be lovely to have a family party. Later, I hope to meet your daughters too.'
'Only Colleen is in Ireland,' Lady Jane said. 'Mary and my Bessie are in England where their husbands reside. Colleen lives outside of Dublin in the Pale. Her husband has a small estate there. She is the only one who will be able to come for the wedding.'
Kieran Devers saw his stepmother pale slightly. So, it was not the sure thing Jane Anne Devers had bragged it was. Interesting. Still, the girl was extremely desirable for her wealth, not to mention her beauty; but Jane Anne had been certain the only reason the Leslies would come to Ireland seeking a husband for their daughter was that she was unmarriageable in England for some reason. After all, according to his stepmother, an English husband was the most desirable husband of all. She had managed English marriages for his elder sister, Moire, who she had called Mary since the day she wed his father; and for her own daughter, Bessie. Colleen, however, had eluded her, falling in love with Sir Hugh Kelly. Hugh, however, had an English mother, and was a Protestant, and so Jane Anne had acquiesced gracefully to one Irish marriage.
'Of course there will be a wedding,' William said with a smile. 'I intend winning Fortune fairly and squarely. She is a wonderful girl, and I already adore her!'
'Who do you adore?' said Fortune, coming into the hall in a fresh green gown, her hair neatly contained within a pretty golden snood.
'Why you, naturally,' William said ingenuously.
Fortune smiled. 'You are a fool, Will Devers,' she chided him, but her tone was soft, Kieran noted.
That's it, little brother, use your charm on her, he thought. But then as he looked at Fortune Lindley again, the hoydenish and disheveled look gone, to be replaced by an elegant young girl, he thought suddenly that she was far too much for his younger brother. Any marriage between them would force Willy into an untenable position. He would be caught between his strong mother, who had told him what to do and to think his whole life, and a headstrong young wife who obviously ran her own life, and would expect to run his as well. The resulting war between the two women would kill his half-brother, who was really a very nice young man.
Ah, the voice within him said, so that will be your reason. Admit it, Kieran Devers, you're intrigued by the wench, and would like her for yourself. Why you'd have her if she had nothing but her shift to her name. But she doesn't, does she? She's an heiress, and probably thinks herself too good for the likes of you. Fortune Lindley is a proud bitch, but a romantic one. She told you herself she would wed only for love, and no other reason, the voice within said. But he, having little, could never wed an heiress. Other men would, but if Lady Fortune Lindley was prideful, so was Kieran Devers.
'William's brother is going to remain the night, and visit,' Jasmine said to her daughter. 'Isn't that nice, poppet?'
Fortune said nothing, but she smiled weakly. The look in her eyes said she didn't think it nice at all. How dared this interloper push himself into their little group when she was attempting to know more about Will? Fortune was not happy. William Devers seemed a nice young man, but he had such old- fashioned ideas, a dreadful mother, and a rogue for a brother. He didn't set her pulses racing as she had expected the love of her life would. His older brother aroused more feeling in her breast than did Will.
Fortune gasped. God's nightshirt! She stole a look at Kieran Devers, and to her great mortification he met her eye and winked. She felt the heat suffuse her cheeks, and quickly lowered her head. This was impossible! Kieran Devers was highly unsuitable and worse, he was a practicing Catholic. Will Devers was far more eligible as a husband. He would inherit his father's lands and chattels one day; and if he was a bit old-fashioned, she would influence him to be less so. There was no one she cared for at all in Scotland or England. She was going to be twenty in a few months. If not William Devers, then who? Fortune wondered. Certainly not that dark-eyed devil who was his half-brother.
Kieran Devers was not a reliable man, she was certain. After all, he had given up his position as his father's heir simply over the matter of religion. What sort of a man was that big a fool?
'Mama, may Will sit next to me at dinner tonight?' Fortune asked her mother in sweetly appealing tones. The sooner she could get over her reticence about William Devers, the sooner they could be wed.
'Of course,' Jasmine said, and wondered what it was all about. She had seen Kieran Devers flirting with Fortune, to Fortune's dismay. Then her daughter's face had grown contemplative. What had she been thinking about? Jasmine considered. Then she decided if Fortune were forcing herself to make a match with William when she really wasn't certain, it could only lead to her daughter's unhappiness.
I shall sit William on Fortune's right, and Kieran on her left, Jasmine silently decided. Fortune had recently said she would wed only for love, although there had been a time when her ideas were more sanguine about marriage. What had happened to her practical, sensible child? Still, better love with the wrong man than an unhappy eternity with the right one. If Fortune was attracted to Kieran, better she face it now, and not marry young William because he was the