The Lockwood Chronicles Book 1: Distraction
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Gabby Walker
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On the cusp of the end of the Napoleonic War, Alexander Montgomery, Earl of Lockwood, finds himself under pressure to secure a wife. Duty demands it—but the only woman who captures his interest refuses the idea of marriage altogether. Sophie Bennett is clever, guarded, and hiding a dangerous secret, making her as risky as she is irresistible. What begins as a distraction quickly becomes something far more perilous. As tensions rise and unseen dangers close in, Alex realizes that his growing attachment to Sophie could cost them more than reputation or scandal. In a world shaped by war, expectation, and betrayal, choosing the wrong path could cost both of them their lives.
Intentions
SOPHIE
1814, LONDON, ENGLAND
Sophie Bennett took a sip of lemonade and politely nodded her head as if she were listening to the conversation around her. She wasn’t. She had been intercepted mere steps from escape, trapped now in a cluster of chattering ladies with cloying smiles.
They were here for husbands and advantageous matches. Sophie, however, had come to the ball for an entirely different purpose. One that had nothing to do with finding a husband.
Her eyes wandered around the ballroom, noticing and cataloging the groups society seemed to automatically divide itself into. They were predictable. They were also suffocating.
The married men could be found conversing about the latest happenings in Parliament or strategizing about investments they had heard about. Occasionally, you heard them discussing an upcoming horse race. You never saw them talking to, much less dancing with, their wives.
Their wives were also clustered together, albeit usually on the other side of the room. Equally intent on strategy. Their conversations centered around lineage and guest lists.
Considering most of them were there to ensure that their sons or daughters danced with the right person, they discussed who was in attendance.
She wanted something different. Something different from the perfunctory marriage her parents had. Something so different than what seemed to be the norm, that she had accustomed herself to the idea of becoming a spinster.
It had its appeal. Autonomy. No one to tell her what she could or couldn’t do.
And she could do it easily. She had no pressure to marry. No need for an alliance.
No need to buffer up the family holdings. Her brother indulged her beyond what was probably reasonable. Except…
Her eyes continued to wander, eventually landing on him. Alexander Lockwood. The only bright spot in attending these parties was him, and the thought thoroughly irritated her.
She watched him converse with his friend Jacob. He had introduced her to him a couple of weeks ago. She still wasn’t sure what to make of him.
He wasn’t in a similar boat as Lockwood and her brother, Charley. He was a second son. No pressure to marry.
Of course, up until last year, Lockwood had fallen in that classification as well. Maybe that’s why they seemed more like brothers than merely friends.
Her ears perked up as she heard one of the women in the group mention Lockwood. “I beg your pardon?”
The woman smiled. “I was just mentioning that Lockwood is so different from his brother. His brother was charming, always the life of the party. He was considered quite the catch last year and would have been if…”
Sophie focused on the woman as she trailed off. Everyone knew what had happened to Lockwood’s brother; it just wasn’t talked about. She couldn’t imagine her Lockwood engaging in a duel, much less getting killed in one.
Her Lockwood… It probably wasn’t a good sign that she had started thinking of him in those terms. It did not bode well for remaining unattached.
“Lucinda, are you implying that Lockwood isn’t ‘quite the catch’?” Defending him probably didn’t bode well either.
“The rest of us haven’t had a chance to find out. You’re the only one he dances with.” Lucinda looked pointedly at Sophie. “It really is quite scandalous, especially if he doesn’t make an offer soon.”
Sophie fought the urge to bite back. Lucinda was an annoyance, nothing more. She wielded no real power in the Ton, at least not among anyone she cared about.
“Lucinda, I assure you, there is nothing scandalous. We simply enjoy each other’s company.”
The statement she had made was completely factual. She did enjoy talking and dancing with Lockwood. He was an engaging conversationalist and actually listened to what she said.
But he was still hunting for a wife, and she wasn’t sure she could be the prey he needed. She couldn’t imagine herself as one of the wives currently in attendance. But for now, he served a purpose.
She had suffered through a couple of painful dances when she first started accompanying Charley to balls this season. Painful in both the physical sense, as her toes were crushed beneath boots, as well as the conversation being boring and condescending. Lockwood moved gracefully, almost like a panther stalking its prey, and he was most definitely not boring.
“If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll step out into the gardens. It’s a little stuffy in here.”
Lucinda’s comments had given her the excuse she needed to escape. As she moved away from the group, she heard Lucinda discussing the latest gossip about a member of the Ton and their eccentric sexual appetites. She was glad when she managed to move far enough away that she wouldn’t be pulled back into the conversation.
She forced herself to smile pleasantly as she gracefully tried to dodge another group of colorfully garbed women, the skirts of her own pale pink gossamer gown brushing gently against theirs as she moved past them.
Winding through the throng of bodies, she attempted to shrug off the feeling that she was being watched. She knew without looking he was tracking her movement across the room. She also knew if she could get to the opposite side of the room, she could disappear.
There was a fairly large group massed there that would block her from his line of sight. Forcing herself to slow down, she plotted her course and continued to forge her way through the crowds. With any luck, his friend would distract him long enough for him to lose sight of her.
Once into the corridor, she hazarded a glance back. Lockwood was tall. She usually didn’t have a problem spotting him in a crowd.
Not seeing him, she continued toward her objective. Turning down a hall, she reached what she knew was the host’s study. With another look over her shoulder to ensure the hallway was still empty, she eased the door open and slipped into the darkened room.
She paused to let her eyes adjust to the low light from the fire in the hearth before making her way to the desk. The moonlight streaming through the window provided enough illumination to allow her to find the appointment book and flip through the pages.
She froze when she thought she heard something and glanced over at the door. Straining to listen for the sound that had gotten her attention, she frowned when she didn’t hear anything. Looking back down at the book, she quietly flipped pages and perused the notations.
She looked up again. She felt it more than heard it. Flipping the book back to how she had found it, she quickly dropped to the floor with her back against the heavy desk.
With any luck, whoever had just turned the handle to the study door would exit quickly. Making sure her skirts were hidden, she froze as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She knew exactly who had walked into the room and shut the door behind them.
“What are you doing?”
Sophie looked up. She wasn’t surprised at all to see the familiar eyes staring down at her. He had been completely silent as he entered the room and crossed over to the desk, but she always had a frisson of awareness he was close. “Lord Lockwood.”
Taking his hand when he reached down to pull her to her feet, she pulled her hand back as soon as she was on her feet and smoothed her skirt down before looking back up at him. “I was looking for something.”
Meeting his gaze was always a mistake. Diverting her eyes, she focused on the door. The thought of making a mad dash flitted through her thoughts, but she knew it was futile.
He was completely and utterly blocking her path.
“In my experience, someone who searches a desk under the cover of darkness is one of two things. I don’t think you’re either, so why don’t you elaborate?”
Sophie frowned. “Information. That’s it.”
She hazarded a glance at him and could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. She also knew she wasn’t prepared to tell him the truth. Which left her with coming up with something to pacify him.
She made the mistake of meeting his eyes again. The same dark blue that reminded her of a half-frozen lake in the middle of winter and made her feel like she was drowning had a touch of warmth to them just below the surface. She wasn’t sure anyone made it past the icy surface.
She realized it was the warmth she drowned in, not the ice. “I was simply checking to see if he had appointments scheduled on certain days.”
“And what did you discover?”
“That there are indeed similar entries on similar dates.” Sophie took a deep breath. “I assure you, my lord, I’m not doing anything underhanded.”
“I didn’t presume that you were.”
“What is your intention?” Sophie glanced up at him again. The man had the annoying ability to take her breath away at just a glance.
It exasperated her that he had this kind of effect on her. She didn’t think he would expose her clandestine search, but she needed to be sure.
“I would have thought that was obvious. It certainly seems to be to the rest of society.” He took a step forward, and reaching down, he cupped her chin in his hand, then leaned forward and kissed her.
