To Capture a Lady's Heart

Chapter 5

"Mother!" Lucas thundered, storming outside his chambers. He continued calling out for her as he got down the stairs.

"Good Lord, Lucas, what is it?" his mother appeared and so did Daisy.

"I have a problem," he ground out, the vein by his temple throbbing madly.

"Clearly. Otherwise, you would not carry on so," Daisy commented drily. His mother snorted. Lucas was suddenly tempted to strangle his cousin.

"There is a yellow liquid oozing out of my boots," he said slowly, trying to contain his temper.

Daisy's eyes widened and he knew what she was about to say even before she opened her mouth to speak.

"It is orange juice," he quickly said. "I made Jackson check."

"There. Mystery solved," his mother smiled.

"No, it is not," he growled. "The real problem here is that there was orange juice in my boots," he said, waving said boots up in the air in case his words were not enough to enter his cousin and his mother's dense heads.

"Oh, that is awful. Such beautiful hessians...ruined," Daisy tutted sympathetically. Lucas took a moment to marvel at how angry his sister was making him.

"I want to know who is behind this."

"Me too," his mother said indignantly. His mother's odd behaviour was extremely suspicious.

"I think it was that street urchin you two brought home," he said casually.

"James? Never! He is the most well-behaved child I have ever had the fortune of meeting. Is he not, my dear?" His mother looked to Daisy.

"Oh yes, the most obedient," his cousin nodded dutifully.

Luke wondered if they were talking about the same monster that had ruined all his cravats with jam. Not bloody likely.

"I suppose I could find him myself and ask him," he murmured.

"That is a terrible idea!" Daisy said.

"I do not see why."

"Because he is blameless! That poor child is working in the stables as we speak." This from his mother.

Lucas was about to say something else but then he heard the sound of a child humming. From the main hall. His mother and Daisy grimaced, refusing to meet his eye as they stood in front of the entrance.

Luke said nothing as he walked past them into the chamber. There sitting on a settee was none other than that rug rat, with an empty glass of what he could only assume was orange juice.

"Mother, you must tell me when you decided to shift our stables into our main hall," he said sarcastically, his eyes still on the child. Who, by the way, did not even look guilty. Lucas went for him, losing whatever was left of his temper.

The boy promptly jumped down and ran past the entrance. Luke followed. He did not know what he would do once he got his hands on the lad but it was not going to pretty.

He had never before struck a child before, never thought of doing so. But this boy tempted him.

He dashed after him and saw him hiding behind someone's skirts. Luke paid no heed to that or all the voices around him, all his focus centered on him. He was just about to catch him when his legs tripped on the skirt and he fell in a tangled mass of skirts and woman.

"Hell and damnation," he muttered trying to untangle his legs from the skirts when a voice finally penetrated the fog in his head.

"Patience!"

Lucas looked at the woman who now lay upon him, her skirts stuck under him.

Lady Jane.

Bloody hell. What she even doing here?!

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Jane had decided to call on Daisy that morning and had only just entered the Arlington townhouse when she heard a racket.

She made her way inside to see that her friend and Lady Arlington were distracted, trying to hide a little boy who was running about. Just then a very angry looking Lord Lucas exited the main hall, his attention focused on the child.

As soon as the naughty child saw her, he went for her skirts and tried to hide behind her. Jane let out a laugh and looked up to find Lord Lucas charging in her direction like a raging bull. His mother and Daisy were calling out warnings but it looked like he did not hear them. As for her, Jane just stood frozen, fearing for her life.

That was until the daft man reached her and suddenly, she was not standing anymore. She was on the floor, or rather on Lord Lucas. She tried to stand but her skirts were tangled under his legs.

"What are you doing here?" he asked when he finally noticed her.

"I came to visit Daisy," she replied, her arms tiring as she tried to hold herself as far away from his chest as possible.

"Huh."

"Can we stand up now?" she asked, her cheeks red. She quite liked where she was, she realized. The realization was not a pleasant one.

"Of course," he cleared his throat and lifted his legs a bit so she could free herself.

"Oh, good Lord! Are you alright, my dear?" Lady Arlington came to her side, helping her stand.

"I am fine, mother," Lord Lucas replied.

"Of course, you are. I was asking Lady Jane," the dowager marchioness replied. Jane snorted. Lord Lucas stared at her.

"I am fine, my Lady. I am afraid it was Lord Arlington who bore the brunt of the fall," Jane said, trying to keep a straight face.

"As he should," said Lady Arlington.

"Mother! You are merciless today," Lord Lucas snapped.

"I have learnt from the best, I suppose," she shot back. "What were you thinking, running after that poor child. You even caused Lady Jane to tumble!"

"He is hardly a poor child," Lord Lucas huffed. "And I apologize for running into you, my Lady," he said to Jane.

"It is quite alright," she replied, her eyes wide.

"Now where is that boy?"

"Daisy took him with her to her chamber. And don't you dare go after him again," his mother said to him and to her she said, "You may join Daisy upstairs, my dear."

Jane nodded and ran up the stairs, not daring to look at the disgruntled Marquess.

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