Page 14 of Only By Grace
Lord Carew pointed to one of the benches at the table and she sat down. He pulled a chess set from a shelf and set it on the table then sat down himself.
“I am not very good,” she warned.
He shrugged. “It passes the time.” He waved his hand for her to go first, and she moved her white queen pawn forward.
He raised his brow at what must have been an amateur move, then moved his own king knight. “For centuries, there has been a feud between the families of Flynn and Donnellan.
She moved another pawn, allowing him to tell the story.
“Both families live on Kenmare Bay, one to the north and one to the south. Naturally, both families believe they own the bay. It provides access to the Atlantic as well as towards England and the Continent.”
Grace looked up. “They cannot share?” As the fourth of five sisters, sharing had been ingrained in her very early on. His look made her feel as though she could not understand.
“It would be too easy to share.”
She looked at him with astonishment.
He held a pawn up in his hand. “’Tis the way of things, lass. Control of land and water is power.”
She had to confess, the way he said lass was enchanting. He seemed to forget to use proper English diction once he left its shores. She rather liked the Irish lilt.
“So they have always fought?”
“The stories go back for many generations at least.”
“So there is some kind of trouble now?”
“The son of the current baron is a scoundrel. He has threatened to make off with my sister if I do not return and negotiate by Samhain.”
“The pagan holiday?”
“Very fitting, is it not?” He scowled. “He can only make these threats when I am away.”
“Does your sister know?”
Carew growled deep in his throat. “Oh, yes. But she is completely taken with him.”
“How was she able to know him if your families hate each other? Would you not avoid each other?”
“Normally that was the case. People knew better than to invite both families to the same events. However, the region is small, and at times it could not be avoided, such as the end of harvest festival. I had escorted Maeve there, and she ran off with friends. The next thing I knew, she was dancing with the blackguard.”
“Did she know who he was?”
“Aye, but Maeve thought she could convince him to see the error of his ways—end the feud with friendship. Flynn is also a handsome devil at that.” His lips twisted sardonically, as though he was not the most handsome man she’d ever seen himself.
“What did Maeve say afterwards?”
“That it was just a dance, and not to worry myself. I should have known that would not be the end of it.”
Grace gasped. “You mean she would go willingly?”
“She is young and doesn’t understand he means to get to me through her. She is deceived by a pair of beautiful green eyes and a serpent’s tongue.”
Grace could understand that as she looked into a pair of fathomless deep blue ones.
“But what kind of man takes his bride in such a way? She gets nothing out of it but him. If he actually means to marry her. He’s not above ruining her. It’s more what I’d expect.”
“He sounds worse than a scoundrel!” Grace exclaimed in mortification.
