"AH, THE WEATHER IS SURELY cooperative today," Mr William Percy declared as he applied pressure to the horse's sides with his feet in an attempt to keep up with the female companion ahead of him. His designated horse did far from cooperate though, in other circumstances and with perhaps some other company, Mr Percy would have verbally acknowledged the tardiness of the animal using as little or as many words he deemed fit.

"That is a peculiar way to describe it," Lady Diana Beaumont pointed, her left brow going up a little in debate. Surely a man must have a vocabulary of words to describe weather as fine as the one at present. She looked up into the clear morning sky and inhaled the fresh air, feeling it gush about in her lungs and cool everything down.

"You must know by now, Lady Beaumont, that I am a very peculiar gentleman," Her unwanted company announced, the statement coming out in more of a self praise than Diana would like, "I prefer to do things, or day things, my way."

"Which, I'm sure, makes you believe that you are far worthy than those around you?" She asked, a grin playing at her lips. She wanted to hear him deny it, and suddenly felt a hint of frustration were he to agree with her words; because Diana could surely count a dozen ways she had observed by which Mr Percy could be far from categorized as worthy.

"Ah no, not in general," The man responded, grinning back as his gaze flickered from Diana to the path in front and then to the reluctant horse he was saddled upon, "But worthier than some, I might say."

"By some, I take it you mean Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon," The lady mused, her words coming out as a statement instead of as a question.

"Yes," Mr Percy spoke flatly yet boldly and Diana stirred a little. A sudden wave of frustration took hold of her, a wave that had been pushing to come forth yet had been continually resisted ever since Mr Percy had invited himself to accompany her on her originally private ride on the grounds of Brockenhurst. Consequently, Diana regretted having dismissed the footman The Countess had asked to accompany her. Having the footman there would have grounded her and that would've helped her keep her emotions civil. She would've certainly not dismissed him if she knew she'd find herself alone with Mr Percy, and the gentleman seemed far from acknowledging the discomfort of the situation.

"You are mistaken then," Diana asserted, keeping her tone civil, "Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon have proven themselves very worthy of everything they seek to achieve, and I shan't be surprised when they do succeed." As she churned the words she had spoken into her mind again, she didn't realize what else she had meant by the word everything. What else had she intended the word to mean aside from Frank Templemore's investment that the gentlemen sought to gain? Her emphasis on the word was highly unintentional, yet her subconscious had still probed her to let it out.

There was a swift silence between the company as a loud wind blew; pressing Diana's thin net veil on her face and the heavy skirt of her riding habit fluttered a little. "You as well then?" A gruff declaration came from her unwanted companion again, followed by him clearing his throat.

"Pardon?" she let out, tugging slightly on the reins of her Aunt's mustard horse, and Glory obediently stopped in response. Mr William Percy brought his horse to a halt right next to her as well.

"I only meant your approval. Have the gentlemen gained that as well?" The man crowed, an annoying grin on his lips as his brows raised at the lady's reaction. His tone was laced with mockery, as though he had successfully snatched out a secret from her without her knowing.

"I know exactly what you mean, Mr Percy," Lady Diana Beaumont retorted. This gentleman clearly deemed himself the owner of a new found revelation, and she would acknowledge it lest he thought she was afraid and cornered. "Pray do not hide your meaning behind civil words."

"Ah, so it is true, you hold Lord Edward Buxton in a high esteem, my lady," he cast her an observant nod, putting aside the civility of words as she had bid of him. The lady's intense expression did not falter as she looked at him head on, a challenging look in her eyes as if she was waiting to see what he would do about it. "I saw you that night, charging after him. I am very observant, Lady Beaumont."

"And I saw you that night as well," She claimed in calm anger, "How you spoke to him like you held something against him."

The gentlemen smiled at her words, as though he was suddenly happy to be seen as he was.

"You are in a compromising situation, Mr Percy. My cousin will soon declare where his loyalty lies, and you have correctly guessed where mine lie as well. I suggest you pack up and leave to avoid further embarrassment in this competition you are surely to lose," Diana concluded, a determined smile forming on her face. There was a satisfaction in emerging victorious in arguments. She was not a knight in those storybooks her mother read to her as a child, and neither was she that heroine that fought off a villain in the tales she told her little cousins before bed. But there was this satisfaction that she felt at the moment, like she had just told off a villain in her path.

"Yes, it is no lie that I do see the likely end of this weekend endeavor, my lady. But allow me to tell you something, allow me to tell you why I spoke to Lord Buxton the way I did," he started in a calm but pointed tone and Diana felt intrigue wash over her as her eyes burned into his with ferocity. "I want a portion of Lord Buxton's land. The land that my father gambled off to him five years ago. The land rightfully belongs to me, and he has no right to keep it. Year after year I have urged him to sign it back to me, and year after year he has refused. So you might be aware of what I did these months ago."

Diana felt a breath escape her lips in shock. It was him. He was the enemy Lord Buxton had talked about, he was the one who was the cause of the fire and the months of hardships Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon, as well as her uncle and all other employees had faced. He was the enemy; Lord Buxton had no proof against.

"You- you are insufferable," she managed to let out in breaths, the realization was too much.This man beside her was a monster, a criminal, and there was no suitable place Diana could think of where he deserved to rot.

"I might be," He responded with some amusement, as though he was discussing the events of a theater play instead of a crime scene he had just orchestrated. "I'll have you know, Lady Beaumont, that Mr Templemore gave me permission to invite my assistant for an hour as I had some business to entail with him. The man, capable of much, is at present with your family inside."

"Is that a threat, Mr Percy?" Diana solicited, her voice coming out slightly shaky as she felt her heart pound against her rib cage. Glancing at the Brockenhurst estate, which was the mere size of her thumb over miles and miles of grassland hills from where she sat atop the horse, she knew that none of the gentlemen in her family, except Uncle Arthur, were inside. Frank Templemore had left a few hours ago, and Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon had not yet returned from their own business errands. There was no way out of this, she was not a skilled horse rider, she couldn't out run him and neither could she call for help.

"It might be," William Percy mused, the grin on his lips widening as he fed off the fear in her tone, "It is in your best interests to come with me to my office in the city and abandon the sensibilities of this weekend you had earlier engaged yourself to."

"What could you possibly want from me?" Diana demanded, and no sooner the words were out she already realized how stupid her question was. He obviously wanted her cousin's investment, and holding her hostage would ensure the investment inform of ransom.

"I intend, Lady Beaumont, to hit two birds with one stone," The devious man politely spoke, smiling his smile, which earlier categorized as annoying,seemed entirely wicked to Diana now.

"Now if you would just glance towards those trees, I have another man of mine waiting there with a rifle I'm sure your father would approve heartily of," he pointed in a direction and Diana, lip bottom lip quivering, immediately followed it with her eyes. Sure enough, she saw the tip of a baker rifle her father had used plenty of times when he was in the navy, peeking out by a tall tree in front of a small dark mysterious figure. "He has excellent aim, so as you can see, you will get shot if you try to run."

"Please follow me, I have a carriage waiting some miles away to escort us to my office at my factory," He gestured menacingly, before clicking his tongue and turning his horse to his desired direction.

Lady Diana Beaumont had no words to describe what she felt at that moment. Out of all the feelings consuming her mind and soul, she felt one piece her like a shard of glass. She was wrong, after all. She was wrong in bringing Alicia along to Portsmouth and have her become part of this. How would it all have played out if neither of them were here? Aunt Agnes would not have invited her uncle's family for the weekend, so they'd all be safe. Frank wouldn't have had to invite Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon over to make a decision as there was no weekend party happening. William Percy wouldn't have had anyone to hold against anyone. Of all things, Lady Diana Beaumont did not believe in a preset future,but she believed in fate. She believed that a person's current choices alter their future in a way, and she believed that tragedies were not fated. At that moment however, she did not know what she believed anymore, had the universe been preparing her for this outcome? Was it her fate to be used as a mere pawn? Was she indeed like that heroine from the book she read to her little sister,Mary Ann, who sacrificed her freedom to save her brother?

Reluctantly, Diana tugged on the reins of the beautiful mustard horse and with a final glance towards the rectangular figure of the Brockenhurst estate far in the distance, she followed criminal. Her eyes bearing into his back as tears prickled the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall. No, I will not cry, she echoed inside her head, tightly pressing her eyes shut and forcing control over her emotions.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

"How is it being an assistant to a wine maker?" Lady Alicia Kirkpatrick asked,her tone full of anything but curiosity. The weekend was turning out to be quite unexpected with new faces at each turn, and Alicia wasn't sure she liked it. The man in front of her was a new addition to the day. He had a plain look on his face and seemed far from interesting. He looked as though he was waiting to be told what to do, or had been made to come by force, or had stuff he'd rather be better off attending to.

"Lady Kirkpatrick," A footman interrupted as he bowed in acknowledgement, "This came for you," he finished, handing her a small card.

Alicia took it in her hand and read the contents of it as confusion spread over her face. It was from Diana, she was asking to meet her at the west grounds of the estate, but it was far from Diana's hand. The words were rushed, with ink blotched at every turn. It looked as though it was written amidst a jostling carriage ride or atop a horse. Nonetheless, Alicia got up straightening her skirts in the process. "Excuse me, it appears my cousin asks for me," she announced to the man who sat across her on the sofas. "Allow me to escort you,"The man let out, getting up as well. Not thinking much of the man's eagerness, Alicia hummed an approval as she motioned for a maid to accompany as well and pivoted to walk out of the drawing room and out the main door, with the man right behind her, an easy yet devious smile forming on his face.