Tobias Peyton dismounted from his beautiful, strong black mare, which he had affectionately named Onyx, stroking her thick black mane affectionately and kissing the quivering muscles on her neck.

She loved their afternoon rides just as much as her master did, and she always protested when they came to an end. Her master dismounting was her indication it was time to return to the stables of the Penwell country manor, and she stomped both of her front hooves.

Tobias laughed, giving the mare another gentle pat.

“I know, my girl,” he said, cupping a hand beneath her chin and looking at her fondly. “We will ride again soon.”

After another moment of gentle coaxing, Onyx, at last, allowed Tobias to lead her to the stables, which he did rather reluctantly. Even though he knew they would, indeed, ride again soon, he always hated the part of the day when he retired her until their next adventure. All his horses made wonderful company, and he had taken part in the training of them all. But he had to admit, if only to himself, that Onyx was his favorite.

When, at last, they reached the stables, Tobias bid the mare a warm farewell, offering her a special treat as the stable hand led her away to brush her and get her ready to sleep for the night. He also made sure to give his other four horses brief pats and greetings, his heart swelling with pride and affection at the excitement the animals felt at seeing him. There was no way to know for sure, as he could not read a horse’s mind. But Tobias believed with his whole heart that the horses loved him just as much as he loved them.

Invigorated by another lovely afternoon of riding, Tobias returned to the manor humming softly to himself. He was already planning his next ride, which, if he were lucky, and he tended to all his paperwork the following morning, would be the very next afternoon. He opened the back door to the country manor, changing his hum to a whistle as he closed the door behind him. He was so lost in his daydreaming that bumping into his mother startled him.

“Oh,” he gasped, looking down at the Dowager Marchioness of Penwell sheepishly. “Forgive me, Mother. I was not paying attention to where I was going.”

She looked up at him, giving him a doting smile. He glanced down at her hands, in which she was clasping a letter.

“Darling,” she said. “This just came today while you were out.”

Tobias became curious as he took the letter. He did not need to ask who the letter was from, as he immediately recognized the seal on the envelope. He smiled again, tearing open the letter immediately, prepared to share its contents with his mother.

“It has been some time since I heard from Grandfather,” Tobias began. “I should have written to him sooner. I do hope all is well.”

Tobias’s hopes were dashed before he had even finished reading his grandfather’s letter. It was a brief correspondence, clearly designed to get straight to the point of the matter. And that matter was the duke’s request for Tobias to return to London as soon as he received the letter because there were important things he wished to discuss with Tobias. Tobias’s stomach twisted into knots as he reread the letter, his heart sinking.

“What is it, darling?” the dowager marchioness asked.

Tobias sighed, waving the letter with disheartened frustration.

“Grandfather wants to see me in London,” he said.

His mother tilted her head and frowned.

“Does he say why?” she asked.

He handed the letter to the dowager marchioness, letting her read it for herself while he collected his thoughts. Though the Duke of Berbrook had not said so expressly, his letter seemed to be asking Tobias to return to London permanently. Indeed, if that were not the case, the duke would have requested that he merely visit for a roughly specified amount of time. But what reason could his grandfather have for making such a request?

The marchioness handed the letter back to her son, looking up at him inquisitively.

“What is wrong, dear?” she asked. “Perhaps, your grandfather just misses your company.”

Tobias took a deep breath, shaking his head.

“My intuition tells me it is not so simple, Mother,” he said.

The dowager marchioness thought for a moment before nodding.

“Well, what shall we do?” she asked.

Tobias exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

“We must arrange to leave for London first thing tomorrow morning,” he said.

His mother nodded, smiling sweetly at her son.

“I shall tell the staff to begin making preparations, Tobias,” she said, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I am sure there is no cause for concern.”

Tobias bit his lip.

“I hope you are right, Mother,” he said, the tightening knots in his stomach reminding him of how certain he was to the contrary.

As the dowager marchioness went to summon the servants and set them about their tasks, Tobias went back out to the stables to give orders of his own to the stable hands and say farewell to his horses.

He prayed he would return to them soon; he could not imagine going more than a few weeks without going for a ride. He could not bear the idea of being away from his beloved Onyx for long periods of time, and he knew she would be rather upset, as well.

For that reason, he allowed himself to think that his mother was right and that his grandfather simply wished to spend some time with them, and they would be returning home in a month or so. Still, as he went to bed that evening, he could not help noticing the knots of dread had returned to his stomach. He did his best to ignore them and sleep, as they had a very long journey ahead of them to return to London.

Four days later, Tobias and his mother drew in deep breaths in unison as Berbrook Manor sprawled out before them. The winding driveway was lined with large but not well-kempt shrubs, and Tobias noticed that some of the statues appeared to have cracks in them.

He supposed his grandfather had not had time to tend to the upkeep of such things. It was not bad enough to be unsightly, but it was something Tobias made a mental note of.

The manor, apart from some slightly faded drapes hanging in the windows at the top story, looked to be its old, magnificent self. There was not a single blemish in its brick structure, and the windows were freshly paned, crystal clear, and revealed, on the lower levels of the house, dark-colored but fresh curtains in each one.

As they drew closer to the house, Tobias noticed that it did not appear as if his grandfather had spent much time in the drawing-room, which he could see clearly through the window. He supposed that was not too strange, yet it struck Tobias as odd for a reason he could not explain.

The tall, skinny butler waited for them outside the front door, no doubt having heard the carriage approaching before it stopped in front of the manor.

Tobias helped his mother from the carriage, and greetings were exchanged. Then, the butler led Tobias and his mother to the main dining hall, where the duke sat at the head of the table, with servants bringing out various dishes all around him.

The dining room furniture was exactly as Tobias remembered, even down to the perfect shine on each mahogany piece. Red and purple banners hung down the walls, lined roughly behind each seat at the long, oak dining table.

The silver candlesticks were placed throughout the room were all lit, giving the room the familiar warm, welcoming feel Tobias had known in his youth. The servants had even filled several crystal vases with fresh, bright flowers, likely for the arrival of Tobias and the dowager marchioness.

Tobias forgot his earlier misgivings about his grandfather’s request to return to town when the elder duke rose, smiling brightly at Tobias and his mother.

“Tobias, Ophelia,” he said, his cheery voice echoing off the dark-brown walls of the room. “It is so good to see you.”

Tobias was first to greet his grandfather, shaking his hand heartily before the duke pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Hello, Grandfather,” he said, reveling in the affection he felt for the man. “It is wonderful to see you, too.”

The duke patted Tobias on the back, then stepped aside to take the dowager marchioness’s hands in his, pulling her close enough to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled sweetly at him.

“It has been ages, Bertram,” she said. “How have you been faring?”

The duke smiled fondly, though briefly, at the dowager marchioness. It was genuine, but Tobias noticed his eyes seemed to hold a secret, albeit just briefly.

“I am thrilled to see the two of you, Ophelia,” he said to her before looking back to Tobias. “Let us enjoy lunch, for you and I have important matters to discuss afterward.”

Tobias’s stomach knotted once more as his grandfather spoke. Though the remark seemed casual and innocent enough, it was clear that whatever was on the duke’s mind was serious.

“Of course, Grandfather,” he said, giving the duke his best smile. But despite the light, cheery conversation throughout the meal, Tobias could not help worrying and wondering about the real reason for his grandfather summoning them to his home.

After the meal, the dowager marchioness excused herself for a walk in the gardens. Tobias had briefly taken note of the gardens as they arrived, and he had seen that it appeared to be filled primarily with roses of all sizes and colors. As he and his grandfather made their way to the duke’s study, he could smell the roses through the study’s open window. He had forgotten how beautiful the gardens of Berbrook Manor were, but he was surprised to find that his grandfather had replaced the lilies and daisies and gardenias with nothing but roses.

“Roses have a more pleasing scent to me,” the duke said, making Tobias realize he had been staring curiously out the window at the section of the garden visible to him.

Tobias nodded affirmatively.

“They do, indeed,” he said.

The duke gestured for Tobias to sit while he poured them each a snifter of brandy. He offered Tobias a cigar, which he declined. Then, he brought his grandson his drink, sitting on the sofa opposite Tobias. Tobias smiled nervously at him, the knots tightening further still in his stomach as he saw the stern look on the duke’s face.

“My boy,” he said, sipping his drink before setting it aside. “I wish to get straight to it. There is no need for two men to exchange an idle conversation when something important to discuss.”

Tobias nodded in agreement, drinking heavily from his glass. Whatever his grandfather was about to say, he felt sure that he would need every bit of that drink.

“Very well, Grandfather,” he said. “I am ready and willing to listen.”

The duke nodded, smiling faintly.

“The time has come for you to take up your responsibilities as the future heir to the duchy,” he said. “I called you here so that we can begin making the preparations necessary to transition everything smoothly to your reign.”

Tobias choked on the fresh sip of his drink he had taken.

“What?” he asked dumbly.

The duke continued as though Tobias had said and done nothing.

“I will be hosting a dinner ball in two days,” he said. “It will be the perfect opportunity for you to get acquainted with my business associates, as well as the unwed young women of the ton.”

Tobias’s head was spinning, and he doubted it was from the liquor he had so quickly swallowed. It was overwhelming enough that his grandfather was speaking about T0bias becoming a duke. But he could tell, without anything further being said, that his grandfather was hinting at marriage for Tobias.

“What is it, Grandfather?” Tobias asked, scrambling to find some way to change the subject. “Are you ill?”

The duke stared at his grandson, but he did not answer the question.

“I wish to see you fully prepared to inherit the duchy when the time comes, Tobias,” he said. “And there is no better time to do precisely that than the present.”

Tobias nodded, searching his grandfather’s face for anything to indicate where such sudden insistence on such a heavy matter had come from. But there was nothing but the same stern expression to tell Tobias he had no choice in the matter.

“Yes, Grandfather,” he said nonchalantly, though he was already trying to think of ways around the situation in which he was rapidly finding himself. “As you wish.”