Sequel: Jackelle 2.0 ›
Kidnapped
One
Brielle Montesse was supposed to be leaving with her parents in twenty minutes to travel to Berkshire for her brother’s wedding, and she had barely packed. Half her closet was tossed across her canopy bed but she suddenly hated every dress she owned. Her mother was going to have a fit if she came to check on her and Brielle’s trunk was still empty.
Brielle huffed a sigh, choosing a few dresses that didn’t offend her so much. Most of them were blue, since it was her preferred color. She mixed in a lavender and a good just to mix it up, then stuffed them into her trunk as neatly as she could, slamming the lid shut just as Duchess Georgiana poked her head into the room.
“Brielle, aren’t you ready yet? The footman is waiting to take your trunk down to the carriage.”
“Yep, all ready,” Brielle said brightly. Georgiana looked from her to the mess of clothes thrown around the room and rolled her eyes.
“You waited until literally the last minute to pack again, didn’t you?”
“What? No, I’ve had this ready since yesterday.”
“Let’s go,” Georgiana sighed. Someone quickly whisked Brielle’s trunk away and she followed her mother down to the waiting carriage. Duke Theron was already waiting in the carriage, and had to bat frilly fabric out of his face as Georgiana and Brielle piled in with him.
“It’s about time,” he said. “Did Brielle pack at the last minute again?”
“I don’t appreciate being this family’s scapegoat,” Brielle said, smoothing her skirt and readjusting the pins in her flame red hair. She wasn’t looking forward to the cramped carriage ride, but she was excited to reach Berkshire and see her older brother. Byron had been gone for several months, taking care of things before the wedding and helping his fiancée, Lady Nadine Dorrance, plan the event. Brielle had only met Nadine a couple of times, and the marriage was largely put together for political reasons. But Nadine was bubbly and sweet and Byron was actually rather smitten with her. Brielle was happy for him, and was looking forward to the wedding. She was excited for any event that served cake.
It took them three days to reach Berkshire, during which time Brielle listened to her mother share gossip and her father nod and say, “oh, my” and “yes, dear, you’re absolutely right” at all the right times while he adjusted his reading glasses and kept trying to read letters he’d been sent. Brielle smiled and shook her head, a little relieved every time they stopped at an inn for the night. She stayed up too late and exasperated her poor parents by almost making them get a late start every day.
Nadine was there to greet them when they arrived in Berkshire and the carriage stopped in front of the illustrious Willowgate Manor. She came bounding over to the carriage in a cloud of dark curls, floral perfume, and ruffly skirts.
“I’m so happy to see you all!” she gushed. She hugged Brielle with enthusiasm and a surprising amount of strength.
“We’re delighted to be here,” Georgiana replied as Brielle returned the hug, batting some brown ringlets out of her face.
“Where’s my idiot brother?” Brielle asked, earning a look from Georgiana.
“Oh, he’s out right now but he should be back soon. He’s off with his best man doing…I don’t know, manly things I guess. Come on, Bree, I’ll show you to your room.”
Brielle found herself tugged along through the halls of the manor, Nadine keeping up a steady stream of chatter.
“Here’s your room. I figured you might like the garden view. We’ll be having the reception out there. We had a bunch of new roses planted for the occasion. It’s really going to be quite lovely. We had specially bred blue roses put in, to match Byron. You know, you two have such lovely blue eyes.”
“Right,” Brielle said, amused. “You said Byron was with his best man right now?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. A very nice man named Jack.”
Brielle arched an eyebrow. “Jack?”
“Yes. Apparently they were good childhood friends. You must know him, I assume.”
“I do,” Brielle said slowly. Jack was a ward her father had taken in years ago. He and Byron had become fast friends and used to play pranks on Brielle, who tended to settle her scores with violence or frame jobs. She hadn’t seen him since she was about thirteen. She hadn’t realized he and Byron had stayed quite so close that Byron would ask him to be best man. Of course, when Jack had first left to travel, Byron had also spent a lot of time abroad and a pre-teen Brielle hadn’t been interested in hearing about what Jack was up to.
“Oh, your trunk is here,” Nadine said. “I’ll let you get settled, and as soon as Byron is home I’ll tell him you’re here. He’ll be glad to see you.”
Nadine gave her another spine crushing hug and then flounced out of the room, leaving Brielle with a bruised vertebrae and the smell of petunias. She sneezed and then flopped across the bed in a way that would make Georgiana frown. There weren’t as many pillows as Brielle liked, but at least she’d get to see Byron again and the Dorrances had hired the most renowned baker in the nation. The cake alone would be worth the trip.
Brielle huffed a sigh, choosing a few dresses that didn’t offend her so much. Most of them were blue, since it was her preferred color. She mixed in a lavender and a good just to mix it up, then stuffed them into her trunk as neatly as she could, slamming the lid shut just as Duchess Georgiana poked her head into the room.
“Brielle, aren’t you ready yet? The footman is waiting to take your trunk down to the carriage.”
“Yep, all ready,” Brielle said brightly. Georgiana looked from her to the mess of clothes thrown around the room and rolled her eyes.
“You waited until literally the last minute to pack again, didn’t you?”
“What? No, I’ve had this ready since yesterday.”
“Let’s go,” Georgiana sighed. Someone quickly whisked Brielle’s trunk away and she followed her mother down to the waiting carriage. Duke Theron was already waiting in the carriage, and had to bat frilly fabric out of his face as Georgiana and Brielle piled in with him.
“It’s about time,” he said. “Did Brielle pack at the last minute again?”
“I don’t appreciate being this family’s scapegoat,” Brielle said, smoothing her skirt and readjusting the pins in her flame red hair. She wasn’t looking forward to the cramped carriage ride, but she was excited to reach Berkshire and see her older brother. Byron had been gone for several months, taking care of things before the wedding and helping his fiancée, Lady Nadine Dorrance, plan the event. Brielle had only met Nadine a couple of times, and the marriage was largely put together for political reasons. But Nadine was bubbly and sweet and Byron was actually rather smitten with her. Brielle was happy for him, and was looking forward to the wedding. She was excited for any event that served cake.
It took them three days to reach Berkshire, during which time Brielle listened to her mother share gossip and her father nod and say, “oh, my” and “yes, dear, you’re absolutely right” at all the right times while he adjusted his reading glasses and kept trying to read letters he’d been sent. Brielle smiled and shook her head, a little relieved every time they stopped at an inn for the night. She stayed up too late and exasperated her poor parents by almost making them get a late start every day.
Nadine was there to greet them when they arrived in Berkshire and the carriage stopped in front of the illustrious Willowgate Manor. She came bounding over to the carriage in a cloud of dark curls, floral perfume, and ruffly skirts.
“I’m so happy to see you all!” she gushed. She hugged Brielle with enthusiasm and a surprising amount of strength.
“We’re delighted to be here,” Georgiana replied as Brielle returned the hug, batting some brown ringlets out of her face.
“Where’s my idiot brother?” Brielle asked, earning a look from Georgiana.
“Oh, he’s out right now but he should be back soon. He’s off with his best man doing…I don’t know, manly things I guess. Come on, Bree, I’ll show you to your room.”
Brielle found herself tugged along through the halls of the manor, Nadine keeping up a steady stream of chatter.
“Here’s your room. I figured you might like the garden view. We’ll be having the reception out there. We had a bunch of new roses planted for the occasion. It’s really going to be quite lovely. We had specially bred blue roses put in, to match Byron. You know, you two have such lovely blue eyes.”
“Right,” Brielle said, amused. “You said Byron was with his best man right now?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. A very nice man named Jack.”
Brielle arched an eyebrow. “Jack?”
“Yes. Apparently they were good childhood friends. You must know him, I assume.”
“I do,” Brielle said slowly. Jack was a ward her father had taken in years ago. He and Byron had become fast friends and used to play pranks on Brielle, who tended to settle her scores with violence or frame jobs. She hadn’t seen him since she was about thirteen. She hadn’t realized he and Byron had stayed quite so close that Byron would ask him to be best man. Of course, when Jack had first left to travel, Byron had also spent a lot of time abroad and a pre-teen Brielle hadn’t been interested in hearing about what Jack was up to.
“Oh, your trunk is here,” Nadine said. “I’ll let you get settled, and as soon as Byron is home I’ll tell him you’re here. He’ll be glad to see you.”
Nadine gave her another spine crushing hug and then flounced out of the room, leaving Brielle with a bruised vertebrae and the smell of petunias. She sneezed and then flopped across the bed in a way that would make Georgiana frown. There weren’t as many pillows as Brielle liked, but at least she’d get to see Byron again and the Dorrances had hired the most renowned baker in the nation. The cake alone would be worth the trip.