Sometimes (most of the time), when I’m writing a book, I’ll write one from another point of view simultaneously. I have Miles’s POV of Mirror (although I’d rather pull my eyelashes out then have anyone read that…it is SO bad).

But it’s nice to get in the other character’s head while I am writing a story. I have William’s view from Cortherstone. Here is the first chapter from his story. It starts right when he meets Emma. (remember this is a first draft with zero editing)

Chapter One

“She’s here, Your Grace,” comes Abe’s voice through the door of the carriage. I close my eyes, only briefly, hoping this time will be different. This cannot end with another woman taking her last breath. 

I step out into the night, making sure my glare is as frightening as the rumors make me out to be. Being a duke simply is not enough this night. “Is she with anyone?” I ask Abe as we walk across the large yard of the despicable inn. How anyone leaves here alive is beyond me. 

“Only her chaperone, Your Grace.”

“She will be easy to get rid of,” I reply thoughtlessly. If Miss Penny is like every other young lady who got an invitation to Cortherstone, she will happily travel the rest of the way with me. I internally moan at the thought of having a woman in my home that I have to keep track of. Gratefully, my reputation precedes me, and I am hoping she is so frightened she leaves me be. I have enough to deal with as is; I do not need to babysit a woman cowering in every corner. 

“There she is,” Abe whispers, pointing to the entrance of the inn. “Miss Penny’s chaperone.” 

I watch the older woman hurry across the yard, sniffling with every step. Flicking my head toward her direction, Abe races off after her, and I turn to go find my new houseguest. 

If possible, the inn smells even worse once inside, but that is nothing compared to the utter lack of moral. Apparently, Miss Penny is a fool if she thinks she is safe among the type of men who frequent this establishment. I roll my eyes at the thought of having such an empty headed woman getting lost in the castle. Once I step foot into the room, at the first whisper of my name, the room goes dead silent. My eyes sweep across the trembling faces shocked to see me until they land on the only woman sitting up at the counter. 

The coward behind the counter mumbles something directed at me, and I dismiss him quickly. At the mention of my name, however, I see the woman’s shoulders tighten, and her entire body still. I tap her on the shoulder, and see her lift her chin before she turns around. Although I see she is trying for bravery, her eyes instantly show the fear she is wishing to hide. 

“Are you Miss Penny?” I ask, then stay silent to give her a moment to look, as everyone does when they see me. Whether it is the scars across my face, or the need to see the physical monster I have become in rumors, I am not sure. But they always look.

Her eyes are strange. There are too many flecks of gold for them to be brown, but every second that passes, the entirety of her eyes dims to a dark, cold brown. Her hair that I believe started up, has mostly fallen out of its pins. Curls are in disarray around her face, softening her hard glare only slightly. 

Once her eyes have stopped searching my face, she lifts her chin higher. “Are you the Duke of Britonne?” she asks with a trembling voice, although her haughty arched brow tells a different story.

I bow in introduction. “Yes. Are you Miss Penny?”

She scrunches her nose as if she smells something unpleasant. “No,” she answers, turning back to the counter.

My first instinct is to laugh as to how she thought I would believe that, as she is the only woman here. My second thought is irritation, because the longer we remain in this inn, the closer she is to being found. “That is strange. I just spoke with a coachman outside who said Miss Penny was inside this establishment. Seeing as you are the only woman here, I assumed you are Miss Penny.” 

She sighs as if I were being the difficult one. “Your Grace, what can I do for you?” 

I have to remind myself multiple times that it does not matter who the woman is, just that I get her to Cortherstone. Not once in my life has anyone, male or female, kept their back to me while I spoke to them, and no one has dared lie to me either. I’m beginning to worry more for these next few days. I clear my throat. “I have come to accompany you to my home.” 

Her frame freezes, and because she is sitting down, she is much smaller than me, but when she tenses as she does, she makes me feel as if I am some demon coming to steal her. Which, if we are being truthful, I am taking her from here, but not forever. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Abe has entered the room, casually blending in to all of the other men who are trying to not watch me. He flicks his head to the door, his face telling me we are running out of time.

“That will not be necessary,” she finally says. “I am very capable of making it to your home on my own.”

“I never said you could not. I am only offering my services to make sure that is the case.”

“I assure you I have no need for a personal soldier today.” She slips off the stool, thinking to escape, but I only have to take one step to the side to stop her.

“Miss Penny, the roads can be dangerous, especially at night.”

Her eyes dart to mine, and the gold in them all but disappears beneath the wrath building. I match my glare to hers as that ache in my stomach is growing as it always does when things are out of my control; which for the last few years, I have found I can control nothing. 

“I am telling you in front of dozens of men that I am not going anywhere with you,” she states loudly, with a small, triumphant smile playing at her mouth. “You should listen in fear of staining your glowing reputation.”

The subtle insult I can take, but the smile I will not. My glare is easy to keep as I step toward her, lowering my head so I can look into her eyes. “Gentleman,” I yell, causing her to jump. “You would all be wise to divert your eyes.” 

Miss Penny looks to the side where all of the men, I presume, are turning their backs on our conversation. With how fast the red is leaving her cheeks, I assume everyone heard me clearly. Not wanting to hear another one of her excuses, I bend down and toss her over my shoulder. 

“Put me down, you brute!” she shouts, but all I hear is my mother scolding me on how improper and ungentlemanly I am being at the moment, but I cannot care. Being a gentleman comes second to being innocent, and the only way I can prove it is keeping the woman who is currently punching me in the back safe. She shouts insults at the men as I cart her off, and I catch Abe hiding a smile as he turns to speak with all of them. 

I set her down in front of my carriage, refusing to reach back and rub at the bruises I’m sure will be there tomorrow. “After you, Miss Penny.” I offer her my hand to help her inside, but instead of accepting, she turns and runs. Groaning, I only have to reach out until I have got her again. I was expecting wrath, but I was not expecting the sting across my cheek from her hand. Muttering words I have never said in front of a woman, I grab her arms to hold her still in front of me so I can try to talk some reason into her. And if I my parents did not bring me up to be a gentleman, I would give that little chin a knock for how high it is lifting. 

“Unhand me, you ogre!”

I swallow the rude reply and hold onto her tighter. “Miss Penny, get in the carriage.”

“No.”

Patience is not a virtue I was born with, and tonight it disappeared the moment I saw her face. “I do not wish to physically put you inside, but I will if you do not listen.”

“Where is Meg? What have you done to her?”

“She was put safely in one of my carriages and taken back to your home. She will relay the message I told her to give.”

“Which was?” she asks cheekily. Her defiance is going to get her killed, because I am very close to leaving her here. Whoever wants her can have her. 

Through my teeth, I say, “That I very graciously met you and offered to take you the rest of the way. As I brought more than enough men with me, your reputation is safe and therefore do not need a traveling companion.”

She laughs with pity, and again, I search deep down for patience that simply does not exist any longer. “My reputation? I’m sure you care very much for it, as you have just dragged me out of a public establishment over your shoulder.” 

Stepping toward her, I resort to try frightening her into listening to me, as I have done many times before with others. “Do you wish for me to save your reputation or your life? Those are your options this night, Miss Penny, and you would be wise to drop your chin and listen to me.”

Impossibly, that chin raises higher. “And you would be wise to release me this instant before someone sees you threatening me.” 

“Those men will relay whatever message I tell them to. If I were to tell them they never saw you tonight, they would erase your face from their memory, and if the King of England himself were to ask them what happened to Miss Penny, they would answer, ‘Miss Penny who?’” My hands ache from holding onto her so tightly, so I let her go, but stand ready to chase her if I need to. “I do not wish to threaten you more, so please, get in the carriage.”

She plants her feet solidly on the ground as her eyes narrow. “Never.”

“Very well,” I say, tired of this game she plays. I take her by the wrist and pull her across the yard to her carriage my men are trying to tuck away somewhere for the evening. Abe begins to walk toward us, but I only gesture my head to the drivers seat, as Abe has just earned a new job. My arm aches at the constant tugging on the other end of it, but I grind my teeth and pull harder, wanting this to be over. With an incredible lack of decency, I more toss her in the carriage than help her into it. Once inside, I sit directly next to her, holding both her wrists in my hand. 

“Let us see what would have happened if I had not been such a brute this evening.” I pound on the roof of the carriage, demanding them to move. We were at the inn for too long, and the more time we spend here the easier it will be for him to find her. 

“Let go of me,” comes the annoying demand of my new travel companion.

“No.” 

I almost smile when I hear her take deep breaths as if she is trying to pull herself down from a tizzy. “May I please have my hands back?” she tries to ask nicely, although I can hear the underlining anger in her voice.

I look down at her and see the red in her cheeks has come back. “Will you hit me again?” 

“No,” she answers, and even though I know nothing of her, I know she is lying.

“You are a terrible liar, Miss Penny. I believe if I let you go, you will indeed hit me, and after you will attempt to jump out of a moving carriage. For those reasons, no, I will not give your hands back.”

I believe she just growled, although it sounded much more like an upset kitten. “Your Grace—”

“William,” I cut off her intended sentence, not liking the way she says my name. Somehow she makes it sound rotten. “I believe we are beyond the point of polite and appropriate introductions, Emma.” Oh, my mother would hang me if she heard me now. 

“I did not give you permission to use my name,” she says through her teeth.

“I did not ask permission.”

Again, her deep breaths fill the carriage. “Your Grace,” she says even more pronounced, “Can you tell me why you have kidnapped me? If you wanted me dead, it seems it would be easier to do away with me at the inn.” 

Anger swims through my veins, causing my chest to ache after hearing those words. I know people think I am a murderer, but to hear someone say them is different. Hearing her say it is different. “If I wanted you dead, I would have left you at the inn. I would have made it easier for the man who is now following this carriage.” 

“What do you mean following—”

I hear the glass shatter, and in the next moment I am on the ground with Miss Penny tucked underneath my arm. I hear her suck in sharp breaths telling me she is hurt, and I mean to ask after her but the doors open to the carriage. Once I look at Abe’s face, I know the answer.

The game does not end tonight.