I

He is the kind of man you could safely watch from a distance, but to get too close meant to die. The passion in him would engulf you; you could see it in his eyes. They are as cold as tempered steel, but behind the steel was softness (or so I assumed). In this man, the soft could hurt more than the steel. He is too intense, and his eyes glitter dangerously. This is a man who tries too hard to mask himself from the world. It is the price, I suppose, of being born the oldest in a noble family. He is the current Duke of St. Besar, known to all as the Lord Jonathon. I believe he is sixth or seventh in line to the throne. He has nearly tripled his family’s holdings and coffers, and he is by far the richest man in England. His manor lies on the coast, and what a home it is! It is called Wolffeton on the Sea. I myself have never laid eyes upon it, but if half the stories are true it is a most amazing location. The Lord Jonathon is admired and feared by most, but still, I can’t help but get the impression that he is hiding something. A weakness, perhaps, a softness that may hurt his reputation. I do not know, and I have no wish to ask him.

I suppose at this point I should stop and introduce myself. My name is Lianna; I am the second daughter of the Earl of Eichstrom. Eichstrom is a small, but wealthy holding on the border. I am nearly ten and seven, but my father has not yet arranged a marriage for me. I both yearn for and fear marriage, but I trust my father to choose a suitable man, a kind man.

Tonight, we are attending a grand ball, to celebrate the independence of our country. I am told there will be many eligible men attending. I suppose I ought to go home and begin my preparations. My father will kill me if he realizes that I went to the park alone again. It was such a lovely afternoon though.