His wife would have to be someone that would provide heirs and then live her own life and let him live his. There were plenty of women around who wouldn't mind that arrangement.

It made thinking about it, no less pleasant, however.

A gentle knock sounded at the door and he heard it open. He, however, did not turn around. He knew who it was.

"So wouldn't win the "Pirate of the Year" award. It's all over-rated, anyway!" she told him in a chipper

voice.

He struggled to keep the smile off his face as he turned towards him. "If that is your way of making up for scene that you just caused, you are not doing a very good job of it. And as far as my relationship with my father is concerned, I suggest you keep your ideas...to yourself, else you'll never be able to leave!"

She planted her hands on her hips and huffed, "Well, with that kind of att.i.tude, you'll never have a good relationship with him!"

There was a sudden commotion in the hallway and knock sounded at the door.

"Yes, what is it?" Spencer called out.

The door opened and Beauford the butler stood there. "His grace request your presence in the great room, my lord. Lady Smithers and her daughter Annabelle have just arrived."

Spencer looked perplexed. "Who are they, Beauford? I don't recall the name."

Beauford cleared his throat but maintain his dour expression. "Lady Annabelle was your brothers betrothed, my lord. They maintain the estates in the next county."

Spencer masked his surprise. "Thank you, Beauford. You may tell my father we will be down directly."

"Your brother was engaged to be married?" Destiny asked as he shut the door behind him.

"Hmmm," he nodded. "So it would seem." He looked at Destiny with a sigh. "Well, lets go and have a

look at the woman who would have been my sister-in-law. I'm curious to know what kind of a woman my brother chose for a wife."

She looked like an eighteen century Claudia Schiffer.

As Destiny and Spencer came down the stairway into the great hall, the young woman, swathed in light green silk, turned her face up to them. Never had Destiny seen such luminous skin and such lovely blond hair. She had it done up perfectly with tiny green ribbons intertwined throughout. And to top it all off, her eyes were the color of her dress.

Talk about color coordinating!

Then Destiny made the mistake of looking at Spencer. He would never know how much it hurt to see him looking at the woman, like she was an angel.

"Ah, there you are, Spencer. I would like to introduce you to Lady Smithers and Lady Annabelle. Lady

Annabelle would have been..." The duke paused with a flash of grief haunting his features for a breif

moment. "She would have been your sister-in-law."

Spencer turned to the beautiful woman and started to bow to her, when her mother stepped in between them and stuck out her bejeweled hand. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord, and to see that you are in good health from your long journey. We've heard much about your endeavours in the colonies."

On the way down to kissing her hand, Spencer's eyes flew to his father's. "Indeed, my lady."

His father coughed. "Uh, yes...I told her all about your business enterprises."

"And what 'business enterprises' did you tell her I was in, Father?"

The duke shrugged. "Free trade."

Spencer coughed to cover his incredulous laugh.

Lady Smithers, who looked well for her age, although slightly plump, smiled at Spencer. She had her

hopes high that her daughter would still be a d.u.c.h.ess. The future duke couldn't seem to take his eyes off

her. There was only one thing troubling her though.

"I don't believe we've met your houseguest," she initiated in a cooly polite voice. But her eyes raked down Destiny like she was worm rather than a lady.

Spencer blinked and finally took his eyes off of Lady Annabelle. He looked over to his 'guest' and flinched. Destiny was not happy. She was positively GREEN with jealousy.

For some reason, this made him incredibly happy.

He reached for Destiny's hand. "This, ladies, is my fiance' Miss ..." Spencer hesitated. Had she ever told him her last name? He couldn't remember, so he made up one. "Miss Worthington."

Destiny choked back a giggle. Worthington? Her name was plain ol' Brown!

Lady Smither's eyebrows rose. "Ah, you must be related to the Worthinton's of Devonshire!"

Destiny couldn't seem to help herself. She smiled at the uppity woman. "No, I'm afraid I'm from across the ocean."

The polite smile dropped swiftly. "Really," she said with distaste. Once again she gave Destiny a nasty once-over. "A colonist!"

Spencer's face became stone cold. He didn't care a fig about polite society or the ton, and he had no use for those who did. "She's the future d.u.c.h.ess of Ballinton," he told her in a frightening voice that made her quickly back down.

"Please forgive me, my lord. I was simply stating the obvious, is all."

The Duke quickly averted their attentions. "Shall we retire to the drawing room. Beauford will see that tea is brought in."

A warm feeling went down Destiny's back as Spencer placed a possessive hand on her back, escorting her into the room. He had come to her defense, like a true fiance' would. For just a moment, she felt what it would be like to be truly his.

And it helped that he wasn't staring at Annabelle anymore!

Chapter 13.

For three days, Destiny endured (for lack of a better word) the Lady Smithers and her daughter Annabelle. It made her want to scream, the way that woman was trying to throw her daughter at Spencer. Destiny might as well have not been in the room for all the attention that she was shone from the entire household.

Well, Spencer wasn't exactly ignoring her, but he felt torn with enjoying the camaraderie he was experiencing with his father, and acting as a polite host for his guest, and worrying how Destiny was doing.

On that third day, Destiny knew that she had to make a decision. It would be a decision that would best suit everyone.... except, maybe, her.

Despite Destiny's dislike for Annabelle she had to admit that she would make Spencer the perfect wife. Someone befitting his station. Someone who would not shame him. Someone....that he would come to love in time.

They were all sitting at the breakfast table, now, and Destiny felt more like an outsider than ever. It was

time.

Time to let Spencer get on with his life. He and his father has formed a truce and seemed to be getting on famously.

Time to let Destiny get on with her life. Though she had no close family and only a couple of friends, she knew that she didn't belong here, and she ever felt as though she belonged in the 1990's either. Where did that leave her? What was to become of her?

Excusing herself, Destiny made her way to her room and begin to plan her escape.

Spencer watched as Destiny walked out of the room. Something wasn't right. She looked pale and...troubled? She's not been herself since the Lady Smithers and her daughter had come to the castle.

He tried his best to show Destiny his attention, but it had been so hard. Especially since it was apparent that Destiny was not trying to get to close to him. What was she thinking?

A horrible thought crossed his mind. A thought that was not going to go away, not until he checked

something out.

After mumbling his own excuses, Spencer ran to where Destiny had been sleeping the last few nights.

It was empty!

A feeling of panic that shook him down to his boots, ran through him, leaving him weak. She had left him.

She was going to go through the time portal without telling him goodbye.

He was 't going to let it happen! He was going to tell her what he should have told her days ago.

He had to let her know that he loved her.

He only hoped that he was not too late.

"Now tell me how this thing works again?" Destiny asked, warily staring at the time portal. It had noticeably shrunk. Where it had been up to Destiny's head, last time, it was now nearly to her middle. There wasn't much time left.

It was best this way Harriet, the old woman, sighed. "For the umpteenth time. You think on the place and time that you want to be and voila, there you'll be. Now can you get this show on the road, honey, because you are keeping me from my breakfast!"

Destiny glanced over to the table that the old woman was referring to and saw a southwestern omelet

with melting cheese over the top of it.