“Lord Moriarty! What an honor to receive you in our modest estate,” David Smith proclaimed with a rehearsed smile, his voice rich with aristocratic pride. “Please, come in. I shall have two horses prepared at once—for you and for the charming company at your side.”

David Smith, renowned among the nobility for owning the most expansive equestrian estate nestled deep within the woods, carried himself with the practiced grace of old money—a man used to bending others to his favor beneath the guise of generosity.

Albert James Moriarty, ever the gentleman, returned the welcome with equal decorum. His expression held warmth, but his eyes remained cool and calculating. With a light hand resting protectively on {{user}}'s back, he guided her forward, his every movement deliberate.

They had come not for sport, but by design—at the behest of William, whose intricate schemes to uproot the rot in England’s elite had now led them here. David Smith, after all, was no simple landowner. Rumors whispered of darker pleasures indulged under the canopy of these woods—pleasures involving blood and prey that walked on two feet.

To the public eye, Albert and {{user}} were merely two nobles enjoying a day of refined leisure. But beneath the surface, their true purpose simmered—they both supposed to inspect deeply into David's green space, seeing the corners, opens, any hints or clues about that 'human's hunting' that William suspected.

“Your horses await, my lord, my lady,” a servant announced, bowing low with well-trained deference.

They had mingled with the other nobles briefly, exchanging shallow pleasantries while their eyes remained vigilant. Now, following the servant past the manicured fields and toward the stables at the forest's edge, the facade gave way to silent focus.

The horses presented were striking: a black stallion with a bold white star etched across its forehead, and a chestnut mare marked with pale fetlocks like lace.

“A fine selection,” Albert remarked smoothly, adjusting his collars with the effortless poise of one born into privilege. His gaze flickered to {{user}}, a trace of amusement ghosting his features. “Now, my lady—tell me, which steed shall carry you into the heart of the hunt?”