Читать книгу Candlelit Christmas Kisses: Captain Moorcroft's Christmas Bride / Governess Under the Mistletoe - Anne Herries, Anne Herries - Страница 10

‘YOU are jesting?’ Henry Norton stared at his friend in genuine surprise. ‘She turned you down? Have her wits gone begging or did you offend her?’

Robert smiled wryly. ‘You know me too well, Nor. I was too direct, of course. Told her it would not be a love match while assuring her that I was fond of her and found her desirable as a companion and a mother for my children.’

‘I am not surprised she turned you down. Indeed, I wonder that you escaped unscathed to tell the tale. Knowing her temper, I would have expected you to bear some injury. What possessed you to say such a thing to the lady? You might have known she would be angry. The fair Adelaide has a score of gentlemen languishing at her feet.’

‘Well, they may take their chances with her and good luck. She is beautiful but a spoiled brat,’ Robert said, and touched his cheek with feeling. ‘Not quite unscathed, Nor. The lady packs quite a punch, believe me.’

‘No less than you deserved.’ Henry was unsympathetic. ‘If you wanted her to accept, you should have … But of course you didn’t.’ He nodded knowingly as he saw Robert’s expression. ‘You felt it your duty to offer for her, after flirting with her so outrageously for months, but you never truly wished to marry her, did you?’

‘I confess it was done out of duty, for I had unwittingly led the lady to believe an offer was forthcoming.’ Robert sighed heavily. ‘I have behaved very badly. I know she is all that most men require in a wife, but she is not for me.’

‘Good grief, what are you looking for—a saint?’

‘No …’ Robert laughed in an oddly defensive way. ‘Would it be too much to ask that the lady should love me—or at least hold me in warm affection? I know I’m not the easiest of men. My nightmares would scare a young woman. I thought since Adelaide had been married once before she might be looking for a marriage of convenience, but it seems she demands utter devotion, and that I cannot promise. I’m not sure I shall ever be able to give my whole self to a woman. I’ve seen too much, Nor—cried too many tears. My heart broke on the Spanish Peninsula campaign, and I’m not sure I can feel love again.’

Henry nodded. He felt much as Robert did. The death of so many friends had left deep wounds that might never heal. But Robert had suffered more. Henry had watched him as he held Juanita in his arms, nursing her through a night during which she had been racked with terrible pain—pain inflicted by a renegade band of English soldiers. To see a young and beautiful woman destroyed so utterly as Juanita had been was something any man might find hard to forget. Raped, beaten and left for dead, she’d lived long enough to tell her tale, name her torturers, and die in her lover’s arms.

Sometimes Henry wished she’d died sooner, before he and Robert had found her. Perhaps then his friend would have recovered. But the experience had scarred him deeply, leaving him with terrible nightmares that haunted him still, even after two years spent recuperating in the peace and warmth of the hills of Tuscany.

‘Well, since there is no longer a reason for you to stay here, perhaps we should return to England.’

‘Yes, I believe we should,’ Robert agreed. ‘You wrote to Mr Breck and told him I would return before Christmas?’

‘I told him it was your intention. But you do not intend to visit the Banford Hall estate at once, I think?’

‘It will keep for a while. We shall go to London. Breck may arrange for the townhouse to be opened up, and we’ll go there for a week or two. My own estate was small and disposed of when I decided to stay here, but the money was invested. I shall want to investigate the state of my finances, which I believe to be more than adequate. As I told you, Nor—I do not think I can bear to live in that mausoleum of a house. It will have to come down if I’m to live there, but it may be better just to sell.’

‘I’ll write to Breck again before we leave, warning him of your intentions. When shall we go—next month?’

‘Why not sooner?’ Robert smiled. ‘We’ll pay a brief visit to Paris, and get home in time to prepare for Christmas.’

Selina looked around her with satisfaction. She and her sisters, and Jane and Betty, had spent the past three weeks cleaning and sorting out the neglect of years. The parlours, drawing room, dining room and breakfast parlour were all now in good order. Furniture had been polished, carpets beaten and silver burnished. The main staircase—a magnificent relic from medieval times, intricately carved—when they arrived had been ingrained with dust. Now the dark oak gleamed with polish, its faded beauty restored.

‘It looks much better now, Miss Selina,’ Betty said with a nod of satisfaction. ‘I’ve never sneezed so much in my life without having a chill—everywhere was so dusty. I think the drawing room had not been used in years.’

‘Well, we have made big changes.’ Selina was pleased because she had discovered some beautiful pieces of walnut furniture that had been languishing under dustcovers in the unused wings. By bringing in useful items like desks and small tables, pretty chairs with spindly legs and a comfortable sofa, she had transformed the rooms they were to use. The heavier, ugly pieces had been transferred to one of the unused rooms. ‘Everything in here was so heavy and dull—and all those lovely things going to waste …’

‘I hope the new earl won’t mind.’ Betty looked doubtful. ‘Some folk hate things to be changed, you know, miss.’

‘Well, he isn’t here, is he?’ Selina replied. ‘If he cared about his uncle’s home, he would have come back at once to see what needed to be done to set it to rights. Besides, all I’ve done is make the rooms we use comfortable and pretty.’

‘You’ve certainly made them your own,’ Betty said. ‘I’d best away to the kitchen, miss. Cook is making puddings and cakes for Christmas, and she needs a hand.’

‘I thought Sadie was helping her?’

‘Her?’ Betty sniffed. ‘Comes and goes as she thinks fit. That one is more trouble than she’s worth, mark my words. You’ll rue the day you allowed her to stay.’

‘What has she done?’

‘I’m not one to tell tales, miss, you know me—but she’s been hanging around with James the gardener. A girl like that … Well, stands to reason he’s only after one—’ Betty broke off and blushed. ‘I shouldn’t have said that, Miss Selina.’

‘No, you shouldn’t,’ Selina said. ‘Unless she causes trouble, I shan’t send her away, Betty. Nanny cares for her, and she keeps her in line. I’ll give Nanny a hint about James and she can warn Sadie to be careful.’

Selina had caught only glimpses of Sadie, for the girl seemed to avoid the family. Once or twice she’d caught her peering in at the window when she’d been talking to Cook in the kitchens, and she’d seen her running across the lawns at the back of the house on two occasions, but otherwise Selina would hardly have known she was there had Nanny not told her.

Selina frowned as she thought of the beautiful wild girl who was not quite a part of their household. She was a law unto herself, dreamy, and apt to walk off in the middle of a task, so Cook said, and then come back a day later expecting to start again where she’d left it. Selina wasn’t sure whether she was a little simple or just wild and contrary, but she had caused no trouble thus far.

Indeed, everything had been going very well. They had begun to receive one or two callers—just the vicar and some of their nearest neighbours—and she was thinking of having an afternoon when she would invite ladies to call for refreshments. They had met others when they attended church on Sundays, and everyone seemed friendly and a little curious about the family at Banford Hall. So far two gentlemen had ridden over to ask if they could be of any help. Both were gentlemen farmers, men of independent means, but they had country manners and lacked the town polish that she and her sisters had been used to in their friends. Neither was quite what Selina hoped for as a suitor for her sister.

‘Miss Searles …’

‘Yes, Trent …’ Selina was brought back from her reverie by the elderly butler’s arrival. ‘Is there something I can do for you?’

‘A letter has arrived marked as urgent. I thought I should bring it to you at once.’

‘An urgent letter?’ Selina looked at him in surprise and some consternation. She took the small envelope from the salver and glanced at the writing. ‘It is from Mr Breck …’ Opening it swiftly, she gave a little gasp of shock and turned pale. ‘Yes, it is important, Trent. Thank you for drawing it to my attention. Do you know where Miss Amy is, by any chance?’

‘She is in the small parlour, miss. Shall I tell her you wish to see her?’

‘No, I shall go to her,’ Selina said. ‘Please excuse me.’

Leaving the butler staring after her in a puzzled manner, Selina walked swiftly to the parlour they had made their own. She was fortunate to find Amy at her sewing. Their younger sister was, of course, in the library, which was her favourite place at any time of day.

‘I am not sure what to make of this,’ she said, and handed Amy the letter. ‘Mr Breck says we are to remain here for the moment, but I am not sure how we can.’

Amy read the letter and looked at her in consternation. ‘He says the earl is expected in England any day now. Oh, Selina, after all our hard work—and just when we were beginning to make friends.’

‘Apparently the earl does not intend to live here for the moment. It seems he will make his home in London—and he is thinking of pulling down the house and building a new place.’

‘Oh, how could he?’ Amy stared at her in genuine distress. ‘This house is so beautiful and has so much history.’

‘It is also draughty, and if all the rooms were opened up would require a small army of servants. We have worked hard ourselves, Amy. Betty could never have managed it alone.’ Selina looked ruefully at her hands. ‘I shall have to wear lace gloves when we have visitors, for my hands are a disgrace.’

‘And now he will come and take it all away from us and destroy everything we’ve done.’ Amy’s eyes glittered angrily. ‘It is so unfair, Selina.’

‘Life is often unfair,’ Selina said, and sighed. ‘Do you remember when Mama took me to Bath seven years ago? I was just sixteen then, and she needed to take the waters for her health.’

‘Yes. I remember you seemed very quiet when you returned.’ Amy frowned. ‘I don’t see what … Sorry, please continue, Selina.’

‘There was a man—a captain in the army. He was so handsome, and he was about to depart for Spain. He and his friends were at an assembly that Mama and I attended. My card was filled before he arrived, but he … he cut in and started to flirt with me. I felt as if I were in a dream, Amy. He said such things to me—told me I was an angel straight from heaven … so beautiful that I made his heart weep. He took me out into the garden and kissed me, told me that he adored me and that one day he would come back for me. I’m not certain what he meant, but I think he was a little squiffy, because the next day he passed Mama and I as we walked to the pump room and did not even glance my way. I suppose that he was merely flirting with me …’

‘How perfectly horrid of him,’ Amy said, outraged for her sister. ‘What happened after that? Did you tell him he was not a gentleman?’

‘I did not have a chance. I learned from a lady whose house we visited that Robert Moorcroft and his friends had departed for Spain, where they were to join Wellington—or Wellesley, as he was then known—on campaign.’

‘So he was merely flirting with you and drunk on the eve of leaving for war?’ Amy frowned. ‘I should have been angry with him for taking advantage.’

‘No, I wasn’t angry.’ Selina smiled. ‘I was young and foolish. I should not have gone into the garden with him that night. Mama had warned me about allowing gentlemen to take advantage … But I liked him so much, and it all seemed so romantic. I was carried away on a tide of pleasure and I forgot Mama’s warnings. Of course I know now he was just flirting with me—but somehow I have never been able to forget him.’

‘Is that why you do not wish to marry for money?’

‘I suppose it may be,’ Selina replied. ‘I shall not say he broke my heart, for he did not—but he spoiled me for others. I have not been able to see any other man in the same light.’

‘Yes, I understand that,’ Amy said. ‘Is he the reason why you took this position?’

‘In a way. Since I have no real desire to marry, I thought this would be a way out of our difficulties. But if the earl returns and no longer requires my services …’

Amy frowned. ‘What are we to do? You were thinking of inviting our neighbours to a Christmas Eve party. Shall we still be here, or must we look for another home?’

‘Mr Breck insists that we must stay as we are for the moment. He will speak to the earl when he sees him and ask if we may stay on until he is ready to demolish the house.’

‘Who is going to demolish the house?’ Millie asked, coming in at that moment. She had a book in hand, and had obviously been immersed in it until that moment. ‘What are you whispering about? Why does no one ever tell me anything?’

‘The earl is returning to England. He intends to live in London for the moment, but apparently he wishes to pull this house down and build a new one in its place.’

‘He can’t,’ Millie wailed. ‘Oh, I hate him. I’ve just got to like being here. Men are horrid. I wish they would all go to war and get killed so we could live as we please.’

‘Millie! That isn’t nice,’ Selina admonished. ‘The earl is not concerned with us for the time being, so we may carry on as we wish. Mr Breck is coming down next week to have a look at what we’ve done and make a check on a few things I pointed out to him. He may know more of the earl’s intentions then. If he gives us a few months, we shall be able to find a nice cottage somewhere.’

‘It won’t be like living here, in this wonderful old house,’ Millie said and her eyes filled with tears. ‘We shan’t have many books, and there are so many I want to read.’

‘Well, perhaps the earl won’t want to be bothered with this place for a while,’ Selina said hopefully. ‘I should not have come here had I thought this would happen—but it seemed ideal for us. Had we been granted a few months of peace, Amy might have found a husband, and I … well, I might have found something, too.’

‘Don’t worry, dearest,’ Amy said, a gleam in her eyes. ‘I’ll find a husband by Christmas—you see if I don’t. All we have to do is give a few dinner parties and invite all the eligible men and their mothers and sisters.’ She smiled confidently. ‘I might not catch an earl or a lord, but I don’t mind a sir—or even a plain mister if he is rich enough.’

‘No, you must not rush into marriage for our sakes,’ Selina said hastily. ‘Please promise me you will not, dearest. I want you to be happy. Millie and I will manage in a cottage for the time being if we have to—but you must marry well. You were born to shine in society, my love, and I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself for us.’

‘It would not be a sacrifice if he could give me the things I want—and provide a decent home for you.’

‘But you like to mix in good society, and you long for a season. No, Amy, whatever happens I will not have you sacrificing yourself for us. Remember you are not yet twenty and I am your guardian. I shall not allow it.’

‘You would not refuse me if I really wished to marry?’

‘Not if you were in love and the gentleman was suitable,’ Selina said firmly. ‘Do not give up yet, my dears. We owe this placing to Mr Breck, and should we need to move on, I think we can rely on him to help us. We shall simply carry on as before.’

‘My instructions were that you should employ a housekeeper, sir,’ Robert said, glaring down at the lawyer from his superior height. ‘My uncle did not wish for a tenant and neither do I.’

‘You said you would not be returning for some years, my lord. I thought there could be no harm in it since the young ladies were in such desperate straits. They had to leave their home before the builders moved in—and they have taken good care of your property, I assure you. Miss Searles is an excellent manager, and had been helping to care for her father’s estate for the past three years.’

‘I take it she is a spinster of advancing years?’

‘I would not say that, sir—though she is not a very young lady. In her early twenties, I believe. Miss Amy is nearly twenty, and the youngest girl will be thirteen shortly.’ Mr Breck threw him an anxious look. ‘It was my intention to visit them tomorrow and discuss the matter. I have heard of a house that might be suitable, but it will not be vacant until the second week in January. If you could see your way clear to allowing them to stay until then …’

Robert’s expression hardened. ‘You say she is acting as an unpaid housekeeper?’

‘It was an arrangement that I thought suitable, my lord, though I offered remuneration. Miss Searles felt unable to accept a monetary reward. She needed a home quickly and the house was empty. She and her sisters and her servants have moved in—and I’ve had good reports of her. She has already found some things that she thought needed to be brought to my attention regarding the tenants of one of your two farms.’

‘Indeed? What may that be? I should hardly have thought a young, single woman capable of finding something my uncle or his bailiff had missed.’

‘It was to do with a tithe that was payable to the church but had been mistakenly paid to the estate, but it does not, however, show up in the accounts. Also, there was a matter of a lease on some land that had lapsed, and the tenants had been allowed to stay on—if no rent is paid, they could claim the land in another few years. I have already set the matter of a new lease in hand, so you may thank her for it.’

‘Remarkable. One wonders how my uncle’s man of business could have overlooked something of that sort—unless he had good reason?’ Robert said thoughtfully.

‘Precisely. Miss Searles thinks there might be some kind of relationship between the agent and the tenant. Your uncle’s agent left rather abruptly when the earl told him you would be taking over the charge of the estate. I think what Miss Searles uncovered may be the tip of the iceberg, my lord. I daresay your uncle had been cheated for some years.’

‘In that case I cannot put off my visit for as long as I planned. I must go down and poke about—discover just what has been going on.’

‘Will you wish Miss Searles and her family to leave?’

‘No, of course not. I am not a barbarian and nor do I have a heart of stone. I think there are enough rooms for us to share a house for a while. Pay your visit as you planned, Mr Breck—and tell Miss Searles I shall come down in eight days from tomorrow. She may hire some more servants from the village and open up the west wing. I shall move in there with Henry Norton and Jobis. Jobis was my batman in the army, and he looks after me as well as most valets—though I admit he does not understand how to black my boots. I have hired a man to help for my stay in town, but I shall not be taking him with me to the country. Henry, Jobis and my grooms are all I need for the moment.’

‘As you wish, my lord.’

Robert stared out of the office window at the busy London streets. Rather to his surprise, he had found them dirty and less than welcoming after the warmth and beauty of Italy.

‘Before I can think of pulling the house down, I must have plans drawn. If you could furnish me with the name of a good architect, I shall ask him to come down—perhaps stay over Christmas and give me an idea of the cost of a complete rebuild.’

‘Very well, my lord. It is generous of you to agree to my clients staying on in the house for the moment. I shall tell the ladies they can stay until the new house is vacant—which means they can have Christmas where they are. I believe it was Miss Searles’s intention to give a little party for your neighbours.’

‘As I am in official mourning for my uncle, it must not be a large gathering, but I see no reason why she should not have a small one if she wishes—though you did say she is also in mourning?’

‘Yes, my lord. However, she wanted to get to know her neighbours.’

‘Who will not be hers for much longer …’

‘She will not be moving too far. The house I have found is a large farmhouse no more than ten miles from your estate. The owner is settled abroad and the tenancy is for five years—should she wish to take it.’

‘Then she must do as she thinks fit,’ Robert said, and frowned again. ‘The name seems to ring a bell, but I do not recall having met the family.’

‘Her father was Lord Richard Searles, and her mother was a Seymour of the Devon branch—but they were country gentry. I believe they rarely visited London. Lady Searles was often an invalid. Some years ago she paid a few visits to Bath to take the waters, but then her health deteriorated and she stayed at home. Her husband visited London alone sometimes—and that was when he was … unfortunate enough to lose most of his money at the tables.’

‘You say the house was entailed?’

‘It was free of a mortgage, but some of the land was pledged to the bank. Their cousin inherited it, as he is the last of the male line, and he intends to let or sell what is left of the estate.’

‘And he could not be persuaded to allow the ladies to live there?’

‘He claimed they would be better with him—but Miss Searles declined. She feared his intentions towards herself and did not wish to marry him.’

‘She would rather become an unpaid housekeeper than marry respectably?’ Robert’s frown cleared. ‘She sounds an interesting and determined young woman, Mr Breck. Pray tell her she may stay on in the house until next year. I shall not bother her—but she may leave the management of the estate to me. She will continue in the role of unofficial housekeeper. I have no interest in such things.’

‘I am certain she will be grateful, sir,’ Mr Breck said. ‘I cannot tell you how you have relieved my mind.’

‘You exceeded your brief,’ Robert said. ‘It might have been awkward had I returned with a bride.’

‘Your lordship is thinking of marrying?’

‘Perhaps …’ Robert was disinclined to reveal more of his personal plans. ‘For the moment Miss Searles and her family may remain in residence. If she will kindly have the west wing prepared for my arrival, I shall be obliged to her.’

‘Of course, my lord. I am certain she can have no objection to sharing the house with you. It is, of course, your house.’

‘I am glad you have remembered that fact,’ Robert replied with a hint of sarcasm. ‘Might I advise you to follow my instructions to the letter in future?’

‘Yes, my lord. I was wrong, but …’ Mr Breck quailed before his look, feeling chastened. ‘Of course. Just as you say.’

‘No need to look so crushed,’ Robert said, and laughed. ‘Just a friendly word of advice. Had you asked beforehand, I might well have granted your request. I had no thought of visiting the estate while my uncle lived—but it is clearly my duty, and I now understand why he wished me to take charge of it. If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is that an elderly man grieving for his lost loved ones should be cheated. If I discover there was more than the customary practice going on, heads will roll …’

‘You must not blame yourself, Mr Breck,’ Selina said, concerned to see how distressed the lawyer looked as he told her the news. ‘You have given us a breathing space—and if the new house is not too far away, any friends we make here will be near enough for us to visit.’

‘I fear the property is nothing like this, Miss Searles. I was so sure you would have this for at least a year or more, which might have given you time—’ He broke off, looking self-conscious. ‘Forgive me, I presume too much.’

‘Not at all, sir. It was my hope that I might see my sister make a good marriage. If she should be fortunate enough to do so, I could leave Millie to her care and take a position in the house of a lady for myself.’

‘You must not think of it, my dear Miss Searles. As a temporary arrangement, it is allowable, but you should be living as a lady—not serving one as a housekeeper or a companion.’

‘I think I may not have much choice. I am past the first flush of my youth, sir. I should have had my season three years ago, or sooner, but circumstances would not allow. Papa still had a little money then, and Mama, too. Now I have no prospects and very little as a dowry. Indeed, what I have may need to be spent to ensure Amy has her chance.’

‘Well, you must not act precipitately,’ he advised. ‘Now, you understand the situation? I am sure you can manage to live under the same roof as the earl for a few weeks.’

‘Yes, that should not prove too difficult,’ Selina said, managing to smile. ‘My offer stands, Mr Breck. If you would care to bring your wife to stay for the Christmas period, we should be glad to have you.’

‘Alas, Mrs Breck has made arrangements for her family to visit us. She is most disappointed, for she is of a romantic turn of mind and would have loved to see this place before … the earl may decide to pull it all down and build a new home for himself and his wife.’

‘He is newly married?’ Selina enquired.

‘Oh, no. I believe he may have it in mind, but I have heard nothing definite. Please do not tell him I mentioned the possibility, for it was merely a chance remark.’

‘I should not dream of it,’ Selina replied. ‘Were I to have continued here as the tenant, I should have asked your wife to visit later in the year, but I fear we must leave as soon as this other house becomes vacant.’

‘Then you will take it?’ Mr Breck looked relieved. ‘I promised your dear mama to do what I could for you, and if I have found a solution to your problems, I am happy.’

Selina refrained from telling him that Lady Searles would be less than pleased with the way things had gone for her beloved daughters. Mr Breck had done his best and they must just make the most of it. At least they would still be here for Christmas. Even if they did have to share the house with its rightful owner.

‘He is here,’ Millie said dramatically as she threw open the parlour door eight days later and entered, carrying a basket of eggs she had fetched from the farm nearest to the estate. ‘I saw his chaise arrive. He has brought a baggage coach weighed down with trunks, boxes and crates. Trent says he has collected some art treasures in Italy, but they are to be stored for the moment—until he builds his new house. So we shall not see what is inside them all.’

‘You must not think of intruding on the earl’s privacy,’ Selina told her sister. ‘Just because you can walk into the west wing unheeded, you must not take advantage. The earl is entitled to expect common courtesy from us—all of us. If we wish to speak with him, we shall either send a message by Trent, asking for the favour of an interview, or we shall go to the side door and ring the bell, just as if we were paying a visit to one of our neighbours.’

Millie’s mouth set in a mutinous line. ‘The library is between the two wings. I do hope he will not ban us from using it. I shall simply die if I cannot read more of those wonderful books.’

‘When he has had time to settle in, he may—’ Selina had been going to say he might pay a courtesy call, but at that moment Trent entered the parlour, looking a little flustered.

‘Forgive me, ma’am,’ he said. ‘The earl has just arrived, and he asks that you attend him in the library.’

‘There you are,’ Millie wailed. ‘I knew he would say it was his. It will be just like Cousin Joshua all over again.’

‘It is not the same at all,’ Selina replied, sounding calmer than she felt. She smoothed her skirts, then patted her hair, tucking a wisp behind her ear. She had dragged it back into a tight knot at her nape, hoping it made her look older. ‘I shall come at once, Trent.’

She left her sisters whispering together and walked in a measured pace toward the library. Because Millie loved it so much, she had allowed her sister to have some comfortable chairs installed, rather than the hard sofas which had been there previously, and a fire would have been lit that morning, as it was every day. Reaching the door, she knocked and then entered.

Two men were standing before the fire. As they turned to face her, her heart caught with sudden pain. She knew one of them immediately, and the shock held her as if she had turned to stone. He had changed, but she recognised him for the dashing captain who’d kissed her on the eve of his departure for Spain. How could it be? She had thought never to see him again, but here he was—yet who was he, exactly? Could he be the Earl Banford?

‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ she said, and dipped in a slight curtsey. Her heart was racing wildly, and she felt as if she might faint, but she held her raging emotions on a tight rein. ‘I am Miss Searles—Miss Selina Searles. My sisters are Miss Amy and Miss Millicent.’

‘Miss Searles.’ The man with a scarred cheek inclined his head. ‘Henry Norton at your service. I am secretary to Earl Banford—or, as he prefers to be called, Captain Moorcroft.’

‘And also my friend,’ the slightly taller of the two said, with a wry look at his companion. ‘Nor and I saw service together. He takes care of all the tedious business for me and I tolerate his company. I have not yet seen much of the house, but I must congratulate you on the difference you’ve made to this room, Miss Searles.’

Selina caught her breath. As soon as he spoke, all the memories came rushing back, threatening to overcome her. His smile was just the same, but the years had aged him, taking that bright youth and enthusiasm from his face. His eyes were different, shadowed, as if he had seen too much sorrow and pain—as of course he must have, for she’d heard tales of the harshness of war, though she could have no idea of what these two men had suffered. Mr Norton’s face bore a terrible scar from his left eye to his chin, and she noticed that he walked with a limp, and his left hand was covered with a glove. She guessed that it had sustained an injury that he did not wish to reveal to the world.

‘I am glad you have no objection to my changes, my lord,’ Selina said, keeping her cool smile in place. ‘My youngest sister is a great reader and loves to spend much of her time here. I realise that you may wish to make the library your own, but perhaps she may continue to borrow the books?’

The earl hesitated, then inclined his head stiffly. ‘I, too, enjoy reading. I daresay we may come to some arrangement—providing she is quiet when I’m working on estate matters.’

‘I assure you she will be as quiet as a mouse. Once she has her nose in a book, it takes a Herculean effort to get her out of it.’

‘A true reader,’ Henry Norton said with a smile. ‘I shall look forward to meeting the young lady. Now I shall leave you, Robert. I daresay you wish to be private with Miss Searles. I know you have things to discuss.’

‘You do not have to leave,’ the earl said, but his friend merely smiled at Selina and went out.

The earl stared at her in brooding silence for a moment or two, then, ‘I am sorry if my arrival has made things awkward for you, Miss Searles. I had no intention of coming down yet, but Mr Breck seems to think you have uncovered evidence of my uncle being cheated?’

‘Yes, that is so,’ Selina agreed. ‘I am sure it was the case. The agent who was almost certainly behind most of it has left, but I think there may be more serious offences than I have yet had time to uncover. I have not delved too far, because I was not certain how you would feel about a woman prying into your affairs.’

‘I would normally resent anyone prying,’ he said, with a mocking lift of his eyebrow. ‘However, in this case I can only thank you for the service you have rendered me. I shall ask you to show me the evidence another day—perhaps tomorrow morning if you are not too busy? After that you may leave the estate accounts to me.’

‘Certainly, my lord,’ Selina said, her head up as she met his hard gaze. ‘I was merely trying to save Mr Breck too many trips down here—and to pay for my accommodation.’

‘I think you may consider your rent paid,’ the earl replied, still with that faintly sardonic smile on his lips. ‘As I said, I may not have seen much of the house yet, but what I have seen is a credit to you. Trent told me that you and your own servants are responsible for most of it?’

‘I have hired two maids to clean and serve in your wing, my lord. Also a former footman asked to return when he heard you were intending to take up residence. I told him he must come to you, and I believe he intends to wait on you tomorrow. I did not wish to presume too much, my lord.’

‘For goodness’ sake, call me Moorcroft—or sir,’ the earl said a trifle impatiently. ‘Until recently I was Captain Moorcroft of the Fifth Cavalry, and to be honest, I preferred it that way.’

‘As you wish, my … sir.’ Selina felt the heat in her cheeks. Just for a moment she’d glimpsed the man who had stolen her young heart, but he had disappeared again almost at once. ‘I daresay you did not wish for the bother of an estate like this. My father always said that large houses like this were more trouble than they were worth—but of course his estate was nothing like this must once have been.’

‘My uncle was in mourning for a long time. He let everything slide, and some of the land was lost to bad debt—and perhaps malpractice, as you have already seen.’

‘Yes, I imagine it must have been that way.’ Selina lifted her eyes to his. ‘If you would care to inspect our wing later this evening, I shall be delighted to show you.’

‘I shall visit if you invite me, but it isn’t a case of inspecting. Your wing is your home until you are ready to move, Miss Searles.’

‘You are very generous.’ Selina blinked back the stupid tears that hovered behind her eyes. She might have known he would not remember her. Just as he had changed, so had she. They had both been young and eager that night, but life had taken its toll, and they were now very different people. ‘I have warned Millie she must not intrude on you. I fear she has been in the habit of going wherever she pleases. My sisters are both delighted with the house, sir. They adore the minstrels’ gallery and the priest holes.’

‘Yes, I remember seeing them for the first time as a young boy—before things changed.’ His mouth drew into a thin line. ‘I believe my uncle suffered more tragedy than any man should in losing his wife and sons to the same malady. At the time I did not understand why his house was like a mausoleum, but I have since learned what it is to lose those you love.’

‘Yes, I believe it must have been terrible at times out there during the war. We heard tales, of course, but it is difficult to imagine what went on.’

‘You should not try, Miss Searles. Believe me, you do not wish to know.’

For a moment there was such horror and grief in his eyes that she was shocked. She felt cold all over and her spine prickled. What could have happened to him to make him look like that?

‘I believe I have nothing more to say for the moment,’ he said. ‘I should like to rest. Trent has offered me refreshment—but I understand the cook is employed by you?’

‘Yes, she came with me—together with my mother’s maids and my groom. The other servants are, of course, in your employ. However, since they all work together, I believe we may share their services. You do not have a dining parlour in your wing, so perhaps you will dine with us this evening?’

‘Yes, that may be for the best. I shall have to make other arrangements after you leave or perhaps before. Excuse me now, Miss Searles. I have work to do.’

Selina felt herself dismissed. He had treated her politely, but she knew that he considered her to be just one step above a paid housekeeper—perhaps equal to a poor relation he had given a temporary home.

Fighting her chagrin, and a stupid feeling of disappointment that he had not immediately remembered her as the girl he had kissed on that magical summer evening, she left him to brood alone in the library or whatever he chose to do. She had warned her sisters they were to stay away from his wing of the house, and she must do the same—unless requested to present herself, as she had been today.

She was so stupid to care! It had been but a fleeting moment—something she ought to have forgotten long ago, as he clearly had. They had both learned to feel pain and to live with the loss of loved ones, but he had moved on with his life while she … No, she was not that foolish girl. She was Miss Searles, and if requested to walk in moonlit gardens with an officer she did not know, she would have more sense than to agree.

At least she’d been saved the embarrassment of his thinking she was presuming on their encounter that night. He’d had her story from Mr Breck and been generous enough to allow her to stay—and that was the end of it.

She must concentrate on making this a better Christmas for her sisters than the previous one, when they’d been grieving for their father and their mama had been lying prone on her bed.

This year they would have goose with all the trimmings, presents and greenery throughout their part of the house. Since the great hall was in Lord Moorcroft’s wing, they would not be able to bring in the Yule log, but she would make their wing as festive as she could.

What Lord Moorcroft chose to do was entirely his affair. Cook would provide sufficient food for all of them—he could join in or brood alone with his kind but terribly scarred friend …