Bought for Revenge by Sarah Mallory

Monserrat?’
    She smiled.
    ‘Yes, Papa. I think I shall.’

Chapter Four
    I t was gone noon and Lucas was helping the men to winch a particularly heavy section of the pediment into place over the main door when the sound of hooves made him look around. Annabelle was approaching, cantering out of the trees.
    The rush of pleasure he felt at the sight of her surprised him. Quickly he turned his attention back to the job in hand. The stone was inching upwards amongst a complicated web of ropes, the stonemason on the scaffolding above them shouting instructions. At last the block was in place and he could release his hold and leave the others to finish the work.
    Annabelle had brought Apollo to a stand well back from the bustle and disorder in front of the house. Lucas picked up his discarded jacket as he walked over to meet her. He was aware of herwatching him as he shrugged himself into his coat. How must he look to her in his workaday buckskins and simply knotted neckcloth? Did she think him beneath her?
    No. That was not her way. Everyone he met told him that Miss Havenham was an angel, not at all proud or disdainful. Unless one treated her with insolence, as he had done. Then she was justly indignant, her grey eyes darkening with anger and she became a force to be reckoned with. He smiled to himself. There was steel beneath that soft exterior. It would be interesting to discover just how much.
    Lucas approached her, reaching up to rub Apollo’s great head.
    ‘You came.’
    ‘Yes.’ She looked a little uncertain. ‘If you are too busy it does not matter—’
    He smiled. ‘No, not too busy at all. Wait there while I collect Sultan.’
    The Home Wood lay at the western edge of the Morwood estate. The road to it lay through what had once been the park, but the smooth grass had been left to grow uncropped and the elegant trees now rose up amongst a mass of weeds and brambles. Lucas looked about him, frowning.
    ‘Did your father tell you why he bought Morwood?’When she shook her head he continued, ‘Much of it shares a boundary with Oakenroyd. Perhaps he thought it a good opportunity to increase his property.’
    ‘Perhaps, although Papa has never been ambitious in that way.’
    ‘So he just shut the gates and left it to rot.’
    She flushed. ‘He intended to build a new house and give it to my brother—’ She broke off, biting her lip. ‘I think, when Edwin died, he lost heart.’
    ‘He should at least have maintained the woods and the grounds.’
    He heard the defensive note in her voice when she responded. ‘My father must have had his reasons for leaving Morwood as it was.’
    ‘Oh, I am sure he did.’ Annabelle was looking at him, a faint crease in her brows. It was not part of his plan to antagonise her, so he threw off his black mood and smiled. ‘Let us not waste time upon conjecture, Miss Havenham. You are here to show me the Home Wood and I am eager to see it.’
    They picked their way across the neglected park and Annabelle led him unerringly to the remains of a path meandering through the trees.
    ‘My father told me this was once a carriageway here, used by the family for pleasure trips around the grounds.’
    ‘It leads to the lake.’
    ‘Yes, you are right. How…?’
    ‘One of the locals told me.’
    ‘What good memories they have, when no one ever comes here now. It is still possible to reach the water, although I haven’t ridden this way for a while and the weeds will already be invading the path. Would you like to see it?’
    Annabelle turned Apollo on to the little-used track. Lucas followed, enjoying the view of her elegant figure twisting and bending to avoid the overhanging branches. the encroaching brambles snared her skirts, but she kept the big horse moving forwards. Gradually the sounds of the building work disappeared and only creaking leather and the jingle of the harness could be heard, along with the occasional trill of birdsong high up in the trees. Sunlight filtered