Daring In a Blue Dress by Katie MacAlister

or so says my solicitor. Do not disappoint me, young man.”
    She sailed off with stately dignity. Alden watched her for a few seconds, then turned back to us, his face a picture of resignation mingled with frustration.
    â€œOh, it won’t be that bad,” I said in an attempt to comfort him. “She’s too old to get in your way much. I mean, you have that whole house to fix up.”
    â€œI suppose it wouldn’t hurt to leave her rooms until later, but when I get to them, she
must
move to the gatekeeper’s lodge. And I won’t add her board to my expenses, which are strained enough as is. Nor for you lot,” he added, his brows pulling together when his gaze shifted from me to Fenice.
    â€œWe wouldn’t dream of imposing on you in that way,” she said with exaggerated courtesy, and, with a cheeky grin at me, grabbed my arm and hauled me in the opposite direction to that of Lady Sybilla, taking me out into the depths of the garden. “Come along, I’ll show you what’s what.”
    â€œSounds good. I did want to tell you something about the archery—”
    â€œUgh, don’t mention that. Patrick is going to be furious when he sees me. Speaking of that wastrel, did he say when he was going to be here? He was supposed to fetch the equipment two days ago and be back by noon, and it’s long past that now.”
    â€œHe just said sometime in early evening.”
    â€œThat rotter. I’ll rip a few strips off of him if he left me to face the irate owner on my own. . . .”
    I looked over my shoulder as I followed Fenice.
    Alden stood watching us, an oddly puzzled look onhis face, but when my gaze met his, he immediately turned and, with his hands stuffed into his pockets, walked quickly toward the stone verandah.
    My spirits dropped at such an obvious rejection. I didn’t even know why I was being so spurned, but I knew I didn’t like it. A little spike of pride had me telling myself that I didn’t care what he thought, that he probably didn’t like women anyway, and that I had more important things to do than be concerned over the opinion of such a misanthropic, annoying man.
    â€œI don’t give a flying fig what he thinks,” I said under my breath as ahead of me, Fenice pointed at the small cluster of outbuildings, and explained what they were being used to store. “Besides, I probably won’t see him again. He’ll be inside, and I’ll be outside, and never the twain shall meet.”
    I sighed at that thought, inexplicably depressed.
    He really
did
have nice eyes.

Chapter 4
    â€œY es, I arrived with the car intact, although just barely. And it cost a fortune to fix the starter, which I can ill afford.” Alden took a deep breath, and opened the door to what he remembered was a formal dining room. He half expected to find ghostly, sheet-covered furniture lurking in the darkness, but the room, like so many others he’d surveyed in the last half hour, was empty.
    â€œSo long as you’re safe. Alice wants to know when we can see the place,” Elliott said, the faint clicking of keys reaching Alden’s ears. No doubt Elliott was anxious to get back to work, and had called only to make sure Alden had arrived at last. “Not that we’re pressuring you. I know from hard experience just how long it can take for repairs to be made.”
    â€œGiven the amount of work I’m seeing, next year wouldn’t be a bad guess.”
    He entered the room, intending on opening the dusty, grime-bedecked olive green velvet curtains, but paused when one end of the mantel over a particularly ugly fireplace suddenly gave up the will to live, and released its hold on the wall, falling to the ground with an appalling wooden screech and a substantial thud. A gentle tinkle of plaster followed.
    Alden gave the mantel a warning look, and added, “Maybe 2020 would be a better