Jo Ann Brown by The Dutiful Daughter Page A

solution.”
    “A neat solution?” Tears glistened in her eyes. “Is that what you are looking for in your life and your children’s lives? A nice, neat, boring solution? May I suggest, Lord Northbridge, that you deal with your family’s problems and allow me to deal with mine?”
    She was gone before he could reply, but not before he saw tears bubbling out of her eyes.
    He gripped his hands on the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Was using cutting words to find a woman’s most vulnerable spot the only thing he had learned during his marriage? He thought of Bradby’s teasing about the fairy tale of “Beauty and the Beast.” Was his friend closer to the truth than he guessed?
    He slammed his left fist into the oak door. It crashed against the wall as pain surged up his arm. Cradling his hand, he edged away from the door that was now stained with the blood from his scraped knuckles.
    Charles turned away from the door. He hated how his temper had become a vicious monster, ready to shed any hint of humanity and leap into battle at the least provocation. He did not want to lose himself again and again to his temper, but he feared he no longer knew how to prevent it.

Chapter Four
    H e had not asked her to marry him.
    Not yet.
    Sophia glanced at her cousin Edmund who had shielded his eyes as he looked out over the sea where the water broke far out from shore. His greatcoat flapped in the strong wind off the water. Did he notice how she held her breath each time he opened his mouth to speak? Dear Lord, she prayed, help him understand that there is no hurry for us to do our duty.
    They had walked down the steep hill to the headland at the south end of Sanctuary Bay because Edmund wanted to explore the estate beyond the gardens. The storm clouds were gone, but the powerful wind remained, driving the salty scent up onto the raw cliffs. Tall clumps of grass stretched over so far the tips almost touched the ground. No trees or even tall stacks of stone offered shelter from the wind.
    “This is my favorite vantage point,” Sophia said, clamping her hand to her bonnet as a gust of wind tried to yank it away. From this spot the village of Sanctuary Bay was almost hidden from their view in its narrow slit between the cliffs. Only a few roofs were visible, though the beach was broad with the low tide. Between the village and where she and Edmund stood, the entire curve of the sheer rock walls could be seen rising along the shingle shore.
    “Stunning,” Edmund shouted over the wind. He moved closer to the edge of the cliff.
    “Take care!” she called after him. “The rocks are not always stable in this area.”
    He edged two steps back. “Then I shall wait until we get to a more secure area before I give in to temptation to peer over the rim.”
    “There are several places where paths lead down the beach, but even with those, we always need to be careful of rocks coming loose.”
    “I see there is much to learn about Sanctuary Bay and Meriweather Hall. Shall we continue?” He offered his arm as he had earlier when they emerged from the garden to walk along the cliffs.
    Then, Sophia had pretended not to notice. It had been simple because they had been pushing past the trees and shrubs growing at the edge of the garden. Now, when they stood in the open, she had no excuse not to take his proffered arm.
    She put her hand on his sleeve. Oh, dear! Her fingers were trembling so hard that he could not fail to notice. She hoped he did not think she was frightened to be alone with him. Not that they were truly alone, because a footman stood several yards away as a discreet chaperone. She must make sure he did not get the idea that she found him distasteful. Quite to the contrary! If she was not fearful that the next word out of his mouth would be a marriage proposal, she would enjoy his company. His sense of humor was not as broad as Mr. Bradby’s, and he possessed an intelligence that rivaled Lord