manager.
There was another pause whilst Rollo considered the situation.
“Is he well and able to work now?”
“Yes, I believe so, but it is too late for a crop this year.”
“Does he now keep the land tended?” It seemed that Rollo was gathering all the facts.
“Yes, I believe so. I hear he is a good worker, as is his wife, although she now has the baby to attend to.”
“In that case, perhaps we can give them time to come about. If Simon will agree to an increase in rent after his harvest next year to cover some of this year’s losses, I would find that acceptable. I would not like to turn a hard-working young family out of their home. The estate can absorb the loss of his rent for this year.”
Diana’s eyes filled with tears at the compassion shown by a man known to all as the Earl of Ice.Again her belief that there was a kind man beneath the cold demeanour was confirmed.
Realizing that the men were not just passing through the room but continuing their business, she felt she should alert them to her presence. She gave a small cough.
Rollo immediately responded, “Excuse us, Miss Wells, I had no idea you were using this room. I apologize for intruding on your solitude.”
What a shame she is cooped up in the library, he thought, instead of enjoying the fresh air and sunshine with the others . His heart went out to her.
“You have not disturbed me. I was reading the poem ‘Floating Island,’” Diana explained, “and I was so engrossed that I did not hear you enter the room. I have finished the poem now and so will go for a walk in the garden and leave you to your business.”
Rollo noticing how pale she looked and thought that some fresh air would be beneficial to her. “My business is concluded. It would be my pleasure to show you around the garden, if you could bear some company?”
Diana, although wary of Oliver, trusted Rollo completely and would welcome his company. “If you are sure? I will call my maid and get my outdoor shoes and cape.”
Diana’s smile was enough for Rollo not to regret his offer. He could afford an hour of his time.
That hour proved most enjoyable for both Rollo and Diana. The sun, although not hot, was pleasant, and a gentle breeze tugged softly at Diana’s bonnet as they strolled through the formal gardens.
“These gardens were laid out in the style of Capability Brown, the great eighteenth-century landscape architect,” explained Rollo. “It was my grandparents who oversaw the design of the gardens. My own father was more interested in the expansion of the deer park.”
“The flowers are so pretty and the fountains magnificent,” Diana enthused. The four five-tier stone fountains that centred each of the four formal flower beds were ornately carved, and great quantities of water cascaded from one tier to the next. A fifth fountain was in the centre of the garden, and it, too, had the same five-tiered design, although the height and circumference was much larger. The flower beds were a riot of colourful blooms inside neatly clipped low box hedging.
“The fountains are of Italian design, and the water is pumped from a lake over yonder.” Rollo pointed to a lake just visible in the distance.
“May we visit the rose garden we passed earlier?” asked Diana. Roses were her favourite flowers.
Mentally kicking himself for not having asked Diana if she had any preference for their walk, Rollo was quick to agree. “Of course. The rose garden was also my grandmother’s favourite. I can remember her spending many hours sitting there.”
They walked in companionable silence and Rollo held open the gate for Diana to pass through into the rose garden. As she brushed by him, without thinking, he placed his hand on her back to guide her through the narrow opening. Her back stiffened in surprise as she felt a tingling sensation race through her. But she did not feel fear. She found the sensation pleasant and turned and smiled up at him.
Her smile and soft brown
There was another pause whilst Rollo considered the situation.
“Is he well and able to work now?”
“Yes, I believe so, but it is too late for a crop this year.”
“Does he now keep the land tended?” It seemed that Rollo was gathering all the facts.
“Yes, I believe so. I hear he is a good worker, as is his wife, although she now has the baby to attend to.”
“In that case, perhaps we can give them time to come about. If Simon will agree to an increase in rent after his harvest next year to cover some of this year’s losses, I would find that acceptable. I would not like to turn a hard-working young family out of their home. The estate can absorb the loss of his rent for this year.”
Diana’s eyes filled with tears at the compassion shown by a man known to all as the Earl of Ice.Again her belief that there was a kind man beneath the cold demeanour was confirmed.
Realizing that the men were not just passing through the room but continuing their business, she felt she should alert them to her presence. She gave a small cough.
Rollo immediately responded, “Excuse us, Miss Wells, I had no idea you were using this room. I apologize for intruding on your solitude.”
What a shame she is cooped up in the library, he thought, instead of enjoying the fresh air and sunshine with the others . His heart went out to her.
“You have not disturbed me. I was reading the poem ‘Floating Island,’” Diana explained, “and I was so engrossed that I did not hear you enter the room. I have finished the poem now and so will go for a walk in the garden and leave you to your business.”
Rollo noticing how pale she looked and thought that some fresh air would be beneficial to her. “My business is concluded. It would be my pleasure to show you around the garden, if you could bear some company?”
Diana, although wary of Oliver, trusted Rollo completely and would welcome his company. “If you are sure? I will call my maid and get my outdoor shoes and cape.”
Diana’s smile was enough for Rollo not to regret his offer. He could afford an hour of his time.
That hour proved most enjoyable for both Rollo and Diana. The sun, although not hot, was pleasant, and a gentle breeze tugged softly at Diana’s bonnet as they strolled through the formal gardens.
“These gardens were laid out in the style of Capability Brown, the great eighteenth-century landscape architect,” explained Rollo. “It was my grandparents who oversaw the design of the gardens. My own father was more interested in the expansion of the deer park.”
“The flowers are so pretty and the fountains magnificent,” Diana enthused. The four five-tier stone fountains that centred each of the four formal flower beds were ornately carved, and great quantities of water cascaded from one tier to the next. A fifth fountain was in the centre of the garden, and it, too, had the same five-tiered design, although the height and circumference was much larger. The flower beds were a riot of colourful blooms inside neatly clipped low box hedging.
“The fountains are of Italian design, and the water is pumped from a lake over yonder.” Rollo pointed to a lake just visible in the distance.
“May we visit the rose garden we passed earlier?” asked Diana. Roses were her favourite flowers.
Mentally kicking himself for not having asked Diana if she had any preference for their walk, Rollo was quick to agree. “Of course. The rose garden was also my grandmother’s favourite. I can remember her spending many hours sitting there.”
They walked in companionable silence and Rollo held open the gate for Diana to pass through into the rose garden. As she brushed by him, without thinking, he placed his hand on her back to guide her through the narrow opening. Her back stiffened in surprise as she felt a tingling sensation race through her. But she did not feel fear. She found the sensation pleasant and turned and smiled up at him.
Her smile and soft brown
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