the experience, I hope?”
“No, he seems fine. Thanks to you.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
“And I am glad to happen upon you, so I might thank you again.” He gave her a deep bow, and she curtsied in return.
“I was happy to help,” she said, all warmth and friendliness. “I have always had a tender spot in my heart for horses.”
“Have you? I own I am still growing accustomed to the creatures.”
Her head tilted to one side. “You did not ride a great deal in your youth?”
“Not at all. I was sent to naval academy as a boy and have spent the greatest portion of my life aboard ships since.”
“Ah.” She nodded her understanding. “May I ask what brings you to Windrush Court? I had not expected to see you again.”
“Then you don’t know. I am letting the place for six months with an eye toward owning it one day.”
Her smile fell. “You, sir? You are the new master?”
Her tone rankled. Did she, like so many others, believe navy men had no right to an estate like this? “I suppose I am. What about that, madam, strikes you as so farfetched?”
An angry flush marred her fair cheeks. “I would not have thought it of you.”
“Why not?”
She stammered. “Because I thought you . . . I thought you a . . .”
His anger kindled. “Unworthy? Poor? A nobody?”
“No. I thought you a gentleman .” Her dark eyes flashed. “I see I was wrong.”
She turned and ran headlong across the field, unconcerned for the flowers she was crushing beneath her slippers. Yet, why did he feel as though he were the one who had just crushed her ? Had she some designs on Windrush Court herself ? Why was she so angry?
Matthew sought out Hugh Prin-Hallsey inside the house and found him shooting a solitary game of billiards.
“The girl in the gatehouse,” Matthew began, still irritated. “Who is she?” He realized he had once again failed to ask her name. What an idiot he was. Especially where women were concerned.
Prin-Hallsey took his shot, then straightened to his full height, cue stick cradled in both hands.
“The lovely Miss Mariah Aubrey. The soon-to-depart tenant of the gatehouse, as I believe I mentioned. Some niece of my late father’s wife, by her first marriage. The woman let Miss Aubrey have the old place for nothing, though she had no business doing so.”
“Had she not some right, as your stepmother?”
Hugh grimaced. “You risk my sword, Captain, saying that. She was no mother to me. She managed to bewitch my father and seduce him into matrimony late in his life. Baleful woman. Never understood what the old man saw to admire in her.”
Matthew was surprised Hugh did not plan to honor the woman’s wishes in regard to her niece. “But she was his wife.”
“Yes, and had her widow’s jointure to prove it.”
Matthew pondered this. “Is there some reason Miss Aubrey would not want me here? We crossed paths a short while ago, and she seemed quite vexed with me for no reason I could fathom.”
Hugh gave him a wry glance. “Told her you were the new master, did you?”
“I may have done. She asked what brought me here, after all.”
Hugh nodded. “I recently gave her notice of increased rent.”
“What has that to do with me?”
“I may have let on it was your doing. Sorry to relegate blame, old boy, but you did say you wanted the gatehouse for a friend, if it could be had. And I didn’t think you would mind the misapprehension. You two are strangers, after all, whereas I cannot abide having a beautiful girl cross with me.”
“But . . . ” Matthew began. “We have met twice now. She did me a good turn at our first meting, and I should like to return the favor. What would it hurt to allow Miss Aubrey to stay as she is? At least until another tenant might be found to pay the higher rent.”
“It might hurt more than you think. Your reputation, for example.”
“How so?”
Hugh eyed him curiously. “What do you know of Mariah Aubrey?”
Matthew shrugged.
“No, he seems fine. Thanks to you.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
“And I am glad to happen upon you, so I might thank you again.” He gave her a deep bow, and she curtsied in return.
“I was happy to help,” she said, all warmth and friendliness. “I have always had a tender spot in my heart for horses.”
“Have you? I own I am still growing accustomed to the creatures.”
Her head tilted to one side. “You did not ride a great deal in your youth?”
“Not at all. I was sent to naval academy as a boy and have spent the greatest portion of my life aboard ships since.”
“Ah.” She nodded her understanding. “May I ask what brings you to Windrush Court? I had not expected to see you again.”
“Then you don’t know. I am letting the place for six months with an eye toward owning it one day.”
Her smile fell. “You, sir? You are the new master?”
Her tone rankled. Did she, like so many others, believe navy men had no right to an estate like this? “I suppose I am. What about that, madam, strikes you as so farfetched?”
An angry flush marred her fair cheeks. “I would not have thought it of you.”
“Why not?”
She stammered. “Because I thought you . . . I thought you a . . .”
His anger kindled. “Unworthy? Poor? A nobody?”
“No. I thought you a gentleman .” Her dark eyes flashed. “I see I was wrong.”
She turned and ran headlong across the field, unconcerned for the flowers she was crushing beneath her slippers. Yet, why did he feel as though he were the one who had just crushed her ? Had she some designs on Windrush Court herself ? Why was she so angry?
Matthew sought out Hugh Prin-Hallsey inside the house and found him shooting a solitary game of billiards.
“The girl in the gatehouse,” Matthew began, still irritated. “Who is she?” He realized he had once again failed to ask her name. What an idiot he was. Especially where women were concerned.
Prin-Hallsey took his shot, then straightened to his full height, cue stick cradled in both hands.
“The lovely Miss Mariah Aubrey. The soon-to-depart tenant of the gatehouse, as I believe I mentioned. Some niece of my late father’s wife, by her first marriage. The woman let Miss Aubrey have the old place for nothing, though she had no business doing so.”
“Had she not some right, as your stepmother?”
Hugh grimaced. “You risk my sword, Captain, saying that. She was no mother to me. She managed to bewitch my father and seduce him into matrimony late in his life. Baleful woman. Never understood what the old man saw to admire in her.”
Matthew was surprised Hugh did not plan to honor the woman’s wishes in regard to her niece. “But she was his wife.”
“Yes, and had her widow’s jointure to prove it.”
Matthew pondered this. “Is there some reason Miss Aubrey would not want me here? We crossed paths a short while ago, and she seemed quite vexed with me for no reason I could fathom.”
Hugh gave him a wry glance. “Told her you were the new master, did you?”
“I may have done. She asked what brought me here, after all.”
Hugh nodded. “I recently gave her notice of increased rent.”
“What has that to do with me?”
“I may have let on it was your doing. Sorry to relegate blame, old boy, but you did say you wanted the gatehouse for a friend, if it could be had. And I didn’t think you would mind the misapprehension. You two are strangers, after all, whereas I cannot abide having a beautiful girl cross with me.”
“But . . . ” Matthew began. “We have met twice now. She did me a good turn at our first meting, and I should like to return the favor. What would it hurt to allow Miss Aubrey to stay as she is? At least until another tenant might be found to pay the higher rent.”
“It might hurt more than you think. Your reputation, for example.”
“How so?”
Hugh eyed him curiously. “What do you know of Mariah Aubrey?”
Matthew shrugged.
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