“I’ve dealt with many men like the earl over the years. The trick is to carry yourself with confidence and speak with authority. Even when they glare at you with open contempt, as if you were something they scraped off the bottom of their shoe.”
“I will have to remember that advice.” Mrs. Wentworth moved to tend the fire, then seated herself in a brocade wingchair near the marble fireplace. “I must confess that I enjoyed seeing Gerald so riled. At one point his face turned from puce to purple. Seeing it was almost worth losing the sale of the estate.”
The tight lines around her mouth and across her brow eased and she smiled unexpectedly—a smile full of laughter and mischief. She was breathing deeply and he could see the expansion of her rib cage as she drew in air. Such a neat, trim, tight waist, for the mother of three children.
Richard’s gaze skimmed over the slight cleavage of her gown, his breathing shallow. How fragile she looks , he thought. He tried mightily to ignore her tantalizing feminine fragrance, the sparkle in her brown eyes, and failed utterly.
“I suspect Gerald did not find the situation as comical as we did,” he said, bringing himself back to the matter at hand.
“No, he was not amused. And in this instance I’m sorry to say that he is correct. The sale of the estate will not go through if he objects.”
“We signed a contract. I’m sure my lawyers will find some grounds to fight a lawsuit. They are the best money can buy.”
“No doubt.” She sighed remorsefully. “But I fear it would be a fruitless exercise. Gerald is not without influence. He will tie you up in court for years, goodness, probably long enough until Edward reaches his majority. Though it pains me to admit it, Gerald has won.”
“How will you cope?”
For a moment she looked so stricken Richard was angry at himself for asking the question. But it had to be faced.
“I will instruct Mr. Fowler to continue the search for a tenant,” she said, clasping her hands so tightly in her lap that Richard could see her knuckles turn white. “Unless you would consider a lease?”
“Regretfully, that will not suit.” The manor house was exactly what he needed, but as he considered this move late last night, Richard knew there was one other essential element he required to go along with his new estate. “Mrs. Wentworth, you have already figured a way out of this dilemma.”
She frowned in puzzlement and he smiled. “I don’t follow, Mr. Harper.”
“You said it yourself yesterday afternoon.” He was not an impulsive man, but he had learned long ago to trust his instincts. Heaven help him if they failed him now. Richard took a deep breath, then cleared his throat. “You could marry me.”
Chapter 4
Juliet remained seated in her wingback chair—which was a wise decision. If not, she might have hurt herself when her knees gave way and she staggered to the floor from shock.
“Marry you?” she repeated in a voice that sounded astonishingly normal. “Are you joking?”
“Not at all. It’s the perfect solution. You said so yourself yesterday afternoon.”
Well, now, he would have to throw that bit of nonsense in her face. Juliet covered her eyes with her hand, then rubbed her brow furiously. Considering all the unpleasantness she had just experienced with Gerald, it was somewhat ironic that Mr. Harper was the one with the power to render her speechless.
“May I assume from your silence that you are giving careful consideration to my proposal?” he asked when she did not respond.
Juliet looked over at him in astonishment. His face was deadly earnest, his countenance sincere. Oh, dear! She leaned forward, nearly mesmerized by the rich color of his blue eyes, the intensity of his stare. “I don’t smell spirits, so I can assume you haven’t been drinking. Did you hit your head on a low branch perchance as you rode here today? Or knock into a wall?”
“Neither. Nor did I fall out of the very
“I will have to remember that advice.” Mrs. Wentworth moved to tend the fire, then seated herself in a brocade wingchair near the marble fireplace. “I must confess that I enjoyed seeing Gerald so riled. At one point his face turned from puce to purple. Seeing it was almost worth losing the sale of the estate.”
The tight lines around her mouth and across her brow eased and she smiled unexpectedly—a smile full of laughter and mischief. She was breathing deeply and he could see the expansion of her rib cage as she drew in air. Such a neat, trim, tight waist, for the mother of three children.
Richard’s gaze skimmed over the slight cleavage of her gown, his breathing shallow. How fragile she looks , he thought. He tried mightily to ignore her tantalizing feminine fragrance, the sparkle in her brown eyes, and failed utterly.
“I suspect Gerald did not find the situation as comical as we did,” he said, bringing himself back to the matter at hand.
“No, he was not amused. And in this instance I’m sorry to say that he is correct. The sale of the estate will not go through if he objects.”
“We signed a contract. I’m sure my lawyers will find some grounds to fight a lawsuit. They are the best money can buy.”
“No doubt.” She sighed remorsefully. “But I fear it would be a fruitless exercise. Gerald is not without influence. He will tie you up in court for years, goodness, probably long enough until Edward reaches his majority. Though it pains me to admit it, Gerald has won.”
“How will you cope?”
For a moment she looked so stricken Richard was angry at himself for asking the question. But it had to be faced.
“I will instruct Mr. Fowler to continue the search for a tenant,” she said, clasping her hands so tightly in her lap that Richard could see her knuckles turn white. “Unless you would consider a lease?”
“Regretfully, that will not suit.” The manor house was exactly what he needed, but as he considered this move late last night, Richard knew there was one other essential element he required to go along with his new estate. “Mrs. Wentworth, you have already figured a way out of this dilemma.”
She frowned in puzzlement and he smiled. “I don’t follow, Mr. Harper.”
“You said it yourself yesterday afternoon.” He was not an impulsive man, but he had learned long ago to trust his instincts. Heaven help him if they failed him now. Richard took a deep breath, then cleared his throat. “You could marry me.”
Chapter 4
Juliet remained seated in her wingback chair—which was a wise decision. If not, she might have hurt herself when her knees gave way and she staggered to the floor from shock.
“Marry you?” she repeated in a voice that sounded astonishingly normal. “Are you joking?”
“Not at all. It’s the perfect solution. You said so yourself yesterday afternoon.”
Well, now, he would have to throw that bit of nonsense in her face. Juliet covered her eyes with her hand, then rubbed her brow furiously. Considering all the unpleasantness she had just experienced with Gerald, it was somewhat ironic that Mr. Harper was the one with the power to render her speechless.
“May I assume from your silence that you are giving careful consideration to my proposal?” he asked when she did not respond.
Juliet looked over at him in astonishment. His face was deadly earnest, his countenance sincere. Oh, dear! She leaned forward, nearly mesmerized by the rich color of his blue eyes, the intensity of his stare. “I don’t smell spirits, so I can assume you haven’t been drinking. Did you hit your head on a low branch perchance as you rode here today? Or knock into a wall?”
“Neither. Nor did I fall out of the very
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