“You appear . . . surprised,” he said, tone gentle. “Was life at Thistle Muir so very frugal then?”
“It certainly wasnae this grand.” Leah peered down at the sum and then back at him. “Precisely how wealthy of a husband do I have?”
Fox laughed at that. A booming, delighted burst of sound that lit his eyes and destroyed nearly every ounce of Leah’s good sense.
Oh, gracious.
This would all be much easier if she didn’t find her husband so very . . . delicious.
“Wealthy enough, wife,” he replied, still smiling. “But never fear, I also understand well the trial of penury, so my funds are well-secured.”
“Penury? So ye were not always so wealthy?” His good humor encouraged her tongue. “May I ask how ye came by such riches?”
Because he was right; hehadbeen poor once. Not that he knew that she knew such facts . . .oof.
Still smiling, Fox leaned an elbow onto the table . . .
. . . and immediately bumped his teacup, upending its contents onto the tabletop.
He yelped and jerked back.
Leah leapt to her feet and snatched a dishcloth from a nearby chair, tossing it on the spill before it could sog her lists or hit the flagstone floor.
Grimacing, Fox immediately took over wiping up the mess, gently pushing Leah’s notes out of the way.
“Apologies for my clumsy elbow.” He scooped up the towel and walked over to the washbasin, wringing out the cloth.
Leah finished drying the damp spot with another towel. She turned to find Fox at her side once more.
“Though I think you intended to shock me with your lists today,” he nodded toward the notebook with its lines of figures, “I have only felt relief that I married a woman of such sound sense and judgment. If you deem an expense necessary, I do not doubt that it will be. These sums are not outlandish. Do what you must.”
Leah tried not to preen under his praise.
Motioning for him to be seated again, she fetched a clean cup and poured them both more tea.
“There is one problem that money may not be able to solve,” she said, unsure how to continue but knowing that they needed to have this conversation.
And he had been more forthcoming, so far. So perhaps . . .
He looked at her expectantly, those blue eyes drawing her in. The tea and scones had revived his color a wee bit. He appeared lesspeely-wallythan he had thirty minutes prior.
Leah swallowed. “Ye mentioned when ye proposed marriage to me, that the fewer people who know about Madeline’s existence, the safer she will be.”
It was rather fascinating how quickly Fox’s face shuttered when Madeline’s name was mentioned.
“Yes,” he said. “That is true.”
“Well . . .” Leah spread her palms on the worn tabletop. “The castle requires significant work. The roof needs new slates in places. Rot and mold have gotten into many of the window frames. Everything requires a fresh coat of plaster.”
“So you’ve said.” He rolled his hand.Please get to the point.
Right.
“That means workmen to carry out the repairs and such. In short, there will be many people in and out of the castle over the next few months.”
Silence.
Fox frowned. “How does any of this relate to Madeline? Such workmen would think nothing of one small girl.”
