Mr.Gordstone cowered.“But my things—my trunk—”
“Will be destroyed.You don’t deserve a thing after what you have stolen from Miss Salisbury.Leave.”
“Fine,” he ground out, moving to get into the carriage.
But Lord Holcombe barred the door with his cane.
“I will not take you anywhere, Mr.Gordstone.You informed me this scheme would work if I paid your expenses.”
“Youwilltake him,” Leith commanded.“Or else this tale of your perfidy will be spread all over theton.My mother is the Dowager Marchioness of Leith and is a bosom friend of every gossipy matron in Mayfair.She could have your reputation by next week.”
Lord Holcombe moved and Gordstone, needing no further encouragement, scrambled in.
“And if youeverbother Miss Salisbury or her family again, Holcombe, I’ll have your head.”
“Go to the Devil, Leith,” Holcombe said.
But he tapped on the roof of his carriage and his coachman, who had been watching the exchange with evident amusement (Leith couldn’t imagine that the man was loved by his employees…), drove the two failed conspirators off together.
Leith watched them disappear down the drive and then over the hill.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“An uncomfortable carriageride, I’d wager,” Leith said, with a chuckle.“Mr.Gordstone will be lucky if Holcombe waits to drop him at a tavern.”
He turned towards Beatrice and was surprised to find her looking none too happy.He had expected her to be elated by this welcome turn of events.
“What is it?”he said, alarmed by her expression.
“I told you I could handle Mr.Gordstone.”
Irritation prickled across his body.He had just solved her problems, he had just saved her and her family from ruin, andthiswas the thanks he was to receive?
“Monty sent me the letter.And I was prepared to come to you, but then I saw them in the drive.What was I to do?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her frustration evident.“But you didn’t listen.”
“Beatrice,” he said, advancing on her now and reaching for her arm.
“No, don’t,” she said, pulling away.
“I am sorry, what have I done to affront you?Other than save you and your family from two men bent on ruining you all?”
“I didn’t need you to save us!”
“Yes, you did,” he said.“I cannot believe you are being this stubborn, Beatrice.”
“No, Leith.I told you.Before we came here.This ismyfamily.This ismyestate.Parkhorne is mine.”
Even now, when she was being infuriating, and impossible, he didn’t doubt his love for her.But if she couldn’t see that he had needed his help in this instance, or help fromsomeonein any case, he wasn’t sure what it meant for their relationship.
“Parkhorne isn’t yours, Beatrice.It belongs to your brother.George.”
He said the words in frustration—he had only meant to impress upon her the absurdity of her reasoning.But when he saw the look on her face, he knew instantly that he should not have uttered these words aloud.
“Of course,” she said, acid in her tone, “because onlymencan own estates.Is that right, my lord?”
“That is not what I meant.”
