***
IF JONATHAN THOUGHThe’d been in hell at Killigarth Manor, then he wasn’t sure what to call this torture. He’d purposely put himself on the rack, being in such close proximity to Fanny, yet unable to touch her. In her dark blue pelisse and straw bonnet with its charming, white ribbon, she looked perfectly adorable.
And perfectlyinnocent.
Jonathan sighed inwardly. While the taste of her lips was burned into his memory, he had to refrain from acting on any further impulses. He would only be in this desolate area of England for another week. After that, he would go back to London and resume his life, as he knew it. While he intended to curb some of his wilder tendencies, first he had to purge these licentious thoughts about Fanny.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if anything — or anyone — would ever remove Miss Grouseman from his mind.
He wasn’t even sure why he’d offered to take her to St. Austell to visit with the men he’d hired to look into the old tin mine, but some inane part of him wanted her approval. He yearned to show her that he wasn’t just some notorious rake who cut a swath through town, even if that’s what he’d been. For years, that was the side of him that anyone had ever seen. Even his father. It was one of the many reasons they had always been at odds.
But no one knew the man beneath that veneer who desired something more, something worthwhile.
Today, Jonathan intended to let this new persona shine through. And for some odd reason, he wanted Fanny to be the first to see it.
***
“WE’RE HERE.”
As the coach rolled to a stop, Fanny peered out the window to see a crumbling pile of stones with a few men milling about the structure. A frown touched her forehead. “You brought me all this way to show me some old ruins?”
He laughed deeply. “Well, that is what I thought at first as well, but I’m hoping that today will prove me wrong.” He opened the door of the coach and stepped to the ground, holding a hand out to her to assist her down.
Fanny hesitated for only a moment before she exited. The wind had strengthened from this morning. As her dress whipped around her legs, she had to hold on to her bonnet to keep it from being ripped from her head. In turn, Lord Castleford removed his hat and tucked it under his arm. In that moment, his dark hair, a tousled mess about his head, and those twinkling, mischievous green eyes, with his black greatcoat flapping in the wind, he rather took on the appearance of a highwayman.
And just as dangerous.
She quickly pushed such disturbing thoughts aside as a burly man walked over to them. He might have been particularly intimidating with his grizzly beard and stocky build, if it wasn’t for his kind smile. As he approached Lord Castleford, he stuck out his hand. “My lord,” he said. “I’m glad you were able to reply so promptly to my message.” He turned his attention to Fanny and inclined his head. “Good day, miss.”
Fanny murmured a greeting as Lord Castleford made the introductions between her and the foreman. Afterward, Jonathan set his hands on his narrow hips. “I must say I’m curious as to what you’ve found, Mr. Santon. That is, if there is truly anything to salvage from this heap.”
The other man grinned broadly. “I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.”
“Then by all means.” Jonathan waved a hand. “Lead the way.”
After a round of friendly acknowledgements to the five other men assembled, Fanny observed the area around her in a new light. What she had originally thought was a pile of broken remains was actually a rundown mine. It appeared that new excavation had recently begun.
She looked over at Jonathan curiously, as he conversed with the men, his enthusiasm apparent. This place seemed too dilapidated to reasonably restore operations. Then again, if something like this could be salvaged, it would mean new jobs for some of the villagers in the area. But then, why he would try to bring something like this back to working order when he didn’t even live in the area?
Was it honor or some other motivation that spurred him to act?
For a man like Lord Castleford, who had been given the best that life had to offer he appeared to have a keen knowledge of business. Usually, such matters were taught to the heir of a grand estate, while the spare was left to his own devices. But it didn’t take long for her to figure out that Jonathan was a rather intelligent man. He obviously wasn’t the ne’er-do-well that he portrayed.
Drat.Not only was she attracted to Jonathan, now she was actuallyintriguedby him.
“I’ve very pleased to hear that, Mr. Santon. Very pleased, indeed,” Jonathan said, bringing her attention back to the conversation at hand.
“If all goes well, meaning no unforeseen pitfalls, you should be gaining a rather tidy return on your investment within just a few weeks,” the foreman returned proudly.
Fanny’s eyes widened. Until this point, she had thought Jonathan was working with the villagers. This information shed an entirely new light on the matter. “Wait.” She held up a hand as the two men turned to her. “Are you saying you actuallyownthis mine?”
Jonathan’s lips twitched. “As of recently, yes.”
She frowned lightly. “But I didn’t think that you had ever been to our little corner of England.”
“I hadn’t until just a few days ago,” he admitted. She must have looked lost, for he offered his arm to her. “I’m starved. How about we discuss this further over a bite to eat?”
They were about to depart when Mr. Santon cleared his throat. “Only one more thing, my lord. Did you wish to keep the name Wheal Austell?”
