He peered at her intently, a line between his eyes giving him a stern appearance. “You seem very young.”
She wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or provoked. “I’m of age if that is what you want to know.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that you are incompetent or anything close to that. Your skills and good judgment shine wherever I look at Willowbrook. I’m merely trying to sort through the legalities. No husband hidden away, either?”
She almost rose to the bait before she saw the twinkle lurking in his eyes. “No, there is not,” she responded tartly.
“Then Eli should encounter no obstacles. Shall we ask that your bequest from your mother be transferred to the account under your control?”
His steady gaze failed to unnerve her. She took strength from it. “Yes. David won’t like it, but yes.”
Rob fetched the coffee pot and brought it to the table, pouring for both of them. “Clarion can’t have it both ways. Either you are in his care, or you are independent.”
The urge to defend David died on the rock of Lucy’s belief in her own abilities. Rob believed in her, but David, alas, did not. He cared for her, but it didn’t occur to him to trust her. She nodded, delighted by the grin her agreement provoked.
“Once that is accomplished, you will need a place to live. It isn’t a fortune.”
Yet he trusts my good sense.Confident of that, she outlined her plans. “The cottage need not be large, but I’ll need sufficient land for the apiary.”
“Your bees don’t take up much room, but you’ll want to live near fields and orchards for nectar gathering.”
“Quite!” she beamed at him.
“And have a steady income to augment your funds,” he mused. “Do you want to take the hives and equipment from Willowbrook?”
“If that is an offer, it’s a generous one that would save me both money and time. It isn’t a simple proposition, but yes. I transport them wholesale with care or take queens, at least, and fresh skeps. Hive tools…”
“They are yours.”
A memory stirred. She peered at him carefully. “Did you know I began with your mother’s bees?”
“No one said, but I suspected. The work has been in good hands.”
His words and something in his gaze made heat pool in her belly. She felt the burn rise up her neck to her cheeks. “Thank you, Sir Robert.”
“If you don’t settle nearby, The Willow and the Rose will need another purveyor of wax and honey.”
Will I?“That will depend on finding a place I can afford.”
“I’m sending Morgan to London for an estate agent. When he arrives, I’ll have him look on your behalf as well.”
Her eyes narrowed. He looked entirely too pleased with that tidy idea.
“You will, of course, make all your own decisions,” he added hastily. “I am also sending for some of my men.”
“What men?” Lucy’s whole body stiffened.
“Former soldiers trained for security detail.”
She opened her mouth to object to his interference, but he spoke over her. “In the meantime, Abbott has organized the carpentry crew to keep an eye on things.”
He downed the last of his second cup and rose before she could formulate a sensible response. “Now, I’ll see how…” He hesitated and met her eyes. “—myfather fares. Then Farley and I are off to Ashmead. I fear you will have Emma for some days yet. Make sure you send to the Willow for anything you need.” Those green eyes narrowed. “I do meananything, Miss Whitaker.”
Lucy sank back in her chair, alone with her thoughts. Her annoyance with his arrogant assumption he could manage her life faded. He had just promised her everything she wanted. Why didn’t it feel like enough?
*
A new routinehad settled in at Willowbrook in the aftermath of the accident and Dr. Farley’s pronouncement that the worst was over. Mr. Benson would do. “He’ll need time, mind you, but the worst is over,” the doctor said, tapping his hat to his head and setting out for Ashmead with Sir Robert.
