He nodded. “Aside from Harbottle and Carlisle, I hold Grayson Castle, Whitehaven Castle and Kendal Castle, all of them in Cumbria.”
“Are they beautiful?”
He shrugged. “Kendal is small, but Grayson and Whitehaven are large and prosperous. Whitehaven is particularly nice because it sits right on the sea. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Ireland.”
She pursed her lips in disbelief. “You cannot.”
His eyes twinkled. “I have been told that by the locals.”
She shook her head to let him know what she thought of that tale and looked back to her drawings. “Do you think that Edward will let you rebuild Forestburn?”
His gaze lingered on her. “Is that where you wish to live?”
She shrugged, still drawing flowers. “Forestburn supports Cartingdon parish. I do not wish to see it left to rot. I would like to rebuild it.”
He watched her lowered head. “Then we shall rebuild it,” he said softly. “If that is your wish, I will move heaven and earth to grant it.”
She looked up at him, a timid smile on her lips. “Truly?”
“Truly.”
“And when all of this madness is finished, may we go to Paris and Rome?”
He laughed softly. “Anywhere you wish, sweetheart.”
“I hear they have spectacles of fighting in Rome and women who pierce their ears and paint their faces.”
“You can find that anywhere.”
“Really?” she was genuinely surprised. “Have you seen this in other places?”
His grin broadened. “I cannot tell you what I have seen in other places because you are a delicate lady and such things are unseemly. Suffice it to say that the world is full of debauchery.”
She formed an “O” with her lips, thinking on all of the wild things she’d not been privy to living her rather sheltered existence in Cartingdon. Tate snorted at her expression and turned back to the window.
“I was thinking something else,” he ventured as a gust of wind blew snow into his face.
“What was that?”
“Well,” he wiped snowflakes from his eyes. “I have a good deal of wealth and many holdings. It is difficult to maintain and difficult to keep track of, considering I am hardly in one place long enough to settle my accounts. I am thinking that you would be the perfect person to manage my estates.”
She looked surprised. “Me?”
“Of course. You made Cartingdon what it is. I would have you do the same for my holdings. In fact, if you can do for me what you did for your father, I would say that our children will be extremely wealthy prospects to future mates.”
The potential of managing Tate’s holdings did not displease her. In fact, she found it rather exciting. “I would be honored,” she replied. “But are you sure you want your wife managing your estates?”
“You and no other. You are the only person I would trust.”
She dawdled in the ash, thinking. “We could build an empire supporting the people and the land.” She looked up at him. “Tell me more about Whitehaven. I am interested in the castle that overlooks the sea.”
He shifted on his big legs. “It sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. I have only been there a few times; it is a rather large place and the gulls from the sea are constantly swarming over it. It holds about four hundred troops at any given time.”
She smiled. “I asked about the castle, not its military might. How does it survive? Does it breed sheep?”
He shook his head. “Cattle,” he replied. “Black and white herds; hundreds of them. The peasants make their living off of the cattle.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Truly?” she cocked her head thoughtfully. “I do not know much about cattle but I see that I shall have to learn. I think I might like to live at Whitehaven. I would like to live by the sea.”
